This is really not mechanical ascension
Chapter 739 - 384: First Arrival at Holy Castle - The Outrageously Difficult Trial_2

Chapter 739: Chapter 384: First Arrival at Holy Castle - The Outrageously Difficult Trial_2

Hopefully, the secrets there are worth it.

"Skeleton..." Li Ming casually gave it a name. "Can you bind me as the Inheritor?"

"Master, it can be done." Skeleton nodded, "Do you wish for me to do it now?"

"Wait..." Li Ming halted it again. After pondering for a moment, he asked several questions about Terrax.

As expected, it knew about as much as the steward. Since the permissions hadn’t been unlocked, it couldn’t access information through an Information State exchange.

"Just select me as the Inheritor directly." Li Ming steeled himself and commanded.

"Understood." Skeleton nodded, the green flames in its pupils flaring brightly before emitting strands of light that fell onto Li Ming.

The entire process took no more than two to three minutes, and Li Ming hardly felt any difference.

"Is it done?" He asked, slightly doubtful.

Skeleton responded, "Yes, Master. You are now an alternate Inheritor of the Terrax Civilization."

Li Ming murmured and decided to regain control of Skeleton. Reactivating its ability, an array of bizarre phenomena later, he found himself once again in front of that metallic palace.

Anxiously waiting for a moment, the pair of gigantic eyes didn’t appear this time.

"Did I really pass?" Li Ming felt a wave of relief.

In the next moment, his vision detached infinitely, and suddenly, he was already standing on the pedestal in front of the colossal metallic gate. Up close, Li Ming could better sense its grandeur and majesty.

Meanwhile, on the pedestal, bones, flesh, nerves, and blood vessels quickly coalesced into another version of himself.

"Such technological power..." Li Ming couldn’t help but marvel in silence.

A virtual screen appeared before him, displaying content in Interstellar Common Tongue.

"Trialist -- Number 1, War General Level..."

Number 1? Am I the first? Li Ming was stunned.

No way... Given the known universe and the rise of the Empire, there should have been plenty of chosen ones, right?

How could I possibly be the first?

Suppressing his bewilderment, Li Ming focused on the known information. War General Level should correspond to an A-level Life Form.

The screen flickered momentarily before displaying new text: "Error... Non-Transcendent Level Life Form cannot engage in final trials. Switching to tiered trials. Bloodline purity below 5%. Trial difficulty extremely high."

Li Ming furrowed his brows. The trials could be switched?

Under normal circumstances, only an X-level Life Form should qualify to undertake these trials.

"If I complete the trials, will this open the grand gate? The Holy Castle?" He gazed at the majestic gate ahead and tentatively perceived that his current body seemed to be an exact replica of his true form.

Even the Control System was still operational and seemed to function with this body. While astonished, Li Ming felt somewhat reassured.

His own external power-up was clearly superior.

The text on the virtual screen changed again: "Complete the trials to earn the right to open the Holy Castle."

"So this really is the Holy Castle?"

Li Ming froze momentarily in his thoughts, feeling slightly odd. If opening the Holy Castle were all there was, why did the steward talk about inheriting the Terrax Civilization? Were they just selling him a dream?

Nevertheless, he found it fascinating. While others struggled tirelessly to locate the Holy Castle, he merely needed to pass the trials?

This dream was truly vast and alluring.

"Your strength is too low. The tiered challenges will be extremely difficult for you." New text emerged on the screen.

The entity behind this must possess highly advanced intelligence, Li Ming speculated privately.

Simultaneously, a pair of mechanical pupils was analyzing him in secret. Its curiosity was palpable. "How did this War General Level human manage to get in here?"

"Difficulty?" Li Ming’s strange expression briefly flashed. "Then let’s begin."

The screen text changed yet again: "Once the trial begins, you only have three attempts. Failure will result in eradication—not virtual eradication, but the complete elimination of your true body as well. Do you wish to continue?"

Li Ming’s gaze sharpened slightly, but at this stage, how could he back down? "Can I stop midway?"

"You can pause after completing each trial; the maximum stalling time is ten years."

"Then confirm." Li Ming didn’t hesitate.

"Lower War General Level trial initializing, configuring scenario..."

A mechanized voice echoed in Li Ming’s ears. His expression shifted subtly as he calculated inwardly:

"Lower War General Level? Is it equivalent to 30% progress of an A-level Life Form?"

Everything around him began to morph. Beneath his feet, a ground resembling a battle arena surfaced, while gray-black mist rose on all sides.

"This mist... why does it feel strangely familiar?" Li Ming scanned his surroundings, his eyes narrowing sharply as a shadow gradually emerged from the fog.

Its facial features were perfectly symmetrical, but its pupils were pitch-black, devoid of any sense of focus. Its skin was gray-black, resembling the deep and tranquil night sky, exuding a cold yet mysterious aura without a trace of wrinkles.

Smooth as glass yet bearing a metallic texture, silver streaks extended from its shoulders and elbows.

These streaks resembled flowing currents, winding down its limbs, emitting a faint glow. It stood silently, radiating an oppressive power that could erupt at any moment.

And it wasn’t alone. Another emerged from the opposite direction.

Li Ming’s expression turned wary. He had never seen such life forms before, but a suspicion arose in his mind: Could these be creatures from the Eternal Abyss?

Starting with a two-on-one fight, Li Ming could clearly sense the pressure these Life Forms exerted. Each of them was stronger than him.

"Tiered trials aren’t even tailored for normal Titans—attempting them as a human is practically courting death..."

Beyond the gray-black mist, a refined Mechanical Body with one hand held behind its back observed the unfolding scene. Its sleek and flawless lines, coupled with a pair of starlike electronic eyes, gave it an elegant yet chilling presence.

A semi-transparent Energy Shield enveloped its face, shimmering with complex data streams. It furrowed its lifelike brows, gazing at Li Ming with cold, profound eyes.

"How did this human bypass the Holy Castle’s verification and crack the dimensional inspection tower?"

Awakening from standby, it initially assumed a new Trialist had arrived, only to discover it was merely a War General Level human. The disappointment was palpable.

"Either find the Titans’ inheritance through your own strength or become an Inheritor through trials. This method..." It shook its head, emotions surprisingly vivid.

"...Every creature of the Abyss Clan is stronger than him. Hopefully, he knows when to retreat."

It turned away, disinterested in watching this one-sided battle, instead prioritizing figuring out how the intruder entered and implementing measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.

However, its steps faltered as it abruptly turned back, mechanical pupils contracting, its expression revealing profound astonishment. "This..."

On the screen, the seemingly unremarkable War General Level human had struck first with lightning-fast speed.

Both fists hammered down, shockwaves exploding at the point of impact, crashing into the enemy. The moment contact was made, a powerful energy fluctuation erupted, sending a visible shockwave rippling outward.

His arm transformed into an unstoppable blade, tearing effortlessly through the Abyss Clan’s defenses. Their chest was pierced through, the wound glowing with an eerie light. Shattered tissue and splattered blood vaporized instantly under the immense force.

Without pausing, his hand continued thrusting forward, bursting out of the enemy’s back and dragging along a dazzling energy trail.

One of the Abyss Clan’s bodies flew backward like a broken kite, crashing heavily to the ground. The other fared no better—the entire battle lasted less than a minute.

"...This... How is this possible? How can he unleash such immense power?"

In stunned disbelief, the Mechanical Body hastily pulled up Li Ming’s physical data, its processors struggling to make sense of it.

Some unknown ability appeared to have elevated his statistics to Lord Level.

"More?" Li Ming shook his hand, watching as the fog swirled, giving way to four more figures emerging. His face twitched involuntarily.

And this was just a Lower War General trial. Were there really any Life Forms capable of passing under normal circumstances?

He found it absurd. Thanks to his Control System, it seemed straightforward enough, but for any other Life Form?

Even at 60% progress, survival wasn’t guaranteed. Only the top-tier Genetic Seed-enhanced Evolved Bodies might have a slim chance.