This is really not mechanical ascension
Chapter 689 - 359: Luring the Snake out of its Hole? Decoying the Tiger from the Mountain! Desperate Nicholas!_2

Chapter 689: Chapter 359: Luring the Snake out of its Hole? Decoying the Tiger from the Mountain! Desperate Nicholas!_2

"Li Ming... or Azure Dragon, what does he want with this thing?"

He scrutinized it for a long time but couldn’t uncover any clues, so he put the stone down and picked up the paper materials placed to the side, which detailed the various functions and approximate data of the Terrax Stone.

Ding dong!

The sound of knocking on the door echoed.

"Come in." Nicholas looked up, casually putting down the materials in his hand.

Inside, however, he was mulling: "Prince Costate’s attitude toward Azure Dragon is ambiguous; he may not treat him entirely as an enemy."

"But once captured, he would undoubtedly extract significant benefits, certainly not allowing him to roam freely. More likely, some kind of agreement would be signed to make him cooperate with the Empire Family."

Nicholas had a clear understanding—Prince Costate had already sidelined him over his personal feelings; yet he doubted he’d show any kindness to Azure Dragon.

The Royal Family held a laughable arrogance deep in their bones.

The secretary walked in, holding the metallic object in his hands.

Albert and Nicholas, with slightly unfocused gazes, at once fixed their attention on the metallic object.

Meanwhile, hidden within the shadow of the secretary, Li Ming spotted Albert the moment he entered—and, without hesitation—

A Tank Guard enveloped him, Talos’ Heart activated, entirely converted to Speed Buff mode, Mechanical Soul Liberation came online, all increasing data buffs by 30%.

Deploying a chain of combat techniques simultaneously, he targeted Nicholas using Shadow Sting’s guaranteed hit capability.

After the Justice Arm Armor leveled up to S-level, the Power Amplification surged immensely. Combining all the methods now stacked together, the converted Speed Buff exceeded 250 times overall—truly a terrifying velocity!

Boom!

The Tank Guard lunged forth from the shadows, hands joining at the front, decisive and vicious.

The instant it emerged, the void twisted, ripped apart, dense cracks appearing across it as though incapable of bearing such a devastating force.

Nicholas, who had sensed something awry the moment he laid eyes on the metallic object, realized the danger wasn’t coming from it directly. However, due to prior intel, his focus had been drawn to it—delaying his reaction by half a beat.

Chilling dread exploded in Nicholas’ heart as he saw the secretary’s shadow contort—a void disintegrating like shattered glass, unable to withstand the terrifying force.

"This..." Nicholas couldn’t even process it further, the speed was so overwhelming—faster even than his thoughts. Not a trace was visible to the naked eye.

The air tore apart, compressed at supersonic speed in such a short timeframe that even sound struggled to form.

The surprise attack was instantaneous; Nicholas had no time to react. In the fleeting moment of his instincts taking over, his body twisted and turned—appearing phantom-like—letting the streak of black light pass through him. Li Ming saw a blur before his eyes, barely discerning anything but distinctly feeling no penetration.

"He managed to evade... Is this virtualization?" Startled, he pondered silently. He had studied Nicholas’ profile: S-level Life Form, nearing a 30% development stage; Genetic Seed—Void Mantis prototype, capable of concealing itself within the void.

But Nicholas was even more shocked. Gradually, his body re-solidified, appearing in the void once more.

Screee!

A sharp ripping sound echoed as a 20cm long wound split across his abdomen—the cut impeccably clean.

Cold sweat drenched Nicholas, the opponent’s destructive power was monstrous—even slicing through the void, rendering him injured despite hiding in it.

Boom!

A violent gale erupted, howling through the torn walls of his office, opening up a visible spatial rift. Everything around was silently obliterated, chillingly eerie.

"The shadow... it’s Azure Dragon!" His thoughts roared with shock and fury, reacting instantly, "It’s a diversion strategy!"

Simultaneously, disbelief surged—Azure Dragon had infiltrated this heavily fortified base? Had all defensive measures been mere decorations?

These chaotic thoughts swirled in Nicholas’ head.

In reality, Albert finally reacted, his expression frozen in shock, but was overwhelmed by an indescribable sense of dread.

Staring at the breach on the wall, his face shifted in horror. Reflexively, he raised his hand as surging silver energy erupted, forming a silver dragon that lunged toward the wall’s rift.

Boom!

A cone-shaped black light pierced through the silver dragon, ripping it apart like water waves before Albert could even process what had happened.

Crack!

Albert’s frame shuddered; unbearable pain shot through his arms before they were cleanly severed—bone and flesh parting in catastrophic carnage, blood gushing wildly.

Boom!

A massive burst of chaotic energy broke loose, roaring outward like thunderous tides—its waves radiating across the expanse.

The entire Star Abyss Empire Station rang with piercing alarms.

Everyone froze momentarily before their jaws dropped, staring at the silver beam soaring into the sky.

The residual energy swept outward—the shockwaves churned, winds howled, the metal ground shattered inch by inch, and nearby low-altitude flying devices were hurled into the tumult.

"It’s not over..." Nicholas gasped, horrified, barely able to react as his body re-virtualized, catching glimpses of the rapidly darting mecha slicing through space like an arrow.

"That mecha... Is it Li Ming?" He trembled internally, disbelief gripping him tightly.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of explosive energy blasts shook the surroundings as Li Ming felt an inexplicable force guiding his movements—folding back, piercing forth repeatedly.

The precision of "Guaranteed Hit" was unreal, leaving even Li Ming himself in awe.

With the Tank Guard’s rapid, weaving strikes, the area had turned into a singularity of spatial collapse—the void storms rampaging like ferocious dragons wielding annihilative power across all directions.

Colorful energy lights danced within the storm, material disintegrating into fundamental particles, the region plunging into an apocalyptic whirlpool as everything crumbled and vanished.

Nicholas struggled to remain virtualized—his complexion paling. Cracks appeared on his intangible form, showcasing the sheer scale of damage.

The destructive capacity had extended to spatial interference—even virtualization offered no full exemption from its effects.

Anguish and fury filled Nicholas’ gaze—his arsenal was far from exhausted, but this overwhelming power left him no option to materialize; doing so meant instant obliteration.

Even identifying the assailant proved impossible amid the chaos—the expanding energy storm was lethal enough to harm A-level Life Forms.

He couldn’t comprehend the impossibility of sustaining such rapid strikes at colossal destructive levels in such short-range; it defied all logic.

"How... how is this possible..." Panic consumed Nicholas as pain and fatigue ravaged his body, fracturing his resolve entirely.

"No!"

Finally, Nicholas screamed—a desperate, bloodied glare overtaking his irises, brimming with resentment.

He had never imagined dying in such a manner, nor had he anticipated Li Ming—or Azure Dragon—possessing the audacity for such an affront.

The moment his fracture-laden body reappeared in the physical realm, it blossomed into a gory shower—no words escaped his mouth before his chest was cleanly pierced through.

The impact landed, and Li Ming abruptly halted, staggering far off amidst the black storms and scattered remnants of dissolving metallic debris.

Nicholas spat blood in torrents, his gaze fading as his torso vanished entirely—the ferocity of the attack left his skin, muscles, and bones fragile as paper.

S-level life vitality lingered tenaciously, preventing immediate death.

Nearby, Albert watched with terror etched on his face—his severed arms negligible compared to what he’d witnessed. His fearful eyes darted toward the unfamiliar yet familiar mecha, trembling, "What are you..."

Before his sentence finished, Li Ming moved—his metallic fist rising, Super·Charging Strike unleashed, backed by a 250-fold Power Amplification. He felt as though he held the stars, obliterating everything in his path!

Boom!

Albert’s skull shattered, his body convulsing wildly as the surrounding void storms fragmented further, growing in intensity.

With that punch, Li Ming felt an unparalleled satisfaction—this raw, brutal method bringing the most direct and gratifying pleasure.