Only at the Mahayana Stage Does the Reversal System Appear - Chapter 536

Chapter 534: The Age of Universal Machinery

“This world is a continental world, called the Forging World. Before we came to this world, the senior scholar, the Great Confucian Calligraphy, told us that there were no humans in this world, only robots. At first, we didn’t believe it, but when we arrived in this world, we discovered that this world really does not have a single human.”

“We naturally thought of what the textbook said, that all worlds have humans.”

“We thought the humans in this world were extinct, but the Great Confucian Calligraphy said not. It said these robots have souls, and guessed that the humans in this world survive in the form of robots.”

“The ruler of the Forging World is called the Mechanical King. We found the Mechanical King, explained our origins, and hoped for his help. But when he heard that the Kyushu World was full of powerful people and long-lived people, his expression changed drastically. He wanted to capture us. Considering that we were outsiders, the sect leader did not want to conflict with them, so he took us away to explore the truth of the world alone.”

“As we explored history and explored the ruins submerged in the sand river, we gradually discovered the truth that this world is full of robots.”

“In the beginning, the Forging World was just an ordinary technological civilization. It had just mastered controlled nuclear fusion and solved the energy problem. Humans were the masters of the world, and robots were auxiliary tools.”

“Humans yearn for life and hope to be immortal. Even if they start with genes, reducing disease genes and increasing longevity genes, they cannot live too long. Various unexpected problems will always appear in the body, and eventually there will even be incurable diseases such as ‘genetic diseases’.”

“People replaced the problematic parts with machines, mechanical hearts, mechanical respiratory tracts, mechanical lungs, mechanical stomachs. Except for the brain, everything they have is mechanical.”

“Later, their technology achieved a major breakthrough, and they can replace the brain with a mechanical brain.”

“Since then, they have achieved their goal, completely freed themselves from the constraints of flesh and disease, become a mechanical race, and entered the era of universal machinery.”

“Although they cannot live forever, everyone can live to the limit of ordinary people’s lifespan, which is 140 years old.”

If you want to extend it further, you need to cultivate your soul, and the technological level of the Forging World has not reached this level.

“This is all the history we, the Sect Master, and Senior Immortal Artifact discovered while exploring the ruins. It’s so ancient that no one knows about it anymore. The people of this world believed they had been mechanical beings since ancient times.”

“After we investigated the history, the Sect Master raised a new question: how do robots reproduce? Souls don’t appear out of thin air, nor do they attach themselves to newborn robots.”

“Later, we learned that these newborns all come from a place called the ‘Mother of All Living Things.’ We decided to split up and form three groups to search for the nest. Senior Great Confucian Calligraphy will go one way, the Sect Master will go one way, and the rest of us will go together.”

“The robots here all drink gasoline mixed with alcohol. We found a clue in a liquor store, infiltrated the metropolis, used magic to deceive the guards, and finally arrived at this underground base two thousand meters below the ground.”

Jiang Li nodded. The base wasn’t covered in soil, but rather sixteen layers of insulation: sixty-meter-thick concrete walls, a lead-zirconium alloy to mitigate nuclear attacks, and a thick carbon nitride membrane… Graphite powder was used between each layer. Even with continuous nuclear explosions, earth-buster bombs, or a direct meteorite impact, the base wouldn’t feel a single tremor.

“Just when we were about to succeed, we triggered the alarm. We had no other choice, so we called in the Human Emperor and Sect Leader Bai.”

One of the young cultivators pointed to a gate that took up an entire wall behind the mechanical guards and said, “Behind this gate is the ‘Mother of All Living Things.'”

Jiang Li set aside the mechanical guards that blocked his path, placed his hand on the heavy gate, and understood its workings.

“This door is made of a mixture of rare metals, interspersed with precision gears. It can only be opened by a specific robot’s engine code, voice, and soul. If anyone attempts to force the door open, it will automatically lock, and only that specific robot can open it…”

Several young monks panicked, “That specific robot is the Mechanical King; it can’t help us open the door.”

Jiang Li gave a gentle push, and the door automatically locked. Then, with a force like a flood or a beast, it was forced open.

“…But if you have more strength, you won’t have to worry about these difficulties.”

Before Jiang Li, this sturdiest door, embodying the wisdom of the mechanical civilization, was no different from a piece of paper.

Pushing open the door, the young monks were met with a scene they couldn’t comprehend.

Countless identical male babies were bathed in nutrient tanks.

The tanks were neatly arranged according to the babies’ developmental stages, from embryonic form with attached placentas to the stage where the placentas were severed and eyes, mouths, and esophagus were developing.

The liquid in the tanks seemed to have the effect of separating the soul. When the baby reached one year old, the soul left the body and attached itself to the newly born small robot.

After receiving its soul, the small robot began to move, crawling around like a baby, babbling.

The Mother of All Creatures is the place that grants robots souls.

Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu weren’t surprised. Upon arriving in this world, they had scanned the mechanical production line behind the gate with their spiritual sense and knew everything.

“Since robots can’t generate souls, we use cloning technology to create babies, thus providing a source of souls.”

Jiang Li clapped his hands. “Let’s go up and take a look. There are people waiting for us up there.”

Several young cultivators were puzzled.

…

On land, Jiang Li saw countless “people,” who, to the n*ked eye, looked identical to humans.

One of the young cultivators muttered, “There’s a ‘skin-changing shop’ here. Robots can change their skins freely, even if they’re duplicates. Everyone relies on brainwaves to identify them.”

The leader wore the attire of a high-ranking military officer, and the sheer volume of honors hanging on his chest spoke volumes about his status.

The Mechanical King, the combined military and political ruler of the Mechanical Forging Civilization.

The Mechanical King appeared to be a calm, middle-aged man, but his actual age was ninety.

Because of his robotic body, as long as his soul didn’t age, he could maintain the youthful spirit and vitality.

The heavily armed army, the stern Mechanical King, and all sorts of new, unprecedented weaponry—all of them harbored immense hostility towards Jiang Li and his companions.

“Fire at the thieves who infiltrated the Mother of All Beings!”

This is the most prosperous city of the Mechanical Forging Civilization, home to 40 million robots. Upon learning of an underground infiltration, the Mechanical King quickly dispersed the citizens, determined to bring these thieves to justice.

He envied the cultivators from the Nine Provinces.

They had even abandoned their bodies for the sake of longevity, yet how could these mortals live for centuries and millennia?

When Huang Chengdan, the leader of the Spiritual Medicine Sect, introduced himself as 800 years old, it was this statement that drove the Mechanical King mad with envy.

(End of Chapter)