Chapter 740 - 733: Mechanical Creatures

Chapter 740: Chapter 733: Mechanical Creatures

Soon, it was Zhou Yuanjue’s turn to pay the "maintenance fee."

Among the four candidates from the Duomoge Organization, two were non-humanoid, and the other two were humanoid.

One of the humanoids, whose body was covered in overgrown folds and whose head sported compound eyes like a fly, seemed to be the leader of the four. His many eyes stared at Zhou Yuanjue for a moment before he said languidly, "A new face? You new here? Don’t you know the rules? Pay fifty Value Points to enter the mine. You can stay inside as long as you want."

"And what if I don’t pay?"

Zhou Yuanjue asked, his expression calm as he watched the creature.

"Oh?"

Upon hearing Zhou Yuanjue’s words, the compound-eyed creature and the other three lazy-looking candidates all raised an eyebrow. They lifted their heads and fixed Zhou Yuanjue with strange, unsettling gazes.

The few other candidates queuing behind him also shot him astonished glances, unconsciously creating a safe distance between them.

"A newbie who dares to provoke the Duomoge Organization... What can you say? He’s got guts."

"Heh heh, he’s a newbie. He hasn’t been through enough. It’s his first time in the Chaotic Paradise, so he probably still thinks he’s one of a kind. It’s normal to be arrogant. Once he’s suffered a few setbacks, he’ll learn to accept reality."

"True. Weren’t we all the same? People eventually figure out their place and mature..."

Many of the candidates who had stepped aside looked on as if watching a good show, some even wearing gloating expressions.

They had seen this kind of thing far too many times over the years. A hot-blooded youth, new to the Chaotic Paradise, thinks they can change the world. The moment they face injustice, they feel compelled to fight back.

But they would soon learn the true reality of the Chaotic Paradise.

"Interesting. I have to admit, it’s been a while since I’ve gotten to stretch my legs. I hope you can take a punch..."

A smile touched the corners of the compound-eyed creature’s mouth as it slowly took a step forward.

VMMMM!!

A vast Power of the True Realm erupted from its body. Behind it, the other three candidates wore expressions of amusement, ready to watch a good show. In their opinion, the compound-eyed creature’s strength was more than enough to handle a newcomer to the Chaotic Paradise.

However, the instant the compound-eyed creature drew near, Zhou Yuanjue moved at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye and suddenly jabbed a finger forward.

A streak of white light flashed. Faintly, a miniature lotus condensed and bloomed at his fingertip.

The compound-eyed creature had no time to react before the finger struck the spot between its brows.

BANG!!

A terrifying power instantly erupted from the point of impact. The lotus bloomed, its power penetrating layer by layer.

In an instant, the creature’s brain suffered what would have been a fatal injury, but the protective mechanism of its Life True Talisman immediately activated, enveloping its body in a faint golden light.

Although the protective mechanism saved it from death, the immense impact from Zhou Yuanjue’s attack was not nullified. The compound-eyed creature’s body shot backward like a cannonball, grazing past the other three candidates before slamming violently into the side of the mountain.

As for Zhou Yuanjue, his finger remained slightly raised, as if he had just performed a trivial act—as simple as swatting away a fly.

The three remaining Duomoge candidates froze on the spot. The crowd of candidates who had been waiting for a show were also dumbfounded. Even Lan Yanmeng and her companions, observing from the shadows, were momentarily taken aback.

As the leader of the guard squad, the compound-eyed creature was by no means a weakling in the Duomoge Organization. Its Transformation Level was comparable to that of Lily’s group, and its combat strength was considerable. Yet a fighter of that caliber had his protective mechanism triggered by a single, gentle touch?

"Lily... now, I’m starting to believe you."

Lan Yanmeng said in a low voice, while Lan Xueyan and Hagrid nodded slightly in agreement.

’Anyone who can do something like that is definitely not to be trifled with.’

"See? I told you so. I wasn’t wrong. Now, we just wait for the chaos to erupt."

Lily’s big eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled.

’Not bad, Xiaozhouzi. You really made me look good!’

「Meanwhile.」

After a brief, stunned silence, the three Duomoge candidates snapped back to their senses.

"Enemy attack!! Enemy attack!!"

The moment they snapped out of it, they immediately pulsed their mental fields, using their Life True Talismans to send an urgent message to the Leader Level Guardian of the ore vein.

Zhou Yuanjue didn’t stop them. He waited until they had finished sending their message before making his next move.

"Done calling for backup? Then you can hand over your Value Points."

Zhou Yuanjue said nonchalantly, and then his body blurred into motion.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Moving with blinding speed, Zhou Yuanjue’s figure flashed between them. He jabbed out with both arms, and a Sacred Lotus bloomed on each of the three men. The attacks instantly turned their bodies a faint gold as their protective talismans activated. The immense force sent them flying, and they followed in the compound-eyed creature’s footsteps, crashing heavily against the mountain wall.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!!

At the same time, a commotion erupted from up on the mountain.

The entire Duomoge Organization had over a hundred members. According to the shift schedule, the group guarding the Star Condensing Ore Vein consisted of about thirty people plus one Leader Level member, all of whom were now pouring out in force.

GULP!!

Seeing the menacing force bearing down, the spectating candidates finally snapped to their senses. Their expressions changed dramatically, and they scattered in an instant.

They knew the Duomoge Organization had picked a fight with the wrong person this time. If they stayed, they might get caught in the crossfire.

Zhou Yuanjue looked up toward the mountain. Among the dozens of figures in the group, one stood out the most.

It was a giant humanoid, roughly four meters tall. Unlike a normal creature of flesh and blood, this being was covered in a black, Steel Armor-like substance. Its head was also encased in armor, and several crystals resembling Energy Cores glittered on its body.

It didn’t appear to be a completely biological creature.

’A "Mechanical Creature" from the Lanhe Civilization of the Eastern Thirteen Regions...’

A flicker of interest appeared in Zhou Yuanjue’s eyes.

If he wasn’t mistaken, this had to be Hans, one of the three leaders of the Duomoge Organization.

The Lanhe Civilization was a technologically advanced one. The very essence of their biology was related to interfacing with machinery. Through their unique biological structure, they could achieve a symbiotic state with mechanical devices, allowing for extreme modification of their bodies.

However, this didn’t mean they became entirely mechanical constructs.

In fact, they retained their biological essence, which was one of the keys to their continuous and rapid evolution.

This was the unique species indigenous to technologically-based civilizations: the Mechanical Creature.