Chapter 193: Victorious Grand Retreat
As A Miao and the Mechanical Helmet began haggling, Yuan Zhu and Meng Xiyue gradually went from participants to bystanders, only able to watch dumbfounded from the side, completely losing the happiness of being participants.
It turned out that the two of them were the real bystanders; this “Fleeing Squad” had only one target: the Yellow Springs Witch.
After one “Not enough!” after another that left desires unfulfilled, the Mechanical Helmet finally trembled and pulled out a complex metal sphere from his pocket, its surface pitch black and worn with obvious signs of wear and tear, like some kind of mechanical structure.
As soon as this item appeared, it brought a powerful sense of threat, like a bomb that could detonate at any moment, with terrifying power brewing inside.
A Miao: “What is this?”
Looking at the greedy woman before him, the Mechanical Helmet resigned himself: “This is the most valuable thing I can offer, and my last Treasure. If it still can’t satisfy your appetite, then I can only give up the Side Mission!”
A Miao didn’t care about the nonsense from these strangers. As if you’re so pitiful, like a disadvantaged group. We’re the innocent bystanders inexplicably dragged into this “Buddhist Evil Monk vs suspected Future People” turmoil!
Now you still want us to risk our lives; shouldn’t you show enough sincerity and Compensation? But you’re so coy about paying Remuneration, unwilling to throw money at us all at once to knock us down. What does that mean? No sincerity at all! And acting so helpless, as if I’m the greedy one?!
As a professional Fencing (Appraisal) master, A Miao had her own methods to judge the value of “unknown items”: “Tell me, what is this thing, and how much is it worth?”
The Mechanical Helmet said in a dull tone: “This is the Steam Engine Soul, the most important core of the Steam School. You can crudely understand it as a Seed with extremely high nurturing level, or the Golden Core in cultivation novels. It has two functions. For the traditional Steam Alchemy School, it allows one to ascend to the heavens in a single step: inject your own ‘Spirit, Soul’ Energy, acquire a matching Totem, and you can refine your own Steam Totem. This item was originally my prepared ‘second Totem’, which you can understand as the Second Nascent Soul in cultivation novels.”
That year at 18, as A Miao negotiated with the Future Person, Yuan Zhu and Meng Xiyue, standing like lackeys, exchanged a glance and showed great interest in this Steam Engine Soul.
Using Holy Light as a benchmark, his Soul Crystal was only equal to Foundation Establishment. Then this thing was actually a Golden Core, and even a Second Nascent Soul? Wouldn’t that be equivalent to ‘4 Seals’?! It sounds very valuable.
“Its second use is to directly serve as the core Soul of an Elemental Steam Engine, enshrined in a Factory, where through the workshop’s Production and the Market sales of Products, it gains feedback and gradually nurtures an Industrial Deity, opening the path to the Industrial God Kingdom.”
“Finally, there’s one improper use: detonate it as a ‘Transcendent Bomb’. Detonating the Steam Engine Soul in a confined narrow Space will cause terrifying Damage, with extremely strong targeting against Souls. This item was originally something I planned to use, after settling these Newcomers, to return to the battlefield and, in a desperate situation, take down a Buddhist Expert with me.”
“If you’re willing to cooperate with my actions, I’m willing to use the Steam Engine Soul as Remuneration. Of course, I’ll tell you in advance: if you can’t help me complete the Mission, I’ll still use it as a bomb for a final stand against the Buddhist Expert. If you have other means, then it’s yours.”
A Miao sensed the sincerity (confirmed he had been emptied out) and thought for a moment before speaking: “I can cooperate with your actions, but with the same precondition: guarantee my absolute safety. I won’t gamble my life recklessly for strangers or this bit of Remuneration to challenge unknown Crises. Safety—only when I’m absolutely sure of my own safety will I lend you a hand.”
She expressed her concerns without any Idol baggage, including: fear of death, seeking stability, high returns, ability to flee first… and so on.
The Mechanical Helmet helplessly agreed: “Fine, everything can be negotiated. I agree. I know your abilities; they’re very suitable for sneak attacks. As long as you’re willing to help, the success rate of this Mission is at least 60%.”
After repeatedly confirming the Contract details, A Miao readily agreed to the Mechanical Helmet’s Employment Contract.
When she was in Running, she did similar work, often participating in various Illegal activities as “external aid” or similar roles. This included hidden assaults or acting as getaway and Evacuation for robbers.
After both sides reached an agreement, they decisively abandoned the four half-dead Newcomers, as well as Yuan Zhu with insufficient Holy Light, and Meng Xiyue whose Skull was polluted.
As a result, Yuan Zhu and the pink-haired one were responsible for escorting the four Newcomers away from the Buddhist Pollution battlefield, finding a sufficiently safe place, and waiting for the battle victory countdown.
Soon, the scene became quiet, with an awkward atmosphere. The four Newcomers’ mouths were sealed by vines controlled by the Mechanical Helmet, allowing normal breathing but preventing speech, and even their hands were fixed in place, unable to make gestures, only able to move their legs freely for displacement.
Yuan Zhu had no choice but to step forward and continuously release Holy Light on the four for hemostasis and treatment.
It had to be said that Holy Light was truly amazing—overbearingly powerful and highly versatile. Facing these oddly shaped Future People from the Pollution System, he only needed to subjectively mark Buddhist Magic Power as Pollutant in his mind, while marking the Dragon Medicine and Pumpkin Seeds in their bodies as Harmless.
Then, with one ordinary Grand Holy Light Illumination Technique brushed on, this group was scorched by the Holy Light, emitting black smoke all over and letting out pained screams.
Because not only the deeply rooted Buddhist Pollution was gradually excluded, decomposed, and destroyed by the domineering Holy Light bit by bit; even those Pollution Systems that received Harmless certification still had to be repeatedly scrubbed.
It was like unleashing a berserk Lu Zhishen, wielding his 80-jin Watermill Zen Staff like a propeller, eyes bloodshot as he charged into your home, crazily slaughtering a gang of burglars. In the process of exterminating the bandits, there were inevitable bumps and collisions, smashing your TV, refrigerator, Room Door, Wall—all to pieces, even accidentally grazing your pet Kitten or dog, instantly blasting them into Fragments.
But this was not intentional, merely collateral Damage.
Thus, the four Newcomers, unable to speak or move their hands, were in agony—truly too painful. Bone-piercing, soul-searing pain swept through their bodies, tear glands collapsing in their Eyes, eyeballs bloodshot, black smoke rising from their skin… repeatedly “Purified” by Yuan Zhu, their Souls were nearly Sublimated.
The Holy Light Cultivator’s sense of Satisfaction and superiority instantly maxed out. He not only removed the evil Buddhist Pollution but also overdrew their Vitality, accelerating the healing of wounds all over their bodies. Even their lost Eyes didn’t regrow; instead, the flesh healed over, forming a flesh-wrapped bony pit without a trace of scar.
After tormenting the Newcomers like sterilization and disinfection, Meng Xiyue hurriedly urged the four to get moving.
A Miao had joined the Veteran to fight—who knew if it would affect this side? Better to Flee early, the farther from the battlefield the better.
“Go upstairs—not only run in the opposite Direction, but also go upstairs. The more floors, the stronger the shielding and isolation from the aftershocks.”
Facing this life-and-death issue, the four Future People also awoke, ignoring their fatigue and pain, temporarily forgetting the hatred from Yuan Zhu’s Holy Light torment, and accelerated their flight.
During the Fleeing process, he conveniently applied a layer of Sanctuary buff to everyone, to counter the increasingly frequent and urgently rhythmic Zen Sound Pollution. For these Newcomers, the effect was quite good.
After several rounds of remote clashes with Buddhist Dharma, Yuan Zhu gradually realized that Holy Light and Buddhist Dharma seemed to have an innate “arch-enemy trait,” with many similarities but even more mutual restraints.
Like two Internet Companies on the same Track, constantly optimizing and Upgrading, competing, disparaging, and Plagiarizing each other… But then he thought, among the Eight Holy Kings there was a Buddhist traitor Angel King, so it was no surprise.
Relying on this professional mutual restraint, he and Meng Xiyue successfully protected the four Newcomers, fleeing all the way to the sixth floor before gradually escaping the influence of Buddhist Pollution.
According to the Employment Contract signed by A Miao and the Mechanical Helmet, successfully protecting these four Newcomers also earned them a sum of Remuneration from the future.
Seeing they were temporarily safe, he and Meng Xiyue exchanged a glance with Tacit Understanding, turning their crooked ideas toward these four Newcomers. They planned to get some future intelligence from these fellow [Future Bankruptcy Reorganization Paradise] people, to grasp life ahead of time, seize the windfall, and take the right path to wealth.
