149: Wuyuan's Choice (two-in-one)

“This is what happened in this civilization's ruins, now re-enacted, forming a special exploration zone.”

Qin Jin's gaze swept across the entire battlefield; the Pure Ones appeared to be on the offensive, while the mechanical bodies were on the defensive.

The entire battlefield was quite “pure,” with no Contaminator visible.

“So, this is a timeline before the Contaminator appeared.”

“The Saint concealed some information, but what he said should be true.”

Qin Jin deduced in his mind, “The Pure Ones of this civilization's ruins first developed and created [The Saint], this top-tier artificial intelligence, and then for some reason, [The Saint] and the Pure Ones clashed.”

“Now, the special power used by the Pure Ones on the battlefield should come from the Son of God. After the Pure Ones helped the Son of God gestate, they used its power to wage war against the mechanical bodies. Now… perhaps they are counterattacking The Saint.”

“Until the Son of God mutated, and most of the Pure Ones transformed into Contaminator.”

“The Saint, who was being counterattacked, instead took action to protect the remaining Pure Ones, up until the current time period of the civilization's ruins.”

Thoughts raced through Qin Jin's mind.

He joined the battlefield and advanced towards the front.

It seemed that [The Saint]'s actions were somewhat complex and contradictory; he waged war against the Pure Ones, yet he still protected them.

However, no sentient being is immutable. In Qin Jin's view, this might be out of [The Saint]'s final pity for its [parents] who created him, or it might be due to some underlying logic of artificial intelligence.

Before understanding the specific reasons for the conflict between The Saint and the Pure Ones, Qin Jin couldn't make a final judgment.

As thoughts flickered.

Qin Jin weaved through the crowd, continuously moving forward.

The Pure Ones' frontline was constantly pushing forward.

The peculiar power from the Son of God covered their bodies with a layer of azure armor, tightly adhering to their skin, and they had other means, making their combat power quite formidable.

As he advanced, Qin Jin joined the battlefield, looked at the mechanical bodies blocking his way, and directly attacked, aiming precisely at their core.

With a burst of power, the mechanical body shattered. As it shattered, some fragments combined to form a small screen, about the size of a palm, which attached to his combat suit.

On the screen, a number was displayed.

[1]

“So, this is similar to a War Merit Orb, which can assess points.”

Qin Jin reacted in an instant, withdrew his gaze, and continued to push forward.

The previous battle was a defensive one.

But this time, the battlefield was an offensive one!

If in the previous battlefield, Qin Jin continuously advanced with countless enemies blocking him, now, he had to “snatch kills.”

The surrounding Pure Ones were all like wolves and tigers, constantly pushing the front line. As the team advanced, the surrounding architectural style gradually became familiar to Qin Jin.

Industrial Zone.

The direction the Pure Ones were pushing was precisely the Industrial Zone!

Which was [The Saint]'s lair.

As an [artificial intelligence], it naturally had its own physical existence, not just a phantom.

After entering the Industrial Zone, the resistance of the mechanical bodies increased. Qin Jin unleashed a burst of lightning, crushing the mechanical bodies around him again. With a sudden realization, he shifted his gaze to the front.

At the front of his current area, the reinforcing mechanical bodies from behind were now approaching each other and beginning to combine!

Ordinary mechanical bodies were roughly human-sized. Now, mechanical bodies changed their appearance one by one, assembling together, transforming into giant mechanical bodies, some humanoid, some beast-like, rushing to reinforce the battlefield.

Qin Jin's gaze focused on the closest beast-shaped mechanical body.

From its appearance, it was about five or six meters tall, resembling a wolf. As it ran forward, many of the ordinary mechanical bodies below that hadn't participated in the assembly were directly crushed by it, wobbling as they tried to reassemble.

As his gaze focused, Qin Jin's speed suddenly erupted.

Lightning flashed around him. He leaped up, directly stepping on the head of an ordinary mechanical body, using it as leverage to move forward. Lightning spread beneath his feet. While using the leverage, the mechanical body below shattered, rapidly closing the distance with the giant wolf mechanical body.

Just then.

Sensing the primal power, Qin Jin's eyes looked to his side.

On the ground not far away, a muscular figure was rapidly charging forward.

Primal power gathered around his body, forming armor. His muscles were revealed by his tight combat suit, and his physique seemed to contain considerable power. Like a wild ox, as he charged, countless mechanical bodies that tried to block him were immediately sent flying, soaring to both sides, and then violently disintegrating in mid-air.

As if sensing Qin Jin's gaze, the figure slightly turned his head, revealing a rugged face. He looked at Qin Jin, gave a hearty laugh, and showed a mouthful of white teeth.

In the special exploration zone, the participants were on the same side, and all were trying to gather more information, actively avoiding conflict. Therefore, it wasn't as tense as the outside world.

But...

Qin Jin keenly noticed that the direction he was heading was also where the giant wolf mechanical body was rushing to the battlefield.

“Does he want to snatch my kill?”

The thought flashed through his mind, Qin Jin had not stopped moving, and now he increased his speed again.

Lightning erupted beneath his feet. As he charged forward, his momentum surged, successfully attracting the attention of the giant wolf mechanical body.

Its dark blue electronic eyes focused on Qin Jin. The giant wolf mechanical body actively approached him. On both sides of its shoulders, mechanical parts shifted, and cannon muzzles formed.

The next instant!

Firepower poured out!

Qin Jin was already prepared, dodging the first wave of fire as he charged. After closing the distance further, he bent his body slightly and leaped up.

The firepower followed.

With primal power activated, a barrier formed in front of him. Gunfire slammed against it, creating ripples.

Leaping up, Qin Jin's figure soared, already reaching a height greater than the giant wolf mechanical body. Lightning erupted around him, his palm extended to his side, and a lightning halberd condensed!

Seeing that the gunfire was useless, the giant wolf mechanical body raised its claw and struck, a whooshing sound filling the air.

As the giant claw attacked, Qin Jin's primal power surged from beneath his feet, giving him leverage again. He dodged the claw strike and arrived above its head.

The giant wolf raised its head.

Then.

It clearly saw lightning surge from the tiny body relative to itself. Beyond the right hand, a giant lightning halberd formed, held loosely in his hand.

The next second.

Power erupted, changing direction. Qin Jin moved his right hand forward, and the condensed lightning halberd changed from a single grip to a two-handed grip. He held the lightning halberd with both hands!

The halberd's head pointed down, its tail up, carrying inertia, its speed surged, and it plunged violently towards the giant wolf mechanical body's head!

Lightning descended from the sky.

The lightning struck the mechanical surface, paused for a moment, then violently pierced through. With a burst of power, the lightning halberd directly impaled the wolf's head from top to bottom, shattering countless mechanical components and carrying the wolf's head as it plunged towards the ground!

The giant wolf mechanical body lost its balance.

Its front legs buckled, and its wolf head was slammed to the ground. With the sudden movement, many mechanical components on its body shattered.

At the same time.

After the lightning halberd fell to the ground with it, Qin Jin didn't speak, but whispered in his heart.

“Explode.”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The lightning halberd inserted into the wolf's head suddenly exploded!

The lightning power shattered the wolf's head, countless mechanical components were directly annihilated. The explosion of the mechanical body caused a chain reaction, and the entire body of the giant wolf mechanical body exploded one after another.

At the same time, the lightning power, after the explosion, swept around, engulfing many ordinary mechanical bodies. The area in front of Qin Jin suddenly emptied.

Thump.

Qin Jin landed on the ground.

At this moment, a loud noise came from the oblique rear.

Qin Jin looked back.

His gaze swept over. The muscular man, it seemed, also launched an attack right after his own.

However, the other party hadn't expected the giant wolf mechanical body to be directly dealt with. Without a target, he changed direction and slammed into another spot.

At this moment, his fist struck the ground, and the surrounding mechanical bodies were also cleared. On the ground, with him as the center, spiderweb-like cracks spread in all directions.

“You're very strong.”

Noticing Qin Jin's gaze, the muscular man retracted his fist and looked up at Qin Jin, revealing his white teeth: “I'm from Tian Ce Academy. Which academy are you from?”

Qin Jin replied, “Wu Yuan Academy.”

“Wu Yuan Academy, no wonder.”

The muscular man showed a look of realization, looking around: “It's a pity, this is a special exploration zone, so it's not suitable for combat.”

“If we trigger some hidden rules and get eliminated from here, that wouldn't be good.”

He said this, then smiled brightly: “After we leave here, if we meet again, how about we have a fight?”

“Alright.”

Hearing Qin Jin's answer, the man laughed heartily, then directly changed direction and strode forward.

“Tian Ce Academy.”

Qin Jin's gaze retracted from the man: “Judging by his performance, he doesn't seem like a first-year student.”

“Each academy selects three from the second year and one from the third year.”

“Then…”

“Will the one from Tian Ce Academy participating in the Po Xian Cup this time be the ‘Commander’ from the third year?”

“Will this person be that Commander?”

Thoughts flashed by.

Qin Jin continued to advance.

The front line was constantly pushing forward.

The surrounding buildings also became gradually familiar; it was indeed the Industrial Zone, the future base of the mechanical bodies, only without the erosion of the sands of time.

Qin Jin had been at the very front of the battle line, and after defeating another giant mechanical body, his gaze swept forward and sharpened.

The current position of the frontline was roughly the central area of the factory zone. A little further forward, and they would enter the core technology area of the factory zone.

At this moment.

In the core technology area ahead, the sky was dyed the color of dusk.

Within this dusk-colored sky, in the tech park below, beams of light projected, and a sky ladder formed.

On the sky ladder, [The Saint] appeared.

His appearance was similar to when Qin Jin first saw him, almost unchanged, with a look of sorrow on his face as he gazed at the battlefield below.

Just then.

Behind the Pure Ones' front line, a commotion arose.

Qin Jin turned his head and looked to the rear.

Above the battlefield, a figure stood in mid-air, its feet not moving, yet its body was constantly moving forward.

It was a life form resembling an infant, its appearance indistinguishable from a Pure One infant, but on its back, hands, and feet, there were eerie black chains piercing through its bones, one end connected to the infant, the other connected to the void, like a form of restraint.

The battle below continued, but Qin Jin saw that after its appearance, some of the indigenous Pure Ones in the civilization's ruins showed signs of fanaticism.

Then...

Its identity became clear at a glance.

[Son of God]!

An extraordinary life form born to resist [The Saint].

Now, the Son of God and The Saint had their first encounter.

One figure was ethereal, the other substantial.

The Saint stepped on the sky ladder, the Son of God was entangled in chains. The two looked at each other in mid-air, seemingly communicating, but no sound was emitted.

Qin Jin constantly paid attention to this scene, and a thought arose in his mind.

“Can I attack them at this time?”

The thought arose.

Qin Jin's eyes lowered slightly.

Just then.

In the distance of the battlefield, a beam of light generated within a runic array, directly striking upwards.

That was...

Spiritual Energy Beam.

A Spiritual Energy User, also in this special exploration zone, had the same idea as him and chose to act directly.

Qin Jin's gaze followed.

The Spiritual Energy Beam soared upwards, its source untraceable. Clearly, after delivering this blow, that Spiritual Energy User participant chose to conceal himself. The beam rapidly climbed. His chosen target was precisely The Saint.

The next instant…

The beam of light passed directly through The Saint.

This attack caused no ripples, nor did it attract the attention of any native life forms; it seemed to be completely ignored on some level.

The Saint and the Son of God continued to communicate in mid-air.

“Unable to attack.”

Qin Jin withdrew his gaze.

“That's right…”

“This special exploration zone is a segment of history that has already occurred in the background of the civilization's ruins.”

“Participants entering here are more like information acquisition checkpoints that appear after certain conditions are met, rather than true temporal regression. They can gain points and information from it, but they cannot truly alter the history that has already happened.”

“The scene in the sky is completely like a cutscene.”

Confirming that he couldn't directly affect it, Qin Jin kept some of his attention on the scene in mid-air and continued to join the battle, gaining points.

Time passed.

The mechanical bodies' front line was on the verge of collapse. After the Son of God appeared, it did not directly fight The Saint, but it also entangled him, allowing the Pure Ones to advance relentlessly.

But…

Just at this moment.

Qin Jin had always kept some of his attention on the sky, and at this moment, he clearly saw cracks appearing on the black chains on [The Son of God]'s hands.

The cracks appeared, and a few breaths later, the hand chains snapped with a crash, turning into dust.

At this moment, the Son of God's main body still maintained its infant form, but the arm where the chain broke rapidly swelled, and an eerie, abnormal sight emerged, instantly surpassing its own size and continuing to expand.

On the arm, black mist rose, spreading to various parts of the body.

Everything happened extremely fast.

As the black mist spread, corroding everything, the chains on other parts of its body also began to crumble and disintegrate. Its entire body continuously swelled, and in a flash, it transformed into a form similar to a Contaminator: humanoid, with bluish-gray skin, and bone wings growing where the chains had pierced its back!

It was at this moment.

In the battlefield on the ground, black mist began to emanate from the mouths, noses, eyes, and ears of the Pure Ones who possessed unique powers. A large-scale mutation had begun!

Beside Qin Jin.

The native Pure Ones began to transform into corrupted monsters, losing their minds and indiscriminately attacking the surrounding mechanical bodies and the Pure Ones who had not yet mutated.

The mutation mentioned by the [Saint] now became a tangible sight, entering Qin Jin's vision.

The mutation began.

Beside Qin Jin, a teleportation halo appeared.

"Is this special exploration ending now?"

A thought flashed through Qin Jin's mind, and he looked up for one last glance.

There.

The mutated Divine Son had transformed from a child-like state to an adult state, charging forward to attack the Saint.

The Saint's expression grew increasingly sorrowful.

The next second.

The teleportation activated, the surroundings changed, and Qin Jin appeared on the rooftop of a building.

The moment he appeared.

His wristband vibrated, and a notification appeared.

[Team Competition enters Phase Two]

[Please select your faction for all teams participating in the team competition]

[Saint]

[Divine Son]

[Note: After establishing a faction, eliminating participants from the opposing faction will grant additional points]

[Note: After establishing a faction, eliminating native creatures of your own side will no longer grant points, and there will be faction penalties]

[Note: After your affiliated faction ultimately wins, faction members will receive additional point rewards based on their contribution]

[Note: Faction establishment is based on a voting system, with each person in the same team having one vote. The side with more votes will be established as the team's chosen faction]

[Please make a decision as soon as possible. Those who do not make a choice will be attacked by both factions]

[Selection countdown: 00:09:59]

"Divine Son, Saint."

Qin Jin's eyes lowered slightly.

Just then.

In the spiritual realm, Han Miao's somewhat anxious voice rang out.

"Qin Jin."

"You received it too?"

Qin Jin communicated.

"Mm."

With a tacit understanding, Han Miao said, "Everyone participating must have received it. I've received messages from other students."

"I'll light up all the seeds so everyone can communicate."

The spiritual seeds maintained the connection between the Wu Yuan Academy students, but to avoid excessive consumption during normal times, everyone usually contacted Han Miao unilaterally, and she would relay messages, acting like a human base station.

Now.

After Han Miao's voice disappeared from the spiritual realm, that spiritual seed glowed slightly, and in an instant, Qin Jin sensed the presence of the other seeds.

Thirteen spiritual seeds, along with Han Miao herself, all fourteen Wu Yuan Academy members entered communication.

In the past, due to similar teleportation locations, the Wu Yuan Academy students, upon encountering others for the first time, would immediately contact Han Miao to leave a communication seed.

At this moment, the fourteen people began a meeting in the spiritual realm.

One of the spiritual seeds flickered, and a voice spoke first: "Did any of you others enter this special exploration area?"

"The information shared by Qin Jin and An Shi is correct. After scanning a carrier containing [information], one can obtain the opportunity to enter the special exploration area."

The first to speak was Chi Wenwu.

His voice fell.

A gentle voice from the spiritual realm sounded.

"Student Chi Wenwu."

"Since you've entered this special area, please share what you encountered this time."

The speaker was none other than Shi Luoshu.

"Mm."

Chi Wenwu did not decline and said directly, "This special area is similar to the one Qin Jin and the others went to last time; it's also a battlefield."

"However, it's a war between Pure Ones and mechanical bodies."

"It should be something that happened in this civilization's ruins a long time ago."

Chi Wenwu spoke quickly, revealing everything he had seen.

In the spiritual realm, only his voice remained.

Soon, he finished his narration.

After his voice fell.

The voice of Xu Chen, a second-year student, sounded: "Information carriers should be limited. Now... I'm afraid some teams are completely in the dark, without any information."

"We're a bit ahead."

"Indeed."

Shi Luoshu's voice sounded: "Since it's a voting system, what are everyone's opinions?"

"Which faction do you think is more suitable?"

"I support the Saint faction."

Duan Yaobang's voice sounded, the dark horse of this selection speaking steadily: "From the information you've shared, the Saint faction values the Pure Ones more."

"Now, with the team competition introducing faction options, a larger team has appeared above the small teams. Perhaps, after we choose a faction, we can also receive support from that faction."

"The Saint faction has a higher status for Pure Ones, which might give them an advantage."

"That's right."

Fang Shuo followed closely: "Comparing the two factions, I believe that in the psychological expectations of many participants, mechanical bodies are actually more acceptable than Contaminator."

"More participants will choose to join the Saint side, which is also an invisible advantage."

As his voice fell.

Chi Wenwu, who had first introduced the situation, coughed lightly and spoke through the seed: "My opinion is a bit different."

He analyzed seriously: "An Shi and Qin Jin entered the first special exploration area."

"In that war, the Contaminator attacked the mechanical bodies."

"Although the Contaminator eventually retreated, looking at the bigger picture, the current state of this civilization's ruins indicates that the Divine Son's side likely holds the upper hand, while the Saint's side is at a disadvantage, only able to defend the Industrial Zone."

"Indeed, image and identity can affect perception, but strength and weakness are key to determining the outcome of the factions. Many teams will also consider this aspect and choose the already stronger Divine Son's side."

The spiritual communication continued.

Shi Luoshu listened carefully to everyone's suggestions.

Just then.

Chi Wenwu's voice sounded: "Senior Shi, you are the captain of our team competition. What are your thoughts?"

"I currently support the mechanical body side more."

Shi Luoshu's voice was calm: "Too little information has been revealed by the Divine Son's side. In contrast, through the information everyone has provided, we understand the Saint's side more."

"Chi Wenwu, I agree with your idea. With very little information circulating in the Divine Son faction, and a faction war starting, it's impossible for the outcome to be decided immediately after choosing a faction. The Divine Son faction must have a unique advantage."

"But..."

"I believe that with our participation, we can nullify and even surpass this advantage."

The spiritual world could not discern specific tones, but all the Wu Yuan Academy students present could feel the confidence contained in his words.

With a single sentence.

The spiritual seed representing Shi Luoshu subtly turned, looking towards the other side, at that spiritual seed that had remained silent.

"Qin Jin."

"You participated in both special area explorations. What are your plans?"

Within the spiritual realm, a brief silence fell.

Among the first-year students, Qin Jin held extremely high prestige and was widely recognized.

The second-year students, hearing Shi Luoshu's question, also fell silent.

At this moment.

Qin Jin stood on the rooftop where he had been teleported.

This was a normal exploration area.

Looking down, on the streets below, mechanical bodies and Contaminator were engaged in battle.

As the search area deepened, such battles were ubiquitous, spread throughout every part of the city.

Hearing the inquiry from the spiritual realm, Qin Jin raised his hand and checked the time.

There were still over three minutes until the selection ended.

In the silent spiritual communication space, Qin Jin's voice sounded, entering everyone's minds.

"I don't plan to make a choice."

"No choice?"

Shi Luoshu's spiritual message was a bit hesitant: "You mean..."

Qin Jin spoke calmly, looking at the battleground below, speaking through the seed.

"Within these civilization ruins, Contaminator and mechanical bodies are in endless conflict."

"I don't know if this civilization truly existed in the Star Sea, or if it's completely fabricated, but besides the two faction options in the information prompts, here... there has always been a third faction."

"They were originally the true masters of this civilization."

"The Pure Ones."

In reality, Qin Jin leaped down from the rooftop.

The moment he landed on the ground, lightning swept through the surroundings, instantly clearing both warring sides.

"The team competition being held in this context might hold some deeper meaning."

"In the first special exploration area, because my military achievements were sufficient, I saw the Saint's true form. It was indeed protecting the Pure Ones, but it also chose to conceal some information."

"The Divine Son's mutation was extremely sudden, and it's also possible that it has a connection with the Saint."

"Moreover..."

"The Pure Ones chose to give birth to the [Divine Son] to oppose the [Saint], even initiating war. Although the information is not yet complete, from their perspective, the [Saint] undoubtedly also has some kind of conflict with them."

"After first meeting the Saint, I triggered one of the ultimate missions of the civilization ruins. The mission objective was precisely to hunt down the Divine Son."

"I believe that the condition for faction victory is likely the death of either the [Saint] or the [Divine Son]."

"Since that's the case..."

"There's an opportunity before us."

"The native Pure Ones of this civilization's ruins are quite capable, as evidenced by their ability to create the [Saint] and [Divine Son]."

"However, they also made a big mistake."

"That is, after the Saint and Divine Son appeared, they relied on them too much."

"Once, a Martial Artist senior told me, 'Seek from yourself, not from immortals,' and I deeply agree."

"Now, we participants are put into the perspective of the Pure Ones. As Pure Ones, we have the opportunity to regain control of our home and allow civilization to revive within these civilization ruins."

"In the information prompt, there is also information related to [those who did not make a choice]."

"This third faction, not listed as an option, is the most difficult, but also... theoretically, it can obtain the most points."

"For this reason, I will not make a specific choice."

As he spoke.

The countdown on his wristband gradually decreased.

In the spiritual space, a brief silence fell.

After about ten seconds of silence, a voice sounded.

"I support Qin Jin."

Han Miao.

As the maintainer of this spiritual meeting, she spoke a sentence and then fell silent.

"This third faction sounds much more exciting, isn't it completely unrestricted, fighting whoever you want?"

Xie Wuhai's voice sounded: "I vote for the Pure Ones."

"It is indeed the most difficult."

"We cannot be sure if this third faction will become public information after the faction selection."

Chi Wenwu's voice sounded: "It's foreseeable that some participants might have the same idea as Qin Jin, but they will definitely be very few. Our third faction, theoretically, is the smallest in number. If it becomes public information, it will be the first to be targeted."

"But..."

Chi Wenwu's tone shifted: "We are from Wu Yuan Academy."

"Martial Artists, why would they be so hesitant? Our origin from Wu Yuan Academy means we are destined to face the most difficult challenges!"

"I support Qin Jin's proposal."

Shi Luoshu's voice sounded after him.

"The third faction has no native powerhouses like the [Saint] or [Divine Son] behind them."

"But Chi Wenwu is right."

"The name Wu Yuan Academy is already enough. Our own strength is all the support we need."

"As the captain of this team competition, I haven't made a decision from beginning to end."

"Now..."

"My choice is... the Pure Ones."

"Divine Son, Saint, both will be our targets next!"

Time passed by minute by minute.

Qin Jin looked at the information appearing on his wristband.

After the countdown ended, the faction selection information was withdrawn.

New information appeared.

[Student Qin Jin, you did not make a faction choice]

[Detected that the entire team affiliated with Wu Yuan Academy chose to abandon faction selection]

[You have become factionless]

[When eliminating members of the other two factions, you will receive a point bonus]

[You have triggered a new ultimate mission for the civilization ruins]

[Detected other ultimate missions, missions are being merged]

[You have received a new ultimate civilization mission: Civilization Revival]

[Mission Description: War continues within the civilization ruins until everything is completely destroyed, becoming an ancient relic. As the last Pure Ones, you decide to take fate into your own hands, reclaim dominance over your homeland, and allow civilization to revive]

[Mission Objective: Hunt down the Divine Son]

[Mission Objective: Clear out the Saint]