Celestial Taoist

Li Mofan stared at the "Transformation Progress" option on the interface, subconsciously concentrating his mind. The interface instantly switched, and a line of light blue text clearly appeared: [Current physique transformation progress: 98%, the remaining 2% will be completed in 10 minutes. After the transformation is completed, the restraints will be removed, and the right to go out will be unlocked].

Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, the instrument in the corner of the stone chamber emitted a crisp "beep," and the pale blue energy shield instantly faded, along with the invisible force binding the body. The mechanical voice sounded again, its tone still icy: "Physical modification complete. Computer access upgraded to basic level. Release from modification room restrictions. You are permitted to leave the modification room."

Li Mofan slowly propped himself up, his body still feeling a bit sore. He tentatively moved his limbs, his bones making a soft "crackling" sound, but there was no longer any stinging pain. He raised his hand to touch his brow, where it was smooth and flat, with no trace of the quantum computer that had been implanted.

He stood up and looked around the empty stone chamber. There were no doors or windows on the walls, only a metal door hidden behind dark rocks, which was slowly sliding to one side to reveal the corridor outside.

"Come out." A deep male voice came from the end of the corridor. It seemed to be the language of the world of Tianfa, and it was not the mechanical voice from before. It was obviously a real person.

Li Mofan felt a chill run down his spine. He slowly walked out of the modified room and into the corridor. At the end of the corridor stood a man whose entire body was covered by mechanical structures, with only his head showing.

"Come with me." The man said, his gaze sweeping over Li Mofan without any ripple in his eyes, clearly already accustomed to the modified gifted individuals.

Li Mofan silently followed the man's footsteps. His gaze inadvertently swept across the front and he vaguely saw a ray of light, completely different from the dim blue light in the corridor, warm and bright.

The two continued on their way, and the light grew brighter and brighter. Just then, a clear and gentle female voice came from ahead, "I bet you, this time it's definitely another Taoist priest."

Before the words were even finished, another clear female voice chimed in, tinged with a hint of resentment: "Hmph, last time you bet on the Taoist priest, and you still haven't admitted defeat after losing a hundred days' worth of coins. This time I bet on the Mechanic!"

"What do you know?" The gentle female voice from before spoke with a hint of certainty. "This time, they've come from that mysterious place, a place renowned for its Taoist priests, and this one definitely has the talent of a Taoist!"

"Fine, let's bet!" The clear female voice became even more assertive. "Same old rules, the loser gets 100 coins a day. Are you in?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" The gentle female voice chuckled softly. "We'll see who comes out in a bit, so don't try to cheat when you lose."

Li Mofan's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously paused in his steps. The man beside him did not stop, but merely glanced at him coldly, signaling him to continue forward.

As the two approached the light, the two enormous figures gradually became clearer. They were two gigantic monsters, several times taller than ordinary humans, covered in thick scales that gleamed with a dark silver luster. Their limbs were as thick as stone pillars, and their feet could make a slight vibration when they stepped on the ground.

The monster on the left has a lion-shaped head with light blue eyes and a slightly upturned mouth. It is the owner of the gentle female voice from before. The monster on the right has an eagle-shaped head with a slightly curved sharp beak. Its tone is somewhat arrogant, and it speaks in a clear female voice.

They stood side by side on either side of the metal gate, their massive bodies almost blocking the entire exit. Their scales gleamed coldly in the dim light, but they showed no sign of ferocity. Instead, they stared expectantly toward the corridor, clearly preoccupied with the outcome of their bet.

"Here he comes!" The lion-headed monster's eyes lit up, his voice still gentle. He pointed in Li Mofan's direction, his tone tinged with smugness. "Look at his aura, so refined and restrained. What else could he be but a Taoist? I knew I was going to win!"

The eagle-headed monster immediately bristled, its tone full of indignation: "Why do you judge someone to be a Taoist based on their aura alone? I've seen mechanics who also conceal their auras; they're just good at hiding! Don't try to fool me!"

"I fooled everyone?" The lion-headed monster chuckled, its pale blue eyes filled with certainty. "You forgot? Nine out of ten people from that mysterious place have the talent of a Taoist priest. Those three last time, weren't they? Besides, the spiritual energy he exudes is something a mechanic can't fake!"

"That's not necessarily true!" the eagle-headed monster retorted, its sharp eyes fixed on Li Mofan. "Unless he reveals his talent, I will never admit you've won!" It even raised its head towards Li Mofan, its tone urgent. "Hey, newbie, hurry up and show us your talent! Let this cheating guy see that I'm right!"

The lion-headed monster also looked at Li Mofan, its tone much gentler: "Little guy, don't mind us, we were just being stubborn. You just finished the modification, your quantum computer should already be bound to your talent. Just concentrate and bring up the quantum computer panel, you'll see for yourself."

Li Mofan stood there, watching the two giant monsters argue endlessly. He then remembered the quantum computer he had just bound to, and a thought stirred in his heart. He subconsciously focused his mind and silently recited the command to make the quantum computer visible.

The next second, a light blue interface appeared in front of him, with clear text and data, among which the words "Talent: Taoist" stood out.

The mechanical man beside him stood indifferently to the side, seemingly oblivious to the argument between the two monsters and Li Mofan's actions, as if it were nothing new to him.

Seeing Li Mofan bring up the quantum computer panel, the lion-headed monster immediately approached, its massive body slightly bent, its pale blue eyes fixed on the interface, its tone instantly turning smug: "Look, look! What did I tell you? The talent clearly states 'Taoist,' you're doomed! One hundred Heavenly Coins, cash them in now!"

The eagle-headed monster leaned closer for a look, its sharp eyes instantly dimming. It pursed its sharp beak, its face full of resentment yet powerless to refute: "Impossible... How come it's a Taoist priest again? I clearly bet on the Mechanic this time, how could I lose again..." it muttered, its tone full of grievance, but still forced itself to say, "Losing is losing, it's just a hundred Heavenly Coins! I'll win it back next time!"

As she spoke, her gaze unconsciously swept over the other data on the quantum computer panel. Her smug look suddenly froze on a line of inconspicuous small print at the bottom of the panel. Her light blue eyes widened abruptly, her pupils contracted slightly, and the smugness on her face was instantly replaced by shock. Even her breathing subconsciously stopped for half a second.

"This...this is!" The lion-headed monster abruptly sat up, its massive body trembling slightly with excitement. Its feet touched the ground, and even its voice became somewhat stuttering, "Spirituality...spirituality is actually maxed out?!"

He leaned down again, his huge head almost touching the computer panel, his pale blue eyes fixed on the words "Spirituality: Max Level".

The eagle-headed monster, who had been secretly annoyed, perked up instantly upon hearing the lion-headed monster's exclamation. Its sharp beak twitched, and as it leaned closer to take a look, its eyes widened in shock. The resentment on its face was instantly replaced by astonishment, and even its voice rose a few decibels: "What? Max level spirituality? Then we can't detain them anymore, we can only send them to the Heavenly Dao Legion."

Then he sighed again: "Alas... how long has it been since our Heavenly Demon Legion recruited a talent with full potential?"