Chapter 442 - 41: Purchasing a Mecha

A jet-black Flying Artifact slowly ascended. After passing the City Defense Army’s inspection, it sped out of the city.

「Two days later.」

The Flying Artifact descended over a ruined city. It circled for a moment before landing on a building that resembled a school.

HISS...

The hatch opened.

Qiann Lan leaped out first. The device over her left eye rapidly scanned the area, and she turned her head to report:

"Mr. Zhu, it’s clear."

"He’s the Federation’s biggest Black Market dealer. If he were that easy to read, he wouldn’t have survived this long." Zhu Ju stepped out of the Flying Artifact’s cabin, straightened his clothes, and looked toward the nearby ruins.

"John, my friend, you’re here. Why don’t you come out so we can talk!"

CLAP!

CLAP! CLAP!

The sound of crisp applause echoed.

Space rippled like the surface of a pond, and a blond, blue-eyed man slowly emerged.

"My dear Zhu, you are quite the mystery. I checked the Federation archives and found no trace of you."

"I’m just an ordinary man who stumbled upon a fortunate opportunity and became a Martial Saint," Zhu Ju said with a faint smile.

"I’ve never done anything to draw attention to myself over the years, so naturally, there would be no reason for the Federation to keep a file on me."

"And..."

"That doesn’t affect our business, does it?"

"Haha..." John boomed with laughter.

"You’re right, Mr. Zhu. We can do business regardless of your background."

As he spoke, several more figures appeared around them.

They were clad in the Federation’s most advanced Combat Suits, wielding Source Energy Weapons that could easily obliterate a Grand Martial Master. One of them was even encased in a small, nuclear-powered Mecha.

This small group alone possessed the power to corner and kill a Martial Saint.

And that wasn’t even counting John, whose own power was impossible to gauge.

The invisible pressure made Qiann Lan’s body go taut. She extended a hand, and a Light Saber shot forth from her palm.

"Mr. Zhu, be careful. This doesn’t look like they’re here for business."

"Is that so?"

Zhu Ju remained expressionless, his gaze fixed on John.

"My friend, there’s no need to make things so tense. You’re making my subordinate uncomfortable."

"Please, don’t misunderstand." John waved his hands dismissively.

"The corpse of a Holy King Beast is incredibly valuable, so... I need to take some precautions."

"I hope you understand."

He placed a hand over his chest and bowed slightly. His attitude was polite and deferential, but it did nothing to ease the tension in the air. The ’security’ detail remained on high alert.

"Fine."

Zhu Ju shook his head and gave a light wave of his hand.

With a heavy THUD, the corpse of the Nine Profound Spirit Deer, frozen solid, appeared nearby.

"A Holy King Beast!"

John’s eyes lit up and his breath hitched. He shot a meaningful glance back at his men.

"Qiao!"

"Yes, sir."

A short man stepped forward at the summons. He hurried to the corpse’s side, took out a device, and began to inspect it carefully.

「A moment later.」

Qiao nodded, his face flushed with excitement.

"Boss, it’s the real deal. This is definitely the corpse of the Holy King Beast, the Nine Profound Spirit Deer. The Spiritual Fluff on its back is perfectly preserved. It’s incredibly valuable for research."

"Excellent." John’s expression relaxed.

The Federation government, the major Commerce Associations, and various corporations—everyone was desperate to get their hands on the corpse of a Holy King Beast.

Even if it were butchered and sold off in pieces, it would bring in a massive profit.

"Hey!" Qiann Lan snapped.

"Where’s what we came for?"

"..." John’s eyes darted away. His gaze lingered for a moment on the perfectly composed Zhu Ju before he broke into a wide grin.

"No need to rush."

"The item is rather large. A single Storage Ring couldn’t hold it, so I had my people pack the parts separately."

He then clapped his hands lightly.

"Bring the merchandise over!"

’Huh?’

One of the men behind him looked puzzled, clearly wondering why this wasn’t going according to plan.

’Weren’t we supposed to just snatch the goods after confirming them?’

But, trusting his partner, he simply nodded and waved for the Storage Rings to be brought over.

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

As the Storage Rings activated, enormous mechanical parts materialized out of thin air, looming over the ruins.

Mecha!

The Mecha was so massive it had been disassembled into its constituent parts: arms, legs, and a head.

"This Mecha is called ’Chixiao.’ It originated from a Safe City that was destroyed thirty years ago."

John stepped forward and began his introduction.

"It’s a close-combat Mecha. It uses a rotating Battle Axe, powered by a Source Energy Beam, to inflict massive damage on its surroundings. Its abilities are designed to pose a lethal threat to single targets, cause wide-scale destruction, and even generate a small pocket of space to trap an opponent."

"Although its design is thirty years old, it’s in no way inferior to the Qianjun from your Funeng City."

"The power source?" Zhu Ju asked.

"Is the Source Energy Furnace broken?"

"Correct." John nodded with a sigh.

"If its Source Energy Furnace wasn’t broken, this machine’s value would be far, far higher."

A Source Energy Furnace doesn’t just power a Mecha; the technology it contains is the most critical part.

Technology,

is the true prime mover.

In a way, the technology is more valuable than the Mecha itself.

"It’s in much worse shape than the data you provided indicated. Many parts are damaged and will need major overhauls."

Zhu Ju stepped forward, his body slowly rising into the air as if lifted by an unseen force.

Myriad Phenomena Celestial Attraction!

The ability to control Gravity. When applied to himself, it allowed him to defy gravity and soar through the air.

But that wasn’t all.

Floating in mid-air, Zhu Ju extended one hand and gently closed his fingers into a fist. A terrifying force field instantly expanded outward.

Within a radius of several kilometers, the force of Gravity began to shift.

The Mecha’s arms and legs—each hundreds of meters long and weighing untold thousands of tons—were forcibly lifted into the air.

HISS...

Qiao, the researcher, couldn’t help but stumble back a step, his eyes wide with terror.

"I’ve never seen anyone take their Cultivation of Myriad Phenomena Celestial Attraction to such a level! He can actually control a Mecha?"

Mechas were created to fight Holy King Beasts. A Martial Saint, as strong as they are, is no match for one.

And yet now,

Zhu Ju could control Gravity, manipulating the mountain-sized Mecha as if it were a mere toy.

If he can control a Mecha to this degree, couldn’t he level a mountain?

While that might be an exaggeration, the power Zhu Ju had just displayed was enough to make the entire group’s faces pale.

Thank goodness they hadn’t given in to greed and attacked. If they had, they would have been in way over their heads.

KLANG!

KACHUNK!

The scattered parts of the Mecha were slammed together into a single, cohesive form.

Its dark-red frame stood like a towering mountain. The cracks crisscrossing its body spoke of its history. Even standing motionless, it exuded an invisible pressure that weighed on everyone’s hearts.

Chixiao!

Zhu Ju’s eyes narrowed slightly. Giant Power erupted from within him, and he forcibly lifted the entire thousand-meter-tall Mecha.

Myriad Phenomena Celestial Attraction, Second Realm!

Boosted by his Six Passes Alchemy Dao, he had already raised his Myriad Phenomena Celestial Attraction to a whole new level.

Now integrated with the Yin Yang Yuan Magnetism Cultivation Method, his Myriad Phenomena Celestial Attraction was ten times more powerful than before.

At full power, the current Zhu Ju was now on par with a desperate Wang Chan—or perhaps even stronger.

With his current strength, he would surely rank among the very top of the Federation’s many Martial Saints.

’Integrity at 73%. Multiple areas require major overhaul. The energy core and neural interface are almost completely destroyed.’

’However...’

’I use my Golden Core and Spirit Stones for power, so I don’t need Source Crystals. And even if the neural interface were intact, I would have had to completely overhaul it anyway. This isn’t really a problem.’

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Zhu Ju turned to look at John.

"This merchandise is in terrible condition, a far cry from the data you provided. I’ll need some compensation."

"..." John pursed his lips, then sighed.

"Fine."

"How about some Source Crystals?"

"Acceptable," Zhu Ju said with a faint smile.

"A pleasure doing business with you."

*

*

*

「Main World.」

Zhu Ju rolled his shoulders, and the Wind and Thunder Blade Wings slowly unfurled from his back.

After continuously feeding it Blue Source Crystals, he had finally nurtured this Magical Treasure to the level of a High Grade Magical Treasure.

It might be at the bottom rung of High Grade Magical Treasures, but it was a High Grade Magical Treasure nonetheless.

CRACKLE!

With a single, light flap, wind and thunder churned.

A flash of azure lightning streaked across the sky, and Zhu Ju’s figure reappeared several miles away.

His speed was simply astonishing.

「A short while later.」

He appeared at the foot of a colossal, ancient tree. Zhou Yuantong, clad in white, was already waiting for him.

"You’ve come."

"Yes."

Zhu Ju nodded.

"Have you found a clue about the Innate Origin Qi you mentioned?"

"Hah..." Zhou Yuantong chuckled, her lovely eyes glinting as she looked at him.

"Why are you so desperate for Innate Origin Qi? Don’t tell me you’re planning to forge a Spiritual Artifact?"

"That’s no easy task."

"That’s none of your concern," Zhu Ju said, shaking his head.

"Just tell me. Where’s the lead?"

"We were married, after all. You can be so cold." Zhou Yuantong sighed in resignation, reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Innate Origin Qi is something one finds through serendipity, not searching. However, most surviving Spiritual Artifacts contain some."

"For example..."

"The Yin Yang Treasure Sword of the Joyful Sect."

’Hm?’

Zhu Ju’s eyes narrowed.

"Are you planning to make a move on the Sect Leader of the Joyful Sect?"