34: Outside the Mechanical City, an ambush occurs; the Repair Clan presents a map to unravel the mystery.

After leaving the Origin Ore Tunnel, the team traveled along the edge of Black Stone Valley. The sun gradually dipped toward the west, dyeing the crystal fragments on the ground in a warm gold. Lin Chen walked at the front, holding Nian Xue. She had just woken up not long ago, her small head resting on his shoulder, her fingers gently picking at the folds on his collar.

"Daddy, how much longer do we have to walk?" Nian Xue's voice carried a hint of fatigue. Her eyes occasionally glanced at the glowing plants by the roadside, but she didn't have the energy to stop and look closer.

"Soon. We'll find a place to rest after walking a bit further." Lin Chen lowered his head and rubbed his cheek against her forehead. Feeling the warmth of her back against his palm, he was afraid she might catch a cold from the wind.

Clear Snow walked on the other side, her nine tails gently sweeping the ground behind her, brushing aside the sharp gravel. Having just had a Breakthrough to the diamond-level Early Stage, her control over the Ice and Snow Law had become more proficient. Occasionally, she would condense a wisp of cold Qi to help Nian Xue dispel the surrounding heat.

The Metal Clan Leader in the middle of the team looked toward the distance from time to time, his brow slightly furrowed. "My Lord, there are often Heavenly Dao patrols on the outskirts of the Mechanical City. We must be careful; their detection devices can sense Origin fluctuations."

Lin Chen nodded, his Divine Thought quietly spreading out, expanding its coverage to 250 kilometers. Sure enough, 50 kilometers ahead, he sensed ten fluctuations mixed with the aura of machines and flesh. They were moving back and forth along the small path, clearly a patrol.

"Everyone, suppress your Origin aura and follow me." Lin Chen slowed his pace, Space Law condensing at his fingertips to form a transparent barrier around the team, firmly locking in everyone's Origin fluctuations.

Nian Xue seemed to sense the change in atmosphere, her small hands tightly grabbing Lin Chen's clothes. "Daddy, are there bad things?"

"It's okay, Daddy will protect Nian Xue," Lin Chen comforted her softly, but his gaze remained fixed in the direction of the patrol ahead.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the patrol ahead suddenly stopped, as if they had noticed something.

The leader of the patrol was a size larger than the others, covered in armor that was half-mechanical and half-flesh, holding a long blade fused with an origin crystal.

That was a Hybrid Race bred by the Heavenly Dao, possessing both the precision of machines and the Origin control of the flesh races, making them harder to deal with than the pure Machine Race.

The Hybrid Race patrol did not rashly advance. Instead, they spread out in a fan shape, their long blades beginning to condense pale black Origin energy. At the same time, they released miniature detection drones that flew toward the team.

"They are very cautious; they didn't charge straight over," Clear Snow said in a low voice, her nine tails tensing slightly as the Ice and Snow Law quietly condensed in her palm.

Lin Chen's eyes turned cold, and the Space Law instantly activated. The incoming drones suddenly stagnated in mid-air before being crushed by an invisible force. Seeing this, the Hybrid Race patrol did not retreat; instead, they accelerated their energy condensation, clearly intending to use long-range attacks to test the situation.

"We can't let them send a signal." Lin Chen's figure flashed as he teleported behind the Hybrid Race leader. The Ancient Gods Pressure erupted violently, causing the Origin within the leader's body to instantly become chaotic, and the long blade fell to the ground. Lin Chen condensed Void Power at his fingertip and gave a light tap; the leader's body instantly turned to fly ash.

Seeing this, the rest of the Hybrid Race turned to flee, but they were trapped by the diamond-level Ice and Snow Domain Clear Snow had deployed.

Pale purple cold Qi froze their movements. Lin Chen teleported among them, and Void Power spread out. In less than three breaths, all ten Hybrid Race members were turned to fly ash, leaving behind over ten pale black origin crystals.

"Let's leave here quickly; the smell of blood will attract more patrols," Lin Chen said to the group as he picked up the origin crystals.

The team quickened their pace. After walking just two kilometers, the sound of metal clashing suddenly came from ahead, mixed with the "sizzle" of electric currents. Lin Chen's Divine Thought swept toward it.

In an abandoned checkpoint ahead, three injured Repair Clan members were hiding behind metal plates. They held wrenches and were constantly gesturing at the Puppets at the entrance, yet they didn't dare to attack rashly.

The Repair Clan's aura was very weak. One of them had a broken mechanical arm, and pale blue machine oil flowed down from the wound; they clearly couldn't hold out much longer.

Outside the checkpoint, five Puppets surrounded the entrance. The laser guns in their hands fired continuously, but they deliberately avoided vital spots, clearly wanting to capture the Repair Clan alive.

"It's the Repair Clan. They are skilled at repairing machines and Origin devices. They helped many Survivors in the diamond world before," the Metal Clan Leader said softly, his tone carrying worry.

Just as Lin Chen was about to step forward, Clear Snow suddenly pulled him back. "Wait, there's an invisible energy net around the Puppets. It's the Heavenly Dao's 'Origin Binding Net'; touching it will drain your Origin."

Lin Chen's Divine Thought investigated carefully and indeed found an extremely faint energy net around the Puppets, with the unique black energy of the Heavenly Dao entwined in its threads. These Puppets were very cunning, using the Repair Clan as bait to lure rescuers into triggering the trap.

"I'll break the trap; you protect Nian Xue," Lin Chen said to Clear Snow. His figure flashed, teleporting above the energy net. He condensed the Anti-Heavenly Dao Rule at his fingertip, and as the pale gold light fell onto the threads, the energy net instantly lost its luster, and the black energy completely dissipated.

The Puppets noticed the trap had been broken and immediately turned their laser guns toward Lin Chen, but he used the Space Law to redirect their muzzles.

The lasers shot toward the walls of the abandoned checkpoint, blowing a large hole in them. Lin Chen teleported behind the Puppets, and with a light tap of Void Power, the five Puppets instantly short-circuited and turned into scrap metal.

The Repair Clan members walked out from behind the metal plates and bowed to Lin Chen. The leader of the Repair Clan said in a raspy voice, "Thank you, My Lord, for saving our lives! We escaped from the Mechanical City. The Heavenly Dao Emissaries inside are forcing us to repair the origin core's defense System. We refused, so we were hunted down to this place."

"Do you know the situation of the Mechanical City's origin core?" Lin Chen asked.

The Repair Clan Leader nodded and took out a folded metal map from his bosom, handing it to Lin Chen. "This is a map of the Mechanical City's interior that we secretly drew. The origin core is in the underground secret chamber of the City Lord's Mansion, protected by three layers of defenses."

"The outer layer consists of grandmist rank machine guards, the middle layer is an origin energy shield, and the inner layer is personally guarded by a Heavenly Dao Emissary."

"The core is also connected to an 'Origin Extraction Pipe,' which can absorb the Origin energy of the entire Mechanical City."

Lin Chen took the map. Dense lines were carved onto the metal map, marking the streets of the Mechanical City, guard positions, and the location of the core. He didn't put it away immediately but instead activated his Sublimation Talent.

Upon the first touch, the lines on the map became clearer, and markings for hidden passages emerged.

Upon the second touch, the surface of the map was covered with a layer of pale gold light. It could now automatically identify the location of Heavenly Dao energy, and its rank was promoted from diamond-level to Legendary Rank.

"This map is very important to us." Lin Chen handed the map to the Metal Clan Leader. "You are familiar with the Mechanical City; you will be responsible for leading the way."

The Repair Clan Leader then took out a fist-sized metal part from his bosom. The part glowed with a pale blue light and emitted a diamond-level Origin aura.

"This is an 'Origin Stabilizer' we removed from the origin core. It can temporarily interfere with the core's energy operation. If My Lord doesn't mind, please accept it."

Lin Chen took the stabilizer and activated his Sublimation Talent, sublimating it from diamond-level to Legendary Rank. The sublimated stabilizer emitted a pale gold light, and its interference range expanded threefold. He handed the stabilizer to Clear Snow. "You keep it; it can help us interfere with the core at a critical moment."

The group took a short rest in the abandoned checkpoint. The Repair Clan shared the origin nutrition liquid they carried, and Lin Chen distributed it to everyone after sublimating it.

After Clear Snow absorbed it, her Origin concentration increased from 10% to 12%, and the cold Qi of her diamond-level Ice and Snow Domain grew a bit more intense.

Nian Xue took a small sip, and her Origin concentration increased from 23% to 25%. Her small face regained its vitality, and she began playing with a wrench together with a Repair Clan child.

After the rest, the team continued toward the Mechanical City. By this time, the sun had already dropped below the horizon, and the sky had gradually darkened. The silhouette of the Mechanical City emerged in the distant night.

It was a massive city built of black metal, with walls a hundred meters high covered in laser cannon ports. Machine guards could be seen patrolling back and forth on the walls, their auras stronger than any encountered before.

"The Mechanical City is here." The Metal Clan Leader stopped and pointed toward the city. "We have to enter through a hidden passage on the side. There are too many guards at the main gate, and there are grandmist rank laser cannons. Charging in would be too dangerous."

Lin Chen nodded and extended his Divine Thought toward the hidden passage—there were two grandmist rank machine guards there, their auras stable, unaware of the team's arrival.

"I'll go deal with the guards first. You all stay here and wait for my signal before coming in." Lin Chen handed Nian Xue to Clear Snow and whispered instructions, "Watch over Nian Xue, don't let her run around."

Clear Snow took Nian Xue and held her tightly. "Husband, be careful. The guards in the Mechanical City are stronger than any before."

Lin Chen nodded, his figure flashing as he vanished into the night. Nian Xue leaned in Clear Snow's arms, her small hands tightly grabbing her clothes. Her large eyes stared toward the Mechanical City as she whispered, "Mother, Daddy will be okay, right?"

"He will. Daddy is very powerful." Clear Snow gently patted her back, but her gaze was fixed on the direction of the hidden passage, her heart full of worry.

The Survivors of various races behind them all held their breath, staring at the Mechanical City in the night.

This was their crucial step in opposing the Heavenly Dao. As long as they destroyed the origin core, they could temporarily stop the Heavenly Dao from collecting pure origin liquid, giving them more time to increase their strength and prepare for the final battle.