Chapter 484: Resolution (Thanks to the Donation from Master Gen of the Jian Shan Alliance)

Ssssh!

Half an hour later.

A group of servants were cleaning up the chaotic living room downstairs.

In the study upstairs.

Shi Lei was flipping through account books, texts, and several crimson-covered secret manuscripts.

"The Blood Dark Rite," "The Unclean Incantations," "The Charlati Psalms…"

"Is this my family's esoteric heritage? Weak… pathetically weak."

Two plumes of white vapor exhaled from his nostrils, causing Wu the Steward, Shi's father, and Shi Ding to shudder.

Practicing secret martial arts alters one's disposition.

Though he possessed "Mechanized Mind," it was merely an auxiliary combat technique and could not remain active continuously.

Shi Lei glanced at Wu the Steward and noticed his injuries had healed considerably.

Now, with the ingestion of strange secret medicines, his burns were rapidly mending, peeling away dead skin to reveal fresh flesh.

"The Blood Path is extraordinary… aside from its recovery ability, everything else is garbage—completely inferior to my martial way. From now on, I take full control of the family's esoteric affairs."

Shi Ding was displeased, staring at Shi Lei but dared not contradict him.

Wu the Steward opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it, also too afraid to ask.

"What? You want to learn my secret martial arts? I'll teach you…"

Shi Lei smiled: "As long as you join my Secret Sect and follow my precepts… you will gain transcendent power. Of course, I currently lack the qualification to perform initiation, but I will soon have it."

"Young Master!"

Wu the Steward's eyes gleamed, and he immediately bowed deeply.

Shi's father, witnessing this, turned his head away—he knew his family's strongest fighter had defected.

These transcendent beings always possessed extraordinary interest and fervor for the esoteric.

And his son, for reasons unknown, had suddenly become immensely powerful.

"Not just Wu—the rest of you who wish to learn may also join. I'll teach you all."

Shi Lei smiled.

He had no objection to spreading his secret martial arts—indeed, he hoped it spread widely—as long as he alone performed the initiation.

"Now… our Shi family stands on the brink of rapid advancement—the chance to seize control of Black Ring City, even the Weiminghan region, has arrived…"

"Find the Silver Ring! This is your mission. To join the Secret Sect, you must offer alms, demonstrate devotion… you must risk your lives to accomplish this! Understood?"

Under Shi Lei's gaze, Wu the Steward and the other two immediately lowered their heads…

…

The entire Shi family sprang into motion; their network of connections was unimaginable to outsiders.

Not to mention, the Silver Ring's "Mechanical Ring" was merely a small society that had risen on a few copied manuscripts, with only Silver Ring himself as a true transcendent.

In this world, because the Enlighteners must expand their influence in the mortal realm, they frequently reproduce, copy, and disseminate low-tier secret texts.

As a result, the esoteric has never truly vanished—occasionally, one or two small societies emerge, persistently defying suppression.

Silver Ring was clearly one such figure.

Half a day later.

Deep night.

"Silver Ring's real name is 'Saville Yechi'… originally a destitute laborer who came to Black Ring City, worked three years as a mechanic at Sangsong Factory, then suddenly quit… mere months later, his former coworkers and the supervisor who withheld his wages all met misfortune… then Sangsong Factory went bankrupt, acquired by Saville at a price so cheap it was nearly free… now, he's a minor factory owner in Black Ring City."

Shi Lei read the report and nodded: "He uses his factory as headquarters for esoteric gatherings? Perfect—I'll go now and wipe them all out."

"Young Master…" Wu the Steward hesitated: "As far as I know, although Saville's esoteric knowledge is negligible, he secretly controls the Blood Axe Gang and has recruited several desperate outlaws… possibly even acquired firearms to form a factory guard."

In fact, in low-tier esoteric combat, a firearm is more effective than anything else.

"So there's a group of gunmen?"

Shi Lei stepped out the door and boarded his stretch limousine: "Old Wu… if it were you, how would you handle this?"

Wu the Steward climbed in, thought for a moment, then replied: "Use talismans to conceal our presence and attempt an assassination—that's the simplest method. Alternatively, poison: slowly introduce minute doses of 'Blood Poison' into the factory's food and drink, then trigger it all at once during our attack…"

"So even esoteric practitioners avoid direct confrontation…"

Shi Lei said: "But I'm different—I'm a martial artist!"

…

Deep night.

Sangsong Factory.

As a small factory supplying parts to major corporations, it maintained extremely strict security.

Because Silver Ring held many of his society's rituals within the factory.

Under current conditions, occupational diseases were nearly unavoidable; if child laborers were used, the vast majority would not survive three years!

Extracting a few for cruel, bloody sacrifices was more than sufficient—and unlikely to be noticed.

The factory guard captain, universally recognized as the boss's top enforcer, "Hyena" Duke, was smoking.

As the cigarette ember glowed dimly in the dark, his mood was turbulent: "Munachi is dead… was he killed by his own student?"

"The leader senses danger—recent sacrifices have increased noticeably. Is he crafting talismans or other artifacts to strengthen himself?"

As he pondered, he saw a figure emerge from the darkness ahead.

"Who are you?" Duke immediately gripped his holster.

As captain of the guard and the boss's top enforcer, he was the undisputed ruler of this factory zone—regularly beating workers, even assaulting female laborers, with no one daring to resist.

During night patrols, he followed one rule: shoot first, ask questions later.

Bang!

Seeing the figure advance, Duke drew his gun without hesitation and fired.

Whoosh!

The figure vanished—he felt a scalding jet of steam blast against his face and screamed.

Then came the sound of his own arm bones cracking.

"Who are you?"

"Captain Duke… no, it's a monster!"

"Get the steam rifles!"

As Duke collapsed, the other guards sprang into action.

Normally, a regular guard or bodyguard unit under sudden attack would retreat immediately.

But this guard unit consisted entirely of brainwashed followers of Silver Ring—and their response was different.

Some even dragged out heavy rifles—contraband items Saville had gone to great lengths to acquire.

If discovered by the city guard, it would be a major problem.

But now, seeing their comrades fall one by one in the darkness, they no longer cared.

Bang!

The steam rifle fired—but missed the dark figure.

"With my current steel-like physique, I still can't withstand steam rifle bullets… but I only need to move faster than your fingers can pull the trigger."

Shi Lei's eyes were cold; his movements resembled a precisely calculated machine, yet carried the aura of "The Ultimate Moves Like a Machine."

Bang!

The steam rifle fired again, then the gunman fumbled to reload.

Unfortunately, the gunman would never get a third shot.

The figure flashed forward—Shi Lei stood mere meters away, his back muscles bulging like a turbocharger.

Shhh!

His fists opened their pores, releasing steam that struck the gunman several meters away, sending him screaming to the ground.

"In martial arts novels, they always spoke of qi radiating outward… now I finally understand: qi isn't qi—it's steam!"

"Steam! Is invincible!"

Shi Lei's skin turned black-blue as he charged into the factory hall.

Inside, a group of robed figures huddled together, startled by the gunfire outside.

"Mechanical Ring? Where is Saville?"

Then they saw a small, black-blue giant smash through the wall and burst in—his pores opening and closing like steam engine valves, releasing astonishing plumes of vapor.

"Die!"

Saville was thin, his eyes sunken deep into his face—now, he felt the terror most acutely.

Undeterred, he plunged his right hand into the altar, slick with flowing blood; when he withdrew it, it was encased in machinery, transformed into a mechanical arm.

It resembled an exoskeleton from a sci-fi future.

This sacred relic, the "Mechanical Hand," was what Saville had exchanged after sacrificing countless lives, retrieved from some deep-sea mechanical sanctum in the Aether Plane, granting him tremendous combat power.

Of course, after use, he had to return the "Mechanical Hand."

All his sacrifices had merely bought him a single use.

"Attack!"

The other robed figures scattered, some hurling talismans toward Shi Lei.

Colorful talisman lights flashed as they struck Shi Lei, inflicting various debuffs.

This display would have slain even a second-tier "Profound One."

Even third-rank "Illuminators" must tread carefully.

Unless it's a sect specializing in physical reinforcement, no one would act so recklessly.

But for Shi Lei... what mental shocks or curses? His mechanized mind could handle them easily.

As for hidden weapons, flying daggers, revolver bullets—none could pierce his defense.

His gaze locked solely on Saveril; the turbine behind him surged again, causing the "steam" within his body to explode, launching a massive haymaker.

This is—the Turbocharged Style!

Boom!

The bluish-black fist slammed into the mechanical arm; for a moment, the two seemed evenly matched in midair?

"No!"

Saveril's face twisted in shock and rage as searing pain erupted at the joint where his mechanical arm connected to his shoulder.

Then... streams of superheated steam, like sharp arrows, blasted straight into his face!

"Weakling!"

Shi Lei grabbed Saveril's face and lifted him off the ground: "With your level, how dare you trouble my Master?"

"Who... is your Master?" Saveril's face was ruined; he barely forced words through the gaps of his exposed teeth.

"My Master is naturally the Lord of the Secret Sect..."

Shi Lei's lips curled into a cruel smile as he squeezed harder.

Boom!

The headless corpse collapsed; the remaining members of the "Circlet of Odd Machinery" saw their faith shatter, sinking into madness and stupor...

(End of Chapter)