Chapter 88: One Blade Explodes Damage 999, Drops Gold Legendary (Third Update!)

Cheng Ze stood at the edge of the factory rooftop, the circuit board growing ever hotter at his chest embedded deep in his flesh and blood, black patterns spreading from its edges as if becoming part of his body.

The mind belonging to an organic being was like a candle in the wind, being suppressed, growing weaker bit by bit.

Memories of the past gradually shattered, like a piggy bank dropped to the ground, coins symbolizing beauty pouring out with a clatter.

Many faces flashed through his mind: his parents dragged down by him, Liang Laoshi with not so much white hair, A Biao who ran with him in the Yi Quan Society...

Consciousness flashed back to Jiusong Port, where Qin Lihao's storage container was filled with a dazzling array of collectibles.

Gold bars, banknotes, medicine powder, erotic photos, and videotapes... everything a rich man should enjoy.

One could imagine Qin Lihao often coming alone, sitting on that reddish-brown genuine leather sofa, slowly savoring his successful and satisfying life.

"Why? Why can they live such days while we can only eat leftovers and cold scraps?"

Jealousy and anger welled up, urging Cheng Ze to set that fire.

He wanted to burn all these beautiful things to ashes, destroy them completely!

"Blood and flesh are weak..."

Cheng Ze, no longer suppressing his inner negative emotions, suddenly heard faint muttering, not knowing where it came from, as if transmitted from all directions, echoing beside his ears.

"Use your blood! Awaken me! Use your blood—awaken me!"

Cheng Ze did as told, holding a strange esoteric ritual.

And then obtained a "Mechanical Heart."

"Blood and flesh are weak."

Cheng Ze lowered his head, murmuring:

"My mortal potential has reached its limit; in this lifetime it's hard to exceed the upper limit of fifty points. Mechanical Ascension is the only way out... Blood and flesh are weak, Mechanical Ascension!"

He raised his head, the Electronic Demon in his mind roaring likewise, but before his grand words could be spoken, two blinding high beams slapped onto his face.

"Damn it, no manners!"

Cheng Ze instantly flew into a rage, his two metal eyeballs turning slowly, he issued the command:

"Crush her!"

The metal monster modified from an off-road vehicle leapt down from the factory with a boom, sweeping aside similarly virus-infected home appliances, striding toward Chen Yun sitting in the car.

The latter retreated quickly, silently thinking in her heart:

"Qin Classmate, it's all up to you!"

She had heard the Old Martial Arts school had the Turtle Breath Secret Art, able to hide one's breath, making one like an ordinary person.

But facing the electronic scanning of mechanical life, could this method be of any use?

"Can't see me, can't see me..."

Qin Shi activated 【Electronic Mind】, striding boldly around to the rear and sneaking into the factory area; along the way, like a sentry on patrol, refrigerators and televisions completely ignored his presence.

Not right, one couldn't say they ignored him; some were friendlier, such as small items like hair dryers and radios, which would come over to say hello.

"Wuu wuu wuu..."

"Zi zi zi..."

From the hair dryer's three heat settings and the cheerful radio music playing, Qin Shi fully felt their enthusiasm.

He could even understand a bit of the meaning, like "Have you eaten?" and "Nice weather," those polite remarks.

"If during the military factory explosion back then, an Electronic Demon had also been born, it's hard to imagine how much damage it would cause. Those hot weapons and electronic devices could completely form an army to sweep through Dangyang East Suburbs."

Qin Shi went deep into the factory, discovering that the closer he got to Cheng Ze, the stronger the fluctuations emitted by those electronic products endowed with "mind," like living beings.

Black flames swirled around, printing one similar Divine Emblem after another.

Looking closely, it was probably a blurry image of a sheep's body with a human face, tiger teeth and human claws.

Taotie?

Qin Shi remembered the codename Dongxia gave to the Star God deep in Hengzhou Core.

Ranked among the Ten Fiends.

"Huh, why was 【Overgrowth】 triggered too?"

Qin Shi mixed among a crowd of motorcycles and Little Electric Mules, slowly moving his steps toward the rooftop where Cheng Ze was, when suddenly a feeling of hunger spread like fire, assaulting his whole body.

Several lines of text suddenly jumped out in his eyes—

【Food Ingredient Classification: Fire Seed】

【Quality: Intermediate】

【Edible Parts: Energy Reserve】

【Consumption Effect: Electronic Perception, Mechanical Affinity, Immunity to Spirit, Blood Flesh Sluggishness, a certain chance of obtaining the "Mechanical Apprentice" occupation certification.】

"This aggro is too hard to pull!"

Chen Yun drove the Black Knight Defender, turning the steering wheel hard, dodging the metal monster's crazy pursuit.

This thing looked bulky and huge, but actually had strong horsepower, the V8 engine roaring, spewing thick black smoke.

She walked it like a dog, kiting the metal monster, while occasionally shining the high beams on Cheng Ze to increase aggro.

"Annoying bastard!"

On the rooftop, Cheng Ze was receiving the swarming electronic fluctuations; if he couldn't move, he would have personally gone out, infected and aberrated that Black Knight Defender, turning it into his most loyal servant.

He ordered again, and the rumbling sounds in the factory rose and fell, one Ghost Fire Motorcycle after another, like iron cavalry receiving a general's order, rushed out to surround and block Chen Yun, determined to submerge her in the Steel Torrent.

Those Ghost Fire Motorcycles, baring fangs and brandishing claws like jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards, each flickered with scarlet light; their terrifying momentum made Chen Yun grip the steering wheel tightly, urgently wanting Qin Shi to draw away the suffocating heavy pressure.

Bang!

A roar sparked hope in Chen Yun's eyes—was that a gunshot?

……

……

At a commanding point five kilometers away, Lao Shen's shoulders shook violently, his body thrown backward, nearly toppled over.

The steadily braced three-star Storm Razor, like a deity hurling a thunder-infused spear, boomed across the sky, then sliced through the air, tearing apart every obstacle!

"Pity it's only three-star—not fast enough."

A thought of regret flashed through Lao Shen's mind; the Storm Razor's muzzle velocity was only nine hundred meters per second, and at an ultra-long distance of five thousand meters, it actually gave the target reaction time.

An eleven-millimeter Purification Bullet crossed several streets, striking Cheng Ze precisely, its force strong enough to cleave a water buffalo in two, so the gunner need not deliberately aim for vital points.

Once hit, death is certain!

"Stop!"

Cheng Ze calmly issued the command; his reaction and dynamic vision couldn't keep up with the bullet's trajectory, but the stray signals everywhere in the air transmitted the crisis in advance.

No assassination could take effect on him.

Even a legendary ten-star firearm—could it be faster than the speed of electronic transmission at three hundred million meters per second?

Bang bang!

Two more gunshots rang out.

Lao Shen's shoulders ached from the recoil; he was getting on in years and could barely handle this three-star Storm Razor.

"I did my best. I couldn't kill Brother A Ze—he was just lucky, and I was unlucky."

After firing three Purification Bullets in one breath, he leaned exhausted against the wall, not looking at the final result.

For a Gun Cannon Master, missing the target rarely happens; most failures stem from other factors.

"Stop! Stop!"

Cheng Ze issued the command twice; the Purification Bullet engraved with the gear Divine Emblem seemed to be forcibly gripped, its powerful kinetic energy unable to release, only gradually diminishing and dissipating, finally landing with two soft clatters.

"The plan has failed."

The Secretary holding the telescope shook his head and dialed the landline in the Temporary Command Room.

"I can't even kill him; it seems I'll have to make a glorious sacrifice……"

Chen Yun slumped into the driver's seat, a horde of Ghost Fire Motorcycles surrounding her Black Knight guards; not far away, a ferocious metal monster advanced step by step, ready to tear open the roof and pull her out to knead into tomato juice.

"Tell Central City I'm considering using the destruction strike…… huh?"

Inside the command room, Chen Ruofu sighed, making the worst preparations, but his gaze, just shifted away, suddenly returned to the large screen showing the factory area.

Chen Yun, waiting with eyes closed for death, waited a long while without the expected shattering pain; she carefully opened her eyelids a crack, and the ferocious metal monster, as if paused, stood stiffly there.

Chen Zhang seemed to think of something, climbed out of the roof, strained his eyes, and sure enough saw Qin Shi's figure.

"This kid! He actually did it!"

On the factory rooftop, Cheng Ze made a hoarse sound in his throat, painfully turned his head, and gazed at that young face.

"A…… Shi?"

No matter how he thought about it, the vibrating, stray, jumping electronic signals around him were almost all eyes and ears.

How exactly did Qin Shi dodge lightly and approach him?

"Brother Ze, sorry. My family really needs that old television."

He lightly drew the palm blade piercing his chest, holding the detached "Mechanical Heart," like a circuit board.

Because Cheng Ze's flesh was gradually metallizing, there was hardly any blood in his body; only a pool of pitch-black, viscous substance like machine oil spilled out.

"A Shi…… I still couldn't get out of Old Factory Street."

Cheng Ze, as if drained of strength, staggered forward two steps and slid off the edge of the rooftop, falling.

He closed his eyes, imagining himself as porcelain, shattering into pieces.

Not a bad ending……

"Hey, Brother Ze."

Qin Shi quickly grabbed Cheng Ze and forcibly dragged him up, still chattering:

"My blade avoided your heart, not causing fatal injury. Why not wait a bit, we'll honestly explain the case and strive for lenient treatment!"

Qin Shi held the circuit board in one hand and Cheng Ze in the other; he thought that although Brother Ze had caused considerable impact, the actual damage seemed not great, at most compensating the neighbors of Old Factory Street for various home appliances.

After the organic mind regained the upper hand, the frenzied shrill cry tormenting the brain receded; Cheng Ze slumped powerlessly to the ground, looking at the electronic products scattered everywhere after stopping, and smiled bitterly:

"A Shi…… thank you."

Qin Shi held the circuit board housing the Star God Attendant, and before his eyes suddenly flashed a dazzling golden light that made one dizzy.

An unprecedented strong hunger struck the brain, making his whole body send out longing signals—

【Ingredient Classification: Martial Artist Qi Charm】

【Quality: Special Grade】

【Edible Parts: Carrier】

【Consumption Effect: Mystery of Qi, Mystery of Power, Indestructible Tyrant Body, Death Gate Shattered, Martial Zeal, Battle Passion, Clear Mirror Still Water……】

"Wow, golden legendary!"

Qin Shi's eyes seemed filled with layer upon layer of golden word effects, too much to take in.

Which Martial Artist master's "Relic" did I just drop?

(Chapter End)