Year 117 of the Breaking Dawn Era.
Mo Yu stood inside the mechanical transformation lab, quietly watching the enlarged image of the mechanical nanobot displayed on the screen ahead.
Compared to the initial prototype, the mechanical nanobot had undergone some visible changes.
It still retained the black cube shape, but its surface now had ornate and beautiful patterns. If the image was zoomed in further, one could see faint golden dots of light circling its exterior, slowly seeping into the nanobot's body.
Now that the Spirit Absorption Formation was inscribed, the mechanical nanobot would stay in a constant state of autonomous energy replenishment.
This marked the true completion of the first mechanical nanobot.
It was built primarily using a composite material made from Forbidden Magic Metal and Meteorite Stone. On top of that, the Spirit Absorption Formation had been engraved on its surface to ensure that it could continually draw in ambient spiritual energy for power.
Additionally, a Stabilization Formation had been inscribed inside the mechanical nanobot.
Its function was to reinforce the structure of the nanobot's body, enhancing both its durability and the integrity of the formations etched into it.
Finally, a nanoscale signal receiver had been specially embedded within.
That was a precaution.
Mo Yu's ultimate goal was to control the nanobot via consciousness, but even he wasn't certain it could be done.
Building the mechanical nanobot had come at an enormous cost.
Counting the resources, manpower, and the contribution points paid to the Silver Moon Clan, the total investment had reached 80 million bloodstones.
Over the years, Star City had steadily developed. The Western Front Supply Zone had brought back increasing amounts of spiritual resources. But even so, this massive expense had a noticeable impact on Star City's growth.
To make it work, the city had no choice but to halt some ongoing construction projects and divert resources to the Mechanical Transformation Division where Mo Yu worked.
If the consciousness-control approach failed, it wouldn't be a total loss.
Star City could still rely on signal-based control to make use of the mechanical nanobot.
But signal-based control came with too many flaws.
When faced with jamming or interference, the nanobots would be rendered completely useless.
That was the fallback option—only to be used if there was no other choice.
Staring at the finished nanobot, Mo Yu's artificial eye whirred as it shifted.
Creating the first nanobot had been the hardest part. Mass production from here on wouldn't be as difficult.
The current available resources were enough for him to build the first batch of mechanical nanobots for field use.
Next, he would begin cultivating Eternal Spirit.
…
Time flew by like an arrow.
Year 121 of the Breaking Dawn Era.
Star City Central Park.
It was autumn again. The dried, yellow maple leaves floated down with the breeze, covering the ground in a thick carpet.
After many years, Mo Yu once again stood before the heroic statue of Feng Qi.
Looking up at the statue, he quietly recounted the journey of the past few years in his mind.
It had been a long time since he'd seen Feng Qi. Toward this legendary figure in human history—his personal guide—Mo Yu always held deep gratitude and respect.
In just five days, he would take the final step of the mechanical nanobot plan—full-body nanobot mechanization.
Whether he succeeded or failed, not even Mo Yu himself could say.
As the first to blaze the trail of mechanical transformation, it was inevitable that he'd face the risks of exploration. He had no regrets.
The one regret buried deep inside was the vow of vengeance from years ago, still unfulfilled.
After bowing deeply to the statue of Feng Qi, Mo Yu turned and walked away without hesitation.
…
Five days later.
In the afternoon, the largest model of the Tiger Soul transport vehicle departed from the Tiger Soul Base and headed toward the Western Supply Zone of Star City.
In its cargo bay were several large pieces of equipment.
Thick, tangled cables ran between the machines, with blinking lights showing that every unit was currently powered on.
Mo Yu sat in the bay, his gaze sweeping across the equipment beside him.
Finally, his eyes locked onto a jet-black iron box directly ahead.
Inside that box was the work of his life—the mechanical nanobot.
The transport vehicle sped smoothly down the main highway that connected Star City to the Supply Zone. As dusk began to fall and the sun dipped toward the horizon, the silhouette of a bustling city gradually emerged at the far end of the skyline.
This city had developed for over a century. It was no longer what it once had been.
Originally, it was just forestland covered in thick greenery. But now, it had become a fully modernized city.
Its level of modernization even surpassed most areas of Star City.
Aside from frontline warriors, a large number of civilian support personnel had also settled here to serve those on the front lines.
As the transport vehicle entered Supply City, the first structure to come into view was a tall watchtower.
The watchtower had long since been abandoned. Time had corroded every inch of it, and the tower was now covered in signs of decay.
Similar watchtowers like this one could be found all over Supply City. As the supply zone continued to expand westward, more would be built along with it.
At 3 a.m., the transport vehicle arrived at the frontmost line of the supply zone.
This was also the busiest area in all of Supply City.
Though there were no tall buildings here besides the watchtowers, every structure in the area was mobile.
These mobile buildings were the result of years of experience gathered from developing the front line.
As the front line pushed westward, new buildings constantly had to be erected. The older structures in the rear would gradually fall into disuse.
To maximize resource efficiency, human architectural scholars developed this type of mobile building.
Now, when the front line advanced, the buildings at the front could move forward with it.
These buildings were also equipped with the latest tech, including devices that could detect domain creatures. The materials used for construction far exceeded the standards of most Star City buildings.
As they entered the front line, the crowd thickened.
Everywhere were fully armed frontline warriors. Shops stayed brightly lit through the night. On the streets, frontline enforcers wearing "Inspector" badges patrolled constantly.
Their job was to maintain public order and guard against sudden attacks by domain creatures.
Compared to the chaos during the early development of the supply zone, things were now running like clockwork.
Supporting infrastructure along the way was comprehensive and well-maintained.
Weapon shops, item rental stores, domain combat squad offices, watchtowers, hotels... But beyond the basic facilities, what made the supply zone truly unique were the domain combat squad bases located behind both sides of the main street.
This area used to be wilderness, so each domain combat squad assigned here received a sizable plot of land.
Any group that reached A-Rank could gain permission to custom design their base. Specialized construction crews would then come in to carry out those plans.
Life on the front lines meant living with death constantly looming. These humanized services existed so that even in a place like this, frontline warriors could enjoy conveniences and comforts no worse than those in the city.
Every year, Star City allocated 5% of its resources to improving the lives of frontline soldiers.
At the end of the year, a questionnaire was distributed to all frontline warriors.
Each soldier could rate the services provided in the supply zone and offer suggestions for improvement.
These suggestions were collected and submitted to the Supreme Council of Star City. In the following year, they would be used to plan a new round of upgrades to the supply zone.
The entire process was fully transparent.
Citizens of Star City were also well aware that frontline soldiers enjoyed a much higher standard of living.
Yet no one objected.
Everyone understood one thing clearly—the peace and comfort they enjoyed were bought with the blood and sacrifice of those fighting on the front lines.
The calm days they lived were carried on the backs of those who bore the heaviest burdens.
…
The transport vehicle carrying Mo Yu finally stopped in the central square of the frontline supply zone.
At the very center of the plaza stood a towering statue of Feng Qi, over several dozen meters tall.
A fountain surrounded the base of the statue, and people moved throughout the square. Some stopped in front of the statue to pray.
These worshippers were mostly devout followers of Feng Qi.
Through their faith, they formed a spiritual connection with him, allowing them to temporarily borrow unique abilities tied to his innate talents.
And on the front lines, the proportion of believers was far higher than in the cities.
Some of these believers had used borrowed powers to survive life-threatening situations. Afterward, their faith in Feng Qi only deepened, and they actively promoted the benefits of belief to others.
As a result, the number of Feng Qi's followers in the supply zone had skyrocketed.
Faith in Feng Qi was different from worshiping a deity.
Gods were vague and unreachable, offering no tangible response.
But Feng Qi was a historical figure from the last century. His existence was verified in history books and documented in records and footage.
More importantly, if one's belief in Feng Qi was strong enough, they could form a mental connection with him and gain real, functional powers.
This era was still exploring the use of borrowed innate abilities, but it was steadily heading toward the future that Feng Qi had envisioned—an age where everyone possessed superpowers.
Once the transport vehicle stopped in the square, it began to transform.
The cargo bay unfolded, laying flat to form a platform, and the machines inside were lifted and arranged by robotic arms.
Mo Yu stood on the platform, looking around.
After so many years, he had returned once more to the frontline supply zone.
The memories were vivid. The faces of his wife and brothers flashed through his mind.
He still remembered the oath he made—to take revenge for them.
If this operation went smoothly, he would finally fulfill that promise.
With that thought, Mo Yu stepped toward the black iron box and pressed his hand against it.
Click.
The iron box let out a crisp sound and slowly opened.
All the nearby instruments powered on at the same time. Mechanical arms began moving toward Mo Yu's body.
Amid the curious stares of the warriors wandering the square, Mo Yu's mechanical body was disassembled bit by bit.
In the blink of an eye, only the chip that stored his consciousness remained.
At that moment, a cloud of black mist from within the iron box drifted toward the chip and wrapped around it.
The consciousness segmentation process began.
After years of cultivation, Mo Yu had strengthened his consciousness to the very limit that the chip could bear.
Any further enhancement would surpass the chip's capacity.
At this point, he had no choice.
He had considered continuing to strengthen his consciousness—even if it shattered the chip—so he could live on as a pure consciousness form.
But Feng Qi had shut down that idea.
Feng Qi told him that a consciousness without a physical vessel was a consumable.
No matter how powerful, it would gradually weaken in the real world.
If consciousness was the person, then the body—or any kind of vessel—was the ship carrying it through the vast sea.
A powerful consciousness could swim in the sea without a ship, even face raging waves head-on. But it couldn't remain submerged in the ocean forever.
And the real world was that ocean.
The Domain World had flesh-and-blood life, elemental life, and spiritual life, but never a consciousness that existed independently.
To explain further, Feng Qi told him about what a real consciousness-based lifeform looked like.
That being was called a Negative Consciousness Entity. It couldn't exist on its own and could only cling to Feng Qi's mental sea, rarely venturing outside of it to survive.
That made Mo Yu realize that further development of his consciousness was impossible.
This was already the limit.
As the mechanical nanobots began to consume the chip, Mo Yu's consciousness form appeared.
In this state, Mo Yu took on the shape of his former human self. But now he was entirely golden, with no trace of flesh or blood.
Following the programmed procedure, the mechanical nanobots began devouring Mo Yu's consciousness. Each one took a bite, then flew away.
During the process, Mo Yu felt pain at the level of his consciousness.
Ever since his body underwent mechanical modification, he hadn't felt pain in a long time. He had almost forgotten what it was like.
But this kind of mental pain went far beyond what any physical body could endure.
Just as the flesh served as armor for the body, the body itself was armor for the mind.
Every second of this pain felt like an entire century.
Every second was pure torment.
But once the program began, there was no stopping it. Mo Yu had already cut off his escape route.
More and more mechanical nanobots consumed fragments of his consciousness, becoming vessels for it.
Several hours later, Mo Yu's golden consciousness form was completely devoured.
Without program control, the mechanical nanobots floated in the air, shifting and merging in a smoky cloud that drifted and scattered.
At the nano-level—unseen by the human eye—Mo Yu's consciousness was slowly awakening.
But the degree of segmentation was far greater than he had imagined.
Reconnecting his fragmented awareness was painstakingly slow. It could barely be called progress.
By the next morning...
The cloud of dispersed nanobots suddenly converged.
Mo Yu, in human form, stood on the platform.
He lowered his head and looked at his mechanical nanobot-formed body. A helpless look appeared on his face.
The mechanical nanobot transformation could be called a success—or a failure.
But Mo Yu had already prepared himself mentally. He didn't dwell on it.
Standing on the transport platform, he began running data tests on his new body.
These precious test results would serve as guidance for future generations of mechanical transformation pioneers.
After becoming fully mechanical at the nano level, his body had no fixed shape. The human form was just a personal preference.
He could change form at will.
He could even mimic a full disguise, just like with transformation techniques. As long as he had the target's physical data, he could replicate them with 1:1 accuracy.
Heart, throat, energy core... all the vital weaknesses typical of living beings no longer applied to him.
Every part of his body was now a lethal weapon.
The continuously collected data proved that all his years of effort had not been in vain.
And the support Star City had given him over the years would finally pay off.
…
Three days later.
With all the data recorded, Mo Yu looked up at the statue of Feng Qi.
After a deep bow, his body dissolved into black mist and flew toward the Black Wind Domain Field.
This time, he would fulfill the promise he once made—
To take revenge on the Black Wind Clan.