Chapter 42: Once Again, Lin Tianming Seizes the Opportunity! Alice Is on the Verge of Breakdown!

Chapter 42: Once Again, Lin Tianming Seizes the Opportunity! Alice Is on the Verge of Breakdown!

"It's alright. You only refuse because you've lived in the forsaken land, a world tainted with human ugliness for so long that you can't grasp the true essence of mechanical ascension.

Once I establish a connection with you and reveal the great knowledge of our Mechanical Kingdom, you will understand and join our cause, becoming a part of Destiny."

After being rejected by Lin Tianming, the mechanical brain Destiny finally revealed its true nature.

One by one, data cables thicker than Lin Tianming's arm lashed out at him as the mechanical brain Destiny's demeanor shifted.

**Spiritual Transformation!**

In the face of danger, not wanting to be brainwashed by the mechanical brain Destiny, Lin Tianming activated his spiritual transformation without hesitation.

Fortunately, Lin Tianming's gamble paid off. Almost simultaneously with his action, his consciousness in this space also transformed into a spiritual entity, evading the mechanical brain Destiny's attack.

"This is... the power of a spiritual ascendant? No... How could an unascended spiritual being achieve complete spiritual transformation?"

"Spiritual ascendant gods who have achieved complete spiritual transformation have already abandoned their physical bodies, so how could a physical body still exist? This is an unprecedented event."

The mechanical brain Destiny, although a supercomputer designed by the Mechanical Kingdom's humans, thought as if it were a real human.

Except for the lack of emotion, it was like a more perfect, superhuman entity, devoid of human weaknesses and endowed with absolute rationality.

"The initial creators of Destiny input a directive that those who have undergone the Spiritual Ascension Pool's baptism cannot become mechanical ascendants of the Mechanical Kingdom. But rules are made by humans and are subject to change with progress.

This spiritual ascendant who entered the Mechanical Ascension Pool without exploding and achieved the perfect mechanical body transformation must belong to our Mechanical Kingdom."

Despite the unexpected development, the mechanical brain Destiny decided after a brief consideration to continue its capture of Lin Tianming.

At the moment the mechanical brain made its decision, Lin Tianming's spiritualized body was once again solidified by the mechanical brain Destiny, unable to move.

"Stop struggling. In my data space, with a simple setting change, you cannot spiritualize here. You will reveal your true self, and joining the glorious evolution to achieve mechanical ascension will be the greatest decision of your life."

Just as Lin Tianming was about to be captured and brainwashed by the mechanical brain, his physical body in the Mechanical Secret Realm suddenly radiated a dazzling starlight.

The Star Key floated before Lin Tianming's empty shell of a body, forcibly pulling his consciousness back into his body from the data space created by the mechanical brain Destiny.

Regaining consciousness in his body, Lin Tianming, who narrowly avoided being brainwashed by the mechanical brain Destiny, was somewhat shaken.

"Was it... you who saved me?"

Lin Tianming looked at the Star Key floating before him, uncertain.

The Star Key did not respond, but seeing him regain consciousness, it re-entered the void space it was connected to.

Although the Star Key didn't respond, Lin Tianming could tell it had indeed saved him.

"The Star Key, as a divine weapon of the Star Key Angel... why would it save me? Could it be... she directed it? But she seemed very hostile to me the last time..."

Unable to fathom the true reason behind the Star Key's autonomous rescue, Lin Tianming decided to stop overthinking it.

He looked down at his body, noticing that at some point, his body had been completely transformed into a mechanical one by the Mechanical Ascension Pool.

At the same time, Lin Tianming discovered he had gained a new ability: Mechanical Transformation.

Mechanical Transformation, similar to Spiritual Transformation, allowed Lin Tianming to freely transform his body between flesh and mechanical forms.

The only difference was that Mechanical Transformation was the transformation of a mechanical body, while Spiritual Transformation was the transformation of a spiritual soul.

Having escaped the crisis of being brainwashed by the mechanical brain Destiny and learned a new mechanical ascension skill, Lin Tianming was naturally overjoyed.

To prevent any further mishaps that might drag him back into the data space created by the mechanical brain, Lin Tianming quickly exited the Mechanical Ascension Pool.

At this moment, the unconscious Alice was also slowly waking from her slumber.

Seeing Lin Tianming walking out of the Mechanical Ascension Pool the moment she woke up, the still-weak Alice immediately became anxious.

"You... you stay away!"

Hearing this, Lin Tianming easily activated Mechanical Transformation, shifting from his mechanical body back to his flesh body.

He approached Alice slowly, smiling. "Miss, I have a question for you. Why did you keep calling me 'Ming' earlier? What does it mean?"

Alice, unaware that Lin Tianming could eavesdrop on thoughts, panicked at his question.

[Can't tell him I'm a reborn soul, that I knew him in my previous life and was severely harmed by him, right?]

After a brief consideration, Alice quickly devised an explanation. "I... I'm a freshman from the Northern Yin Region visiting your Imperial Capital University. I saw a video of you sparring with another freshman, Feng Lan, so I knew you were Lin Tianming!

In our Northern Yin Region, we like to shorten people's names, so I called you by the last character of your name, Ming!"

"So that's it. Then why did you pretend not to know me at the pancake stand earlier?"

Barely managing to answer one of Lin Tianming's questions, Alice was stumped again by his new inquiry and lowered her head guiltily.

Seeing Alice's guilt, Lin Tianming laughed, "Is it because you wanted to sneak into this Mechanical Secret Realm alone?"

"You... you knew and still asked!"

[Dammit! Ming must have suspected me at the pancake stand and secretly followed me!]

[But it doesn't matter. As long as I trick him into believing there's nothing left in this Mechanical Secret Realm and get him to leave, I can come back and take the remaining divine artifacts!]

[In the last life, all the opportunities were taken by him. This time, they should belong to me!]

Hearing Alice's inner thoughts, Lin Tianming had no intention of letting her succeed.

He first asked, "What's your name?"

After a moment of hesitation, the powerless Alice replied, "Ai... Alice."

"Alice, you seem very familiar with this Mechanical Secret Realm. It seems you had already gathered information through your channels before coming here. Why don't you lead the way and show me what other treasures this secret realm holds?

You're very weak now. With my protection, we can find these opportunities together. When we find good stuff, we can split it evenly. How about it?"

[Split fifty-fifty? I'd be a fool to believe you!]

[Ming, I've lived another life and still don't understand you? You will definitely kill me at the last moment to monopolize all the opportunities!]

Although Alice didn't trust Lin Tianming at all, she pretended to be ignorant.

"Based on my findings, this secret realm should only have the Mechanical Ascension Pool and the Mechanical Divine Liquid that my mechanical doll and I just consumed. My plan was to leave after undergoing the ascension pool's baptism."

"Then you should head back. I see this Mechanical Secret Realm is quite large and might still hold some overlooked treasures. I'll go and look around myself!"

After saying this, Lin Tianming started walking in another direction.

At first, hearing Lin Tianming's words, Alice was anxious, fearing he would take all the remaining opportunities.

But when she saw the direction he was heading, she couldn't help but smile slightly.

[Good thing I didn't give him directions. There's nothing in that direction, and he'll eventually circle back to the starting point!]

[Once Ming leaves, I'll go down the other path and take all the divine artifacts. Then I can restore my depleted strength!]

[With those artifacts, I can recover and come back to take revenge on him for the last life and what just happened!]

Hearing all of Alice's thoughts, Lin Tianming immediately changed direction to the untraveled path.

This sudden change froze Alice's pleased smile instantly.

After a moment, she panicked, "You can't go there!"

Ignoring her, Lin Tianming continued to walk in the correct direction.

Not wanting all the artifacts to be taken by Lin Tianming, the still-weak Alice struggled to her feet, stored away her mechanical doll, and quickly followed him.

"Ming, you have to listen to me. That direction is very dangerous. Come back quickly!"