I was just fishing, how did I become a Great Old One?

Shushan Heavy Industry, Shangcheng District Headquarters.

This is the tallest building in the entire Neon Sky Domain—the [Sky-Reaching Sword Pavilion].

It is like a giant sword stuck in the earth, its tip pointing straight to the sky, piercing through the thick sea of ​​clouds.

Tonight, the Cloud Top Press Conference Hall on the top floor of Jiange is brightly lit.

Countless holographic projections intertwined in the air, creating a bizarre and spectacular visual feast.

A huge Shushan Heavy Industry logo—a flying sword surrounded by gears—suspended in the center of the venue, slowly rotating.

Elites from major conglomerates, sects, and high society, dressed in fine clothes and holding champagne (or some kind of glowing elixir), gathered in small groups to discuss recent stock prices and upcoming new products.

Jiang Li and his group, led by Li Zixia, sat in the VIP seats with the best view.

"What a grand display."

Odin looked around at the cultivators dressed like luminous diodes and couldn't help but complain.

"Even my banquets at the Golden Palace back in the day weren't this extravagant."

"That's called commercial packaging."

Jiang Li held a free glass of spiritual energy soda in his hand, but his eyes were looking around.

"Compared to these lights..."

"What interests me more is the thing covered under that red cloth."

Right in the center of the stage.

A colossal object, ten meters tall, stood there, covered by a huge piece of red silk.

Although its true appearance is not clearly visible, one can tell from the subtle sense of oppression and the heavy breathing (exhaust sound) that it exudes.

That was absolutely a killing machine.

……

"ladies and gentlemen!"

Welcome to the Shushan Heavy Industry Annual Strategy Launch Conference!

The lights suddenly went out.

A spotlight shone on the stage.

The factory manager (Cyber ​​Ou Yezi), who had six mechanical arms, was wearing a smart tailcoat and floated onto the stage.

His face radiated confidence, even a somewhat fanatical smile.

"Cultivation is an evolution that defies the heavens."

"For thousands of years, we have been pursuing stronger magical weapons and harder flying swords."

"but……"

The factory manager's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

"Traditional flying swords have reached their limit!"

"Neither nano-alloys nor deep-sea black iron can withstand a higher intensity of spiritual energy output."

"Therefore, we at Shushan Heavy Industry have found a new path."

"Since inanimate objects won't work..."

"Then we'll use... [living creatures]!"

……

boom!

The red cloth was suddenly ripped open by the robotic arm.

A collective gasp filled the room.

What appeared before everyone was a... chilling [mecha].

It is about ten meters tall, with a dark red muscle texture all over its body, covered with black bio-armor.

It has no head.

Where the head should have been was a burning, pulsating [plasma fireball].

On its chest is a huge, ferocious bas-relief of a ghost face.

【XingTian Bio-Armor】

"This is our latest masterpiece!"

The factory manager waved his six arms and gave a passionate explanation.

"It is no longer cold, lifeless steel."

"It is... [the perfect fusion of flesh and machine]!"

"Its muscles were cultured using cells cloned from the primordial mutant species, the Earthshaking Ape!"

"Its skeleton was forged from [Taiyi Refined Gold]!"

"Its reaction speed is ten times that of traditional mechs!"

"Most importantly..."

The factory manager pointed to the mecha's thick outer shell.

"It possesses... [absolute defense]!"

……

"Absolute defense?"

A burly man carrying a giant sword stood up from below the stage.

He was a top enforcer for a security company, with a cultivation level of Nascent Soul.

"Factory manager, don't speak too definitively."

"There is no shield that cannot be broken in this world."

"Oh?"

The factory manager smiled slightly, a hint of cunning in his eyes.

"Since this fellow Daoist does not believe it."

"Then why don't you... come up and give it a try?"

"Today, we have specially set up a [knife-testing session]."

"Anyone who can leave a scratch more than one centimeter deep on the armor of this test machine..."

"I'll just give him a Xingtian mech! Plus a lifetime VIP membership to Shushan Heavy Industry!"

wow——

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

That's a huge investment!

One Xingtian mech costs at least several billion spirit stones!

"I'll do it!"

The burly man carrying the giant sword had long been unable to contain himself.

He leaped onto the stage.

"I am [Kuang Tie] of the Juque Sect!"

"Excuse me!"

boom!

The burly man unleashed his spiritual power, and the pressure of his Nascent Soul stage swept across the entire area.

He drew the greatsword from behind him.

It was a heavy alloy sword weighing over a thousand pounds, with red laser blades flashing on its edge.

"Splitting Mount Hua in two!"

The burly man roared, gripped his sword with both hands, and slashed down hard at the thigh of the Xingtian mecha.

"when----!!!"

A loud bang.

Sparks flew everywhere.

The burly man felt a tingling sensation in his hand, and the giant sword in his hand almost flew out of his grasp.

And that mech...

Not moving.

Even the black armor skin wasn't broken.

There was only a faint white mark, not even as deep as a fingernail.

"How...how is this possible?"

Kuang Tie was dumbfounded.

His sword could even split a tank in two!

"This is the power of bio-armor."

The factory manager smiled smugly.

"Its armor is alive, possessing the properties of a non-Newtonian fluid."

"The greater the impact, the harder it becomes!"

"Is there anyone else who would like to give it a try?"

……

Next.

Several more experts, refusing to believe in such superstitions, went to challenge it.

Some people were using flying swords, making a series of clanging sounds, but not even a spark was produced.

Some people use lightning magic; they can unleash a palm-sized lightning bolt, but it's directly absorbed by the mech's biological skin (which has extremely poor conductivity).

There was even one person who was into poison who poured a basin of strong acid on the mech, but the mech automatically secreted a kind of viscous fluid that neutralized the acid.

Half an hour passed.

The Xingtian mecha still stood in the center of the stage, completely undamaged.

It was like an insurmountable mountain, mocking the incompetence of all cultivators.

"Invincible!"

"That's incredible!"

"Is this the technological capability of Shushan Heavy Industry?"

The business tycoons in the audience had already started placing orders like crazy.

With this, why bother with offerings? Just buy a whole company of mechs and wipe out everything!

……

"It seems no one can break through our defenses."

The factory manager stood on the stage, full of vigor and confidence.

"Since that's the case..."

"Wait a minute."

Just as the factory manager was about to announce the end of the cutting test.

A cold, clear voice rang out.

Li Zixia stood up.

She glanced at Jiang Li beside her, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.

"Fellow Daoist Shenlan."

"Don't you have a... 'fine sword' that the factory manager gave you?"

"Since you're here, why not go up and give our new product a... check on it?"

Li Zixia's move was very clever.

She wanted to see how capable Jiang Li was, and also wanted to use Jiang Li to put the mecha under ultimate stress testing.

After all, even she couldn't see through Jiang Li.

If even Jiang Li can't break through its defenses, then this mech is truly invincible.

……

Jiang Li put down the soda water in her hand.

He glanced at Li Zixia, then at the smug factory director on the stage.

"check?"

Jiang Li sighed.

Slowly stand up.

"Alright."

"He ate someone else's peaches (even though they were homemade), and took someone else's sword."

"We have to do some work."

Jiang Li slowly walked onto the stage while adjusting his cuffs.

In his hands.

They didn't bring any particularly powerful or imposing weapons.

There's only one... [metal handle].

That was the prototype machine that the factory manager had given him before – [Cheng Ying·Lightsaber Hilt].

"Who is that?"

"Why are you bringing a flashlight up here?"

"An air conditioner repairman?"

The audience below the stage burst into laughter.

After all, when it's not powered on, the lightsaber hilt really looks like a large flashlight.

Or it could be some kind of indescribable toy.

……

The factory manager was also taken aback when he saw Jiang Li.

Immediately, his expression turned somewhat strange.

"The Deep Blue Ancestor?"

"You...you want to use that...unfinished product I gave you to test the knife?"

Although the factory manager knew that lightsabers were powerful.

But he was more aware of the Xingtian mecha's defensive capabilities.

Although lightsabers have high temperatures, they are plasma beams and have no physical form.

We might not be able to cut through this bio-armor.

"Give it a try."

Jiang Li walked up to the mecha.

Compared to the colossal ten-meter-tall creature, he was like an ant.

But he did not look up.

His eyes were indifferent.

It's like looking at a piece of meat... on a cutting board.

"Factory manager."

"If it gets broken..."

"You don't need to pay compensation, right?"

Jiang Li asked very politely.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

The factory manager was amused.

"You jest, Ancestor!"

"If you actually manage to break it, I'll thank you for finding the bug!"

"No need to pay compensation! Absolutely no need to pay compensation!"

"it is good."

Jiang Li nodded.

"I'm relieved to hear that."

……

Jiang Li turned around.

Facing the enormous Xingtian mech.

He slowly raised the metal handle in his hand.

My thumb landed on the red start button.

"Buzz—"

A deep, yet highly penetrating humming sound rang out.

A pure white, solidified lightning-like plasma beam burst forth instantly.

It is three feet long.

The light was dazzling, but not blinding.

Because its internal energy is perfectly confined by a magnetic field.

Only by getting close can you feel the terrifyingly high temperature that is enough to instantly vaporize steel.

"What a beautiful 'flashlight'."

Some people in the audience joked.

Jiang Li ignored him.

Unlike his predecessors, he didn't shout or take a running start.

He was just being casual.

It's like chopping vegetables in your own kitchen.

He waved his hand gently.

brush--

The lightsaber sliced ​​through the void.

It left behind a white afterimage.

This sword strike.

There were no earth-shattering explosions.

There were no sparks flying.

It didn't even make a loud sound.

Only a faint sound...

"Tsk."

It's like... the sound of a hot knife cutting through butter.

Or perhaps... the sound of cutting a piece of freshly thawed pork belly.

……

Jiang Li sheathed his sword.

Shut down.

The beam of light disappeared.

He put the handle back into his waistband.

Then, he turned around, ready to leave the stage.

"That's... all?"

The audience below the stage looked completely bewildered.

"What is he doing? A mid-air slash?"

"You didn't even touch it, did you?"

"I knew he was a fraud..."

The factory manager also frowned.

He was about to speak.

Sudden.

"Click...click..."

A faint cracking sound came from the Xingtian mech.

Followed by.

Under everyone's watchful eyes.

That invincible mech boasts "absolute defense," "non-Newtonian fluid armor," and "Taiyi refined gold skeleton."

From the left shoulder to the right hip.

A thin, glowing red line appeared... [red line].

Those are marks left by being instantly melted and severed by high temperatures.

next second.

Boom!

The upper body of the mecha slowly... [slid down] along that red line.

The cut is as smooth as a mirror.

It was even still steaming.

Inside are metal skeletons, biological muscles, hydraulic pipes, and even the most crucial cockpit shield.

Everything fell to this one sword...

[Divided into two]

"Bang!"

The massive upper body slammed onto the stage, shaking the entire Genting Grand Hall.

Smoke and dust rose everywhere.

……

The entire room fell silent.

A deathly silence.

Everyone's jaws dropped to the floor.

What did they see?

One cut?

Just such a light, easy slash?

They sliced ​​open a top-tier mech that cost billions and could withstand nuclear attacks?

Is this even human?

Is this still a sword?

"My...my mecha..."

The factory manager's six robotic arms were all twitching.

His electronic eyes were flashing wildly, displaying a "logic error".

"This is impossible..."

"That's bio-armor! That's nano-alloy!"

"How could it possibly be cut like tofu?!"

……

Jiang Li stopped in his tracks.

He glanced back at the "scrap metal" that had been split in two.

I glanced again at the factory manager who was about to cry.

He gave an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, factory manager."

"Professional habits".

"It was such a big piece just now..."

"I subconsciously mistook it for... [frozen meat]."

"He couldn't control his strength."

Jiang Li shrugged.

The tone was extremely Versailles-like.

"Next time, remember to use a harder material."

"This meat... is a bit too tender."

……

"Frozen...frozen meat?"

The factory manager sprayed out a mouthful of engine oil.

His proudest achievement is the pinnacle of scientific and technological innovation.

In this chef's eyes... it's just a piece of meat?

Li Zixia, sitting in the audience, was also visibly shaken.

She guessed that Jiang Li was very strong.

But I didn't expect him to be this strong.

That lightsaber is indeed powerful; it's the prototype from Shushan Heavy Industry.

but!

To be able to unleash the power of a lightsaber to this extent, even to the point of instantly severing microscopic biological fibers.

This requires more than just sharp weapons.

It requires an absolute understanding of "structure".

That is, the so-called "Master Butcher's Skill in Carving Up an Ox" level.

……

however.

While everyone was still in shock at Jiang Li's single strike...

Jiang Li's gaze suddenly froze.

His gaze pierced through the layers of smoke and dust.

It landed on the severed section of the mecha.

To be precise.

It landed inside the cut-open cockpit.

There.

There wasn't any high-tech control panel.

There was no holographic screen either.

In that central location.

It is inlaid with a... [person].

Or, to put it another way, a biological core.

She was a pale, emaciated girl with tubes inserted all over her body.

A thick cable was inserted into her spine.

Her brain is connected to countless optical fibers.

She was "planted" inside the mecha.

These act as the machine's... [CPU] and [battery].

Because Jiang Li's sword was too fast and too precise.

This sword strike sliced ​​through the mech and its shield.

But just then... it avoided the girl's body.

It was only one centimeter off.

The girl had her eyes closed, seemingly asleep, yet also seemingly enduring endless pain.

Her body twitched slightly as the mecha was damaged.

……

The smile on Jiang Li's face vanished instantly.

Instead.

It was a layer of frost, colder than a lightsaber.

"This is what you call..."

"Bio-engineered suit?"

Jiang Li turned around.

He stared intently at the factory manager who had collapsed to the ground.

His voice was low and deep, carrying suppressed anger.

"What you call 'living things'..."

"You mean... [living people]?"