"Shen Jingming! Are you there?"
Gu Ya stood outside a dilapidated old house, shouting towards the gate.
This place was located at the westernmost edge of Xianxia City, quite desolate, with hardly any residents visible.
The row upon row of three- to four-story shabby buildings and the cracked, overgrown pavement made Gu Ya suspect he had arrived in a wasteland.
The four door hinges on either side of the gate suddenly loosened, and the iron gate swung upwards like a fan, revealing a gap wide enough for one person.
Gu Ya stepped leisurely into the darkness.
Low, explosive heavy metal music emanated from within the walls.
The frantic drumbeats and wild electric guitar, coupled with beast-like low growls, caused Gu Ya’s blood pressure to surge instantly.
"Master, should I sigh that youth is truly wonderful," Hei Yang murmured.
"Shut up."
Gu Ya swayed his head to the rhythm as he walked further in.
With his steps, the surrounding walls slowly flipped down, and faint white-blue light shone from behind the walls, illuminating the path ahead again.
The blood-pressure-boosting heavy metal music, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of keyboard tapping, exploded like an aerial bombardment.
There was also a faint scent in the air.
Surrounded by eight mechanical arms, Shen Jingming, completely immersed, rapidly tapped on a light-screen keyboard. On a massive holographic display before him, lines of code were rapidly generated.
"Mas... Master..." Hei Yang's voice, tinged with panic, suddenly came through, "He... he's creating me..."
"Hmm?" Gu Ya looked at the reverse-generated code with doubt. It was indeed similar to Hei Yang's source code.
Some of the code logic was stiff, yet at some crucial nodes, it was hesitant and verbose.
It was clear that this was preliminary code that needed further refinement, but to achieve this level on the first pass was nothing short of divine.
"This song is called 'Xianxia Chariot,' I composed it myself. Can you get used to it?" Shen Jingming asked while tapping at the code.
Gu Ya was clearly battered by the music. The continuous frenzy made his heart unbearable. The moment his hand reached for the experiment table, the music stopped.
"I can't work without music," Shen Jingming said coldly, releasing his hands as the eight mechanical arms slowly retracted into the ceiling.
Gu Ya picked up a small toy from the table and tossed it into the air. Hei Yang instantly materialized, his short upper limbs hugging the toy and starting to play with it.
"Weren't you researching void technology? What are you fiddling with this program for?" Gu Ya asked.
Shen Jingming said indifferently, "The last mission isn't finished yet."
Gu Ya nodded and surveyed the clean and orderly laboratory, saying, "Mu Ye Xingchen has agreed to assist. I estimate we'll be heading underground soon."
A hint of complexity flashed in Shen Jingming's eyes.
This did not escape Gu Ya's notice. Gu Ya calmly asked, "I guess you, being from the underground race, can't remember what your homeland looks like, can you?"
"Are the characters surrounding your body underground script?"
"You've died once before, haven't you? Were you beheaded?"
Under Gu Ya's [Mech God's Gaze], Shen Jingming's hazy, mist-like body had no head.
These bold guesses were deduced by Gu Ya from Wu Yi's words in the underwater prison.
Shen Jingming stared at Gu Ya and gently shook his head, saying nothing.
As they remained in a silent gaze, Hei Yang's voice came through, "Master, the Hei Yang program he compiled has been completely parsed, with a completion rate of 1.3%. It's been three months since the first line of code was generated. His progress is astonishingly fast. This person is dangerous!"
"Dangerous, your head!" Gu Ya forcefully bent his index finger and flicked the Hei Yang figurine, giving it a loud knuckle-rapping.
Shen Jingming picked up the Hei Yang figurine that Gu Ya had flicked away and asked softly, "Is this your pet?"
"I'm not a pet! I am the real Hei Yang! Hmph!" Hei Yang shouted indignantly.
Gu Ya chuckled happily and said, "Yes, a pet."
Shen Jingming observed carefully. A mechanical arm suddenly popped out from the experiment table beside him, and a sharp needle pierced Hei Yang's body.
Immediately after, a series of intricately logical codes appeared on the holographic display.
Shen Jingming's eyes widened, his lips trembling rapidly as if deciphering the meaning of the code. His mouth gradually curved upwards, "Amazing! So that's how it is!"
"Don't peek at me!!" Hei Yang kicked away the metal needle and vanished into thin air, reappearing on Gu Ya's shoulder.
"Have you merged with it?" Shen Jingming began typing on the keyboard again, asking excitedly, "Where are all these programs stored?"
At the same time, "Beep, beep, beep" alarm sounds rang out. Gu Ya and Shen Jingming raised their wristbands to look, and both their faces instantly fell.
"Here it comes when you fear it. Let's go," Gu Ya said helplessly, spreading his hands.
Half an hour later, Gu Ya and Shen Jingming arrived at the secret military camp southwest of Xianxia City and found Dou Mei in the vast underground mecha training ground.
"Sister, you're really busy..." Gu Ya felt helpless to see Dou Mei again.
"Who told me I have to lead you troublesome guys," Dou Mei mumbled, staring at the training ground without turning her head.
On the training ground, the Heaven-Swallowing Golden Armor was sparring with the Eight Imperfect Machines.
Jin Quan Ao Tian's confident laughter echoed across the vast training ground, "Ahaha! Exciting, exciting! This is Xianxia's second strongest War God!"
Compared to the Heaven-Swallowing Golden Armor, the Eight Imperfect Machines' small stature was like a cat challenging a lion. With its evasive maneuvers, it had already made the Golden Armor spin in circles, losing its bearings.
Pieces of golden armor were cut off by the Eight Imperfect Machines, revealing the black mechanical structure underneath.
It was evident that the Eight Imperfect Machines had not yet used their full strength, and some killing moves were merely tests.
If it were a real fight, the Heaven-Swallowing Golden Armor would not be a match for the Eight Imperfect Machines.
Gu Ya watched with exhilaration, murmuring, "I never expected a mecha from a hundred years ago to have such power."
"Yes, the origin of the Eight Imperfect Machines is quite significant," Dou Mei said as she walked towards the two mechas and signaled them to stop sparring.
More than ten minutes later, they met in a conference room near the hangar.
Dou Mei got straight to the point, "Emergency top-secret mission. Proceed to the far south to find the entrance to the underground kingdom. Strive to gain the assistance of the underground civilization, which will be useful for researching void technology."
"Shu Feizhang will be the captain, accompanied by Jin Quan Ao Tian and Mu Ye Xingchen."
"What..." Gu Ya was somewhat surprised, "Why bring two outsiders?"
"How can little brother dislike the glittering me? My strength isn't bad," Jin Quan Ao Tian said with a proud smile, flicking his golden curly hair.
"I didn't question your strength, but is it really good to bring an outsider with us?" Gu Ya was somewhat worried, "Besides, Mu Ye Xingchen only joined Xianxia less than a day ago and was immediately assigned a mission. The higher-ups are reacting too rashly."
"Oh! Rashness, swift and impetuous, what an astute word, I've learned it." Jin Quan Ao Tian pulled out a small notebook and quickly jotted it down.
Dou Mei sighed and said, "Time waits for no one. According to frontline intelligence, the Black Star Empire has begun a new invasion. Although Xianxia is not their target, the crisis necessitates proactive prevention."
"Speaking of which, this lineup is too luxurious..." Gu Ya looked at Shu Feizhang, who had remained silent, and Shen Jingming, who was always playing games with his head down.
"Probably to keep an eye on me," Mu Ye Xingchen's voice suddenly came from behind.
He had already changed into a Xianxia mecha pilot uniform, with his long white hair tied into a white topknot.
If he hadn't been silent, he would definitely have been considered an unparalleled beauty, captivating Gu Ya's gaze.
Even Dou Mei seemed to be imitating him.
"Ahem!" Dou Mei interrupted, "Depart immediately, head to Wu He City first to rest for a day, and prepare freshwater and food. Including Ye Ying, you six will be a team."
"No, Ye Ying cannot go," Gu Ya refused, "I cannot let my woman take risks. Besides, having a woman in the team is somewhat inconvenient."
"Little brother has a girlfriend?" Jin Quan Ao Tian asked with a playful smile.
Dou Mei calmly stated, "The higher-ups just issued a decree. Ye Ying has been promoted to the twenty-seventh War God based on her combat merits and is authorized to undertake overseas operations."
Gu Ya slammed the table and said coldly, "If I say no, then it's no!"
As they were at an impasse, Shu Feizhang spoke, "I agree with Gu Ya. Let's not dwell on it any longer. Depart immediately."
Thirty minutes later, the five were fully equipped, carrying their pilot helmets, and steadily walked towards the surface hangar.
Their mechas had been repaired and were in optimal condition, parked in the hangar.
The massive Heaven-Swallowing Golden Armor, like a young golden lion, was majestic and beautiful.
Shen Jingming's Black Cage mecha was like a wild, untamed werewolf, exuding a sense of power.
The Eight Imperfect Machines, transformed into fighter jet form, lay horizontally at the forefront, low-key yet not to be underestimated.
To Gu Ya's surprise, Xianxia had equipped Mu Ye Xingchen with a dedicated mecha, but judging by its external armor, it was entirely Black Star technology.
"Time, Xian Yuan Year 387, September 13th, 15:29. Egress preparation complete."
"Egress authorized, repeat..."
As the ground crew on either side of the mecha launch tracks crouched and raised their hands, pointing towards the egress opening, the four mechas ignited the heat exhaust from their back units.
[BOOM——!]
The four mechas exited in single file, soaring into the sky.