Chapter Eleven: The Cyborgs of the Mechanical Sanctuary

"Cybers, what on earth are those?" Liang Zhi tilted his head and asked Qiu Shilu, unable to fully erase the shock from his face.

Since arriving in Dazong, he had been assaulted by one bizarre sight after another, and though he’d grown somewhat accustomed, the sight of Wu Zinan still unsettled him deeply.

There was no way this thing could have been built with Dazong’s current technology. This was a land without even firearms.

Even in his previous, technologically advanced life, Liang Zhi had only ever seen such things in science fiction films.

Qiu Shilu clutched the necklace at her chest, murmuring under her breath, "They’re still here after all, they’ve always been here… You weren’t wrong. I will uncover the truth."

Her thoughts drifted back to an afternoon years ago.

Brutal soldiers in red armor had dragged that man away, accusing him of spreading false news and inciting unrest.

Even as they took him, he comforted Qiu Shilu, assuring her he’d done nothing wrong and would one day return with the truth.

But he never came back.

No trial, no imprisonment—he simply vanished, as if he had never existed.

Lost in her memories, Qiu Shilu was silent; Liang Zhi, meanwhile, was thoroughly bewildered.

"Can someone explain what’s going on here? Is this 'Terminator' some kind of ability-wielder?"

From a distant branch, Master Crow called out to Liang Zhi, his tone dripping with sarcasm:

"The only ones with the technology to create machines and cyborgs are the 'Sanctuary of Machinery' in the west of Dazong!

The Dazong Dynasty and the Sanctuary waged a war that lasted many years. Thirty years ago, Emperor Wulong led his armies in person, driving the remnants of the Sanctuary to the Everfrost Cliffs and forcing them to sign a treaty never to set foot in Dazong again. That’s how the current flourishing age of Wulong began!"

Liang Zhi winked at Master Crow: Don’t just stand there—send your ravens to “bomb” that robot.

Master Crow cocked his head in confusion. He was, after all, just a little crow—how could he possibly take on a robot?

"Don’t worry," he said, "the Sanctuary’s core is mechanical life—they’d never invest significant resources in a cyborg like this. There shouldn’t be any truly dangerous weapons on him…"

Suddenly—click!

A chainsaw-like short sword snapped out from Wu Zinan’s hand.

"Oh, forget what I said," Master Crow muttered, and promptly flew off.

Wu Zinan swung the vicious weapon, charging at Liang Zhi and Qiu Shilu with the ferocity of a rabid beast, his steel bones granting him superhuman strength and speed.

Whoosh!

The short sword sliced above Liang Zhi’s head, shearing off a lock of his hair as he rolled aside in a desperate dodge.

A root, heavy with earth, slammed into Wu Zinan’s chest with tremendous force.

"Take that, bastard! How do you like that?"

Wu Zinan staggered back two steps, the metal of his chest slightly dented. But with a sweep of his chainsaw sword, the willow tree was cleaved in two, leaving Qiu Shilu defenseless.

Wu Zinan braced himself, then lunged forward in a sudden thrust.

He was about to skewer Qiu Shilu when he stumbled and crashed to the ground. Still, his blade slashed open her clothes, leaving a gash on her abdomen that quickly stained her shirt with blood.

Liang Zhi had caked the ground with mud, trapping Wu Zinan’s feet just in time.

Before he could celebrate, Wu Zinan spun and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him sliding several meters along the ground and shattering the crust of earth around his feet.

"He’s got metal in his body," Liang Zhi whispered to Master Crow. "I tried to fuse his foot to the ground, but I failed!"

Master Crow, hiding behind a rock, replied in a hushed voice, "The power of a Tricksmith only works quickly if you understand the materials you’re connecting. The alloys used in cyborgs are special—you don’t know their properties, so you can’t complete the link.

At your current level, you’d need to touch him for at least two seconds to immobilize him, and in that time, he could kill you two or three times over.

Run, there’s no shame in it. Except for the Perfected, no ability-wielder is truly invincible."

Liang Zhi knew this well.

He had an uncanny power, but his physical body was weak—put him in a martial arts film, and he’d be the guy Master Ye could beat ten of without breaking a sweat.

He shouted to Qiu Shilu, "Two seconds. Give me two seconds and I can take him down!"

Qiu Shilu needed no urging. Gripping a tree trunk, she charged at Wu Zinan.

Taking advantage of the moment when Wu Zinan had kicked Liang Zhi, she yanked up another tree, swinging it at the cyborg with all her might.

Dirt and splinters filled the air. Qiu Shilu fought fiercely, but her weapon was being whittled away with each exchange—soft earth and willow wood could hardly deal a fatal blow to steel.

Master Crow gave Liang Zhi a feathery thumbs-up. "Great plan—let’s escape while the girl keeps him busy."

Liang Zhi didn’t take his eyes off the fight. "No, I’m going to kill him."

As the trunk was about to be completely severed by the chainsaw sword, Qiu Shilu steeled herself and charged bare-fisted at Wu Zinan.

Wu Zinan raised his blade; if she pressed in, she’d surely be cut.

But Qiu Shilu ignored the blade, landing a punch squarely on his face. Her arm split open, blood spattering the ground, but the metal cheek caved in with a resounding dent.

The force of the blow stunned Wu Zinan, and Qiu Shilu seized the moment to slip behind him and lock him in a cross-hold.

By rights, a human’s strength could never match that of a metal body.

Yet Wu Zinan was pinned tightly, utterly unable to move. The hydraulic devices in his arms whined, but he couldn’t break Qiu Shilu’s slender grip.

Liang Zhi wasted no time, pressing his hand to Wu Zinan’s chest.

His connecting power spread through Wu Zinan’s body, melting the metal within and fusing it with all the other metals nearby.

Where once Wu Zinan’s body had moved with the precision of a perfect machine, now it was merely a rigid steel shell.

"You can let go now." Sweat soaked through Liang Zhi’s clothes—fighting a robot was far more nerve-wracking than he’d imagined.

At his words, Qiu Shilu collapsed to the ground, her face pale and her body nearly drained of strength. She had lost too much blood in the battle.

Liang Zhi approached, placing his hand on her torn shirt.

The shredded fabric stirred and wrapped tightly around her wound, serving as a bandage—enough, at least, to prevent her from bleeding to death.

Once he’d finished tending to Qiu Shilu, Liang Zhi walked over to Wu Zinan and tapped his chest lightly.

The once-fearsome cyborg collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash.