The fact that the entire realm has returned to fire made the team of the fallen reflect. Indeed, according to the usual mechanism of the spiritual realm, after completing a task, the instance would issue a notification. Seeing his teammates pondering, Red Chicken also took a moment to think, then said: "I think you're just being stubborn about this fire master's shame!" The All-Realm-Returns-to-Fire remained composed and coldly replied: "Our heads on our necks aren't just decorations. If the spiritual realm never makes mistakes, then it must be that we've made an error—there must be another reason behind the fall of the Mechanized City." Red Chicken was unconvinced: "Can't it be that we've already completed our task, but the Mechanized City's system requires a full通关 and doesn't allow going back, so we can only trigger the spiritual realm's notification after defeating the final boss?" All-Realm-Returns-to-Fire countered: "Then explain the notification we received upon completing the side quest 'Arrive in the Mechanized City before dark.' We had already entered the city at that time." Red Chicken paused, then suddenly thought of something: "Ah—because the gates hadn't closed yet." The entire realm fell silent, at a loss for words. Red Chicken Brother is occasionally quite clever, after all... Zhang Yuanqing mused, "Perhaps the memory of the black-robed spirit of resentment has been mistaken—specifically designed to mislead us." Xiao Yuan nodded. "That possibility cannot be ruled out." The group remained silent for a few seconds before Guan Ya spoke: "If Red Chicken Brother's hypothesis is correct, then we are in serious danger. According to the spirit's memory, it was the ancient war god who led the assault on the Mo Sect. The final boss of the Mechanized City might very well be him." "Impossible!" Zhao Chenghuang's face tightened. "We simply cannot encounter a master-level boss. The final enemy of the Mechanized City must either be two or three six-tier beings, or a weaker master-tier one." Everyone hailed from renowned noble families, possessing a far deeper understanding and familiarity with the mechanisms of the spiritual realm than the wild wanderers. If the instance features a peak Level 6 team, the boss must be of master-tier strength—otherwise, how could the spiritual realm practitioners be adequately tested and refined? After all, it's not guaranteed that a peer-level boss would be capable of standing against them. Yet, in this particular team, most members are Level 4 saints. Therefore, the final enemy cannot be a master-tier being. Considering the strength of the Primordial Sovereign, even a few Level 6 characters would hardly pose a fatal threat. Thus, the boss of the Mechanized City is likely a weaker master-tier entity. Guan Ya said, "My point is that it's probably a weakened version of the ancient war god—this would still represent a peak-tier evil profession. In that case, the team would likely suffer no casualties at all." Zhang Yuanqing replied, "Worrying about nothing in advance won't help. Let's go meet the boss. According to plan, we still have one more stage to complete." After a brief rest, the team set out again and eventually discovered a cave leading into the heart of the Mechanized City on the cliff face to the east of the valley. Proceeding along the winding mountain passage, sometimes ascending, sometimes descending, with countless turns and bends, the travelers avoided the bodies of the fallen, circumnavigating traps such as poisoned darts and hidden arrows. Deeper inside, the mechanisms grew stronger—poisoned darts and arrows now delivered a lethal dose, even capable of piercing armor. After advancing with cautious vigilance for fifteen minutes, they finally emerged from the cave, to find themselves in a vast, open space. This space, almost entirely excavated from the mountain's core, featured well-ordered buildings in the style of the Song Dynasty, arranged in a neat, structured layout, resembling a miniature ancient city. The city boasted advanced water supply, ventilation, and lighting systems. At its periphery, several large ponds stood, each bordered by rows of water wheels and several water pavilions. These pavilions diverted a portion of fresh water into man-made canals, providing daily water needs for the disciples. A massive crystal disc is embedded in the high, vaulted ceiling of the mountain cave, with a diameter of approximately sixty meters. It focuses light from outside the mountain, bringing illumination to this underground city. Stone corridors are built in layered spirals, ascending steadily toward the cave's apex. At intervals of ten meters, there are circular openings, each about two meters in diameter—initially estimated to be part of a ventilation system. However, no sound of fans or airflow is heard, possibly because the system has long since ceased operation, either due to prolonged abandonment or because the ancient inhabitants relied solely on open holes for ventilation. "What a magnificent sight," murmured Sun Miao-miao. "This must be the headquarters of the Mo Sect. If it hadn't suffered damage, it would surely have been even more impressive." Indeed, everything here is in a state of ruin. The Song Dynasty city appears to have been violently dismantled, with most buildings collapsed. The outer areas remain relatively intact, preserving many original features, but as one moves inward, the ruins become increasingly severe. A great battle must have taken place at the city's center at some point in the past. The corridors stacked one upon another atop the cave temple are likewise fragmented, broken in segments. The iron chains hanging from the corridors—originally meant to support platforms, wooden buckets, or other objects for lifting and lowering—now merely dangle as uneven lengths. Examining the ground traces, it's clear that there should have been numerous intricate mechanisms and devices here, as the team had observed rail-like structures. Yet now, the site is a ruin. Zhang Yuanqing’s knee snapped with a crisp sound. This move carried a bit of personal grudge... Zhang Yuanqing gritted his teeth, wrapping his arms around Sun Miaomiao beside him, "Hold on, hold on... please hold me..." At this crucial moment, he simply couldn’t touch Xiao Yuan. Sun Miaomiao resisted a few times symbolically before willingly settling her hands on his waist, stopping her small frame from acting as a cane. Xiao Yuan glanced at Sun Miaomiao and then looked at Zhang Yuanqing, saying, "Should we ask this little sister to help you as well?" She meant Shina Reo. "Miaomiao Aunt, don’t be so stiff and indirect... Guan Ya has come down." Guan Ya landed with a soft *plink*, speaking rapidly: "There’s an open space in the city center, about 1.2 kilometers from us. On that ground, there’s a... mecha. There are vital signs inside the mecha. Beyond that, no other enemies have been detected." "Mecha? Are you absolutely sure you mean a mecha? And can you see it clearly at 1.2 kilometers?" "Red Chicken looked unconvinced yet deeply interested: 'What kind of unit? Tall and imposing, or a Transformers-style robot?' 'Do men always have to be so dull? I said the enemy were mechs—do you care whether it's a Gundam or a Transformers?' Guan Ya said coldly. 'Let me rephrase: it's a three-meter-tall mechanical construct, humanoid in form. As for whether I can see it clearly, you don't need to worry about the scouts' sharpness.' 'Enough with the chatter. Since you know who the enemy is, follow the old routine—send out the reserves.' Zhang Yuanqing issued the order, then turned to Red Chicken. 'I always say the most handsome among the Transformers is Optimus Prime—correct, right?' 'I'd argue it's Bumblebee,' Red Chicken insisted. Zhao Chenghuang silently produced a bronze box, summoned an extraordinary yin corpse, and guided it through the wreckage, moving steadily toward the city center. The terracotta soldiers had limited range and could not operate remotely. Sun Miaomiao doesn't play second fiddle—Yuanshi Tianzun's own shadow body is already at the Saint level, making it a waste to use it as a disposable asset. Yuanshi Tianzun agreed, but Zhao Chenghuang wouldn't. He simply couldn't bear such a wasteful, reckless young man. Yuanshi Tianzun still showed some sense of honor, leaving Zhao Chenghuang a Level 5 shadow body. Zhao Chenghuang intended to purchase Sun Miaomiao's as well, offering her a 60% discount in appreciation of their long-standing childhood friendship. Cutting off the drifting thoughts, Zhao Chenghuang entered the shadow body, stepping carefully over bricks and broken timber, avoiding the numerous holes and crevices, and soon arrived at the central area, where he found a three-meter-tall humanoid mechanical construct standing still. He finally understood why Guan Ya called it a mech—compared to the earlier puppet figures he had seen, this mechanical construct was a true game-changer. The body was forged of bronze, while the elbows, knees, and wrists were constructed from strong, durable brass components. Its body is tall yet refined, even elegant, with a standard inverted triangle form—broad shoulders, a slender waist, and long legs. The bronze body is adorned with intricate, timeless patterns. The craftsmanship at the details is exquisite: the forearms are fitted with mechanisms housing bows and arrows, and the chest and abdomen are full and rounded, concealing a substantial store of supplies within. One hand holds a two-meter-long steel greatsword, the other a bronze shield as broad as a door. Zhao Chenghuang withdraws his gaze and examines this central area. Beneath the creature's feet lies a large, eight-traditional-arrangement diagram, cast from yellow copper, bronze, and black iron, with the creature standing precisely upon the Taiji fish. This region contains no buildings—resembling a city's public square. Of course, such a concept did not exist in antiquity; the casting of this iron octagonal diagram at the very heart of the city signifies its status as a paramount structure. Zhao Chenghuang stepped out of the street and reached the edge of the Bagua diagram, where he noticed three stone steles standing on his left, inscribed with "Mutual Love, Non-Attack," "Heaven's Will, Universal Concord," and "Expelling the Golden Invaders." "Two steles... The mechanical beings must be the boss. Isn't the grand boss of the Mechanical City's ancient war god? Is the antagonist of this quest actually from the Mo Sect?" Zhao Chenghuang was taken aback. According to the pattern of the Mechanical City, one philosophical concept per level—having passed through three levels and six concepts—there remained four concepts and two more levels to go. Now, all four Mo Sect philosophies were gathered here, clearly indicating that this mountain cave is the final map and the final level. This was different from what they had expected. Zhao Chenghuang turned his gaze back to the mechanical construct at the center of the Bagua diagram, considering whether to charge forward, leap up, and strike its knee to test the boss's attack pattern. The next moment, his eyes trembled violently. The mechanical creature had already stood two meters away, raising its iron axe high. Zhao Chenghuang, this spectral corpse, was a spirit-witch that had preserved his combat instincts—exhibiting superior reaction time, coordination, and explosive power. At the very moment he saw the mechanical being, his body instinctively moved faster than his conscious thought, executing a swift evasive maneuver. Yet suddenly, his tightly tensed frame lost control, and the sense of anxiety and urgency within him vanished inexplicably. Before him, this mechanical being seemed transformed into a kind, familiar elder, a close friend, even a trusted family member. Zhang Yuanqing and the others were greatly surprised, never expecting that Zhao Chenghuang had encountered so many hardships during his trip to the city.