Nuclear-powered Sword Immortal

Chapter 277: Chapter 274: Gathering of Immortal Essence Gold

"Fifty-one portions!? Fifty-one portions of Immortal Essence Gold?"

Surprise filled Gu Jinlai’s eyes.

After obtaining twenty-two portions of Immortal Essence Gold from the Cold Moon Sect, the shortfall for his Cheng Ying Mecha was only in the twenties.

Even with the losses during the artifact refining process, at most, he was short of thirty or forty portions.

The reason he had actively rushed to Blue State and controlled the Mystic Bird Fighting Machine to slaughter demons was precisely to exchange Merit for Immortal Essence Gold.

However, the cost of exchanging Merit for Immortal Essence Gold was much higher than the actual price of Immortal Essence Gold.

Exchanging one portion of Immortal Essence Gold was equivalent to exchanging for one top-grade Spiritual Artifact.

Yet in reality, if he himself had a Heavenly Master to perform artifact refining, the true price of one portion of Immortal Essence Gold would only be one-fifth of the market purchase price.

The demons retreated too quickly in Blue State, and the Demon King had not even shown up. Gu Jinlai felt that the Merit he obtained from this battle might not be enough to exchange for even ten or twenty portions of Immortal Essence Gold.

Unexpectedly...

Fortunes change.

Jing Yunshan and Cheng Lixue, the two Monarchs, actually had as many as fifty-one portions of Immortal Essence Gold!?

Now, the materials for his Cheng Ying Mecha were more than sufficient.

"Too little?"

Cheng Lixue glanced at the Mystic Bird Fighting Machine behind Gu Jinlai, "To refine such a massive War Spiritual Artifact, wouldn’t the Immortal Essence Gold required be around five or six hundred portions? Fifty-one portions, I’m afraid that’s less than one tenth..."

"No! It’s enough!"

Gu Jinlai declared in a somber voice, "Lingxiao City had already collected quite a lot of Immortal Essence Gold beforehand. With your fifty-one portions of Immortal Essence Gold, it’s just perfect, enough for us to manufacture a new type of War Spiritual Artifact! A kind..."

He took a deep breath, "A kind that can directly defeat the Demon King!"

"Directly defeat the Demon King!?"

The two Monarchs Yuanzhen exchanged glances, both seeing incredulity in each other’s eyes.

The Mystic Bird Fighting Machine might be powerful, but it was still limited to the range of capabilities of a Primordial Spirit True Monarch.

Even with a complete version of the Fighting Machine Xuan Nu, neither of them dared to imagine it clashing face-to-face with the Demon King.

But now...

Gu Jinlai was actually saying he could create a War Spiritual Artifact that could directly defeat the Demon King!?

Directly defeat!

Not just a face-to-face confrontation!

Could Lingxiao City’s mastery of artifact refining truly be so powerful!?

"Indeed!"

Gu Jinlai nodded.

He considered the time until the next opening of the Qiushan Demon Realm Rift and pronounced gravely, "It will take about a year and a half to refine that War Spiritual Artifact! After a year and a half, when the War Spiritual Artifact is born, the first thing I will do is to completely sweep the Mu State demons and utterly reclaim Mu State!"

Previously, although he could unleash a strike that essentially reached the level of an Earthly True Immortal thanks to the transmission characteristic, after each strike, the Eternal Furnace became unbalanced and took two and a half months to stabilize again.

During these two and a half months, not only could he not cultivate smoothly, but his own combat power would be affected.

In other words, this was a highly risky and forbidden technique.

But if he could build the Cheng Ying Mecha...

In the fight against the Demon King, he would no longer need to rely on that single strike power.

"One and a half years to wipe out the Mu State demons..."

Cheng Lixue and Jing Yunshan listened with a sense of dreamlike disbelief, as if it were some sort of myth.

After a while, Cheng Lixue hurriedly spoke, "Heavenly Monarch Gu, there’s no need to rush the matter of reclaiming Mu State. Demons are cunning and hide untold powers. It won’t be too late to attack Mu State after Lingxiao City has amassed enough strength. We can wait a decade."

"Rest assured, I have a plan."

Gu Jinlai replied.

"Then good, I will go back once and bring the Immortal Essence Gold."

Cheng Lixue said.

"I’ll come with you. I also need to speak with Sect Master Fang Linghai and Monarchs such as Leng Ningshuang, Liu Jingtiao, and Wu You to expedite our travel to Yellow State."

"Yellow State?"

"Yes!"

Gu Jinlai nodded, "Another Demon King has appeared in Yellow State, a flying demon king that poses a great threat to Primordial Spirit True Monarchs. This Demon King has rallied the Tianhe Demons and is heading straight for Yellow Sky City, clearly not resigned to the setback in Yuntian City more than two months ago and now seeking revenge; the Cold Moon Sect should be receiving the news soon."

"You’re going to help? But your army and Demon God Guards are all in Blue State..."

"I’ve already instructed thousands of Demon God Guards stationed in Starlight City and Star State to gather. If it really comes down to it, I’ll head there alone."

Gu Jinlai declared.

"Go alone? That would be too dangerous,"

Cheng Lixue spoke, adding vaguely, "Heavenly Monarch Gu, with the Tianhe Demons suddenly gathered and bursting out of Tianhe, there must be some sort of inside story, right?"

Gu Jinlai knew what he was implying.

An inside story...

It was nothing more than the Yellow Sky Sect colluding with the demons.

"I know what you mean, but..."

Gu Jinlai said with a heavy tone, "As I just said, Yellow State has not only the Yellow Sky Sect but also thirty million of the Human Clan. If I were powerless, that would be one thing; but now that I have the capability, I absolutely cannot stand idly by while thirty million people in Yellow State fall prey to the demons."

"Capability..."

Cheng Lixue and Jing Yunshan exchanged glances.

There was a somber and somewhat melancholic expression on their faces.

"The people of Yellow State are neighbors to Star State, which is fortunate to have a leader like Heavenly Monarch Gu."

Clearly, they were thinking of their own Mu State.

If Gu Jinlai had already grown stronger by the time Mu State faced its crisis, perhaps...

It wouldn’t have ended up completely overrun.

...

Gu Jinlai, along with Cheng Lixue and Jing Yunshan, soon arrived at the recently recaptured Lengfeng Fortress.

Upon reaching Lengfeng Fortress, his first order of business was to find Fang Linghai, Leng Ningshuang, and others to inform them of his intent to rush to the aid of Yellow State.

As Gu Jinlai had guessed, the Cold Moon Sect had already received news of the great changes in Yellow State.

The Sect Master and several Supreme Elders found his decision quite unexpected.

By this day, the collusion between Yellow Sky Sect and Tianhe Demons was no secret.

However, their alliance had been easily broken by Gu Jinlai exploiting their mutual distrust, leading to Yellow Sky Sect’s own downfall.

But now...

Yellow Sky Sect was suffering from a resurgence of demon treachery, and Gu Jinlai was still willing to lend a hand!? _{𝑛𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮}

Even when his main forces were trapped in Blue State, and he had every reason to refuse!?

Liu Jingtiao, worried about a conspiracy behind Yellow Sky Sect’s plea for help, was the first to attempt to stop him.

But when they heard the reasons given by Gu Jinlai, all the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs who stood at the pinnacle of Tian Nan fell silent.

After a while, Fang Linghai bowed formally and exclaimed, "Heavenly Monarch Gu’s benevolence and honor surpass mine."

Leng Ningshuang immediately promised, "Please rest assured, Heavenly Monarch Gu. We understand that Demon God Guards need to refine Demon Blood Essence to strengthen themselves. None of these demon corpses will be missed, all will belong to Lingxiao City."

Liu Jingtiao didn’t know what to make of the reason Gu Jinlai had given.

After a moment, he finally said, "A wise man never worries about firewood as long as the green hills last. Whatever Venerable Daoist Gu intends to do, please exercise caution in your endeavors. You represent more than just yourself now; safety is paramount."

"I understand."

Gu Jinlai nodded, "I leave the aftermath in your capable hands."

Having said that, he seemed to recall something and smiled at Fang Linghai, "I intend to launch a counterattack on Mu State in a few years. To formulate a detailed plan, I wish to bring True Monarchs Cheng Lixue and Jing Yunshan, along with their disciples who retreated from Mu State, to Lingxiao City to acquire first-hand information about Mu State. Sect Master Fang, you wouldn’t withhold them, would you?"

Fang Linghai, Leng Ningshuang, and others were taken aback but quickly realized Gu Jinlai’s implications.

For a moment, everyone’s gaze turned to Cheng Lixue and Jing Yunshan.

The two spoke frankly, "We will spend the rest of our lives dedicated to the task of eradicating the Mu State Demons and restoring Mu State. Heavenly Monarch Gu has given us his promise, and we trust in it."

Upon hearing this, Fang Linghai felt a pang of reluctance, but after glancing at the two Monarchs representing Netherworld Sect and Purgatory Sect, he sighed and said, "If not for everyone’s help, the Cold Moon Sect might not have withstood the invasion of demons today. Thus, any talk of our future penetration into Mu State is just empty talk."

After speaking, he looked at the two Monarchs with a smile, "Moreover, the two are Guest Officials of the Cold Moon Sect, free to come and go. Now that you’re heading to Lingxiao City, naturally, we will not stop you."

"Thank you, Sect Master Fang, for your generosity," said Cheng Lixue.

"The thanks should be ours, for the assistance of both of you and your disciples during this time, without which the Cold Moon Sect might not have held out for so long against the attack of demons," Leng Ningshuang replied with a smile.

Since Cheng Lixue and Jing Yunshan had the desire to leave, and their destination was the formidable Lingxiao City, which they dared not provoke, it was better to part amicably and with dignity.

Pressed for time, Gu Jinlai did not linger in Lengfeng Fortress.

After a brief exchange with everyone, he headed to the courtyard where Cheng Lixue and Jing Yunshan resided to obtain fifty-one pieces of Immortal Essence Gold from them.

Having acquired the Immortal Essence Gold, Gu Jinlai instructed Gu Chifeng to lead the Demon God Guards back to Lingxiao City as quickly as possible.

He himself then mounted the Mechanical Tyrannosaurus and, along with Zhang Yukan, Guan Xingyun, two Great Heavenly Masters, and a team of a hundred Demon God Guards, sped towards Lingxiao City at full pace.

Given the display of might from Lingxiao City, the Cold Moon Sect did not have the courage to detain the Demon God Guards.

...

Gu Jinlai, who had left Lengfeng Fortress at top speed, returned to Lingxiao City as quickly as possible.

One, because it was on the way to Yellow Sky City.

Two...

He had important matters to attend to.

...

"Is it complete!?"

"Is it really complete!?"

In the Military Workshop, Zhang Lihuo and Si Tianyan gathered around Gu Jinlai immediately, their faces filled with excitement.

"The Immortal Essence Gold required for the initial model of the Cheng Ying Mecha is complete."

Gu Jinlai nodded emphatically and, accompanied by his retinue and the returning Great Heavenly Masters such as Zhang Yukan, headed straight to a heavily guarded warehouse.

All the Immortal Essence Gold sourced from Dragon Sparrow Manor and gathered during this period was stored there.

He unrolled a Design Diagram and said, "There are already sixteen models of the Mystic Bird Fighting Machine, but without enough engines, more models are pointless. The Sword Heavy Cannon... can be left to Zhou Mingshi and the rest. Your task now is to focus all efforts on completing the main structure of the Cheng Ying Mecha. I will personally add the finishing touches to the details."

"The Cheng Ying Mecha! We’ve not stopped going over it, I’ve even dreamed more than once of the day I pilot such a War Spiritual Artifact into battle," one exclaimed.

"Yes, I can’t wait to see whether the Mecha really possesses the ability to suppress Demon Kings, or even contend with a Saint Golden Body, just like Venerable Daoist you have mentioned," another added.

"I have a premonition that with the advent of the Cheng Ying Mecha, this will mark the beginning of a great era," another said with anticipation, excitement, and emotion in their voice.

The Divine Weapon Force, like Gu Jinlai, were eager to complete the Cheng Ying Mecha quickly so that Lingxiao City would have a real trump card to contend with the top forces of Qiantian, even those of the Divine Weapon Force.

After all...

If the data on the Cheng Ying Mecha is to be believed, the Heavenly Masters, silent for a thousand years, will once more step onto the world’s stage.

"We will handle the preliminary work," vowed Zhang Lihuo as he stepped forward, solemnly.

"Good,"

Gu Jinlai nodded firmly and passed the keys to the warehouse to Zhang Lihuo.