Qian Renxue's Shock, Mo Clan Giant City!

High above the dome, an artificial "sun" hung, radiating a soft, bright light that illuminated the entire underground space like daylight.

Countless thick pipes crisscrossed like blood vessels, connecting massive mechanical structures.

A hundred meters beneath her feet, a magnificent city was in operation.

No wood, no brick or stone.

As far as the eye could see, there was only metal.

A Giant Mechanical Bird with a wingspan exceeding thirty meters dragged a long trail of light as it wove through the steel jungle, its blue tail flame painting a brilliant arc across the air.

On the ground, Giant Humanoid Mechanical Puppets several zhang tall were hauling heavy ore. Their movements were somewhat stiff, but the power erupting from every gesture made Xue Qinghe's heart race.

That sense of force was no less than that of an Attack-type Soul Sage!

And there were hundreds, even thousands, of such puppets densely packed below!

"Th-this is..."

Xue Qinghe's voice trembled.

Her vaunted composure shattered in an instant.

What kind of power was this?

It wasn't a soul skill, wasn't a martial soul, and wasn't any power system she recognized.

"Welcome to Jixia Mechanical City."

Lu Ming stood at the edge of the cliff, hands clasped behind his back. The night wind—or perhaps the ventilation system's airflow—whipped his robes, making them snap loudly.

He pointed at the roaring Steel Beast below.

"This is Mozi's masterpiece, and one of the foundations of my Jixia."

"Your Highness just said you wanted to recruit me?"

Lu Ming turned to face the pale Xue Qinghe, a faint, elusive smile on his lips.

"Martial Soul Hall is indeed strong. When the Pope's Decree is issued, none dare disobey. The elders in the Worship Hall are indeed formidable fighters."

"But, Your Highness."

Lu Ming casually snapped his fingers.

Click—

Below the cliff, a dormant Giant Siege Mech suddenly lit up its single red eye.

Its massive cannon slowly raised, aiming at a Sword Testing Stone in the distance.

Boom!

A dazzling blue beam erupted.

The Black Gold Rock, capable of withstanding a full-force strike from a Soul Douluo, instantly vaporized in the beam, leaving not even a trace behind.

Xue Qinghe's pupils sharply contracted.

A Titled Douluo's strike!

And this was just the attack of a lifeless machine!

If there were a hundred such machines... a thousand...

The walls of Heaven Dou City would be like paper before this thing!

"Do you think that someone who owns this city needs to become anyone's subject?"

Lu Ming's voice was soft, but to Xue Qinghe, it rang like thunder in her ears.

She finally understood.

Why Lu Ming was indifferent to her recruitment.

Why he held no reverence for the so-called Crown Prince or the title of Saintess.

Because in his hands, he held power capable of overturning the entire continent's balance!

This was not a conversation on the same level.

She was talking about schemes and alliances.

But Lu Ming held the hammer of dimensional suppression.

"Did you... build all of this?"

Xue Qinghe swallowed hard, her gaze fixed on the intricate gear structures, as if trying to pierce through their secrets.

"Me? I don't have that kind of free time."

Lu Ming shrugged.

"I'm just the Dean in charge of guarding the gate. The one who built these things is an old man named Mozi. He has a terrible temper and mumbles all day about 'Love All, Attack None.'"

Mozi.

Xue Qinghe etched that name deep into her mind.

"Dean Lu, aren't you afraid I'll leak what I've seen?"

Xue Qinghe took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the storm within, trying to claw back some bargaining chip.

"Or is this your way of showing off to Martial Soul Hall?"

"Showing off? No need."

Lu Ming turned and walked back the way they'd come.

"I brought you here because of what you said just now."

Xue Qinghe froze. "What did I say?"

"You said you wanted to be the ruler of this continent."

Lu Ming stopped and glanced back at her.

Under the lamplight, his gaze was calm and deep, as if it could pierce through to the deepest ambition in Qian Renxue's heart.

"If you want to be a ruler, schemes and murder alone aren't enough."

"That old routine of Martial Soul Hall's is too outdated."

"Since you want to play big, I don't mind showing you what a real... big scene looks like."

Lu Ming pointed down at the ever-living mechanical city below.

"This is productivity. This is revolution."

"Your Highness, if one day you no longer want to be that prince hiding behind a mask, scheming in the shadows, and truly want to change this world..."

"Then we can talk about cooperation."

With that, Lu Ming turned and walked up the stairs without looking back.

Leaving Xue Qinghe alone at the cliff's edge.

She stared down at the steel city, a masterpiece of violent aesthetics, Lu Ming's words echoing in her ears.

Productivity.

Revolution.

These unfamiliar terms fell into her heart like seeds.

Before this, her world had only been Soul Power Levels, Spirit Ring ages, and power struggles.

But now, Lu Ming had brutally torn open that ceiling, showing her a sky far vaster and more terrifying.

"Lu Ming..."

Qian Renxue peeled off the mask of Xue Qinghe from her face, staring at the thin layer of human skin in her hand, a flicker of complex emotion in her eyes.

She thought she was playing a grand chess game.

But someone had already flipped the board, replacing it with a blueprint she couldn't even read.

This feeling...

It was really infuriating.

Yet at the same time, it made her long-dormant heart pound violently.

"Love All, Attack None, huh..."

Qian Renxue murmured softly, then put the mask back on and strode toward the stairs.

Since the board had changed.

Then she, Qian Renxue, would learn to play this new game!

Back in the study.

The mechanism closed, the floor restored to its original state.

As if nothing had happened.

Lu Ming lay back down on his recliner, looking at Xue Qinghe, who showed no sign of leaving.

"Seen enough, Your Highness? Still not leaving? Planning to stay for a midnight snack?"

Xue Qinghe had fully regained her usual demeanor, but deep in her eyes, there was a newfound trace of awe and... fervor.

"Dean Lu, Qinghe has one last question."

"Ask."

"In that city, those iron lumps that shot out beams of light—how many are there?"

Lu Ming yawned and held up three fingers.

"Three hundred?"

Xue Qinghe sucked in a sharp breath.

Lu Ming shook his head.

"Three thousand?"

Xue Qinghe felt his scalp go numb.

Lu Ming shook his head again, withdrew his hand, and said lazily:

"Three platforms."

Xue Qinghe had just let out a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that it was still within manageable limits.