Bai Xuxu

The Six Hundred and Sixty-Eighth Season I Lost Again

Old Man Chang Jiang chuckled, finally no longer lonely.

The two began assembling their respective mechanical beasts at a speed of five hundred yards per second. Old Man Chang Jiang's hands were lightning-fast, his eyes focused forward, yet his hands were incredibly nimble, constantly piecing together tens of thousands of parts.

Ming Zhi Tian did not fall behind. Though he only had one hand, he bent over and used his teeth to assist his single hand in assembly. Even as his gums began to bleed from the strain, he showed no fear.

Old Man Chang Jiang did not slow his assembly speed because of Ming Zhi Tian's disability; instead, he increased it. This was the only respect he could show.

Soon, Old Man Chang Jiang completed his creation first: a mechanical three-headed, six-armed Yuanlong beast. It opened its lion-like maw, revealing dozens of sharp teeth, each fifty centimeters long.

Ming Zhi Tian finished shortly after. His creation was a mechanical puppet resembling an Undying Divine Emperor. Sweat poured down his face, and he had exerted great effort to assemble it with his single hand and teeth.

Old Man Chang Jiang was startled, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was a mere imitation and breathed a sigh of relief. "You young man, your talent and mastery in the Way of Mechanisms are truly unique."

Ming Zhi Tian smiled faintly. "You flatter me, senior."

Immediately, they controlled the two mechanical beasts to fight!

The Yuanlong beast attacked first, its jumping ability truly impeccable! With lightning speed, it leaped and lunged to bite the Divine Emperor Puppet.

The Divine Emperor Puppet narrowly dodged with a leap and then unleashed a punch, only to have its head caught by the Yuanlong beast's agile jaws!

Following this, a move called "Divine Dragon's Tail Sweep" sent the Divine Emperor Puppet crashing to the ground. As it just began to rise, the Yuanlong beast's lion-like maw clamped down on its neck, severing the head. In less than three rounds, Ming Zhi Tian was defeated.

He had originally intended to create the Undying Divine Emperor puppet for his own catharsis. Watching the "fake" Undying Divine Emperor being beaten, Ming Zhi Tian felt a strange sense of happiness, but it quickly turned to dejection. After all, the puppet was just a puppet, and the Undying Divine Emperor was an insurmountable chasm in his life.

Seeing Ming Zhi Tian's low spirits, Old Man Chang Jiang comforted him. "It is no shame to be defeated by me."

He then clenched his fist and continued, "I have endured a thousand years of refinement to achieve what I have today. You should feel reverence, not despondency and dejection after just one defeat."

Old Man Chang Jiang spoke with a hidden meaning, and Ming Zhi Tian understood. He looked up. "Thank you for your guidance, senior."

"Mhm, a promising student. Let's continue," Old Man Chang Jiang stroked his white beard and nodded with satisfaction.

Ming Zhi Tian was confused. "The victor has been decided. I know I am no match for you, and you still wish to continue?"

Old Man Chang Jiang playfully retorted, "Ah, that's where you're mistaken. As the saying goes, 'the student surpasses the master.' A minor defeat now does not preclude a major victory later. You should fight me again, learn more from it, and press on."

Of course, this was merely Old Man Chang Jiang's boredom after a century, his earnest desire for someone to play with.

Ming Zhi Tian wished he could have another bottle, ugh... He was too exhausted to fight again. "Junior concedes, can I not do that? Senior, how long must you step on me?"

Old Man Chang Jiang, afraid Ming Zhi Tian would stop playing with him, said, "Why would you think that? Alright, I won't hold back. If you fight me again, win or lose, I will teach you everything I know. How about this exchange of benefits?"

Ming Zhi Tian was now a cripple, trapped here. Looking around, he saw only purgatory and lava. There was no hope of escape. In this desolate land, where could he go?

The answer was nowhere. Losing his cultivation meant he had returned to being an ordinary person, destined to age, fall ill, and die slowly.