This is really not mechanical ascension
Chapter 721 - 375: Aftermath_2

Chapter 721: Chapter 375: Aftermath_2

The metal shell was riddled with dents and cracks, some areas even fractured with jagged edges, where sparks of electricity danced and crackled incessantly.

The energy transmission pipelines were also severely damaged in multiple locations, with leaking energy flickering intermittently, appearing extremely unstable. The armor at the mechanical joints was utterly shattered, emitting heavy grinding noises as it moved, ready to collapse at any moment.

Ordinary repairs would require a considerable amount of metal energy, but the Heavenly Kings could share their blessing and utilize recovery blessings for automatic restoration.

With material strength enhanced, recovery speed slowed a bit, but at least no metal energy was required.

However, this incident directly elevated the Azure Dragon’s potential status to that of a Divine Craftsman, bringing unimaginable benefits, though time would be needed to realize them.

For now, the most critical task was to leave this place, as even the Tank Guard had suffered severe damage, leaving no viable means to withstand a second strike from Ryan.

Thus, he switched to the [Mechanical Auxiliary Heart], a device capable of deflecting one fatal attack, giving him a margin for maneuver.

"Sigh, your teacher must be laughing." Costate’s gaze swept over him, observing the mechanical body merging into his flesh. Both puzzled and increasingly astonished, he noted:

Li Ming’s injuries were remarkably minimal.

Azure Dragon... Ah, Azure Dragon...

"Let’s hope he doesn’t harbor any grudges." Costate continued speaking.

"You’re too kind," Li Ming murmured inwardly. Costate’s overly cordial demeanor seemed somewhat excessive.

Could he truly not suspect that Azure Dragon might be behind this string of events?

Or perhaps that old fellow had his own schemes in mind?

"My teacher holds great esteem for the Empire, believing it to be the leader of interstellar civilization," Li Ming responded, all the while pondering Costate’s intent.

Costate smiled but his expression shifted slightly before speaking, giving Li Ming pause. As he looked up belatedly, he saw a fissure materializing across the heavenly vault, from which a silver river surged forth.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an overwhelming swarm of mechanical bodies, an unstoppable torrent of metal. Each mechanical body gleamed with icy brilliance, its complex lines and intricate structures bewildering the eye.

The sheer number filled the skies to the horizon, quickly covering half the heavenly vault. Among them, thousands of colossal mechanical bodies towering a thousand meters high stood out starkly, resembling octopuses rather than humanoid forms.

Their massive figures floated like metal mountain ranges suspended in mid-air, exuding intense pressure. Their thick mechanical tentacles extended freely, each embedded with densely packed energy crystals that radiated an entrancing light.

Their gigantic heads were spherical, an intricate amalgam of metal framework and luminous patterns, dotted with countless sensors and scanning devices.

Their surfaces were clad in heavy armor engraved with mysterious designs, perhaps energy transmission circuits.

"Mechanical Soul Divine Craftsman!" Costate’s expression darkened.

The remaining media reporters, nearly despairing, screamed internally, "What the hell—this isn’t over yet?"

Boom!

A towering humanoid mechanical body descended like a meteor, radiating an intimidating aura. Its gaze swept over Li Ming.

Still alive?

This Divine Craftsman was visibly shocked. The previously used carrier body wasn’t particularly strong and had been outright obliterated during the aftermath, leaving him clueless about what had transpired next.

Had Costate intervened to halt it?

The Mechanical Soul Divine Craftsman pondered the situation, cooling his initial rage.

Facing him head-on, Costate sternly questioned, "Divine Craftsman, haven’t you forgotten the terms of the agreement we signed? Without express permission, your private armed forces are not allowed to enter the Central World."

"I haven’t forgotten, but Prince Ryan killed our carrier body—essentially a slap in the face," the Mechanical Soul Divine Craftsman replied firmly. "And regarding the death of the Hammer Divine Craftsman, you’d better provide an explanation."

"An uneasy alliance, indeed," Li Ming reflected inwardly, noting how the Mechanical Soul Divine Craftsman had fired the first shot.

Costate’s face grew grim as he retorted, "This matter... requires further investigation."

He wanted to deny responsibility but couldn’t. The Dominion Holy Image’s self-destruction had been witnessed by countless life forms.

The Holy Image was the most loyal servant of the Hammer Divine Craftsman.

"What is there to investigate? The Empire must give us an answer." The Mechanical Soul Divine Craftsman maintained his assertive stance before shifting his gaze to Li Ming. "And besides, a prince disgracefully ambushing an A-level life form."

Was this backing him up?

Li Ming was puzzled but quickly concluded this was an attempt at recruitment, keeping silent.

"Do you intend to wage war against the Empire?" Costate Prince coldly challenged him.

The Mechanical Soul Divine Craftsman snorted, "Using war threats as leverage—is this the extent of your desperation?"

He didn’t escalate further, opting instead to turn away. The mechanical army covering the skies re-entered the fissure and vanished.

Li Ming watched with envy. Wherever the Divine Craftsman went, millions of mechanical bodies followed—this was true power.

"Apologies for Mechanical Soul’s brusque attitude," came the gentle voice of the Creator Divine Craftsman, who appeared seemingly out of nowhere, having switched to a similar carrier body.

Costate’s expression softened as the Creator Divine Craftsman turned to Li Ming, saying, "Convey to your teacher that we eagerly anticipate meeting him."

"And additionally, Prince, a heads-up—our association is drafting an inquiry statement. We might consider withdrawing from the Empire."

Costate’s expression froze, the hint of relief vanishing from his face. Compared to the Mechanical Soul Divine Craftsman’s overt aggression, this softer approach cut deeper.

He wanted to speak but stopped himself. The situation had reached an impasse, and conciliatory gestures were futile. Ultimately, his face turned blank.

"My teacher has great admiration for the two Divine Craftsmen and often speaks highly of you," Li Ming promptly replied.

Admiration? The Creator Divine Craftsman nodded with satisfaction.

It was evident that Azure Dragon was likely a rising force, shrouded in mystery. Li Ming was the only external access point to Azure Dragon, and every word carried traces for inference.

Judging by the circumstances, Azure Dragon hadn’t been a Divine Craftsman for long, indicating deficiencies in accumulated strength and foundation.

The two conversed briefly, and Li Ming’s humility earned considerable goodwill. The Creator Divine Craftsman remarked to Costate, "He’s a promising Mechanic; let’s avoid any further incidents."

Costate simply snorted coldly.

Li Ming carefully measured his words, ensuring he hyped up Azure Dragon enough to reach the rank of Divine Craftsman, but not excessively. He didn’t want to make Azure Dragon appear overly formidable.

After today, the interstellar world would inevitably undergo significant upheavals; being too prominent might attract unwanted scrutiny.

Better to slowly back up the boasts he’d made.

After the Creator Divine Craftsman departed, Li Ming exchanged a few comments with Costate and prepared to leave.

Not leaving this area wouldn’t bring peace of mind—the lingering feeling of Prince Ryan lurking in the shadows, ready to strike fatally at any moment, persisted.

Costate insisted on sending people to escort him to the spaceship docking site, a gesture Li Ming declined to avoid undue attention. Instead, he altered his Mimicry’s external appearance and slipped away into the crowd.

Finding a secluded location, Li Ming directly activated the [Dimensional Travel Engine], prioritizing escape.

Before departing, he sent Robbin a message, arranging a rendezvous.

...

Inside an Empire Flying Device, Prince Ryan coldly stared at Diwusi and Crow. "Do you also have connections with Azure Dragon?"

"Honestly, we’ve never met him," Diwusi said indifferently, lounging mid-air, one leg crossed over the other.

"Then why did you intervene to stop me?" Ryan questioned icily.

Diwusi smiled, "First, it was at Costate’s request—we’re old acquaintances, after all. Couldn’t just stand by. Second, doing a small favor for a Divine Craftsman we’ve never met isn’t a bad deal."

Ryan’s cheeks twitched. The third reason—they enjoyed watching the Empire lose face.

He abruptly turned to see Costate entering the room, mockingly asking, "Well then, what benefits did Lord Azure Dragon promise you?"

Ignoring him, Costate addressed Diwusi and Crow earnestly, "Gentlemen, I’ll propose requesting an urgent lockdown order from the interstellar alliance to restrict related information on the interstellar network."

"Otherwise, allowing today’s events to circulate freely will provoke unforeseeable consequences."

"I hope the two of you can present the severity of the situation to the higher-ups. As witnesses, you must have seen that an extraordinary force is stirring things behind the scenes."