This is really not mechanical ascension
Chapter 706 - 368: Infinite Hammer, Holy Spirit Core, Professional Promotion Device

Chapter 706: Chapter 368: Infinite Hammer, Holy Spirit Core, Professional Promotion Device

"Don’t worry, the outside version of you still looks like it’s studying." The white little elephant spoke.

Li Ming was puzzled, "Aren’t you going to choose an inheritor?"

"Already chosen." The white little elephant replied.

Li Ming’s heart skipped a beat, cautiously asking, "It’s not me, is it?"

"Indeed." The white little elephant affirmed his guess, leaving Li Ming speechless.

"Just like that?" He struggled internally, knowing that once he agreed, he’d be bound to fulfill the Pioneer plan. He was still hesitant.

Initially, he thought he was already at odds with the Empire. If the benefits of being the Inheritor outweighed the costs, he wouldn’t mind completing the Pioneer plan.

But Prince Costat’s ambiguous attitude made him realize that the blame-shifting plan within the Empire didn’t necessarily target him specifically.

Thus, he hesitated again, intending to go with the flow, but the Dominion Holy Image directly made the decision for him.

"Because of my development potential?" Li Ming probed.

"No..." To his surprise, the white little elephant shook its head. The metallic door behind opened, and after hesitating for a moment, Li Ming followed it.

"It’s because of your connection to Talos. Your teacher should be Talos."

Li Ming stopped in his tracks, shocked. He hadn’t expected to hear those three words from the Dominion Holy Image.

"I was suppressed by Chrono for so many years, and the scent on you is too distinctive. That scent flows through your blood, yet you are not him. There is only one possibility—your teacher." The white little elephant spoke without turning back.

Li Ming remained silent. The Dominion Holy Image seemed to have misunderstood something, but he was more curious about the suppression it mentioned.

"You’re unaware?" The Dominion Holy Image wasn’t surprised and continued speaking as if to itself:

"When your teacher stepped into the Dimension World, Chrono’s authority over his world was destabilized. I seized the opportunity to escape. Your teacher essentially became my savior." The white little elephant continued.

"Is that even possible?" Li Ming was astonished. The appearance of the Dominion Holy Image turned out to be connected to him—this was too...

"You seem resistant to the inheritance?" The white little elephant stopped at the end of the corridor, in front of a metallic gateway.

"Not resistant exactly; I just want to know, after inheriting, what will I need to do?" Li Ming cautiously inquired.

"Originally, there were obligations. But if it’s you, there won’t be any."

Li Ming was even more confused. "The Master died in the depths of the Dimension World—this phrase is broad, but to be more precise, he died at the hands of the Star Abyss Empire, Chrono, and Istanbul."

Li Ming tilted his head, feeling the name "Istanbul" was oddly familiar.

"The Empire lost the Eternal Silence Star and hired the Master to search for it. Following clues, the Master traveled deep into the Dimension World, indeed finding traces of the Eternal Silence Star. But this drew the attention of Chrono and Istanbul, who laid siege. The Master called for help from the Empire."

"However, the Empire wanted to eliminate him after the task was done, refusing to rescue him and leaving him to die from the siege."

Li Ming could clearly sense the fury embedded in the Dominion Holy Image’s words.

The Dominion Holy Image continued, "Among the three factions, your teacher and Chrono are destined to clash. The Empire also doesn’t align with him. As for Istanbul, if you manage to deal with the first two troubles, it wouldn’t hurt to eliminate them as well."

So that’s how it was... Li Ming pondered deeply, but couldn’t help asking, "Did the Hammer Divine Craftsman truly discover the Eternal Silence Star?"

"Actually, no." The Dominion Holy Image replied, "The Eternal Silence Star is a legacy of the Terrax Civilization. The Master was using the Terrax Stone as a guide to locate it."

"Using resonances, he reached the depths of the Dimension World, but instead of finding the Eternal Silence Star, he discovered a Terrax Holy Castle."

Li Ming frowned slightly, "What is a Holy Castle?"

The Dominion Holy Image explained, "It’s a dwelling place for Dominator Level Terrax beings. The Eternal Silence Star was eventually found by the Empire within a Holy Castle."

So it’s basically a kind of civilizational relic.

"The Empire misunderstood, thinking the Master had found it, so they didn’t bother wasting resources on rescue efforts. Unfortunately, the Holy Castle isn’t stationary; it continues to drift through the Dimension World." The Dominion Holy Image sneered, "In the end, they achieved nothing."

Li Ming understood and pursued further, "What kind of weapon is the Eternal Silence Star?"

The Dominion Holy Image certainly knew enough to resolve many of his doubts.

"The Eternal Silence Star..." The Dominion Holy Image paused before speaking:

"You can imagine it as a spacetime parameter regulator, locking the flow rate of spacetime in a particular region. Due to the Universe’s self-correcting mechanisms, the differing flow rates of spacetime can lead to regional conflicts."

"Eventually, this results in the collapse of anomalous spacetime zones, forming a devastating weapon capable of massive-scale destruction. Of course, this is only one of its functions. I don’t know much about it."

"Spacetime parameter regulation..." Li Ming contemplated it. No wonder it was coveted by so many—it was indeed a formidable artifact.

"What’s your decision?" The Dominion Holy Image urged.

"After inheriting, what will I gain?" Li Ming asked again.

The white little elephant, impatient, still responded, "Everything of the Master—knowledge, the Holy Spirit Core, the Infinite Hammer..."

"Wasn’t the hammer destroyed?" Li Ming’s heart burned with excitement.

"I lied to them. However, the hammer was damaged during the Master’s battles and is not in its complete state." The white little elephant reminded.

Li Ming nodded, unsurprised. Just as he was about to speak, a thought crossed his mind, "You’re not included?"

"Not included." The Dominion Holy Image hadn’t expected this kid to have ideas about it, replying irritably, "I’ve been eroded by Chrono for too long; my body is severely damaged."

"And..." The white little elephant paused, its tone melancholic: "I miss the Master. Once everything is settled, I will completely dissipate and follow him."