170: Chapter 170 Physical Body Breakthrough, Overlord Body Shows its Power

13 minutes.

In absolute darkness, time is not measured by eyes, but by heartbeats.

Lin Ye's heart rate was currently stabilized at 47 beats per minute—that was the lowest energy consumption frequency his Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body could maintain in a magic-suppressed state. He counted one second for every beat.

At the 47th second, he stopped.

[Current Coordinates: Relic Core · Floor 1 · Mechanical Guard Plaza · Eastern Edge]

[Distance to Nearest Dormancy Platform: 11 meters]

[Guardian Awakening Countdown: 7 minutes]

In the darkness, he could not see anything.

But his feet could feel.

The ground beneath his feet was no longer the metal from the entrance passage, which was so smooth it had almost zero friction, but a material that was slightly rough and had fine textures.

He gently brushed his toe across the ground.

The textures were arranged in straight lines.

Each one was spaced 0.3 meters apart.

Those were—guide rails.

The guide rails for the mechanical guards to move.

"Zhou Tieshan." Lin Ye lowered his voice.

"Here."

"There is a dormancy platform 7 meters directly in front of you."

"Walk over and stand in front of it."

"Wait for it to wake up."

In the darkness, Zhou Tieshan's footsteps sounded.

Heavy.

Every step landed on the guide rails, emitting a dull metallic echo.

After the seventh step, the footsteps stopped.

"I've arrived." Zhou Tieshan's voice came from 7 meters away.

Lin Ye continued to assign positions.

"Shi Potian."

"Here."

"11 meters to your front-left, there are two dormancy platforms side by side."

"Stand between them."

Shi Potian's footsteps.

Lighter than Zhou Tieshan's.

But given his weight, every step still left a dull echo on the guide rails.

After the 11th step, he stopped.

"Chu Yunxi."

"Here."

"17 meters to your front-right, there are three dormancy platforms arranged in a triangle."

"Stand in the center of the triangle."

Chu Yunxi's footsteps.

Very light.

Almost as if she were floating.

"Lu Xinghe."

"Here."

"3 meters directly behind you, there is a protrusion on the wall."

"Feel your way over and stand there."

Lu Xinghe's footsteps.

Very slow.

Every step was tentative.

3 seconds later, he spoke: "I've arrived."

"Yun Qianxue."

"Here."

"You follow Lu Xinghe."

"Stand 1 meter behind him."

Yun Qianxue's footsteps.

Very steady.

Even in the darkness, her footsteps held no hesitation.

"Qin Ruoxue."

"Here."

"You have free rein."

"Fill the gaps wherever they appear."

Qin Ruoxue did not answer.

But Lin Ye knew she had already vanished into the darkness.

That was the instinct of an assassin.

"Su Qingyue."

"Here."

"You follow me."

"47 guardians; the two of us will handle the ones that slip through."

Su Qingyue held his hand, tightening her grip slightly.

[Guardian Awakening Countdown: 3 minutes]

8 people in the darkness.

47 sleeping mechanical guards.

In 7 minutes, this place would become a battlefield.

The first minute.

Lin Ye began to simulate in his mind.

The mechanical guard's weakness was the energy core in the center of the chest cavity.

70% physical resistance meant conventional physical attacks could only deal 30% damage.

But the energy core had no physical resistance bonus.

That was the weak point.

The problem was—how to accurately hit that 0.3-meter diameter circular core amidst the chaos of 47 guards waking up simultaneously.

The second minute.

He continued his simulation.

The existence of guide rails meant the guards' movement paths were fixed.

At the least in the first phase, they were fixed.

They would move along the guide rails to search for intruders.

As long as one stood in the blind spot of the guide rails, one could gain a 3-5 second damage window.

The third minute.

He squeezed Su Qingyue's hand.

"After 30 seconds."

"They will wake up."

"Zhou Tieshan, block the first wave of impact."

"Shi Potian, strike from the side."

"Chu Yunxi, shoot from the triangular zone."

"The two of us will provide finishing blows from the edge."

"Lu Xinghe, Yun Qianxue, Qin Ruoxue—you three guard the passage entrance."

"Do not let any guard rush through."

In the darkness, 7 breaths were held simultaneously.

[Guardian Awakening Countdown]

[3 seconds]

[2 seconds]

[1 second]

The chest cavities of 47 mechanical guards.

At the same instant.

Lit up simultaneously.

That was not light.

It was "Blue."

An extremely blinding, industrial blue light that felt like 47 miniature suns rising simultaneously in the absolute darkness.

The light illuminated the entire plaza.

47 silver-white, streamlined, 3-meter-tall mechanical guards stood up from their dormancy platforms simultaneously.

Their heads were hemispherical, smooth, featureless metal surfaces.

Their arms were two long blades extending from their elbows—each blade was 1.7 meters long, the edges reflecting a cold, chilling gleam under the blue light.

Their legs were reverse-jointed, with four metal protrusions on the soles of their feet used to lock into the guide rails.

[Ancient Mechanical Guard · Level 63]

[Type: Intelligent Mechanical Unit]

[Health Points: 77,000/77,000]

[Attack Power: 7,300-8,700 (Physical)]

[Defense: 6,200 (Physical Resistance +70%)]

[Characteristics:]

[1. Immune to Extraordinary Energy Damage]

[2. Physical Resistance +70%]

[3. Energy Core Exposed: Center of chest cavity, Defense 0, deals 300% damage upon hit]

[4. Guide Rail Movement: Can only move on preset guide rails, movement speed 12 meters/second]

[5. After locking onto a target, enters "Pursuit Mode," can leave guide rails for 3 seconds]

[Current Count: 47 units]

0.1 seconds in.

47 guards turned their heads simultaneously.

47 hemispherical heads locked onto the same direction simultaneously—Zhou Tieshan.

0.3 seconds in.

The nearest guard slid along the guide rail towards Zhou Tieshan.

Speed 12 meters/second.

Distance 7 meters.

Contact in 0.58 seconds.

Zhou Tieshan's shield was pushed forward 0.1 seconds before the guard collided.

[Xuanwu · Rebirth · Pure Physical State]

[Weight: 47 kg]

[Material: Starlight Alloy Type II + Behemoth Carapace Fragments]

[Current Usage: Physical Block]

Boom—!!!

The guard's long blade slashed against the shield surface.

Sparks flew everywhere.

Zhou Tieshan's feet slid backward 0.3 meters on the guide rails.

But he did not fall.

The shield was still there.

0.7 seconds in.

The 2nd unit.

The 3rd unit.

The 4th unit.

Three guards collided with Zhou Tieshan's shield simultaneously.

Boom—!!!

Boom—!!!

Boom—!!!

Triple strike.

Zhou Tieshan stepped his right leg back to brace against the ground.

His right arm—that right arm reinforced with Behemoth carapace bone plates—was now bulging with muscle to its limit.

The shield was still there.

1 second in.

Shi Potian moved.

He rushed out from the blind spot between two guards.

His left fist smashed into the back of the 5th guard—that was not a weak point.

[Damage Dealt: 1,700 points]

[Guard Health: 77,000 -> 75,300]

The guard turned around.

Its long blade slashed towards Shi Potian.

Shi Potian did not dodge.

He used his left arm—the left arm that had withstood three punches from a Level 70 Ancestor Phantom in the Ninth Trial of the Ancestor Star without falling—to take it head-on.

Blade and arm intersected.

The collision of metal and flesh.

Sparks and blood splashed out simultaneously.

[Shi Potian · Left Arm]

[Damage Dealt: 3,700 points]

[Health: 100% -> 93%]

But his left fist, at the same instant the blade and arm met—smashed into the guard's chest cavity.

The fist pierced through the metal casing.

Touching the pulsating energy core.

[Damage Dealt: 47,000 points (Weak Point)]

[Guard Health: 75,300 -> 28,300]

1.3 seconds in.

Shi Potian's second punch.

Smashed the same spot.

[Damage Dealt: 28,300 points]

[Guard · Killed]

The 1st guard fell.

1.7 seconds in.

Chu Yunxi's 1st arrow left the string.

Steel arrow—no enchantment, no fire, only pure physical kinetic energy.

It flew through the air for 0.3 seconds.

It hit the center of the chest cavity of a guard 17 meters away that was rushing towards Zhou Tieshan.

[Hit Weak Point]

[Damage Dealt: 3,700 points]

[Guard Health: 77,000 -> 73,300]

Not enough.

One arrow was not enough.

But she still had 46 arrows.

2 seconds in.

The 2nd guard collided with Zhou Tieshan's shield.

The 3rd unit.

The 4th unit.

The 5th unit.

The surface of Zhou Tieshan's shield.

1st crack.

2nd crack.

3rd crack.

He did not retreat.

3 seconds in.

Shi Potian smashed the 2nd guard.

4 seconds in.

Chu Yunxi's 7th arrow hit the 3rd guard's weak point.

5 seconds in.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Lin Ye made his first move.

He darted out from the shadows at the edge.

That Fine Iron Longsword brought back from the Trial Ancient Star—the gray crack in the middle of the blade still present—drew a cold white arc in the blue light.

The tip of the sword pierced into the Chest Compartment of a guard sliding along the guide rail.

[Weak Point Hit]

[Damage Dealt: 4,700 points]

———

The guard turned around.

Its long saber slashed toward him.

Lin Ye's sword pulled out from the guard's Chest Compartment.

He sidestepped.

The blade edge brushed past 0.3 meters in front of his chest.

He continued forward.

The 2nd unit.

The 3rd unit.

———

The 6th second.

He pierced the Chest Compartment of the 3rd guard.

———

[Lin Ye · Kills × 3]

———

The 7th second.

Zhou Tieshan's shield.

Shattered.

It wasn't the whole thing.

It was the 7mm deep crack in the center of the shield face—which had existed since they were outside the Mother Empress Hall—that finally pierced through.

[Black Tortoise · New Life · Durability: 73% → 0%]

———

The shield split into two halves right down the middle.

Zhou Tieshan held one half in each hand.

He didn't throw them away.

He used these two pieces of wreckage to slam into the heads of two guards pouncing toward him at the same time.

[Damage Dealt: 1,700 points × 2]

———

The 8th second.

Shi Potian rushed in front of him.

His left fist smashed one unit.

His right fist—that right fist whose neural interface had long since stabilized and was currently burning the last traces of Hegemon Blood residue—smashed another unit.

———

The 9th second.

The 10th second.

The 11th second.

———

[Combat Time: 17 seconds]

[Guards Killed: 17 units]

———

The 12th second.

The remaining 30 guards changed tactics simultaneously.

They no longer moved along the guide rails.

They activated "Pursuit Mode."

[Pursuit Mode · Activated]

[Duration: 3 seconds]

[Can move freely off the guide rails]

———

30 guards.

30 long sabers.

Pouncing toward Zhou Tieshan and Shi Potian at the same time.

———

The 12.3rd second.

Chu Yunxi's 31st arrow left the string.

It hit one unit.

But it didn't stop.

———

The 12.7th second.

Lin Ye's sword pierced through one.

But it didn't stop either.

———

The 13th second.

Zhou Tieshan and Shi Potian were surrounded by 30 guards.

———

The 13.3rd second.

Qin Ruoxue emerged from the shadows.

The Fine Steel Dagger in her hand pierced into the back of a guard's neck—that wasn't a weak point.

But the guard's head turned 180 degrees.

Locking onto her.

———

She didn't retreat.

She rolled to the side.

That guard's long saber slashed where she had just been standing.

———

The 14th second.

Su Qingyue moved.

No Vast Cold Spiritual Power.

No Ice Lotus.

Only physical techniques.

Her left hand braced against the ground, her body spinning in mid-air, her right leg sweeping against a guard's knee joint in a reverse-joint kick.

[Damage Dealt: 700 points]

[Guard Unbalanced for 0.3 seconds]

———

That 0.3 seconds.

Was enough for Shi Potian to smash its Chest Compartment.

———

The 15th second.

Lin Ye rushed into the center of the encirclement.

His sword was not in his hand.

He threw it.

The sword pierced through a guard's Chest Compartment.

Then, empty-handed.

He faced two guards.

———

The 15.3rd second.

The first guard's long saber slashed toward him.

He sidestepped.

The blade edge brushed past 0.1 meters in front of his chest.

His right hand grabbed the guard's arm holding the saber.

Borrowing strength.

Spinning.

Flinging the guard toward the second one.

———

The two guards crashed together.

———

The 16th second.

He pulled out the sword embedded in the first guard's Chest Compartment.

Turned around.

And pierced it into the third one.

———

The 17th second.

[Pursuit Mode · Ended]

The remaining 23 guards retreated back to the guide rails.

———

[Combat Time: 31 seconds]

[Guards Killed: 24 units]

[Remaining: 23 units]

———

No one spoke.

Eight people stood in the center of the 23 guards' encirclement.

Zhou Tieshan held half of the shattered shield in each hand.

Shi Potian's fists were covered in metal scraps and machine oil.

Chu Yunxi's quiver had 16 arrows left.

Lin Ye's sword was still dripping with lubricant—the "blood" of the mechanical guards.

A corner of Su Qingyue's clothes had been sliced open by a blade.

There were three slash marks on Qin Ruoxue's cloak.

Lu Xinghe stood where he was, not moving—he hadn't participated in the combat the whole time because his task wasn't fighting.

Yun Qianxue stood where she was, also not moving—her bandages hadn't been used yet.

———

The 32nd second.

The 23 guards simultaneously activated their second phase.

Their Chest Compartments opened.

Revealing that pulsating energy core.

Then—they began to charge.

[Ancient Mechanical Guard · Second Phase]

[Charging Time: 3 seconds]

[Upon completion of charging: Release a full-range electromagnetic pulse]

[Electromagnetic Pulse Damage: 17,000 points (Ignores Defense)]

[Range: 100-meter radius]

———

3 seconds.

———

The 33rd second.

Lin Ye spoke.

Only one word.

"Smash."

———

The 34th second.

Shi Potian rushed toward the nearest guard.

His left fist smashed into its open Chest Compartment.

[Damage Dealt: 47,000 points]

[Kill]

———

The 34.3rd second.

Chu Yunxi's 32nd arrow.

Hit the second unit.

[Kill]

———

The 34.7th second.

Lin Ye's sword.

Pierced into the third unit.

[Kill]

———

The 35th second.

Su Qingyue.

Her physical techniques were displayed to the extreme at this moment.

No spiritual power, only the muscle memory built up over five months in the Chaos Valley's Martial Arts Practice Field—sparring with Shi Potian 3,000 times, cooperating with Zhou Tieshan 1,700 times, and being hit by Chu Yunxi from 47 meters away 137 times.

Her left hand braced against a guard's shoulder.

Her body took to the air.

Her right leg swept across its open Chest Compartment.

[Damage Dealt: 700 points]

Not enough.

But she wasn't fighting alone.

0.3 seconds after she landed, Shi Potian's left fist smashed into the same guard's Chest Compartment.

[Kill]

———

The 35.3rd second.

Zhou Tieshan.

He held half of a shattered shield in each hand.

He smashed both pieces of wreckage into the Chest Compartments of two guards simultaneously.

[Kill × 2]

———

The 36th second.

Qin Ruoxue.

Her dagger pierced into a guard's Chest Compartment.

It wasn't a weak point.

But that guard was turning around—it slammed its own Chest Compartment into the dagger.

[Kill]

———

The 36.3rd second.

Lu Xinghe.

He had no weapon.

But he had a Carving Knife.

He picked up a fragment of a guard that had just been smashed from the ground.

Using the Carving Knife—he carved it into a simple dart.

Threw it.

The dart hit an open Chest Compartment of a guard.

[Damage Dealt: 300 points]

Not enough.

But the guard's Chest Compartment—was jammed by the dart and couldn't close.

0.3 seconds later, Chu Yunxi's 41st arrow pierced through it.

[Kill]

———

The 37th second.

23 guards.

Totally annihilated.

———

[System Prompt: You have passed "Ancient Ruins · Floor 1"]

[Mechanical Guards Killed: 47 units]

[Obtained: Ancient Mechanical Core × 12]

[Obtained: star core energy × 2]

———

[Ancient Mechanical Core]

[Type: Mechanical Unit Core Material]

[Quality: Epic]

[Description: Energy core fragments taken from the bodies of Ancient Mechanical Guards, containing the energy technology and control logic of ancient mechanical civilizations.]

[Effects:]

[1. Research: The Seventh Fleet of the Eternal Starfield offers 7,000 Tech Resource Coupons per unit for purchase]

[2. Dismantling: Can obtain Materials such as "High-Energy Capacitors," "Precision Gears," and "Alloy Skeletons"]

[3. Repair: Can be used to repair mechanical units of the same model (Requires Advanced Engineering)]

[4. Modification: Embedding it into a mecha's energy core can increase energy efficiency by 5%]

[Current Quantity: 12 units]

———

[star core energy × 2]

[Current Quest Progress: 3/10 → 5/10]

———

Lin Ye tucked the 12 mechanical cores and 2 star core energy into his bosom.

——They couldn't be put into the Storage Ring; the ring was still in a Mana-Sealed State.

He could only carry them.

———

He looked up.

Looking at the other end of the plaza.

There was a door leading to the next floor.

The door was open.

Behind the door was a spiral staircase leading downwards.

At the end of the stairs—there came a very faint, heartbeat-like pulse.

[Ancient Energy Fluctuation Detected]

[Source: Deep within the Ruins · Floor 4]

[Fluctuation Frequency: 1.7 seconds/time]

[Synchronization rate with Mother Empress Crystal Core pulse: 47%]

[Synchronization rate with blood emperor essence blood pulse: 31%]

[Synchronization rate with Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body Origin pulse: ——]

[17%]

———

Lin Ye looked at that line "17%".

3 seconds.

He stepped forward.

Toward that door.

———

Behind him, seven people.

Stepped forward at the same time.

———

[Chapter 170 · End]