Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 1019 - 805: Mechanical Cultivation Heavenly Master

Chapter 1019: Chapter 805: Mechanical Cultivation Heavenly Master

On the other side, within the Waterfall Cave.

"You’re saying that’s Lu Jing?" Xu Yang stared in shock at the crimson-robed elderly woman.

"Eating too much Longevity Candy will lead to this. Its power is not something humans or witches can withstand," Lu Sizhou said coldly.

The crimson-robed elderly woman’s figure was hunched, her arms covered in scales, fingernails elongated, and her eyes vacant.

She raised her head to see Xu Yang, then quickly grabbed half of her flute pipe and fled rapidly, as if ashamed to face anyone.

Lu Sizhou watched the crimson-robed elderly woman crawl away at extraordinary speed, disappearing to the other side of the Vermilion Purple High Platform.

"You’re telling me that’s Lu Jing... impossible. How could Lu Jing become like that?" Xu Yang felt as though his heart was being clenched. If Lu Jing had truly transformed into such a monstrous creature, it was far too tragic.

"Let’s not worry about Lu Jing for now. All you need to know is that if you help me, we can figure out a way to save her, and even save everyone. You can also gain plenty of powerful allies for yourself. If you act recklessly, everything will go terribly wrong," Lu Sizhou said faintly.

Xu Yang felt a wave of unrest that he could not suppress.

"... So, you forced her to take ’Longevity Candy’ after she returned? That’s what it’s called, right?" Xu Yang frowned deeply.

"I didn’t force her. She has always had an inexplicable yearning for eternal life. I merely handed her the feasible technology we developed, and this technology itself was retrieved from Dragon Gate Mansion. Regardless, I’ll repeat it again: if you want to save Lu Jing, then we need to cooperate," Lu Sizhou replied.

"Cooperate how? Kill all those mechanical cultivators?" Xu Yang looked toward the numerous ancient cultivators atop the Vermilion Purple High Platform.

They had all undergone full-body prosthetic modifications, becoming exceedingly powerful.

The cultivators had explored the Great Dao since ancient times, their bodies immaculate, unspoiled, and incorruptible. Now, their arms were filled with hydraulic muscles, decayed skin replaced by carbon fiber materials. Big data surged within their electronic brains, with ancient Daoist principles compiled into modern algorithms. Nanobots had replaced their blood circulation systems, and neuronal links extended through their entire bodies.

They even had nuclear power reactors embedded in their abdomen, channeling the forces of fission throughout their beings. Their combat capabilities far surpassed ancient methods by a hundredfold, allowing them to walk the path of the Dao without food or drink for centuries.

The cultivators willingly embraced every modification offered by Heavenly Cardinal Manufacturing, becoming terrifying mechanical immortals almost imperceptibly. Their intelligence and computing power were on par with modern intelligent terminals, experienced and wily, with bodies full of metallic alterations—they neither aged nor perished.

"They’re hard to kill. Each one has advanced firewalls in their minds, impenetrable by hackers. Their titanium alloy skeletons make cutting through their biotechnical outer layer pointless. Their database VIP accounts? I’m the one who renewed their memberships annually. These ’Heavenly Masters’ have quietly evolved into such monstrosities," Lu Sizhou sighed.

"What are they doing up there on that high platform?" Xu Yang frowned.

"Seeking the Dao. That platform looks square, but it’s actually a nuclear power plant built two thousand years ago—who knows how. It uses the infinite Weak Water as natural coolant. Those ancient cultivators plug themselves into the platform, scanning and downloading ancient texts from Dragon Gate Mansion."

"They can access the signal nodes here? I can’t even read the codes employed—it’s clear they’re using a programming language from another civilization," Xu Yang paused in thought.

"What’s strange about it? Cultivators have been persistently researching ancient secrets from the distant past to the present. Naturally, they’re prepared. Now they’ve finally done it—tricking me into entering Dragon Gate Mansion. But their goal isn’t to traverse time and rewrite reality; it’s solely to download all the secrets in Dragon Gate Mansion, compile them into Eightfold Scriptures, then begin creating more of their kind," Lu Sizhou said with a trace of disdain.

From antiquity to today, cultivators have sought eternal life, yet the ancient Xia civilization’s technological conditions were incapable of granting them true immortality, Xu Yang mused. Until now, full-body prosthetic modifications had finally realized their ancient aspirations—never aging, never dying.

Xu Yang roughly counted the electronic immortals atop the high platform. At least seventy-seven prosthetic cultivators had refined their respective weapons—Hovering Cannons, Floating Flying Swords, Intelligent Turret Arrays, and Electromagnetic Storm Talismans.

He could also sense himself being scanned incessantly by these cultivators, but of course, they could detect nothing—Xu Yang was not someone they could tamper with.

"If you don’t want to slaughter them all, then what are you planning to do?" Xu Yang frowned.

"Navigation—bringing down my reserve troops," Lu Sizhou snapped her fingers with a crisp sound.

"How many reserve troops do you have?" Xu Yang probed into her hidden strength.

"Several squads of Tian Que Attendants, along with some witches," Lu Sizhou replied slyly.

The so-called Tian Que Attendants were elite soldiers under Heavenly Cardinal Manufacturing Company, each equipped with the most advanced power armor, "Pixiu Armor," plasma rifles, and mythical swords, capable of guarding entire regions. Since Lu Sizhou dared to storm Dragon Gate Mansion, she had undoubtedly brought multiple squads of Tian Que Attendants. Xu Yang pondered. Likewise, the witches were sure to be formidable Battle Witches.

Currently, Lu Sizhou, betrayed by the electronic cultivators, was left alone.

If Xu Yang acted on her words and helped her assemble her reserve troops, the balance of power would shift. Though not enough to defeat Xu Yang outright, she would at least possess enough strength to stand her ground.

"What’s Liu Tianshi’s opinion?" Xu Yang turned to Liu Tianshi beside Lu Sizhou.

"My desires are few. I only hope for the safety of my disciple, Lu Jing," Liu Tianshi said, bowing to Xu Yang.

"So long as Liu Tianshi makes wise choices, Lu Jing will undoubtedly remain unharmed—or perhaps even better than before," Lu Sizhou said lightly.

"..." Xu Yang wouldn’t agree to Lu Sizhou’s proposal so readily. He shook his head and returned to Divine Radiance.

Inside the cabin, he reviewed communication records from recent days.

The signals from Dragon Gate Mansion had all been intercepted by Divine Radiance. They came from Lu Jing deep within the mansion and were encrypted using Bagua Codes, as usual, seeking help to decipher certain secret scripts to aid her decisions in acting within Dragon Gate Mansion.

The Bagua Codes were first deciphered at Nestor Headquarters by Yan Huarou, then personally translated by Farosa into modern language before being sent back to Lu Jing to lend her a hand.

"She should be nearing the end. Soon she’ll encounter Pan Yuan," Xu Yang deduced Lu Jing’s progress based on the Bagua Codes.

The first step was opening the Eight Gates; the second, the Great Cauldron Tortoise Altar. Its inscription was clear—the tortoise would ferry people to the Dragon Palace for an audience with Pan Yuan.

"We can’t control anything inside Dragon Gate Mansion, but outside... what about Lu Sizhou’s situation?" Storm Princess frowned.

"She hopes we’ll mark this location and guide her reinforcements beyond Weak Water down here," Xu Yang explained.

"Wouldn’t it be better to leave her here to fend for herself—or kidnap her?" Storm Princess suggested with ruthless simplicity.

"... Naturally. Lu Sizhou cannot be entirely trusted. She even tried to deceive me by claiming Lu Jing had turned into a monster, when in fact, Lu Jing is conducting missions at the bottom of Weak Water. Here’s the plan: you all stay on Divine Radiance and stand by. When the timing is right, we make our move," Xu Yang said slowly.

"Are we killing everyone else?" Storm Princess asked with interest.

"Otherwise, it’s impossible to fully explore Dragon Gate Mansion without worry. If we eliminate Lu Sizhou’s forces and the mechanical cultivators entirely, we’ll gain ample time to uncover all the secrets hidden within Dragon Gate Mansion," Xu Yang replied gravely.

"Understood." 101 carried the Shilou Maru—a weapon capable of slicing through steel—with readiness for combat.

Xu Yang nodded silently. He knew things were far from simple. But he would see it through, dealing with Lu Jing, Lu Sizhou, Dragon Gate Mansion, and, most crucially, the God teetering between life and death.

Meanwhile, Lu Sizhou and Liu Tianshi left the Vermilion Purple High Platform and Divine Radiance, retreating to a secluded spot in the Waterfall Cave.

She leaned against the mountain wall, her expression calm.

"I’ll wager that Xu won’t help me," Lu Sizhou said flatly.

"Xu Gong is cautious by nature and will not act rashly," Liu Tianshi’s electronically synthesized voice remained composed.

"He’s just a minor player," Lu Sizhou slowly sat down, her movements calm, "Once I enter Dragon Gate Mansion, I’ll revise the timeline and put a stop to these anomalies."

"What anomalies does Miss Lu wish to prevent?" Liu Tianshi asked.

"After extensive research, I discovered a secret. It seems the whole world has started to shift; mystics awakening and appearing one after another—all tied to one person... the Ancient Witch who manifested at the Bronze Titan Excavation Site," Lu Sizhou said slowly.

"I’ve heard rumors as well. That Ancient Witch’s growth increasingly affects the state of the universe."

"This world doesn’t need the resurgence of mysteries. Why not let these aberrations continue to sleep soundly?" Lu Sizhou said slowly. "With the powers of Dragon Gate Mansion, all I need to do is return to seven years ago. At that time, I’ll permanently stop their excavations at the Bronze Titan site—it won’t be difficult. I’ll buy their entire company and shut down the project."

"The prerequisite being that Miss Lu can enter Dragon Gate Mansion. Xu Gong will not assist you by bringing your elite troops," Liu Tianshi cautioned.

"Who needs him?" Lu Sizhou let out a derisive laugh. "Do you think our family’s technology is insufficient to contact me? I’m merely testing Xu."

"Your army that’s invincible in every battle..."

"Indeed, Heavenly Cardinal Manufacturing’s entire brigade has long been mobilized. They’re about to enter Weak Water. Let them witness what a true ’corporate army’ looks like. I contacted them five hours ago."