This is really not mechanical ascension
Chapter 665 - 347: Harsh Qualifications - Does Li Ming Barely Meet Them?_2

Chapter 665: Chapter 347: Harsh Qualifications - Does Li Ming Barely Meet Them?_2

"You think that’s harsh yourself?"

The crowd silently mocked in their hearts.

Joseph reluctantly organized his thoughts, recalling the young figure he’d encountered during the assessment at the Mechanic Association branch near the Twin Peaks node. His throat moved slightly, and he said:

"There’s... someone, but he’s barely qualified, since his development potential is less than 50. It’s only 46."

When saying "only," Joseph himself felt that he might be going insane.

As the number was uttered, several people’s expressions shifted, their eyes flickering with different emotions.

"Oh..." Dominion Holy Image muttered and then asked, "What about his mechanical talent?"

Joseph further explained, "He’s already been taken as a student by a Casting Star Mechanic. Back in his mother civilization, he once had a record of crafting a C-level weapon. Some speculate it was within a year before Azure Dragon recruited him as a student. He was only nineteen years old."

After that day, Joseph went back to conduct a detailed search on Li Ming’s profile. In the Northern Crown Star Ring, especially the Silver Star Cluster, many people were already digging into Li Ming’s background, and the information was well-documented.

"Oh, so you’re talking about Li Ming. He does seem barely qualified—only four levels short of the development potential. Not too far off..."

"Not much? At that level, four levels are an insurmountable chasm!"

"Who is Li Ming?"

"It’s the guy from the recent..."

The chatter around grew louder. Some had vaguely heard of Azure Dragon’s name but were unfamiliar with Li Ming. At this moment, upon hearing the discussions, envy filled their faces.

"Forty-six level development potential, student of a Casting Star Mechanic—a guaranteed winner in life."

"Didn’t you see the part about his parents being dead and him bullied for so many years?"

The enormous eyes of Dominion Holy Image gleamed mysteriously. From its trunk, which resembled a pillar reaching the heavens, a beam of light emerged. It materialized into a silver mechanical staff, approximately two meters long. The front end resembled a crescent moon, embedded with a silver energy core, placed in front of Joseph.

"Take it." As the words fell, Joseph was sent tumbling away.

The crowd glanced over, only to realize the mechanical staff was just a B-level weapon and promptly lost interest.

However, some still felt envious. If only they’d mentioned Li Ming earlier, maybe they’d have received such a gift.

"Do you know this person?" Dominion Holy Image turned to Alex.

"I’ve heard a bit..." Alex replied calmly, his gaze thoughtful.

Dominion Holy Image seemed like it wanted to inquire further but suddenly stopped itself, shaking its large fan-like ears. "No, no, forty-six levels won’t do. If I said fifty levels, it must be fifty!"

"Forty-six levels don’t count either..." The crowd was taken aback. They thought Dominion Holy Image had spent so much time questioning only to finally identify a qualified candidate.

But some began to ponder; this old elephant seemed to be deliberately hiding something.

With such attention focused on the scene, Li Ming’s name being mentioned was likely to bring him some unnecessary trouble.

Alex did not delve deeply into this topic and instead asked, "Holy Image, the one under your foot—has he offended you?"

"Offended might be too strong. When I arrived, I saw him hacking at my leg. Though it’s a fake one," Dominion Holy Image replied, moving its massive feet slightly. Jaint felt immense pain coursing through his body, the cracking of his bones audible.

"Could you do me the honor and release him?" Alex interjected.

Dominion Holy Image was the pet of Hammer Divine Craftsman. Its status was unique. Its own power was one thing; the meaning it represented was another.

This made it difficult for the Star Abyss Empire to dispatch people to coerce it. If things escalated, the Mechanic Association surely wouldn’t stand idly by.

"So, you’re here to plead for him..." Dominion Holy Image murmured before Jaint flew out from under its foot, granting Alex the favor.

Raising his hand, Alex manipulated an invisible force field, allowing Jaint to gently descend.

In the corner, Blackbeard rubbed his beard, still astonished. "I didn’t expect this time to truly draw out the genuine article."

He pondered, "With Dominion Holy Image present, others’ accusations against Hammer Divine Craftsman likely won’t hold water. However, the uproar caused will be bigger, potentially serving the latter phases of the plan better..."

The sudden shift brought benefits and drawbacks to the plan. Blackbeard contemplated but couldn’t help recalling Azure Dragon.

"Li Ming, this student of his barely meets Dominion Holy Image’s standards—it’s utterly..." At this point, he even suspected this matter might have been part of Azure Dragon’s scheme.

Shaking his head, he dismissed the stray thoughts.

Alex had already taken Jaint and left, while the events here were spreading at warp speed across the interstellar domain, igniting waves of excitement.

It wasn’t just the strict conditions for selecting an inheritor that sparked interest—it was the fact that someone nearly qualified actually existed.

Li Ming’s name and fame skyrocketed at an exponential rate, soon surpassing his famous teacher, Azure Dragon.

...

Meanwhile, a black shuttle emerged from rippling voids. The entire world appeared grim and gray, as though shrouded in smog, with free-floating iron ions filling the air.

It was a regular S-level Dimension World, its coverage slightly larger than that of an average Life Planet.

The ground was dark brown with a metallic sheen. Towering barren mountains dotted the landscape.

Occasionally, some large excavation machinery was visible, though most had now ceased functioning. The tallest mountain had been mined by a third already.

This revealed a pale gold palace embedded diagonally in the mountain, its exposed section carved with peculiar patterns. The overall design was vast and imposing.

A few distant bases were visible, though currently inactive.

The shuttle swiftly landed, its engines gradually shutting down. Immediately, figures flew over clad in black veils, mostly without visible combat armor.

They wore tight-fitting combat suits, many humanoid life forms appearing tall and alluring.

"Earth Mother, what’s the situation over there? Who threw the probe?" asked the lead, Alyss, tasked with meeting the arrivals.

"No one was found; it might have drifted over from several Dimension Worlds away." Earth Mother shook her head. "The probe’s model is outdated, and it bears the style of the Eternal Brilliance Federation. It likely has no connection to the target."

Alyss nodded.

Earth Mother continued, "Based on intelligence, the target is highly likely to directly teleport into this Dimension World. As long as it’s confirmed that the Star Abyss Empire hasn’t discovered anomalies, we’re fine."

In the shadows, Li Ming’s mind grew tense, observing the exchange. Highly likely?

So they were merely guessing, not relying on accurate intelligence to know he’d come here?

The suspicions surrounding Austin and Robbin further narrowed, and his heart stirred with bittersweet thoughts. The unexpected attack from Chrono, ironically, shielded him from falling into their trap.

"Let’s hope so. Or maybe they won’t come at all." Alyss shook her head.

"Won’t come?" Earth Mother sounded surprised. "What information suggests that?"

"The latest news speaks of Dominion Holy Image appearing in the Central World, already stating the qualifications for selecting an inheritor—at least fifty-level development potential and considerable mechanical talent..." Alyss gestured, opening her smart terminal as she spoke:

"Someone on-site brought up Li Ming. Although Dominion Holy Image ultimately declared him unqualified, it was clearly tempted. If the target learns this, they might head straight for the Central World."

Earth Mother’s expression grew startled as she observed the images on the screen, furrowing her brow. "Now even more will fixate on the target. If we can’t seize an opportunity this time, it may become even harder later."

After saying this, she shook her head again. "Li Ming and Azure Dragon aren’t fools—heading there recklessly would only make them a feast for others. Go reset the equipment; the spatial ripples just now triggered the monitoring systems."

"Understood!"

Meanwhile, hidden in Earth Mother’s shadow, Li Ming had gone numb. The footage they played was crystal clear to him.

Was Dominion Holy Image not supposed to be fake? How did it suddenly become real?

His initial thought was that this might be a plot by the Pioneers, but upon confirming it occurred in the Central World, he dismissed the idea.

No one could forge such an act in that location. Forces like the Star Abyss Empire would crush them instantly.

"Fake news exposed the genuine artifact? It vanished all these years—why did it suddenly reappear now?" Confusion swirled in Li Ming’s mind.

And to complicate matters further, discussions about him had cropped up in the midst of all this.

"From the looks of it, this Dominion Holy Image emerged about ten days ago, shortly after I entered this Dimension World."

Through the earlier conversations and the bits of information within the footage, Li Ming roughly pieced together the situation.

Previously preoccupied with his journey and unable to access external updates, he hadn’t expected something of such magnitude to occur.