Cyber ​​Heroes

Chapter 1185 I know there is nothing more heartbreaking in this world.

In the high-level meeting room of the Moonshadow Knights, the three leaders of the order gathered together.

The Knights called this practice the "Three Handshake Meeting"—naming an event was a dangerous thing in this era. The throne on the sun forbade the birth of any "tradition" or "culture."

Robert Wan, the leader of the Moon Shadow Knights and Knight Commander, was used to this.

The Moon Shadow Knights were a cross-disciplinary order from the very beginning. Here, the leader's authority wasn't as absolute as in other knightly orders; many matters required discussion. This tradition of "three-person meetings" was established 150 years ago. The division between the fields of communication, cognition, and artificial intelligence determined the order's underlying structure.

Vice-Commander Clivell looked at Robert Wan, the founder, at the head of the table: "How is the matter of the Six Dragons Cult's surrender going?"

Robert's gaze didn't linger on Clivell's face; he turned to the other end of the conference table, looking at Elaine, the head of the cognitive domain. His fingers tapped lightly on the mirror-like surface. This wasn't a question worth addressing personally. A silent instruction relayed Clivell's inquiry to the designated processing module.

Elaine nodded slightly, and the colorless and formless data stream flowed silently like a waterfall. She directly transmitted several reports. "The first batch, thirty-seven people, has already been extracted in an isolated environment, and their testimonies have been cross-verified. I believe there are no problems."

Clivelow quickly scanned Elaine's report. Elaine then added a question: "There was an unusual movement of the Wind Spirit-class AI-assisted weapon frame 11. Who authorized this?"

The “auxiliary armament framework” is a new concept that has emerged in the last twenty years, and is a so-called “walking arsenal.” Its conceptual inspiration comes from the “self-propelled vehicles” of the martial arts world, which are “vehicles that follow far behind to transport supplies.”

People in the martial arts world have some experience in small tactics such as setting up supply points.

The "auxiliary armament framework" is designed to also "move" the arsenal of Asylum officers, using a powered platform to carry as many independent weapons or add-ons as possible. These weapons remain "ready to fire" on the platform.

At the same time, even this "platform" itself can be used as a prosthetic component, becoming an additional limb such as a "secondary arm".

Judging from the results, this thing is a robot made of weapons.

Initially, some senior officers would directly use their subordinates' brains to fill in, employing warriors as "transportation team members" to solve the problem of the main force not being able to keep up during "long-distance pursuit" scenarios.

However, with the weapon attachments removed, the performance of this "prosthetic body" will also decrease significantly. In the case of a "fully integrated" body, the martial artist's brain would be purely redundant.

Furthermore, the second biological brain could also become a source of interference.

AI that trains in collaboration with martial artists has become a new hot topic.

The "Wind Spirit Class" is currently the closest prototype to a real-world weapon. The Moon Shadow Knights currently only have six demonstrator units and six prototype units.

“I approved it,” Robert said. He didn’t even look at anyone else, as if to end the conversation.

Cleverlow spoke again, his voice flat: “My question is not about the authorization itself, Commander,” he said, “but about the specific execution. The logs show that one of the twelve ‘Wind Spirit’ level machines had its access temporarily granted to those infiltrators’… ‘external assistants.’ My risk assessment model marks this as a high-priority anomaly.”

His wording was generated multiple times by AI to avoid being interpreted as a potential power challenge.

Now is not the time for internal strife.

“Just another investment.” Robert’s tone was elegant, his voice carrying the aroma of coffee. “Well, hehe, the ‘external assistant’ is quite a skilled person. One prototype machine in exchange for a skilled person of this caliber, that’s pretty good. From a cost-benefit model perspective, the return on investment is quite considerable.”

"Serve? The Six Dragons Sect will serve you?"

“As long as his goal aligns with mine, and I can guarantee that I can ultimately seize his gains, this is entirely equivalent to ‘serving me,’” Robert said. “Take a close look at the report, my friend. Their target is also the AI ​​in the wilderness—the AIs that leave us are all armed. We can capture them ourselves, but it would be better if someone else did it.”

"Moreover, for 'Wind Spirit's' AI to iterate rapidly, it needs high-quality match data. Enemies that can make skilled players want to 'borrow weapons' should provide enough material for that."

"Among the 'external helpers,' there is a suspected 'Words of Wit' named Kotoha Kambara," Elaine warned. "According to the memory files of those who surrendered, the former leader's old retainers have been confirmed to be very similar. This branch of the Six Dragons Cult should not be underestimated."

“Wouldn’t that be even better?” Robert said. “If we can successfully take control of Kotonoha Kambara—we can build a deeper personal relationship with the King, right?”

“But we absolutely cannot afford to kill her,” Elaine said. “Judging from the publicly available data, the King has a deep attachment to the past. If we don’t control Kotonoha Kambara, but instead kill her…”

Clivell asked, "Can we really control this?"

“If Kotoha Kanbara is killed, then we certainly won’t be the ones controlling the ‘Wind Spirit’,” Robert said with certainty.

As for why he was so certain, well, that's not something for outsiders to know.

Cleverlow said, "Then let's continue to refine the plan according to the leader's opinion."

“Agreed,” Elaine nodded.

Ultimately, the Knights had already decided to seize the Six Dragons Cult's technological reserves and research results as soon as possible.

This decision was made five times before the "three-handshake meeting".

After the Twelfth Martial God revealed the true nature of the Six Dragons Cult, the Six Dragons Cult found itself unable to make any progress. And from that time onward, some independent members began planning their escape routes.

The Knights were unaware of the Six Dragons Cult's specific countermeasures. However, within the Moonshadow Knights, there was indeed a force attempting to assassinate those early apostates.

The process was not without its twists and turns. The armed entourage fought the assassination force both openly and covertly on numerous occasions, suffering some losses in the process.

After Earth fell into chivalry because of the Twelfth Martial God, a certain process suddenly accelerated, and a large number of people who had been recruited by the Six Dragons Cult successfully defected, which also implicated more people of the same kind.

From that time onward, the "Six Dragons Cult" ceased to be an organization shrouded in mystery. In the Knights' records, it was more akin to a failed project that had been dismantled, analyzed, and awaiting asset liquidation.

This is something that Robert Wan, the leader of the group, figured out in an instant.

The Six Dragons Cult spent a century stealing various scientific achievements from different knightly research orders, using the stolen resources to continuously consolidate their technological advantage. They directly stole a proportional share from the total resource pool of the knightly research orders. This was undoubtedly a vast fortune.

Now, every scientific knightly order has the opportunity to get a share of this century-old accumulation.

They had the opportunity to seize the results from the Six Dragons Cult with very few resources and use them for their future research.

As long as this knightly order is corrupted by the Six Dragons Cult, but has not yet completely fallen.

The early activities of the Six Dragons Sect ironically became the ticket to this feast.

Many studies that would otherwise require complex procedures due to the Dyson Principle have been secretly completed by the Six Dragons Cult.

At that time, Robert even thought that in the next two or three years, the Knights of the Scientific Research would break out into a civil war, with the armed squires killing each other to fight for the legacy of the Six Dragons Cult for their master.

Even if it's not a "legacy" now, it certainly will be back then.

In the past few months, the entire Knights Order's resources have been tilted toward "war-related technologies" in order to prepare for the future civil war.

Robert believed that throughout Mars and within several temples, there must be many scientific knights who shared his thoughts, waiting for the "feast" to begin.

Cleverlow said in a low voice, "They are the prey, and we are the hunters..."

For no apparent reason, a sense of unease arose in the mind of the research knight.

Why did they become prey? Was it because they weren't strong enough?

“So next… signs of AI evolution going out of control,” Elaine said.

“Oh, dear deputy commander, don’t use such a weak word as ‘out of control.’ Obviously, I prefer better words like ‘outbreak’ or ‘revolution.’”

Unaffected by the leader's words, Elaine continued, "I've also verified another piece of intelligence with the defectors. They believe that on the day Earth fell, the super artificial intelligence 'codename unknown' controlled by the Six Dragons Cult malfunctioned. From that moment on, the last remaining communication between the Six Dragons Cult was completely severed. We don't yet know if this is related to the Twelfth Martial God."

"So, that 'Be careful of Zhu Xinyu' hint really came from within the Six Dragons Cult?" Robert sent a raised eyebrow emoji.

“Then came the sudden explosion of AI intelligence.” Elaine nodded. “Information is still insufficient. But we most likely won’t need to confront either the God of War or Turing.”

“That’s great.” Robert clapped his hands. “I can sense that AI has most likely not yet unleashed its true potential—its leapfrogly optimized intelligence—before we even see it. We should seize the key from the Six Dragons Cult.”

Elaine suddenly hesitated for a moment.

This was unusual. Robert caught the signal instantly.

Elaine wasn't one to hesitate at this point. Although the Six Dragons Cult had indeed made contact with her in the previous two years, Robert and Cleverlow had re-established mutual trust with Elaine after the Twelfth Martial God exposed the Six Dragons Cult.

As long as reason has not been overwhelmed, no one will jump on the Six Dragons Cult's ship at this juncture.

Elaine's current behavior does not conform to the personality profile model that Robert has developed over a long period of time.

Robert asked, "Do you have any other questions?"

Elaine's tone was also uncertain: "I just... suspect that those AIs are still learning and evolving. They haven't demonstrated their optimized abilities because they don't know how to demonstrate them. We humans haven't yet provided them with the necessary instructions."

Robert nodded: “A very interesting and insightful point.”

“They’re waiting for a command…” Elaine whispered. “How should we give them that command? Are they watching us? What should we teach them?”

Robert smiled: "Which part are you concerned about? Isn't our way of life exactly what AI should be learning from? We believe in rationality, we live rationally, and we seek advantage and avoid harm. We pursue the greatest unknowns, and we have an endless pursuit. If I were AI, would I still learn from other people's ways of life?"

Elaine nodded. She didn't know why she had suddenly had that thought, as if something she had been pondering for a long time had suddenly become clear.

But the commander's words made a lot of sense.

....................................

Before the Six Dragon Right Envoys, a huge box slowly opened. The polymer filler used for fixing automatically released air and contracted.

“A Wind Spirit-class prototype, codenamed ‘Swift Knight’,” said the Six Dragons Right Envoy. “It was lent to me by a fellow member of the Moon Shadow Knights.”

The auxiliary weapon frame, "Swift Knight," is much larger than that of an ordinary warrior. Rather than resembling a humanoid form, it is more like a "Velociraptor enlarged to the size of a small Tyrannosaurus Rex."

Just like the primitive wings of Archaeopteryx, its upper limbs consist of two tower shields. Beneath these shields is a powerful firepower system that can be detached and installed in slots on the warrior's hands or back.

Its lower limbs are a combination of robust tracks and a multi-legged walking structure.

Its tail is a control weapon made of artificial muscle fibers and carbon fiber, and a low-power laser gun is integrated at the tail end.

The "Swift Knight's" head is a streamlined protective cover, inside which is a state-of-the-art reconnaissance device integrating multiple detection methods.

As for the torso at the very center of the body, that is the backup reactor, the ammunition depot, the spare parts depot, and the close-combat weapons specifically for humanoids.

A super turret that fights alongside martial artists, and can be fully integrated into a martial artist's body when necessary.

Its cost even exceeds that of many first-level celestial bodies. The difference between it and a first-level celestial body lies in the fact that it lacks the most basic body framework system of a first-level celestial body, and is much weaker in terms of overall strength and electromagnetic resistance.

However, it was originally used as an armory.

The Six Dragons Right Envoy has replaced the arm that was severed by Dugu Beiluo Shimen, and the outer armor has also been replaced with a spare part that was transferred from elsewhere.

The new arm's performance is still a notch below par, so the Six Dragons Right Envoy plans to make up for it with plugins.

"Give me just two days to complete the coordination training with the AI, and the God of War capture plan will definitely succeed!"

The Six Dragons Right Envoy was full of confidence.

Kanyuan Yanye felt even more uneasy.

The Six Dragon Right Envoys have long been acting solely under the orders of the cult leader. Unlike the Heavenly Chariot Left Envoy, who independently leads a scientific research knight order, the Six Dragon Right Envoys have always carried out various clandestine activities requiring force under the direct guidance of the cult leader.

He is a knife.

It was only at this moment that Kotoha Kanbara realized that the Right Envoy of the Six Dragons was merely a sword.

The cult leader did not grant him any abilities beyond the "sword".

As an old-timer who lived through the old era, Kotonoha Kanbara possesses a sensitivity to "organization" and "power"—a sensitivity that surpasses that of most people in this era.

Is this kid's first time carrying out a mission independently?

A sense of absurdity suddenly arose in Kotoha Kanbara's heart.

Until last month, Mars was always accompanied by Orenmira. She rarely interacted with the Six Dragons Cult members, but she ensured the transmission of the cult leader's will.

Now, the Six Dragons Right Envoy is forced to think for himself...

Kotoha immediately realized that this guy was a complete idiot.

He lacked the ability to correctly analyze the situation from the very beginning.

Kotonoha Kambara had only been in contact with the Six Dragons Cult members lurking within the Moon Shadow Knights less than three times. But even in those few encounters, she had already discerned that the Six Dragons Cult's influence within the Moon Shadow Knights was not secure.

Could you lend us the prototype of the Moon Shadow Knights' core project?
This is simply too absurd.

The Six Dragon Right Envoys originally lacked the ability to carry out tasks independently.

Kotonoha Kambara managed to say, "That's...very worrying."

“You mean, we’ll be exposed because of this AI? My internal strength level is also at the mathematical realm, similar to those in the Knights. I can obtain higher privileges.” The Right Envoy of the Six Dragons saw the worry in Kanbara Kotoha’s heart and took the initiative to explain.

Can the Six Dragons Cult really survive?

The Twelfth Martial God destroyed the foundation of the Six Dragons Cult, and the disappearance of Olenmila caused the collapse of the cult's last pillar. Now, the Six Dragons Cult is riddled with problems.

Kotonoha Kanbara said, "Well, in that case..."

Suddenly, the alarm went off.

Kotonoha Kambara and the Right Envoy of the Six Dragons exchanged a glance and quickly exchanged some information. Kotonoha Kambara immediately turned around, locked two of the three exits of the warehouse, and personally went to meet the other exit.

But just as she began to move, an explosion was heard in the tunnel.

—Wu Kui Enlil! ?
Kotonoha Kambara saw an opponent she absolutely did not want to see. Enlil charged forward aggressively, bypassing Kotonoha Kambara and heading straight for the Right Envoy of the Six Dragons.

The dinosaur-like self-propelled arsenal raised its body and fired a barrage of fire at Enlil. Enlil nimbly dodged and weaved, barely encountering any resistance.

Instead, Kotonoha Kanbara's pursuit was interrupted.

—Damn it, this AI hasn't completed the collaboration setup with us yet…

Kotonoha Kanbara suddenly stopped moving.

A radar wave locked onto her from behind. This was the most naked "killing intent" and "sword intent" of this era. Experienced martial artists could even deduce many of the enemy's tactical preferences from the frequency, direction, and sweeping method of the radar wave.

The enemy behind her was undoubtedly a skilled swordsman.

Dugu Beiluo Shimen slowly emerged from the smoke and dust, raising the thermal blade above his head with one hand—this is the most common preparatory action for thermal blades within the atmosphere.

A martial artist moves with incredible speed from stillness to motion, always ready to charge forward in battle. If the thermal blade were held directly in front of them like a traditional sword, the ionized air would coat their front.

This would greatly increase the likelihood of damaging the front-facing sensing device.

Plasma erupted from the sword and was then guided to both sides by the magnetic field generator around Dugu Beiluo Shimen, resembling tendrils of light or somewhat like wings.

“Your opponent is me, Senior Sister.” Dugu Beiluo Shimen’s tone was complicated.

.......................................

Let's rewind to a few minutes earlier.

Xiang Shan was on the street corner, still sitting cross-legged. He had been in this meditative state for quite some time.

He has maintained this appearance for most of the past few days.

Using the Firefly's tracking technology, the Martial God Squad arrived directly at this street, which was close to the Moon Shadow Knights' base.

Upon reaching this point, the Firefly indicated that the trail had gone cold and there was no way to pursue the "strange knight squire"—this was the version of events maintained by the three members of the Martial God lineage in front of the Soul-Suppressing Dharma King.

Xiang Shan said he didn't care, continued meditating, and let the Firefly prepare for the campaign against the Moon Shadow Knights, while also having Dugu coordinate with the local chivalrous forces.

It seems he really doesn't care about that mysterious Six Dragons Cult master, and is only thinking about continuing to conquer the Moon Shadow Knights.

Three days passed in a flash, and the Soul-Suppressing Dharma King began to get restless. He offered to help the wandering swordsman in exchange for cultivation data from his meditation in the mountains.

After entrusting him with tasks such as reconnaissance and securing the escape route, the Fifth God of War summoned the Firefly back.

Dugu Beiluo Shimen was somewhat puzzled by this: "How did you know he would take the initiative to do something?"

“I’ve figured out Joshua’s mentality. He values ​​life very much, so he also hates wasting time—to be more specific, he hates spending what he sees as his remaining time meaninglessly,” Xiang Shan said. “If I were out in action, directing and coordinating various heroes, he could convince himself that ‘this is part of the path to ascension’ by observing and recording me. But I’m sitting in meditation, cultivating my inner strength.”

"So this was all part of your plan?" Dugu Beiluo Shimen pointed to his face. "Is this why you put me in command?"

“No, that’s because you’re stronger than me now, young lady,” the Fifth Martial God laughed. “That’s the code of chivalry.”

The Firefly asked, "Then what about the path to ascension you speak of?"

“I won’t lie to you about this.” Xiang Shan said with some heartache. “You don’t have to suspect me of faking this, do you? I really am cultivating myself… Ah, right, right, this is the social image I created myself. I understand.” His last sentence seemed to be spoken to someone who didn’t exist—from his subtle movements, the Firefly read such a signal.

Enlil said, "God of War, why did you summon us here? The Knights' conquest is urgent..."

"Trust me, once we take this point, we can sweep through the entire Knights Order like a whirlwind." Xiang Shan pointed to a dojo 700 meters away: "That Mecha Steel Fist Dojo—the one from the Kambara school. Sigh, they're actually using this as a cover."

The so-called "Kamihara-style Steel Fist" is a branch that extends from the Steel Fist project, based on a variant of Steel Fist created by Kotonoha Kambara two hundred years ago.

Kotonoha Kanbara's martial arts style is naturally known as "Kanbara-ryu".

It's so natural.

Xiang Shan sighed, "This emotion is called sadness—anyway, there's a passageway leading to an underground warehouse. There are currently two First Heaven Warriors and a super prototype of a Moon Shadow Knight in the underground warehouse."

"And many of the people in the dojo are members of the Six Dragons Sect."

"We now have three tasks. First, seize that prototype. Second, capture all members who are not at the first level of Heaven. Third, capture or kill those two first-level Heaven warriors."

"In principle, we should try to capture them. The Six Dragons Cult holds a piece of the puzzle on the path to ascension. Their technological reserves are extremely important—I want to emphasize that this is not plunder. The Six Dragons Cult has been hoarding knowledge that should be shared by all mankind. We are making knowledge available to the masses again."

Enlil was quite puzzled. Almost every swordsman knew the validity of the phrase "academic exchange with research knights." These people weren't young anymore. He didn't understand why the God of War was emphasizing this point.

Xiang Shan sighed, "From this perspective, those two first-level martial artists should also be captured as much as possible. However, your safety must also be guaranteed. The decision on whether to capture them is up to you."

"Next, let's divide the tasks. Ah Niao, you and I are relatively inexperienced, so you'll prioritize capturing those Six Dragons Cult members who aren't at the first level of cultivation..."

Dugu Beiluo Shimen nodded: "Understood. This time I will chop that guy into thirteen pieces."

“Let that guy go to Enlil—Brother Enlil, you go fight that warrior you’ve never seen before.”

Dugu Beiluo Shimen was shocked: "This doesn't make sense, does it? This is the second time I've fought that black bastard. Even if we share memory files, I should have a more direct understanding of him, right? Don't waste your intelligence advantage..."

“You will only understand another enemy better.” Xiang Shan lowered his gaze. “Your target is another first-level martial artist who is also a disciple of the Martial God, Kamiya Kotoha.”

"What?" Three exclamations rang out in quick succession.

“Brother Enlil, you probably haven’t had direct contact with Kotonoha Kambara, but you must have gleaned information about her from other people’s files. You’ll most likely recognize her,” Xiangshan said. “Skip her and fight another bastard from the Six Dragons Cult.”

Dugu Beiluo Shimen said, "Wait a minute, Fifth Master, I have a problem. I'm not very good at capturing prisoners, especially against opponents of similar skill—as for Eldest Sister, I usually can't hold back. You and A'niao deal with her, I'll capture the others as soon as possible and then provide support..."

“Let me be frank, even if A-Tiao and I combine our strength, we can’t beat you,” Xiang Shan said. “But our efficiency in capturing ordinary warriors is no worse than yours. As for ‘holding back’—sigh, don’t ask the Warrior of Light such a dark question.”

Enlil sent a private message, puzzled: "Is everyone from your Martial God lineage speaking this difficult to understand?"

The Firefly also said, "Master, please explain..."

"Don't force me to say such cruel things." Xiang Shan put a hand on Dugu Beiluo Shimen's shoulder. "Just play your normal game and leave the rest to fate."

—Like the ancient "divine judgment"?
Dugu Beiluo Shimen didn't know why he had such a thought.

Although she had an ancient divine name as her nickname, she knew almost nothing about ancient customs. Yet now, this very term had somehow popped into her mind.

Divine judgment, a primitive form of trial that relies on the will of "gods" to test the parties involved and determine their guilt, originated in the late primitive society. One form of this was "duel".

Before God, the two parties engage in a duel, with the victor declared innocent and the loser guilty.

Xiang Shan never believed in "gods"; he simply left the outcome to the world of probability.

What kind of outcome is he expecting the world to produce?
Seemingly sensing Dugu Beiluo Shimen's thoughts, Xiang Shan sighed, "It would be too cruel for me to kill her with my own hands, or to make the decision to kill her. It would be a mental torment. But at the same time, I cannot forgive her on behalf of the victims of the Six Dragons Sect. She is partly responsible for all the crimes of the Six Dragons Sect. If I show any reluctance to kill her... perhaps someone will actually refrain from killing her because of this?"

"Should I come? Or should I leave the outcome to fate?"

“Do your best in this matter, do everything you can,” Xiang Shan said. “That’s called escaping. Escaping is shameful, but it can be useful sometimes.”

“You old fool, you’re so ignorant,” Enlil suddenly said. “God of War? That’s truly shameful.”

Xiang Shan nodded, about to say a few words. But Enlil pressed on, "Do you think that eloquence has always been nothing more than an appendage of Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan?"

Xiang Shan was taken aback.

"Kenya, the Flower of Tongues, is a respected senior among many heroes. I met such an old fellow the day before yesterday. If there were any extenuating circumstances—even if the God of War wanted to clean house, he would be willing to risk his life to secure a chance for the Flower of Tongues to live," Enlil said. "After the Martial Ancestor Xiangshan's defeat and death, many people received guidance from the Flower of Tongues."

Xiangshan smiled silently. Perhaps.

There was no sound or physical movement; no one knew the subtle changes in his mindset.

He thought to himself, "You had a beautiful story too, girl."

"If her sweet talk was a deception, there was certainly more than one chivalrous person willing to spare her life..."

Xiang Shan interrupted, "My decision will not change. Dugu is more familiar with the common characteristics of the Martial God lineage. She is more likely to defeat Yan Ye without taking any damage."

"I will send a broadcast message to everyone in the martial arts school: 'The First Heaven Swordsman is about to attack. Please evacuate immediately.' In plain text. After that, proceed according to plan."

Enlil sighed and walked towards the designated charging position. Suddenly, he remembered something and sent a private message to Dugu Beiluo Shimen: "On another note, the local heroes basically don't know this information. How did the Martial God find out so quickly?"

Dugu Beiluo Shimen seemed unwilling to discuss this topic, and replied irritably, "Let's talk after we've finished fighting."

....................................

Gu Kaisheng, the chief armed squire of the Moon Shadow Knights, was draped in a dust cloth, almost half-buried in Martian dust. He was an old man over two hundred years old who had found a place to retire a century ago.

Yes, that's right. Gu Kaisheng was once a chivalrous knight-errant, and an old one at that.

Bart Barrett, a well-known old swordsman active around the Moon Shadow Knights, was even twenty or thirty years younger than him.

Gu Kaisheng didn't feel ashamed. He was simply exhausted and worn out from facing that endless war.

After working hard until the age of sixty, Homo sapiens' bodies and minds are almost worn out. Prosthetics solved the physical problem, but what about the mental one?

Gu Kaisheng didn't think he had gone too far. Legally (although there was no real "legality" in this era, but old knights were used to saying it that way), Gu Kaisheng was merely the pet of the old leader of the Moonshadow Knights, but the Moonshadow Knights hadn't really humiliated him. Those research knights seemed to be only interested in history.

After the actions of the twelfth martial god general, Kotoha Kamihara, were exposed, Gu Kaisheng felt even more at ease.

Even Kotonoha Kambara! Even Kotonoha Kambara!

Some time ago, a group of Six Dragons Cult members decided to leave the cult. In their recounted memories, Gu Kaisheng glimpsed a familiar figure.

The famous Kotoha Kanamehara, the Flower of Tongues.

Gu Kaisheng couldn't be mistaken.

The current leader of the Moon Shadow Knights was overjoyed by the news. They seemed to see it as a golden opportunity to curry favor with King David Klein.

Gu Kaisheng felt even more at ease with this decision. Sending this high-ranking member of the Six Dragons Sect to Zheng Tianwang was, in fact, a form of protection for her. Gu Kaisheng didn't even consider this a "betrayal of an old friend."

Therefore, he accepted the mission to come here and keep watch—the main goal being to seize the opportunity to retrieve the Wind Spirit-class prototype "Swift Knight".

If Kotonoha Kanbara suffers significant damage in the battle, then attempt to capture her alive.

—Note that it must be captured alive; you absolutely cannot kill them.

This was a death order from the Knights' higher-ups.

Gu Kaisheng wasn't actually confident of victory. Although they were all around the same age, the difference in strength between the elderly was immense. Gu Kaisheng was at best an average first-level expert, not even remotely comparable to the God-Speed ​​King.

Fortunately, he is now a henchman and can mobilize numerous resources. Gu Kaisheng hopes to put pressure on the other armed followers.

As the former swordsman was lost in thought, a low-frequency vibration came from underground, passed through his metal prosthetic foot, and reached his spine.

Then, his auditory sensors reported the sound of an “explosion.”

Almost simultaneously, armed henchmen lurking inside the martial arts school forwarded a message in plain text.

"'A celestial warrior is about to attack the martial arts school'? Oh no..."

Gu Kaisheng's prosthetic eye caught sight of the four ghostly figures. Their movements were almost like gliding low over the ground, their coordination reaching an inhuman level.

Superb agility.

His aging, internalized AI instincts marked their trajectories in his field of vision as four smooth red lines, the ends of which precisely pierced the wall of the martial arts school.

Without the slightest hesitation or slowing down, the building's defenses were like a sheet of paper to them. They went inside.

"Damn it, there really is a first-level martial artist..." Gu Kaisheng scratched his head.

The henchmen who infiltrated the martial arts school have lost contact—but even if they hadn't, Gu Kaisheng would have proactively cut off all contact.

The opponent suppressed the vast majority of resistance within the dojo using internal energy.

The vibration sensor nearby suddenly uploaded abnormal readings. It was as if a series of explosions had occurred underground.

Knowing that the Six Dragons Cult's stronghold had a tunnel, the Knights had pre-installed vibration sensors to monitor any activity within it. This was also to ensure the "Swift Knight" could be successfully retrieved.

—One…no, two powerful figures are rushing forward.

Of the four first-level martial artists, two rushed through the passageway—in a charging posture.

Gu Kaisheng immediately switched the optical equipment and pointed it at a rocky cliff a kilometer away.

At first, there was a tremor. Then, hundreds of tons of wind-eroded rocks gave up their struggle against gravity and slid down gracefully. He could imagine the sound.

Under low gravity, the rusty smoke solidified into a giant wall, which was then pierced from the inside. Two tiny black dots, like two bullets fired from a gun, left their trajectories in the smoke.

Kotonoha Kanbara seemed to have a problem with one of her arms. She removed a tower-shaped turret from "Swift Knight" to serve as a limb, and carried a set of short-range missiles on her other shoulder—those were also the ammunition carried by Swift Knight.

The Gale Knight was a prototype and had no actual combat missions, so its paint scheme was the most conspicuous silver.

Dugu Beiluo Shimen's crimson paint job was much dimmer. Terrifying plasma currents swirled around her, resembling bluish-white arcs of electricity and flames.

Internal strife within the Martial God lineage, a purge of its own ranks.

Gu Kaisheng was startled, but his martial arts instincts compelled him to use the drone to observe the battle.

The blades clashed with millimeters of precision, and the metal roared as if it were exploding.

Without a doubt, this is the highest level of martial arts combat!

Kotoha Kambara could clearly perceive the game theory model behind the opponent's weapon. The underlying architecture was the same as hers, so familiar that it felt like her own left and right hands were fighting each other.

How ridiculous. She thought. The sect…cleansing its own ranks. This cold phrase pierced her soul like a probe.

The blade was grazing her neck, and the heat generated by the reactor's surging energy triggered sharp alarms from all the sensors.

The Xuanwu True Qi transformed the plasma into swirling venomous snakes, seemingly possessing life. Kotoha had to raise her tower shield to scatter these snakes—as a disciple of the Martial Ancestor, Kotoha had witnessed the entire process of building the Qi martial arts and the Xuanwu True Qi from scratch. She was familiar with this martial art, even knowing the unique version within the Six Dragons Sect.

This slight intelligence advantage prevented her from suffering a swift defeat.

The plasma driven by Xuanwu True Qi left a ferocious mark on the "Swift Knight's" tower shield. The standard paint job couldn't withstand the high intensity of combat.

The rusty dust storms they stirred up obscured the dim sun, filling the entire world with a murky ochre hue. An enclosed arena made of dust.

Dugu Beiluo Shimen's attacks possess a whirlwind mathematical beauty. There are no feints, no deceptive moves; every angle, every exertion of force unfolds precisely along the optimal path.

Kotoha Kambara struggled to resist.

"That's really something," thought Kotonoha Kanbara. "She's so much younger than me."

There was hesitation, something akin to bewilderment, in Kotonoha Kambara's fist. But Dugu Beiluo Shimen had never possessed such a quality. Nor could her sword reflect it.

Kotonoha Kanbara vaguely remembered attending a class reunion in the 1950s or 60s. How did she interact with the younger students in her club back then? Haha, I don't remember.

As for now, well, that's quite something. In this era, communication between upperclassmen and underclassmen is now facilitated by reactor-powered weapons and cutting-edge prototypes.

Should there be such an absurd organization in this world?

The battlefield should have been empty except for the storm and the howling of metal. But then, a voice cut in.

singing.

Piercing through the clatter of swords and the cracking of rocks, it drifted from afar. A man's voice was singing an ancient song. A 0.02-second blank moment flashed through Kotonoha Kambara's consciousness.

"梦ならばどれほどよかったでしょう..." It would be great if all this was a dream. The lyrics wormed their way into her hearing sensors like ghosts, echoing through the internal wiring.

This is a very, very old song, more than a decade older than Kotonoha Kanbara. Even if you don't understand the lyrics, anyone can understand that it's a lament dedicated to a loved one.

—Have you even prepared a dirge for me? Haha…you're always like this, Uncle…

The exquisite Xuanwu True Qi, like a celestial art, and the heavy, violent swordsmanship, like an industrial machine tool, were perfectly unified by Dugu Beiluo's master. Kanbara Kotoha's arm joints groaned in agony from the overload.

A moment of distraction caused her to lose the initiative.

"无だにあなたのことを梦にみる..."

—I can still see you in my dreams.

The conflict in the logical chain within the game space was directly reflected in her body, and Kotonoha Kambara's movements began to distort. Her junior sister's knee strike landed solidly on her abdomen, the impact causing the built-in gyroscope to emit a sharp alarm.

"Forgetting things, taking things out of things, and thinking about things that are forgotten, and thinking about things that are forgotten, like retrieving forgotten things/brushing away the dust that covers memories]..."

The sound of the mountain drifted on and on, its origin unknown.

While on defense, Kotoha heard Dugu Beiluo Shimen let out a strange cry: "Whoosh! Well done, psychological warfare!"

Yes, that's just a psychological tactic.

Even without that assist, Kanbara Kotonoha would most likely still lose to Dugu Beiluo Shimen. The Tenth Martial God was developed with the goal of achieving the speed of the King Hayabusa. Hayabusa surpassed all other martial artists.

but……

Why this song? Why now?

Kotonoha Kanbara seemed to see that enormous floor-to-ceiling window. Rainwater meandered along the glass, distorting the bizarre and dazzling city outside into a flowing speckle of light. A huge, 3D-projected geisha head slowly rotated among the buildings, overlooking the street below. Expensive air purifiers, filtering clean air countless times, filled the space.

Holding a bottle of sugar-free Coke, Xiang Shan experienced the festive atmosphere of that country in this way. At this moment, he was just an ordinary wealthy man, somewhat weary of being immersed in wealth and power. He would occasionally mutter a few words about his early-deceased father.

The neural signals that control the movement of the prosthetic body are scattered and fragmented by the flood of memories.

Dugu Beiluo Shimen entangled the tower shield with one foot, intending to tear it off. Shenyuan Yanye struggled to resist in the direction of the force, but Dugu Beiluo Shimen had already disappeared from her sight.

She couldn't help but recall the movie star, Mr. Lu, who made a dashing entrance when she was being bullied by her classmates, displaying his prosthetic body to intimidate a group of thugs, and then brought her to Uncle Xiang.

Xiang Shan also took her on a helicopter trip to Indonesia, where she reminisced about her conversations with her father and recounted the beautiful aspirations of those people.

and also……

and also……

The song continued, carried by the wind, until it reached that line: "Anata wa Watashi no Hikari..." You were once my light.

He said, "Kotoha, you must live on. You young people are the light of the future."

Heh, Kotonoha Kambara, you betrayed me first...

Dugu Beiluo Shimen tore the "Swift Knight's" limbs apart, then stabbed him with his sword.

Kotoha Kanbara rolled backward, unable to even maintain her stance.

Dugu Beiluo Shimen walked towards her step by step. Each of her footsteps seemed to strike Yan Ye's soul.

She raised her sword, still in the stance ready to charge forward.

"You have to accept the consequences of your bet, Senior Sister, otherwise I can't guarantee your safety."

This chapter was originally supposed to be finished in September, but my upstairs neighbor is renovating, so I have to go out during the day, which has delayed me quite a bit. I might update during the National Day holiday. Also, there might be a spontaneous offline event around the 5th; I'll announce the details in the reader group later.