178: Chapter 178: Chu Xiaoxiao's Mechanization

Cheng E stopped ten steps away, not continuing to approach.

He clicked his tongue in wonder inwardly.

A few days ago outside the ancient courier station, he had seen with his own eyes Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao turn three classmates into Mechanical Puppets.

That method, that cunning, that ruthlessness hidden beneath a harmless exterior, had truly intimidated him.

He had assumed this woman was the main force for resisting Lin Yuan.

He planned to let Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao go head-to-head with Lin Yuan while he hid in the shadows, fishing in troubled waters.

Who would have thought.

In just a few days, this woman had turned into this neither-human-nor-ghost appearance.

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao heard the sound of the coin flipping.

She lifted her head with difficulty, her gaze passing over the chaotic mess on the ground and landing on Cheng E.

The gray-black veins at the bottom of her eyes faded slightly, and her gaze regained a brief moment of clarity.

A flash of clarity before death.

She looked at Cheng E without screaming or making any defensive gestures.

Leaning against the back of the chair, she tugged at the corner of her mouth, revealing a helpless and weak smile.

"What?" Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao's voice was hoarse, filled with deep exhaustion, "Here to see me make a fool of myself?"

"The way you look now is indeed quite funny." Cheng E tossed the coin up and caught it with a 'snap'.

"You managed to get a top-tier identity in the third tier at the start, only to play yourself into a lunatic who only knows how to hoard wealth."

Cheng E clicked his tongue again.

When the Rubiks Cube World issued the identity cards, there were clearly warning prompts on the light screen.

This woman had a brain but didn't use it, letting greed devour her divine fire.

How on earth was this thing ranked above him in credits?

Cheng E tried to rationalize it in his heart.

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao's Divine Realm is [Mechanical Plague], skilled in infiltration, group battles, and assimilation.

In the alien plane, it has a natural advantage in sweeping through. It's normal for her credits to be higher than his.

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao heard Cheng E's mockery but didn't refute it.

She felt very tired.

The greed venom in her body was only temporarily dormant and could launch a final counterattack at any time.

She lowered her head, looking at her blood-stained hands.

What would be the outcome if a deity fell in the Rubiks Cube World?

Would the divine fire collapse and lead to death, or would it go completely out of control, with the Physical Body mutating into a monster that only knows how to kill and devour?

Situated in this Rubiks Cube World, the desire for wealth is the shackle set by the underlying rules.

The more she possessed, the tighter the shackles tightened.

It didn't matter anymore.

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao closed her eyes; she didn't want to struggle anymore.

Cheng E frowned as he watched Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao's spiritless appearance.

Does this woman want to die?

If she dies just like this, what will he do?

Cheng E had visited the edge of the Central Plains two days ago. He had seen with his own eyes how Lin Yuan's Abyssal Blood Army was advancing.

Blood Slaughter Infantry formed into iron-walled phalanxes, the sky-covering mutated Magic Blade Bats, and the Liquid Metal Crabs destroying the foundations.

And a Six-Winged Insect King hanging high in the sky, controlling the overall situation with a mental network.

The indigenous cities of the Central Plains were collapsing one after another, and Lin Yuan's military strength was growing exponentially.

In a few more days at most, Lin Yuan would sweep through the Central Plains and split his forces to expand in all directions.

The Far North, the Southern Wilderness, the East Sea—all were within the attack range of this freak.

He, Cheng E, couldn't stop it alone.

He had thought Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao was a talent who could raise a coalition army to act as a shield.

He hadn't expected her to end up as a 'talent'.

Cheng E sighed.

He still had to rely on this woman to be cannon fodder.

"Vice Monitor, don't be in such a hurry to wait for death." Cheng E put the coin into his pocket and put his hands in his pockets, "I have a plan that can save your life."

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao opened her eyes, didn't speak, and watched him quietly.

"I specialize in the Curse-Killing system." Cheng E's tone was indifferent, "I can inject a [Soul-Devouring Blood Curse] into you."

"This thing will continuously devour your Divine Power and bring you extreme pain."

Cheng E pointed to his own head.

"Pain is the best medicine for staying awake. It can help you suppress those greeds and let you regain control of your body."

He paused, adding: "Of course, it treats the symptoms but not the root cause; it's just a drop in the bucket."

"But it's better than you turning into a puddle of mud right now."

After hearing this, Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao let out a low, cold laugh.

"A curse?" She stared into Cheng E's eyes, "Who knows what kind of intentions you have."

"Handing my life over to you so you can crush me at any time."

She propped herself up on the armrests, straightened her body, and a trace of mockery appeared in her eyes.

"If you're so kind, why don't you walk over and let me mechanically infect you."

"Once I have you, I can survive just the same."

Hearing this, Cheng E immediately took three steps back.

He had seen with his own eyes how this woman turned Zhou Yan and the others into iron lumps.

What if she had expected this and deliberately lured him to approach?

Or what if mechanical deities were already lying in ambush around the great hall, and as soon as he went over, those iron lumps would rush up and explode?

If he died here, who could he reason with?

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao watched Cheng E's cautious movements, and the mockery in her eyes deepened.

"So that's all there is to you." Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao shook her head, disdainfully saying: "I thought you were so mysterious and powerful, always hiding in the shadows. Turns out you're nothing special."

Cheng E's face darkened.

Being looked down upon by a lunatic who was about to lose control made him very unhappy.

"Take it or leave it." Cheng E snorted coldly, turned around, and made a move to leave, "I came to help you. If you don't want it, I'll leave now. Anyway, I won't lose anything."

He turned his head and looked at Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao from the corner of his eye.

"I was ranked third before. If you get kicked out, I can at least legitimately compete for second place. That's even better than before."

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao watched Cheng E's back but didn't call out to stop him.

She could feel the greed venom in the depths of her Sea of Consciousness boiling again.

The gray-black veins crawled along her neck and up to her cheeks.

The time for the flash of clarity before death was about to end.

She was unwilling to accept this.

Eighteen thousand nine hundred points; she had put in so much effort.

She didn't want to be eliminated from this Rubiks Cube World in such a humiliating way.

At worst, she would...

A crazy idea formed in her mind.

"Wait." Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao spoke.

Cheng E stopped and turned around.

"I agree." Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao leaned back on the throne and closed her eyes, "Come on."

Cheng E did not approach.

Standing where he was, he raised his right hand, and a gray, dilapidated coin condensed at his fingertips.

"Bear with it, Vice Monitor."

Cheng E flicked his finger, and the coin sank into the center of Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao's forehead.

"Ah——"

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao tilted her head back and let out a scream.

The [Soul-Devouring Blood Curse] entered her body and took root on her divine fire.

The barbs devoured her Divine Power, converting it into excruciating pain that tore at her Soul.

This pain far exceeded the limit of physical injury.

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao rolled off the throne and fell heavily onto the jade steps.

She curled up into a ball, clutching the ground tightly, and her broken nails scratched bloodstains onto the jade.

Pain! It was too painful!

Every breath was accompanied by the illusion of her divine fire being torn apart.

But Cheng E hadn't lied.

Stimulated by the excruciating pain, the greed venom that was about to swallow her was forcibly pushed back partially.

Her consciousness, amidst this inhuman torture, regained a brief moment of clarity.

"Give up..."

In the depths of her Sea of Consciousness, a seductive voice echoed.

"Why endure this pain? As long as you submit to me, the entire Golden Toad City, all the wealth, all the power, will be yours..."

"Sink into it, Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao. Sinking will bring endless pleasure."

Greed was tempting her.

Her body was enduring the torture of the curse.

Her sober consciousness was being pulled back and forth between the two, teetering on the edge.

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao lay on the ground, soaked in cold sweat and blood.

She knew the curse wouldn't last long.

Once she got used to this pain, or her Divine Power was completely devoured, greed would completely occupy her shell.

She only had this one chance.

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao's will reached an unprecedented level of firmness at this moment.

She bit her tongue, and with the last bit of clarity, she formed a seal with her hands.

The Divine Power within her bypassed the blockade of the curse and surged toward the core of her Divine Realm.

Divine Art: [Mechanical Plague · Assimilation].

This time, her target was not someone else.

It was herself.

"You're crazy!" In her Sea of Consciousness, that seductive voice screamed.

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao ignored it. Her eyes were filled with extreme determination.

A silver-black data stream erupted from the core of her divine fire, spreading rapidly throughout her body along her Meridians.

In the great hall, Cheng E looked at Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao on the ground and suddenly widened his eyes.

He saw that Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao's blood-stained hands were losing their color at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The skin hardened and transformed into silver-black metal.

"This..." Cheng E gasped, and his footsteps retreated again involuntarily.

He was dumbfounded.

You can play it like this too?

Using the Mechanical Plague to infect others and turn them into obedient Puppets, he could understand that.

But who infects themselves?

This is cutting off one's own retreat!

Once mechanization is complete, all emotions, desires, and even the instincts of a living being will be completely erased.

She will become a machine that only knows how to execute underlying logic.

The process of metallization was extremely fast.

From her hands, to her arms, and then to her torso.

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao's luxurious dark gold dress was stretched and torn.

What was exposed was a layer of silver-black metal armor that fit the curves of her body perfectly.

Her long hair turned into fine metal wires, draped behind her head.

The gray-black greed veins crumbled inch by inch under the corrosion of the metal, turning into nothingness.

Even the [Soul-Devouring Blood Curse] that Cheng E had injected into her body was forcibly assimilated by that domineering data stream, turning into a pile of useless garbled code.

The pain disappeared.

The greed disappeared.

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao slowly stood up from the ground.

She turned around and faced Cheng E.

That seductive face was now completely covered by cold metal.

No emotional fluctuations.

No leakage of emotions.

So-called greed, so-called fear, so-called pride, at this moment, all returned to zero.

She was now a true mechanical deity.

Cheng E stood there, his Adam's apple bobbing.

He felt an indescribable sense of oppression; this oppression did not come from the crushing of Realm or the level of strength.

It came from the absolute rationality and ruthlessness of this creature before him.

A person who could erase their emotions without hesitation—what else could they not do?

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao raised her right hand.

Her metal fingers pinched lightly in the air.

"Hum——"

Outside the great hall, space rippled.

Thirteen powerful auras descended simultaneously.

Thirteen Fifth-tier Demigod-level mechanical deities surrounded this City Lord's hall from four directions.

Sun Ying, Zhao Kuo...

These former classmates all lit up their red mechanical eyes, locking onto Cheng E in the great hall.

With just one thought from Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao, they would rush in and tear Cheng E into pieces.

Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao lowered her hand.

She looked at Cheng E, and a mechanical synthesized voice echoed in the hall, cold and without ups and downs.

"Come."

"Let's discuss how to deal with Lin Yuan."

Cheng E felt the thirteen killing intents locking onto him from outside.

Looking at Vice Monitor Chu Xiaoxiao before him, who had completely departed from common sense and transformed herself into a killing machine.

A thin layer of cold sweat seeped out on his forehead.

The development of events had completely escaped Cheng E's control.

He had just, it seemed, personally released a monster from its cage...