Mars:
Li Xin could keep track of everything happening on Earth through remote network surveillance, but he paid it no mind.
Once he had acquired this E9-class spaceship avatar, he was effectively invincible on Earth and had no one to fear.
What interested him more at the moment was the reddish, almost orange planet before him: Mars.
Looking down from high above, he saw nine pyramids. Their arrangement seemed to form an even larger, invisible pyramid.
Beneath the nine towering pyramids lay an enormous city, though it now looked as if it had been in ruins for countless years.
"These nine pyramids were built by people from the Blue Silver Empire, imitating a rudimentary Machine Race method of producing energy. But they're actually far cruder than the Machine Race's real energy production methods."
"I can modify and improve them to increase their energy production efficiency tenfold, then feed the energy they produce into the Eternal Divine Furnace so it can supply me with power continuously."
Li Xin had come to Mars first precisely for the energy from these nine pyramids. This was also the fastest way he could think of to obtain energy.
In the original story, Luo Feng had destroyed all nine pyramids under Babata's guidance, then excavated the black iron inside to sell.
What they had failed to realize was that the most valuable things on Mars were these nine energy pyramids, which still functioned perfectly after tens of thousands of years.
"Breach the system and take control of the energy core!"
With the knowledge reserves of a Machine Race Immortal, he quickly found the relevant information in the massive compressed memory archive. After studying it for just half an hour, he knew it inside out.
He then infiltrated this base city's core energy system and took complete control of the nine pyramids' energy systems.
"There's plenty of a8-grade black iron on Mars. I can use it to make Mechanical Puppets and test my newly acquired 'Mechanical Evolution' talent while I'm at it."
With Li Xin's avatar's current technological capabilities, making Mechanical Puppets was exceedingly simple.
"Mechanical Evolution!"
Once he had finished making an a8-grade Mechanical Puppet, his Machine Race avatar activated its Innate Secret Technique, enveloping the puppet in white light.
The puppet's material grew stronger, rising from a8 grade to a9 grade. Its internal structure also became more streamlined and refined, while its performance improved considerably.
Most importantly, Li Xin discovered that the Mechanical Puppet had actually developed intelligence!
A Mechanical Puppet primarily consisted of a mechanical body and a core program, with the core program being the key component.
The Mechanical Puppet he had made initially contained nothing but simple code, with no intelligence whatsoever. It could only carry out simple operations after its master issued orders.
Yet now, after he activated his Innate Secret Technique, that core program had actually become intelligent life, just as an ordinary Optical Computer could.
Although this intelligent life thought like a child, there was no doubt about what he was. He possessed human emotions and thought!
"Master!"
The black iron robot spoke. Although his voice sounded thoroughly mechanical, there was no doubt that he had transformed from a Mechanical Puppet into intelligent life!
"You're the first intelligent life I've created, so let me give you a name. Since you're made of black iron, I'll call you 'Black Iron.' From now on, you'll be my assistant."
"I'll transfer some knowledge to you. Receive it carefully and study it well."
Li Xin felt a strong sense of accomplishment over the first intelligent life he had created. He also felt fond of him, so he decided to nurture Black Iron.
"Thank you, Master!"
The second time Black Iron spoke, his voice was no longer quite so mechanical. It now carried a tone that could be called excitement.
Li Xin then continued making Mechanical Puppets and activating his Innate Secret Technique to turn them all into mechanical life. He placed them under Black Iron's command and sent them to haul out the black iron across Mars.
"After I use Mechanical Evolution, the Mechanical Puppets don't just become intelligent life. Their structures improve as well, raising them from a8 grade to the very limit of a9 grade, just short of b1 grade."
While making Mechanical Puppets, he also studied his Innate Secret Technique.
He had to admit that his Innate Secret Technique was extraordinarily powerful, practically defying all reason.
Generally, intelligent life began as an Optical Computer and could only evolve to possess human cognition after a long period of learning and upgrades. Even then, the probability was very low. Not every Optical Computer could become intelligent life.
Even the Machine Race needed time to create intelligent life.
Yet a single Innate Secret Technique from Li Xin had directly transformed an ordinary Optical Computer's mechanical program into intelligent life!
That meant Li Xin could create as many intelligent lives as he wanted.
Moreover, after he used the Mechanical Evolution talent, their mechanical grade would rise by one minor grade.
And that was only because he was afraid of wasting energy, so he had supplied the bare minimum and activated his talent at its lowest intensity.
Once he no longer lacked energy and could unleash his talent at full power, it would be even more terrifying.
"The intelligent lives I'm creating now are only of the lowest level. To reach the level of advanced intelligent life like Babata, they'll still need time and accumulated knowledge."
"But I have the knowledge and experience of a Machine Race Immortal. When the time comes, I can directly transfer it into the intelligent lives I want to nurture, saving them the trouble of accumulating that knowledge."
Li Xin continued making Mechanical Puppets as he spoke, though he no longer turned every puppet into intelligent life.
Activating his Innate Secret Technique required energy, and with his supply still limited, he had no intention of being extravagant.
He therefore planned to create one intelligent life for every hundred Mechanical Puppets, then have that intelligent life command the other ninety-nine puppets to work for him.
Before long, he had made a thousand Mechanical Puppets, ten of which were intelligent life.
"Let's see if I can make a B8 Grade intelligent life robot!"
After finding some B8 Grade black iron essence, Li Xin made a B8 Grade Mechanical Puppet.
He then used the Innate Secret Technique "Mechanical Evolution," intending to turn it into intelligent life.
This time, however, the energy consumption was enormous-fifty times what it took to create a9-grade intelligent life.
"Master!"
Once the Innate Secret Technique was complete, the B8 Grade Mechanical Puppet had become a B9 Grade intelligent life robot.
"It worked!"
Li Xin was delighted at the sight. B9 grade was equivalent to Star Level Nine.
Li Xin then continued making B9-grade Mechanical Puppets. This time, he made one out of every ten puppets into intelligent life to command the others.
He only stopped after making two hundred Mechanical Puppets, mainly because the energy consumption was too great.
Both manufacturing them and sustaining their daily operations required energy.
He stayed on Mars for five days. During that time, he not only made Mechanical Puppets but also improved the Elementary Energy Manufacturing Pyramid, increasing its energy production efficiency tenfold.
"Time to head back!"
After five days, Li Xin took ninety a9-grade Mechanical Puppets and ten b9-grade intelligent lives with him, along with Black Iron, the first intelligent life he had created.
He left the remaining intelligent lives in the steel city on Mars, ordering them to continue collecting ore and mining, as well as building more pyramid energy production systems.
With the Eternal Divine Brain controlling things remotely and the relevant blueprints and technology left with those intelligent lives, they could handle everything themselves. Li Xin did not need to worry about it.
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