Shennong Dao Master-Chapter 705 - 16: Shennong Hall in the Dream Palace

Entering the first level, the surrounding mist dispersed, revealing a hundred-meter-tall peak.

Standing atop the peak was a tall figure, and as Zhao Xing entered, she cast her gaze over.

"I am the Golden Spirit Heavenly Maiden."

A cold female voice appeared in Zhao Xing’s ear.

Hmm? A series of heavenly maidens?

Zhao Xing had never passed this level. After all, this was the Dream Palace, not the Yun Meng Academy he was familiar with.

However, remembering what the Mechanical Beast Xiezhi had mentioned, these were the highest rewards. It seemed each level had more than one reward.

Zhao Xing carefully examined the puppet mechanism named "Golden Spirit."

She wore dazzling silver armor, its silver brilliance sparkling. The intricate patterns on the armor flowed with mysterious power.

Her hair was purple, and she wore a cloak over her shoulders.

She held a twelve-foot-long spear, the entire body pure silver-white, the spear tip flashing with a cold glint, exuding a chilling killing intent.

Her features were exquisite, though her demeanor was extremely sharp.

"Aesthetic taste isn’t bad; this puppet mechanism is quite well made," Zhao Xing thought.

Mechanists rarely cared about aesthetics; humanoid puppets were rare.

Most of them were large beast-like puppets. Mechanists generally believed in one principle: bigger is better, more is good.

Except in certain departments, such as assassination, they were made smaller.

As for humanoid puppet mechanisms, even if they existed, they weren’t made for aesthetics.

Zhao Xing had seen lists of puppet mechanisms for sale in the Military Realm, and most humanoid puppets had only one appearance: bald male.

Why weren’t there bald females?

Zhao Xing had mentioned this to Gao Ming, a mechanist, during a chat.

Gao Ming’s answer was, "Because larger chests would hinder the puppet’s flying speed."

Zhao Xing joked, "Perhaps they’re all modeled after male mechanists."

In any case, female-looking mechanisms that resembled real people rarely appeared on a mechanist’s design list.

While Zhao Xing was observing, the puppet "Golden Spirit" continued, "In the first level, there are seven heavenly maidens like me, plus one Daylight Heavenly Girl."

"Our challenge requirement is only one: in the duel, knock us off the peak, knock away our weapons, or cause damage to our mechanical bodies."

"Defeat any one of the seven heavenly maidens to proceed to the second level."

Zhao Xing nodded. The guardian Xiezhi had mentioned the highest rewards.

To become a candidate for Chief Engineer, one must clear with the highest reward path.

But if not aiming for the candidacy, there were lower reward tiers available.

Golden Spirit continued to explain the rules, "My mechanical body is made of sixth-rank lower grade materials."

"It possesses a sixth-rank lower grade War Soul."

"If you are ready, come up to the peak."

Zhao Xing pondered over the significant indicators she mentioned.

"A sixth-rank lower grade puppet mechanism corresponds to fourth-grade Primordial Soul combat power."

"This means this puppet mechanism has at least one, or multiple, indicators reaching early-stage fourth grade."

"Defense must be up to par."

"The mystical patterns on her armor flow with the Geng Metal Skill. The use of a spear indicates she has been trained in at least one high-order martial skill. If it exceeds the seventh transition, her attack is also there."

The attack standard for the fourth-rank realm was generally a high-order magic seventh transition or a high-level martial skill seventh transition.

The third-rank realm mastered the "top-level skill" and "top-level martial skill." Its Dao’s realm was also higher.

For example, in the Great Dream Spring and Autumn, the "Dream Walking" level was a top-level spell, capable of killing in dreams.

Or the Ten Thousand Skill Grass Man, reaching the point of countless clones, also belonged to top-level spells.

The sword that Yang An used to cut the Heavenly Witch had also entered the ultimate level.

In the first rank to third rank, Dao, skill, and magic all advanced towards the top-level path.

Some excelled greatly, like Liu Tianning in his peak period, capable of millions of clones, achieving the ultimate level in the Grassman Skill.

Of course, he only reached the "ultimate" level in this aspect; it could only be said that his "skill" had reached the super-grade.

Comprehensive super-grade did not only surpass spells (martial skills) but also the physical body, Life Soul, and Dao.

In the middle three-rank realm, the skill and magic were at the high-level stage of exploration.

If the skill and magic levels were the same, the difference between fifth and fourth ranks was in Life Soul, the seven spirits of the physical body, and Dao (such as each occupation’s cultivation technique secret codex, like the Minister of Agriculture’s Heavenly Time Skill, Earth Advantage, and Path of Self, or the Martial Artist’s Sword Cultivation Path and Blade Cultivation Path).

"She has the usual sixth-rank lower grade ’War Soul,’ indicating she possesses sixth-rank ’combat instincts,’ having undergone countless battle training before ’leaving the factory,’" Zhao Xing thought to himself.

Mechanical War Souls couldn’t be considered true "spiritual wisdom" because they lacked emotions and independent thinking abilities.

But "War Soul" was a mechanist’s, or even many mechanists’, wisdom embodiment.

A sixth-rank combat puppet, once created, required a long period of training to possess a "War Soul."

The process could take many years, even decades.

The War Soul’s grade defined the puppet mechanism’s value; without a War Soul, a puppet mechanism was just an empty shell, unable to move. It would be dismantled and sold for money, or the War Soul would be re-cultivated.

In real combat, experience was crucial. The coordination of spells and timing often determined the victor.

"On paper, I can crush this puppet mechanism. No need to consider the environment," Zhao Xing glanced at the competition area on the mountain peak.

The mountain peak featured a circular platform, roughly the size of a football field.

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