Chapter 273: Mechanical Beasts

"Haha~"

Yi Zheng, who stood nearby, heard this and a faint smile crossed his face. Taking up the thread, he said, "Inspector Chen, you've asked just the right question. My lord is precisely Zhao Fuzhou's fourth uncle!"

Chen Mu was inwardly startled, but he also let a fitting look of surprise show on his face as he hastened to reply.

"So that's how it is!"

He could not help but sigh inwardly. Not only had Zhao Fuzhou taken a great cultivator of the Ten Thousand Manifestations Realm as his master, but the family he came from was clearly no simple matter either.

The man before him, Zhao Wencen, Deputy Commander Zhao, was a genuine powerhouse of the Heavenly Palace Realm!

"Haha, Fuzhou has spoken of you to me many times. He says your martial talent is unrivaled, a once-in-a-century genius."

Zhao Wencen laughed heartily. "Sure enough, after you left Nanyun, it wasn't long before you climbed onto the Hidden Dragon Ranking and made your name known throughout the world!"

"Brother Zhao flatters me."

Chen Mu smiled modestly.

"This is no flattery," Yi Zheng chimed in. "The Hidden Dragon Ranking isn't something just anyone can climb, especially since it refreshes every three months—and every time, you move up!"

"Exactly. Last time, Chen Mu, you rose all the way to thirtieth place. When the next ranking is released, I'd say you'll break into the top ten at the very least!" Zhao Wencen laughed heartily, clearly aware that Chen Mu had defeated Chu Xiaotian in public.

"Well, I hope I can make it," Chen Mu said, offering no wild claims.

After a few more pleasantries, he respectfully withdrew.

Once the mission handover was complete, Chen Mu collected the corresponding merit rewards.

However, he did not rush to leave the Zhenwu Division. Instead, right there he used the merit he had just earned, together with what he had accumulated before, to exchange for a grey soul jade in the secret vault of Zhenwu Division headquarters.

Although its quality was inferior to a purple soul jade, soul jade—a treasure that could nourish the soul and enhance spiritual power—was a fine thing no matter how low the grade.

For any martial artist, it was a precious resource of which one could never have too many.

After tucking the soul jade securely against his body, Chen Mu did not linger. He took his leave of Zhenwu Division headquarters, left the city, and hurried nonstop toward the rendezvous point he had arranged with Di Chunlei.

……

A day later, Chen Mu arrived at Wangjiang Pavilion outside Wulong Fucheng.

From afar he could already see Di Chunlei's burly figure seated cross-legged in the pavilion, regulating his breathing.

In just a few short days, this disciple of the Jumu Sect, relying on his formidable physical foundation and the sect's secret medicines, had already recovered roughly eighty percent of his injuries; his aura was steady and powerful.

Seeing Chen Mu arrive on schedule, Di Chunlei opened his eyes, a broad and frank smile breaking across his face, and rose to greet him.

"Brother Chen is indeed a man of his word! Let's go, we'll head to that ancient site right now!"

So saying, he oriented himself, then took the lead, skimming low over the ground at great speed, racing toward the deep mountains within the Prefecture Realm of Wulong Fucheng.

Chen Mu smiled faintly, his figure swayed, and he followed close behind.

Two figures—one burly, one tall and straight—quickly entered the mountain forest.

Along the way, Di Chunlei's expression grew somewhat Solemn as he gave Chen Mu a detailed account of how the ancient site had been discovered.

"Brother Chen, to be honest with you, this ancient site wasn't discovered by me alone."

Di Chunlei said as he traveled, transmitting his voice through true qi, "I found it while exploring with two friends. One is Zhang Shaochong of the Jumu Sect, the other is Shi Yilan of the Shi family of the Southeast Circuit. Both of them are at the late Innate Stage."

His tone paused for a moment, tinged with vexation. "Unfortunately, our luck was poor. We had just found the ancient site and were only operating in the outer area—we hadn't even had a chance to venture deeper—when we ran into two brothers, Liu Xianbo and Liu Xiankang, disciples of the 'Heavenly Artifact Gate,' one of the Nine Mysterious Gates."

"The mechanical beasts those two brothers control are quite a handful. What's worse, that Liu Xianbo somehow managed to summon Ren Dongxing of the Jiuyou Sect as well."

"The three of us were no match for them. In the chaos of battle, I did my utmost to draw off the most troublesome Ren Dongxing, buying the other two a chance to escape."

"Now several days have passed, and I still don't know how Shaochong and Yilan are faring, or whether they've shaken off the Liu brothers."

His words were filled with worry for his friends.

Chen Mu's gaze flickered slightly upon hearing this, and he asked, "Liu Xianbo and Liu Xiankang of the 'Heavenly Artifact Gate'? Are the two brothers themselves also Earth Altar Realm experts?"

"Not exactly."

Di Chunlei shook his head and explained, "The brothers' cultivation is only at the Seventh Stage Innate, but what the Heavenly Artifact Gate is famous for under heaven isn't personal martial prowess—it's the art of crafting and controlling mechanical constructs!"

"The mechanical beasts they carry with them are not only made of hard materials, immensely strong, but also numerous in quantity, fearless in battle, and extremely difficult to deal with."

"An ordinary Earth Altar Realm martial artist, without some means of countering them, would also find a fully organized swarm of mechanical beasts a real headache."

Chen Mu understood at once.

"So that's how it is."

Chen Mu had long heard of the "Heavenly Artifact Gate," one of the Nine Mysterious Gates. The personal cultivation of its disciples might not be top-tier, but with their unfathomable mechanical arts, they were enough to make any opponent think twice.

The two of them traveled at full speed for half a day and reached their destination—

a hidden valley nestled among Chongshanjunling.

The valley's entrance was a jumble of strange rocks and dense vegetation; without Di Chunlei leading the way, it would have been extremely hard to find.

However, before they could even approach the valley, Chen Mu saw the mechanical beasts Di Chunlei had described.

He saw, scattered densely near the valley entrance, over a hundred wolf-shaped mechanical beasts, their entire bodies forged from dark, dull metal!

These mechanical wolves were the size of calves, with nimble joints, claws and fangs glinting coldly, and blood-red crystal eyes sweeping the surroundings, radiating a chilling and dangerous aura.

They moved in utter silence, yet subtly formed a tight encirclement, sealing off the valley entrance.

And behind these mechanical wolves stood five even larger, more imposing tiger-shaped mechanical beasts!

These mechanical tigers stood over a zhang tall, their bodies covered in thick metal armor plates. Their Hukou gaped open, and within one could faintly see dangerous energy light condensing—far more intimidating than the mechanical wolves.

Most eye-catching of all, the chest armor of the tallest mechanical tiger was open, and through it one could faintly make out the complex gear structures inside and two human figures seated within—precisely the brothers Liu Xianbo and Liu Xiankang!

They were clearly controlling the entire mechanical beast swarm through some sort of device.

At that moment, from within the towering mechanical tiger came the sharp voice of Liu Xianbo, transmitted through a sound-amplifying device, tinged with astonishment and mockery.

"Di Chunlei?! You actually didn't die? And you dare come back? Aren't you afraid Ren Dongxing will turn around and settle the score with you, tear you into a thousand pieces?"

Di Chunlei stopped at those words, looked at the massive mechanical tiger, and let out a cold, contemptuous laugh. "Hmph! You two rats hiding inside iron shells haven't died—how could Di Chunlei be the first to go?"

As his words fell, two figures swiftly darted out from behind a massive boulder at the corner of the valley entrance.

One of them, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, was dressed in a blue-grey close-fitting outfit, with a handsome face and lively eyes—it was none other than Zhang Shaochong of the Jumu Sect.

The other was a young woman of twenty-four or twenty-five, dressed in a pale yellow gown, with a pretty face and a spirited air between her brows. She was Shi Yilan of the Shi family.

The two of them were overjoyed to see Di Chunlei return safely, and hurried forward to meet him.

"Brother Di! It's wonderful that you're all right!" Zhang Shaochong said excitedly, clapping Di Chunlei on the shoulder.

Shi Yilan also breathed a sigh of relief, a look of great relief spreading across her beautiful face. "Big Brother Di, we were worried sick. That you were able to shake off Ren Dongxing and come back safe — that is truly a blessing!"