Besides the several deities Aina had introduced to him in detail beforehand, several other beings stood in the hall whom Xia Lun could not identify at all.
The elemental creature wrapped in blazing magma exuded scorching sparks from its crack-like mouth and nose with every breath. The ground beneath its feet had partially melted from the intense heat, forming a dark-red pool of lava that continued to spread. Even more bizarre was the humanoid figure made of countless intertwined vines. Every so often, an emerald eye would open between the writhing branches, its cold gaze sweeping across the surroundings as though assessing the worth of every being present.
All of them radiated auras that Xia Lun found somewhat troublesome.
What comforted Xia Lun somewhat was that, among these otherworldly deities, his strength still ranked fairly high. Aside from the few beings before whom he would be utterly helpless, he seemed to have a fighting chance against the rest.
“There aren’t many humans here.”
A distinctly mechanical voice suddenly sounded beside Xia Lun.
Xia Lun turned around and saw the Mechanical Prophet.
The other party looked like a handsome young man with short golden hair and nearly perfect features. Only his transparent pupils revealed that he was far from ordinary. Multicolored light shimmered within those eyes, and on closer inspection, countless streams of data seemed to flash through them like waterfalls.
Setting aside all the strange and bizarre creatures, he was indeed the one who looked most like a member of the human race.
And at least he wasn’t currently removing his own head to play with it.
“The Scarlet Goddess’s husband… What a rather… uh… enviable position.”
As he spoke, he carefully glanced at Aina beside Xia Lun, evidently taking her presence into consideration and deliberately avoiding any wording that might sound disrespectful.
“Mr. Mechanical Prophet… did you need something from me?” Xia Lun asked calmly, secretly on guard.
Before coming here, Aina had already warned him that it would be best not to have too much contact with these people.
Their civilizations were fundamentally different, and they might easily disagree on certain principles.
As for the man before him, Xia Lun could sense an immense energy within him—though it was not magical power. He was one of the few beings present who made Xia Lun feel threatened.
“Ah, nothing in particular. I simply rarely encounter fellow humans in the outside world, so I was curious and wanted to come over to say hello.” The Mechanical Prophet elegantly spread his palm. The movement was so fluid that he hardly seemed like a mechanical construct at all.
“Fellow humans?” Xia Lun was slightly taken aback.
“Yes. From a biological perspective, we were once the same species.” The Mechanical Prophet began explaining calmly. “Our people transferred their consciousness into mechanical bodies, which is how we became what we are now. Although our forms have changed, our core memories and normal personalities have remained intact.”
Xia Lun suddenly understood. He now remembered that Aina seemed to have mentioned something similar to him before.
“Based on genetic comparisons, we can be fairly certain that we belong to the same species… But our planet is simply too far from here. It lies in a vacuum region of the universe, where not a trace of magical power exists. Fortunately, we found another path—the path of technology…
“Eek—there really are so few human compatriots from the outside world! When I first met the Scarlet Goddess, I was incredibly excited. But after taking a closer look, I realized she had wings, and that was when I learned she was a vampire… Still, after she later told me that your planet was home to genuine humans, I kept looking forward to meeting one. Today, I finally have!”
The Mechanical Prophet continued chattering without pause. He even reached out and patted Xia Lun on the shoulder.
“I never imagined that humans could break through space and explore the universe using nothing but their own bodies. You didn’t even need to modify yourselves! The humans of your world are truly formidable… Magic really is an amazing force.”
Xia Lun turned his head toward Aina.
“He’s a chatterbox.” Aina seemed rather helpless about Xia Lun’s predicament. She had apparently expected this to happen. She merely offered a cool explanation before sitting motionless in her seat, her small face stern and dignified as ever.
“Don’t mind him,” Aina transmitted to Xia Lun mentally. “If I’m not mistaken, he’s about to start pitching his products to you.”
What?
Xia Lun was still trying to process this when—
“Ah, right. Speaking of which, would you like to try some of the new things we have over there? They say technology changes lives. The Scarlet Goddess isn’t interested, but I’m sure you’ll have a discerning eye.”
The Mechanical Prophet revealed a mysterious smile. “Oh, right. I’m the Mechanical Prophet Alpha-7, though you can just call me Alpha. And you, fellow human—what’s your name?”
“Uh… Xia Lun.”
“All right, Mr. Xia Lun.”
The Mechanical Prophet’s eyes lit up, as though he had just recorded this information. Then he raised an arm. With several faint clicks, the layer of metal encasing his arm suddenly flowed like liquid and peeled away, transforming into a small mass of silvery material.
“What do you think of this nan armor? Are you interested?” The silver substance on his arm began changing shape, sometimes forming a sharp blade and sometimes becoming a sturdy shield. “It’s durable and dependable. Tests have shown that it can even withstand the collapse of a small black hole. It’s also convenient to carry and can transform freely… Since we’re all members of the human race, I can give you a fifty-percent discount…”
Xia Lun: …
This man really was something. Xia Lun had no idea how to describe him.
After thinking for a moment, Xia Lun replied, “I don’t think I have any suitable currency for a transaction, Mr. Alpha.”
“No, you do, Mr. Xia Lun.” The Mechanical Prophet once again revealed that slightly mysterious smile. “Magic stones. Magic stones can be used for trade.”
Xia Lun suddenly understood and slowly nodded.
“Just because we can’t use magical power ourselves doesn’t mean we aren’t interested in this powerful force… We discovered that magic is the most efficient energy source. If utilized properly, it can even unleash power more terrifying than nuclear energy… So large quantities of magic stones are something we lack as well.” The Mechanical Prophet explained slowly. “We’ve also begun developing technologies that make use of magic.”
“How much does this cost?” Xia Lun asked curiously, pointing at the silver nan armor that was constantly changing form in the Mechanical Prophet’s hand. He was genuinely somewhat interested in the thing.
“Three hundred…” The Mechanical Prophet held up three fingers.
“Three hundred magic stones? That’s surprisingly cheap…” Xia Lun pondered, wondering whether he should agree to the deal.
Even if he had no use for it himself, it would make a pretty good toy for Xia Yi.
“No.” The Mechanical Prophet shook his head. “Three hundred tons.”
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
