Chapter 96

Above, there were two more platforms, arranged in a similar manner. It seemed that these massive jars played a crucial role in the Tower of Wisdom and were essential for maintaining its stability. The true god worshippers did not dare to destroy these jars; otherwise, they might not be able to leave this place.

During the journey to the fifth platform, the red light in the eyes of the two mechanical puppets suddenly intensified, and their pace quickened. Ji Ran and Anya exchanged a glance, both understanding that the members of the True God Sect were likely up there!

The two immediately stopped and waited for the mechanical puppets to ascend to the platform. Then, they quietly crept up, leaning against the railings on both sides. Once on the platform, they quickly hid behind a large jar and peered out to observe the center of the platform.

This platform was several times larger than the previous ones. There were only a few large jars around the edges, unlike the previous platforms which were more compact.

In the center of the platform was a structure similar to an altar. A faint blue light enveloped the altar, and within the blue light, a slowly rotating object, resembling an eye, floated.

This platform was not the final one; more spiral staircases led up into the starry sky. However, this eye-like object was undoubtedly one of the most powerful magical devices of the legendary Azure Wind, the Eye of Wisdom!

The true god worshippers were now standing on the platform, battling three massive mechanical puppets.

Two of them were the ones Ji Ran and Anya had released from the first platform. The third was the guardian of this large platform.

The third puppet was twice the size of the other two, standing about five to six meters tall. It had four arms and six legs, firmly supporting its massive body. One arm held a giant cleaver, another wielded a long whip, and the other two arms were equipped with two—hand cannons!

Indeed, the hands on those two arms had been replaced by small cannons!

Of course, these small cannons were not like those in Ji Ran's original world. They had a more magical style, adorned with intricate patterns. One cannon fired flame projectiles, and the other fired ice projectiles, both with immense power.

From the intensity of the battle, it was clear that this large puppet was more than a match for the other two mechanical puppets combined—perhaps even stronger.

Upon closer inspection, it was evident that this puppet was designed to guard the Eye of Wisdom, so it was only natural that it was powerful. Now, the true god worshippers were being held back by the three mechanical puppets.

"Damn it, how did those two mechanical puppets get up here? The magic array should have kept them trapped for much longer!" Mors waved his staff, casting divine spells from its tip. Not only did he attack the three mechanical puppets, but he also focused most of his energy on the other true god worshippers—after all, as a priest, while he had combat abilities, his support skills were even stronger.

The other true god worshippers were not of the Gold Rank, but the weakest among them were at least Level 5. With Mors's various status-enhancing divine spells, their combat abilities significantly increased. Therefore, even against the three mechanical puppets, which were beyond the imagination of ordinary people, they could still fight effectively and on equal terms.

"Forget it, no matter what, we need to break through the Eye of Wisdom's defenses first!" After casting another status-enhancing spell on the true god worshippers, Mors walked to the altar and placed his hand on the circle of blue light.

"Damn, the defenses here are even more complex than those of the outer gate... But it doesn't matter, there's no defense that Mors can't break!" He muttered to himself, then began to focus intently on his calculations.

"What do we do now?" Ji Ran looked at Anya. They had followed, but it was now clear that there was no easy opportunity for them...

The three mechanical puppets could be considered allies, but they wouldn't cooperate with them at all! Although the mechanical puppets had a bit of intelligence provided by the magic spirits inside them, they only acted according to pre-programmed instructions. They couldn't even match the intelligence of a magical beast, let alone a human. Distinguishing friend from foe was already a significant achievement; expecting them to understand human language was out of the question.

At least these three mechanical puppets were not capable of that.

Anya had mentioned that there were high-intelligence mechanical puppets, but they were not suitable for this place... The mechanical puppets here were designed to guard treasures, so they didn't need much intelligence. They just needed to follow orders and attack intruders. Too much intelligence would only decrease their efficiency in carrying out tasks.

The true god worshippers on the side were all highly excited, their potential fully unleashed by the various divine spells cast on them, significantly enhancing their combat abilities. However, this unlimited enhancement came with significant side effects. Even if they survived this battle, they would need to rest for at least ten to fifteen days.

The Holy Light Church also had divine spells, but their method of activation was gentler, with fewer side effects. Mages also had enhancement spells, but they infused the target's body with surrounding magical energy, which was slightly less effective but had even fewer side effects.

The true god worshippers were currently in a state of excitement, and if Ji Ran and Anya were to intervene, they would not fare well. Not to mention, Mors was there... As a Gold Rank powerhouse, he could easily kill them both.

Anya had no good solution and could only frown. "It seems we can only wait. Perhaps an opportunity will arise later..."

There was nothing they could do but watch.

The three mechanical puppets were extremely powerful, with sturdy defenses. The attacks of the true god worshippers only produced sparks and left shallow or deep marks on their bodies. In contrast, the mechanical puppets' attacks were devastating. A single swing of their long swords could easily knock back two or three true god worshippers, and their long whips controlled a large area. Any true god worshipper entering this area would be lashed and injured—slower movements could even result in being entangled by the whip.

Being entangled by the whip under the attacks of the three mechanical puppets was almost a death sentence. Ji Ran and Anya witnessed a true god worshipper, overly excited, charging recklessly towards the largest puppet, only to be entangled by the whip. In the next second, he was torn apart by the giant sword of the large puppet and the giant claws that shot out from the other two mechanical puppets' arms.

The scene was extremely bloody, and even Ji Ran felt uncomfortable, while Anya turned pale and covered her mouth.

Although she was the granddaughter of a master swordsman, she had never seen real combat until now, which was understandable. This was one of the reasons she insisted on participating in this mission—after all, only real combat could truly test her growth. However, this method was indeed too brutal.

Ji Ran gently patted Anya's back in a comforting manner. Anya turned her head, looked at Ji Ran, and shook her head slightly, indicating that she was fine. Then, she turned back and forced herself to watch the battle between the true god worshippers and the mechanical puppets.

Ji Ran was deeply impressed by Anya's determination... This was how a "tough woman" was forged, wasn't it?

The battle continued. The three mechanical puppets had combat abilities equivalent to the Gold Rank, but they were not true Gold Rank beings. Their defenses were even stronger, and their attacks were not weak, but their agility was much lower. Although they had ranged attacks like elemental cannons, the fanatical true god worshippers did not fear them!

Often, they used their bodies to block the mechanical puppets' attacks to prevent them from interfering with Mors. Mors, in turn, completely ignored the casualties, focusing entirely on breaking the Eye of Wisdom's defenses.

At this rate, the true god worshippers could hold out for another half hour without much difficulty. Such a long time would likely be enough for Mors to break through the Eye of Wisdom's defenses, right?

However, the strength of the three mechanical puppets was far greater than anyone had imagined.

It seemed that after a certain duration of battle, a pre-programmed sequence was triggered.

The largest mechanical puppet suddenly hummed, and its body rapidly transformed. The two arms equipped with elemental cannons retracted and repositioned, finally fixed on its shoulders. Its body armor also changed, making the other two arms longer and thicker, while its body became slimmer. This transformation made the mechanical puppet less cumbersome and more agile.

In fact, the transformation of the mechanical puppet was more than just increased agility.

The six legs of the large mechanical puppet suddenly stomped the ground, and its body leaped up. It raised its long sword and swung it at a group of true god worshippers!

With a loud thud, the sword landed, and the surrounding true god worshippers were thrown back. The sheer weight and momentum of such a large body were equivalent to a Gold Rank warrior's ordinary attack. But that was not all; a sweep of the whip sent several more true god worshippers flying!

After a series of attack movements, the large mechanical puppet turned to face Mors, and the two elemental cannons on its shoulders emitted red and blue light. Then, two elemental projectiles—one ice and one fire—flew directly toward Mors!

"Damn it, you useless lot!" Mors waved his staff, and a light wall appeared beside him. The elemental projectiles hit the light wall and exploded. The light wall held for a moment before shattering into pieces and disappearing. However, the remaining force of the elemental projectiles was also exhausted.

"This is troublesome! Fine, I'll have to waste one of these..." Mors muttered to himself, pulling out a strangely shaped statue from his pocket. With a wave of his hand, he threw the statue, and his staff emitted a beam of light that directly illuminated the statue.

"Go, Messenger of the True God!"

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