Chapter 251 — Where Machinery Reaches the Gods' Forbidden Zone

Their expressions shifted once again.

Is that any different from being dead?

After that, Shi Jin explained the matter of the Martial Emperor, Chongxuan, and Yun'an to them in greater detail.

Hearing that the Martial Emperor's dynasty had relied on slaying the demigod Yun'an to obtain a hegemonic-species Iron-Eating Beast Legion, everyone was dazed for a moment.

"The greatest gain this time should be finding the hegemonic-species evolution plan for the Iron-Eating Beast," Shi Jin said earnestly.

"Among them, the most important evolution material is the Yun'an fragment."

"Though other rare grade-eight metals can also achieve the same evolutionary effect, I looked into it—those metals are either non-renewable resources that have already vanished from the stage of history, or they require impossibly difficult conditions to form and exist only in tiny quantities. By comparison, Meteorite Han fragments may be the only stable channel for evolution."

Meteorite Han fragments...

Feng Jin frowned and sank into thought.

"In other words, the Martial Emperor practically perished together with the Meteorite Han, but the Meteorite Han may not be completely dead..." Chairman Bai said gravely.

"It was precisely because the Martial Emperor fought the Meteorite Han that he could use fragments of its body to reliably cultivate the Iron-Eating Beast's second-stage evolution..."

"Mm, actually... Chongxuan gave me a Meteorite Han fragment too, but the problem is, it said that using this thing will definitely draw the Meteorite Han's attention, that..." Shi Li: "So you understand now."

Bai Chuanqi, Feng Jin, Lu Heng, and Bai Xi's expressions gradually grew colorful.

Some 'stability' that turned out to be!

An ordinary Totem, a top-tier Totem, a demigod... a demigod is an existence standing at the very apex of Totems. Go pick a fight with that?

Even if a stable evolutionary channel for overlord species is of vital importance, the price of obtaining it is a bit too steep.

"Actually, the key point is that the Meteorite Han may not be in its prime right now. After all, reviving itself would probably require an enormous amount of energy. If it still exists, it must be somewhere recovering its strength, and it might not even have the power of an ordinary Totem at this point. That's the most crucial part."

"And let me correct something—perhaps it's not a stable evolution plan for overlord species, but a quasi-mythical species evolution plan. Because it's said that the more Meteorite Han fragments are used, the greater the evolutionary potential..."

Everyone: ...

"In any case, setting aside whether to go after the Meteorite Han for now—if I use the Meteorite Han fragment... and it comes for me, I should be fine, right?" Shi Jin asked stealthily: "Can I use it?"

Once Shi Jin finished speaking, everyone fell silent again.

Bai Chuanqi said with a headache: "You really brought back some extraordinary news."

Archaeologists really are trouble magnets. Wuling City had used its ruins for decades without a hitch, and the moment Shi Shuo showed up, it was one problem after another.

"If the Meteorite Han came charging at Donghuang over something like this, the matter would actually become less tangled—it would probably be well on its way to becoming a renewable resource," Feng Jin said.

Bai Xi said: "In other words, actively deciding whether to provoke a creature suspected of being a demigod just for a stable overlord-species channel is very difficult—you have to weigh the gains and losses."

"Conversely, if it attacks us on its own initiative, then there's nothing to agonize over?"

Bai Chuanqi said: "That's roughly the idea. It's the difference between starting a war and being forced to counterattack."

"Openly declaring war on a Totem within the Totem hierarchy—something like that would require at least the approval of most of the nation's Legends and high-ranking officials. Donghuang actually has very few in the pro-war faction."

"Moreover, if today we destroy the Meteorite Han for resources, then tomorrow we might strike at other Totems as well. If that leads the Totems to form an alliance among themselves, that would be bad."

"After all, the forbidden machinery we use to deter the Totems is limited in number. A large-scale war would actually work against us."

"Seen that way, baiting it into striking first is actually the optimal choice?" Bai Xi said.

Lu Heng: "...Provided the Meteorite Han really does come lumbering over like a fool, but no matter how you look at it, that's impossible."

At this point, listening to everyone's discussion, Shi Shuo felt reassured.

Bai Chuanqi said: "If you ask me, we should first investigate and gather intelligence on the Meteorite Han before anything else."

"After all, we're the ones holding the initiative right now."

"If it hasn't recovered yet, we could just bomb it and be done with it. The next Totem War is bound to happen sooner or later anyway, and taking one out in advance to build up our own strength is definitely more beneficial than harmful."

Bai Xi said eagerly: "I suddenly feel a little sorry for the Martial Emperor... By the way, how many forbidden weapons would it take to deal with the Meteorite Han?"

An opponent the Martial Emperor had to go all out to take down, utterly countered by modern mechanical forces.

After all, Donghuang's forbidden mechanical weapons and mechanical legions that deter the Totems have only one attack skill.

Self-detonation.

Wounds that can't be healed?

They never planned on getting wounded in the first place.

Only this kind of extreme tactic can strike terror into the Totems.

Bai Chuanqi said: "Alas, the Martial Emperor was strong, but the times have changed."

"As for exactly how many would be needed, it's hard to say."

"The divine-forbidden-class forbidden weapons that person researched can indeed annihilate demigods, but the problem is their numbers are limited and the cost of creating and using them is too high—they can't be deployed lightly."

"It was precisely because divine-forbidden-class machinery annihilated three other-race demigods that the worldwide Totem War ended so quickly. But these things are one-use-only—each one spent is one gone. They must be used with extreme caution. If we use them all up, we'll have no weapons left to threaten the Totem creatures."

"Where machinery reaches, the gods' forbidden zone—but the precondition is that our firepower is strong enough."

Divine-forbidden-type forbidden machinery can not only seal off space and lock onto enemies, but is also suited to all kinds of extreme environments, from the ocean to outer space, and has a devastating effect on souls and spirits—far beyond what ordinary forbidden weapons can compare to.

This is, at present, Donghuang's ultimate trump card.

"Divine-forbidden-class mechanical lifeforms definitely can't be deployed lightly. If the Meteorite Han hasn't recovered to full strength and ordinary forbidden weapons can handle it, then even if it takes ten ordinary forbidden weapons, such a resource exchange would be worth it. After all, ordinary forbidden weapons aren't that costly to produce—the only difficulty is that it takes a Legend beastmaster to activate them."

"But for something of this magnitude, everything will still have to rest on that one person's decision."

"Ah..." Bai Xi was slightly taken aback.

It was the first time Shi Yu had heard these big shots discuss that legendary mechanist.

He asked, "Will this matter stir that person?"

Feng Jin glanced at Shi Jin and shook his head. "For now, let the lower levels make the decisions."

"That person no longer exists in human form. After the nation pooled its resources and produced a large number of forbidden machines, to prevent any accidents, the old gentleman transformed himself into a Mechanical Heart, becoming a consciousness that oversees all special-type and divine-forbidden-type forbidden machines."