This is not mechanical ascension...

Chapter 657: Breaking News, Adam is attacked and the Saint Emperor fights
He has a unique advantage and can directly contact Li Ming. After some haggling a few months ago, he obtained the qualification for part of the factory price, which brought him greater profits.

Although he himself does not need star coins, he is no longer alone. He has a huge network of contacts that he needs to maintain, and his resource consumption is increasing day by day.

Not to mention that it is a sure profit, it is simply huge profit. Not only can you sell it for money, you can also give it away as a gift.

However, such good days did not last long. Two months ago, his goods began to be frequently inspected.

He didn't care at first. This was the responsibility of the Ministry of Frontier Affairs, and he could accept a one-out-of-ten check, but this ratio has expanded to six-out-of-ten.

Even with channel advantages, there is still profit to be made, but this is not just business as usual, someone is targeting you.

"Minister Martin, that's too much." Abel softened his attitude. He didn't know who this guy belonged to.

The appointment or removal of this position requires his father's personal approval, so it is not so easy to remove the person.

"I really don't understand what Your Highness means." Martin decided to pretend to be confused.

Abel stared at him helplessly. His expression changed several times, but he said expressionlessly: "I want to report that someone is smuggling."

"No problem." Martin quickly got into work mode and pulled out a report from the drawer. "Your Highness, please fill in the information and clearly state the person being reported, the smuggling route, the time of entry, and the source of the information..."

Abel looked grim, staring at the smiling minister in front of him.

After an unknown amount of time, the smart terminal in Abel's arms vibrated slightly, breaking the gradually solemn atmosphere.

Martin picked up the report on the table, and Abel took out the smart terminal and found that it was Costat's information.

Even though it had an anti-peeping function, he did not turn it on. He just stood up expressionlessly, pushed the door open and left without saying a word.

Martin restrained his expression, snorted coldly, picked up the wine glass in front of Abel, drank it all, but spat again, "It's so hard to drink."

After he walked out of the door, the bodyguards behind him quickly followed. After he got on the private spaceship, he opened the smart terminal. A very brief message made Abel's face change drastically.

"The wandering imperial ship has returned. The Holy Emperor has summoned you. Come here quickly."

Below is a coordinate code.

The Wandering Emperor Ship is back?
Abel was extremely surprised. Ever since his father discovered that Qinglong's individual strength could pose a threat to him, he left on the Wandering Imperial Ship.

Even though Malcolm and Gutierrez, who had been hiding with him later, had returned and made public appearances, Adam did not show up, causing many people to laugh at him.

But Abel could understand very well how the Imperial Holy Emperor and temporary rulers like Malcolm and Gutierrez could be the same.

To put it bluntly, if you kill one of those two types of people, a second one will immediately appear.

But he didn't expect that the Wandering Imperial Ship would come back so suddenly and summon him immediately.

Could it be... Abel couldn't help but feel a burning heat rising in his heart.

He immediately turned the spacecraft around and headed for the coordinate location. The capital of the empire was extremely complex, surrounded by artificial planets and a large number of satellites.

After switching through several regional guidance systems, he came to a satellite, which was a private satellite.

But after landing, he found that Costat was already waiting there, surrounded by the Holy Emperor's guards, with a powerful aura.

Abel walked forward and was about to speak when he was interrupted by Costat, who said in a deep voice: "Don't ask, don't tell, just follow me to the Wandering Imperial Ship."

Go to the Wandering Imperial Ship?
Abel was startled, and then a surge of ecstasy filled his heart.

Under normal circumstances, the Holy Emperor was the only one who knew the location of the Wandering Imperial Ship. This more than represented an increase in his status in his father's heart.

He suppressed his excitement, nodded heavily, and followed Costat into a palace not far away, where there was only a space tunnel.

After stepping in, Abel felt dizzy, and when he came to his senses again, he had arrived at a dock.

There are gray-black metal walls all around, and even with the bright lights, it is hard not to feel depressing here.

In the distance is a giant metal ship docked on the platform. Its matte black paint seems to swallow up all the light. The seemingly bulky edge of the ship actually hides a fractal structure. Its surface is simple and unadorned, and extremely low-key.

After all, it is used for "wandering", so it naturally cannot be too luxurious.

"This is the Wandering Imperial Ship..." Abel took a deep breath. Being here represented a kind of recognition. Maybe... maybe...

Um! ?

His gaze slid down from the Wandering Emperor Ship to the platform, but his face suddenly froze because there was a group of people standing there.

"...Arthur, Agus, Atolido..."

Abel was very familiar with those people; they were all his brothers.

Counting him, there are seven in all, all the sons of Adam are here.

This…

Like a bucket of cold water poured over him, Abel realized that this was not a special favor, and the heat in his heart immediately dissipated.

Having followed Costat closer, the look on his face became more and more disgusted, and the brothers, who were either tall and burly or amiable, also looked at him with deep disgust in their eyes.
"Here they come..." one of them spoke, the eldest prince Arthur, with a gentle expression.

"You must be very disappointed..." someone next to him added.

Everyone understood what this sentence meant.

Costat didn't give everyone a chance to continue communicating. He said in a deep voice, "Everyone is here. Follow me."

Everyone calmed down. Now was not the time to fight openly or secretly. Everyone was curious as to why their iron-fisted father had summoned them.

After boarding the Wandering Imperial Ship, the area inside became even more depressing, with a guard post every five steps and a sentry every ten steps.

Costat led the way, turning through one metal corridor after another. Everyone was silent, and their footsteps were almost soundless.

After more than ten minutes, they finally arrived in front of a metal portal. It was not very big and could only accommodate two or three people.

Costat stopped and moved aside, with an indescribable expression on his face, "Go in."

The metal portal slowly opened, and Arthur, who was walking in front, entered first.

Abel followed at the end, but found that the person in front of him stopped after only two steps.

He frowned slightly, unable to figure out the situation for the time being, so he could only stop. Due to the overlapping shadows, it was difficult to see the scene in front.

The princes in front of him gradually spread out to both sides in a fan shape, but their movements were very strange. They just slightly turned their bodies and then stopped.

Abel smelled a smell of blood. He felt something was wrong and his heart moved slightly. He believed that his father would not care about such a small matter.

However, as soon as he saw the scene in front of him, Abel's pupils suddenly contracted, as if struck by lightning. He stood there in a daze, with his mouth open and unable to utter a word.

He saw a familiar figure sitting on the throne not far away. It was the majestic Holy Emperor of the Empire in his mind.

But it was different from before. At this moment, his face was extremely pale, his body was twitching slightly, and there were liquid catheters inserted in his back.

What was even more shocking was the chest, where there was a nearly open wound, and the beating heart was clearly visible. The ribs were shattered, and the severity of the injury was beyond his comprehension.

"Father?" Someone uttered a wail, and Abel woke up as if from a dream, but his hands and feet were still stiff and he could hardly move.

"Don't be like a mourner..." Adam spoke slowly, his eyes sunken, his voice weak but still firm. "Whoever did it, whoever dared to attack you, the Empire will not let him go!" Arthur shouted at the top of his lungs, his eyes red.

Yeah, who did it?

Who has this ability? Adam subconsciously thought about it, and a name popped up immediately, Qinglong?

He was startled and confused.

"You don't need to..." Adam was halfway through his words when his body froze and his heart stopped beating. Everyone had different looks. Then he heard another voice, "...you don't need to care who it is."

"My purpose for calling you here this time is simple. My injuries are beyond repair..."

"How is that possible? It can definitely be repaired." The tall man standing next to Arthur was already in tears. "We are the Empire!"

"Shut up!" Adam shouted, coughing dryly a few times, "The opponent is very powerful, a Titan offshoot. The injuries left behind are irreparable and are eroding my body day by day..."

Adam slightly turned sideways to let everyone see the green lines that were constantly wriggling on the wound.

Everyone looked very sad, but they couldn't help but feel a little weird when they heard these words.

"I asked you to come here this time for only one thing, to choose a successor!" Adam said with difficulty.

The seven people's hearts skipped a beat at the same time.

Without giving everyone time to react, Adam continued, "I will only give you three years. Whoever is the best in these three years will be the next successor and will receive all the support from His Excellency Tandin and others..."

So hasty?

As if everyone had a sense of it, this thought occurred to everyone at the same time.

Moreover, what does excellence mean? How is it assessed?

I really want to ask, but I feel that it is not the right time. After all, my father is already seriously injured, but he is still concerned about these things.

"No one is allowed to spread the information of my injury and return, otherwise your inheritance qualification will be eliminated. Go." Adam waved his hand.

While many of the princes were still in a daze, Costat had already walked into the room.

Everyone wanted to say something but stopped themselves, and could only follow Costat away. They hadn't reacted until they got off the Wandering Imperial Ship.

"Uncle, father he..." Arthur looked at Costat, trying to get some information out of him.

Costat's face was expressionless. "The Holy Emperor has said everything he should say."

After saying that, he turned around and returned to the Wandering Imperial Ship.

The seven people looked at each other, and many thoughts came to their mind at once, but it was difficult to sort out the clues. No one spoke, but they all went towards the outside world tacitly.

It was not until he boarded the spaceship that Abel reacted. He clenched his fists, his face wandering with a gloomy look.

How could the fight between the Holy Emperors happen so suddenly?
He found it difficult to remain calm. Even though his power had expanded a lot, his foundation was still insufficient.

If another few hundred or thousand years passed, he was confident that he would become the strongest among the princes.

But right now, it is not enough.

And this matter is a bit strange.

However, when he thought of the location of the Holy Emperor, Abel's heart still beat violently.

Things have come to this point, we have to fight even if it’s not enough!

"I need to rally all the forces to have a hope of winning..." Abel turned around and sat down again. He had his own understanding. The so-called "best" naturally means defeating others in all aspects to be called the best.

Because that's how his father came through.

He quickly got into the state, taking stock of all the available power in his hands. Inexplicably, a name suddenly rushed into his vision again -
Qinglong!

He can contact Li Ming, and Li Ming can talk to Qinglong directly. This is a unique advantage.

And Qinglong can provide him with unimaginable help, just like the Virgin Mary did to his father.

But… His face changed slightly, and he warned himself, "No, this is inviting a wolf into the house. Contacting him is tantamount to seeking death."

He wiped his mind away and continued to think.

Costat pushed open the door with a complicated expression. On the throne, Adam, who had been extremely weak just now, had recovered and looked indifferent and calm.

"Perhaps someone will doubt it. Why not try another method?" Costat couldn't help but say.

Adam said calmly: "As long as one person believes, the rest will have to move. I understand what they are thinking."

"Only from the top down can we convince others that the empire is really in chaos and I am really going to die."

Costat stopped talking and sighed deeply.

……

At the same time, the Mechanical Court.

In the Heavenly Palace, the energy particles on the surface of Li Ming's body surged, and then quickly converged. He slowly exhaled, opened his eyes, felt the activity of the cells in his body, and murmured: "98%..."

In the past six months, apart from regularly enlightening mechanical bodies and doing some necessary things, he has been in a state of development almost all the time.

With his physical condition, he would need to rest after using the Star of Eternal Silence for a long time, but he directly used metal energy to fill this time and maximized his efficiency.

"There's only the last 100% left to 2%." ​​Li Ming stretched his limbs and heard crackling sounds from inside his body.

The effectiveness of various medicines in the body has been almost consumed, so he simply stopped developing them, took a few bottles of medicine, and gulped them down.

While waiting for the medicine to take effect, he opened the smart terminal again.

Over the past six months, the interstellar world has been extremely peaceful, with almost no major events occurring, and the mainstream interstellar opinion has been dominated by mostly gossip.

The X-level life forms are still hiding here and there, but the lower-level life forms have no way of knowing.

The Mechanical Court is booming, and the seeds of machinery have spread to more than 95% of civilizations in the interstellar space, bringing him enormous wealth all the time.

Related branch industries such as mineral smelting, machinery transformation, etc. made him earn a lot of money.

All loans have basically been repaid, and the speed of metal energy accumulation has increased by several levels.

Even with the continuous expansion of various production lines and the rapid expansion of the royal court, all expenses were extremely terrifying.

It can still bring him 700 to 800 million metal energies every month, so he can use the metal energy unscrupulously to support the operation of the Star of Eternal Silence.

With this constant consumption and the creation of several X-level control objects, his metal energy balance still amounted to more than 30 billion.

Today, I finally feel a little bit wealthy.

Li Ming couldn't help but sigh, glanced at the time, and was surprised, "What a coincidence."

Today is the day to enlighten the mechanical body.
(End of this chapter)