"Qiao Yumu, you're not dead?"

Mond, covered in blood from his furious onslaught, was dumbfounded. He'd been fighting tooth and nail to avenge Qiao Yu's death, only to find him alive?

What had he been fighting so intensely for?

At that moment, the pitiful City Lord Mond suddenly began to doubt his life.

With the death of Huang Ying, the leader, the remaining members of the Hunter's Guild had lost all will to fight.

They had started with over a hundred people, and now less than ten remained. Almost all the others had fallen to the guards and mechanical enforcers.

Although Mechanical Wasteland had gained the upper hand, it was a pyrrhic victory. They too had lost a significant portion of their forces.

"Hehe, I was dead, but the underworld wouldn't take me. Said I wasn't underworld material and kicked me back."

Qiao Yu grinned, not at all embarrassed. After all, things had already come to this. There was no use in Mond regretting it now.

"Then, Brother Qiao Yu, is your offer to undergo mechanical modification still valid?" Mond asked.

"Of course! As soon as Professor Hua Jun is done, I'll have him perform the modification on me!"

Qiao Yu patted his chest, guaranteeing it with great conviction.

Once Hua Jun fixed the Mechanical Empress, he was running for the hills. Mechanical modification? Like hell!

"Good, good, good! Then I'll be waiting!"

Mond was overjoyed to hear that. If a human with an Ancient Sacred Body underwent mechanical modification, he could become the most powerful mechanical warrior!

Mond didn't know it yet, but he had been sold out by Qiao Yu, just like a hundred years ago.

Just as the two were harboring their own agendas, each believing they had achieved their goal, a terrifying aura descended from the sky.

Qiao Yu raised his head, his expression grave.

This aura was Wang (King) tier! And there was more than one!

But what were Wang tier experts doing in a C-grade dungeon? Weren't B-grade dungeons their usual stage?

"So strong! What's happening?" Mond was also panicking.

A dark figure slowly descended, able to briefly stay aloft through sheer power – the mark of a Wang tier.

Once someone reached the Wang tier, they basically wouldn't have to worry about dying from falling.

"It's over!" The instant he saw who it was, Qiao Yu's Adam's apple bobbed nervously.

He killed the son, and the father jumped out!

Seeing Huang Xiuqiang's grim face, Qiao Yu knew he was in trouble.

"Um, Brother Mond, hold on for now. I'm going to find Engineer Hua Jun and undergo mechanical modification. I'll be one step ahead!"

Qiao Yu turned to flee without hesitation. However, he suddenly felt a violent force rushing towards him, filled with intense killing intent!

"Clang!"

He turned and slashed out with his Yan Yue Blade, colliding with the force. Qiao Yu instantly coughed up blood and flew backward.

Only then did Qiao Yu see that the one who had attacked him was a hammer with a heartbeat!

With just one blow, Qiao Yu was heavily injured. This Huang Xiuqiang was even stronger than Ma Benwei!

"You killed my son, Huang Xiuqiang! You killed over a hundred members of my Hunter's Guild, and you think you can just run? No way in hell!"

Huang Xiuqiang's eyes were bloodshot, filled with intense hatred.

Although the deaths of over a hundred high-level members angered him greatly, it was the pain of losing his son that was the hardest to bear.

"Um, Brother Huang, you've got the wrong idea. The mechanical people from Mechanical Wasteland killed those members of your Hunter's Guild. It has nothing to do with me," Qiao Yu said with an awkward smile.

"???"

Mond's head was filled with question marks. He vaguely felt like Qiao Yu had sold him out, but he had no proof.

"Oh? Is that so?" Huang Xiuqiang's expression became incredibly ferocious. "Don't worry. Today, everyone here, whether human or ghost, as long as they're alive, will die!"

"Kill!"

At Huang Xiuqiang's command, four more Wang tiers appeared behind him!

Including Huang Xiuqiang himself, these five Wang tiers were the Hunter's Guild's top five combat powers.

Although the mechanical enforcers and guards had the advantage in numbers, they were only high-level.

The four Wang tiers from the Hunter's Guild moved like tigers in a flock of sheep, tearing apart three or four mechanical people in the blink of an eye, scattering black and red oil and broken parts everywhere.

Huang Xiuqiang himself walked towards Qiao Yu, step by step.

"Don't worry. I'll treat you the same way you treated my son. I, Huang Xiuqiang, don't hold grudges!"

"Really? Then thank you," Qiao Yu said with an awkward laugh.

The next moment, he waved his staff.

"Undead Megalodon!"

A skeletal Kun (a mythical giant fish) descended from the sky, opening its fangs and biting down on Huang Xiuqiang. Its massive skeletal body blotted out the sky.

But Huang Xiuqiang simply swung his hammer, and the skeletal Kun instantly disintegrated.

"Resisting? Like an ant trying to stop a chariot, overestimating yourself! Today, I'm going to crush your bones piece by piece!"

Huang Xiuqiang lifted his hammer and charged over, bringing it down on Qiao Yu with tremendous force.

Unable to dodge, Qiao Yu could only raise his Zhulong Yan Yue Blade to block.

"Clang!"

The Zhulong Yan Yue Blade collided with Huang Xiuqiang's hammer, creating a deafening clang.

Then, the heartbeat from Huang Xiuqiang's hammer grew more and more intense, as if the top of the hammer contained a vibrant heart.

The Zhulong Yan Yue Blade's shaft was bending under the pressure, and Qiao Yu could only grit his teeth, resisting with all his might.

"This is an A-grade +7 weapon that has awakened its weapon spirit! You think you can block me with your broken blade? Break!"

Huang Xiuqiang roared. The hammer released a tremendous force, trying to crush Qiao Yu, blade and all.

At that moment, Qiao Yu felt like the hammer had come alive, actively trying to kill him.

A cruel smile appeared on Huang Xiuqiang's face. He could almost see Qiao Yu being smashed into mincemeat.

But then, a strange phenomenon occurred in the sky above Mechanical Wasteland.

The clear sky instantly darkened, plunging into absolute darkness, so dark that one couldn't see their own hand in front of their face.

Huang Xiuqiang and the others, the original residents of Mechanical Wasteland, and even City Lord Mond, were all bewildered.

"What's going on? What's happening?"

"Why did the sky suddenly darken? Is it the end of the world?"

They had no idea what was happening, as nothing like this had ever occurred in Mechanical Wasteland before. It was as if the entire world had been swallowed by darkness.

Qiao Yu also felt a strange sensation. He felt like the Zhulong Yan Yue Blade in his hand had come alive!

The Yan Yue Blade trembled slightly, and then the shaft, which had been bent by the hammer, straightened instantly like a spine!

The hammer was even trembling, as if it were afraid?

It sounded bizarre, but Qiao Yu could clearly sense an emotion called fear from a hammer.

"Is this... Zhulong is awake?"

Qiao Yu suddenly felt a surge of excitement. The Zhulong Yan Yue Blade had a weapon spirit. When the blade was upgraded to A-grade, it had awakened the weapon spirit named Zhulong.

But after awakening, the weapon spirit had remained in a state of ignorance, as if it were asleep.

But at this moment, Qiao Yu clearly felt that Zhulong was awake!

The Zhulong Yan Yue Blade was like it had a life of its own, resonating with Qiao Yu!

[Ding! Weapon spirit has evolved! Zhulong has evolved from an ignorant stage to a juvenile stage.]

As the system notification sounded.

Swish!

A ray of light suddenly appeared in the pitch-black world, emanating from the Zhulong Yan Yue Blade in Qiao Yu's hand!

The entire Zhulong Yan Yue Blade transformed from pure black to pure white!

Then, it was as if a white sun had risen, instantly illuminating the entire world!

Closing its eyes is darkness, opening its eyes is light!

And the instant the Zhulong Yan Yue Blade lit up, a tremendous force exploded outwards, blowing away the hammer that had been pressing down on it!

The force even caused Huang Xiuqiang to stagger backward. He grunted and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were filled with disbelief.

The strange phenomenon had come from the broken blade in front of him?

Not to mention Huang Xiuqiang, even Qiao Yu, the owner of the blade, couldn't help but gasp. Was this weapon spirit, Zhulong, so incredible? Just being in the juvenile stage could trigger such a terrifying phenomenon?