Chapter 226: The Local Gangs Are Quite Violent
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
However, the iron ball thrown by the Bone Women was not a grenade.
A silver-gray mist filled the air, a metallic aerosol enveloping the battlefield, designed to disrupt electronic signals and impair the cultivators’ perception.
The gunfire didn’t stop; in fact, it intensified. A slender figure from the Bone Women’s camp leaped into the mist, drawing a long sword from her waist.
The clanging of metal collisions resounded as the slender figure flickered like a ghost, quickly breaking into the enemy ranks.
The frontmost Hair Ghost members looked up to see an enemy commander with a ferocious mask.
Her artificial body bore distinct female characteristics, her slender waist and prominent figure barely concealed by her robe, fluttering like a dangerous yet beautiful desert rose.
The High Heavenly Plain adhered to the teachings of the Supreme Turing Celestial Master, abiding by the principle of [Anchoring Humanity].
Before reaching the Nascent Soul realm, cultivators using alternate bodies wouldn’t change their gender, even if using beastly artificial bodies, maintaining basic human characteristics.
Monomolecular threads erupted from her fingertips, severing the enemy’s heads, her sword qi sweeping through the battlefield as the dangerous yet beautiful Bone Woman harvested the lives of the Hair Ghosts.
A cold snort sounded from the Hair Ghost camp.
A burly and tall figure with bundled neural cables resembling a lion’s mane, the Hair Ghost commander charged into battle.
“Clang!”
The Bone Woman swung her samurai sword, which was caught by the Hair Ghost’s palm, sparking metallic fireworks.
The Hair Ghost commander was a true artificial human, at the Golden Core stage. The Bone Woman commander was the same. When these two commander-level figures collided, a fierce battle ensued.
Those qualified for close combat weren’t limited to the commanders. Both camps also had Foundation Building cultivators.
The silver-gray mist obscured vision and blocked cybernetic perception, making it extremely difficult to hit the enemy with gunfire.
Foundation Building cultivators infiltrated enemy ranks, reaping lives like tigers among sheep. Robes deflected stray bullets, and even when hit, their powerful artificial muscles allowed them to continue fighting.
Thrusters roared as the slender Bone Woman and the lion-like Hair Ghost took to the skies, engaging in aerial combat unique to Golden Core cultivators.
“Clang clang clang…”
Swords clashed with special gauntlets, the combatants fighting from the sky to the ground and then soaring again with their thrusters.
Golden Core cultivators with “external pills” possessed immense endurance, and their metallic bodies granted them fearlessness in the face of injury.
The battle raged on for half an hour. Both the Bone Woman and the Hair Ghost bore extensive wounds, even their artificial bodies showing signs of metal fatigue.
The polymer-made samurai sword became nicked, and the Hair Ghost lost several fingers.
Finally, in a last collision, the Bone Woman’s sword slashed into the Hair Ghost’s shoulder, tearing off his right arm, while the Hair Ghost’s left arm pierced the Bone Woman’s chest, grabbing her spine.
For the Bone Woman, this was an undoubtedly perilous moment.
The spine connects the limbs and supports the body, transmitting instructions from the brain chip throughout the body.
The Supreme Turing Celestial Master had noted in his scriptures that the spine is the bridge between the brain and body, like a dragon running through the entire length.
Before reaching the Nascent Soul stage, one must never discard it.
But the Bone Woman didn’t panic; instead, she felt a certain resoluteness.
Had her battle body not been entirely metallic, the face beneath the mask would probably have revealed a faint smile.
A streak of light flashed in the darkness, a hidden weapon suddenly appeared,
shooting towards the back of the Hair Ghost’s head.
The Bone Woman was not merely a warrior; she also practiced the art of the ninja. This hidden weapon, prepared for the Hair Ghost, was her trump card.
Coated to block sensory perception, the weapon could be considered a mini flying sword, capable of penetrating artificial bodies with a mere thought.
The hidden weapon tore through the artificial body, piercing the Hair Ghost’s brain, then vibrated rapidly, grinding its contents and the chip to dust.
“Crack.”
But the Hair Ghost’s movements didn’t slow in the slightest; one hand twisted and broke the Bone Woman’s spine.
“Bang!”
The Hair Ghost decapitated the Bone Woman, whose still-functional right arm held up her head while her intact left arm grabbed the flying sword embedded in her brain.
“Who told you I kept my brain in my head?” the Hair Ghost mocked with a flash in his cybernetic eye.
“I’ve been practicing the [Headless Ghost] technique for several months, and today was the first time I tested it on the battlefield, and it worked.”
His real head was located in his chest cavity; the metal ball on his neck was just a decoy.
Before the fight, the Hair Ghost had planned and strategized, creating a vulnerability to lure the enemy.
For the Hair Ghost, it was a gamble that the Bone Woman would choose to destroy the chip in his brain rather than his spine —
The former would be a fatal blow, while the latter might allow for counterattacks.
While talking, the Hair Ghost infiltrated the control system of the flying sword, “refined” it, and then crushed the Bone Woman’s head.
Some cultivators liked to take their enemies’ heads back to their base, put them in special artificial bodies, connect the nerves, and extract or humiliate them.
The Hair Ghost didn’t engage in such meaningless actions, not just because of his personality but also due to his cultivation requirements.
His special scripture required daily killings to satisfy a “craving for blood” before reaching the Nascent Soul stage.
With the increase in his cultivation level, the demand for killing also grew.
He lowered his head, looking at the ongoing chaotic battle below. The Bone Women’s leader had been decapitated, their morale had crumbled, and they began to retreat, while his own side, the Hair Ghosts, surged forward victoriously, pursuing the defeated enemies.
The overall situation was decided.
The Hair Ghost tossed the remains in his hand aside, about to join the battlefield to release his desire for slaughter, when he noticed a man and woman standing at the edge of the district.
Using his high-precision artificial eyes, the Hair Ghost saw the couple’s expressions.
They looked calm and composed, even curious, as if they were merely watching a play.
“Two mortals?”
The Hair Ghost glanced at them, assessing their presence.
In the cyber-enhanced City of Night, natural humans without any modifications signified the lowest social stratum.
If they were artificial humans, the Hair Ghost would have hesitated, but since they were mere mortals, there was no need for much consideration.
The Hair Ghost didn’t have access to the High Heavenly Plain’s city entry database, nor did he intend to use it.
First, because they were just two mortals, it wasn’t necessary to conduct a thorough investigation.
Second, even if they were artificial humans, facial information could be altered, and city registration was merely a good reason to collect fees.
When the battle erupted, the shopkeepers on the street wisely locked their doors and shut down their surveillance systems.
Even though they knew what was happening, none dared to peek.
Yet, tonight’s operation was witnessed by these two inquisitive mortals…
This was problematic.
Damaging property required compensation, and the Public Security Bureau would investigate such gang conflicts.
But with his connections, as long as there was no evidence, it wouldn’t be considered a crime.
That was why gang conflicts involved destroying surveillance devices and wearing masks.
The faces beneath the masks were also fake, and before the operation, even the chips used were specially made.
Apart from their biological brains, everything they used had no record of their identities.
Thus, when the gang leaders faced inquiries from the Public Security Bureau, they could confidently say, “Sir, we are all conducting legitimate business.” The Public Security Bureau knew they were lying, and the gang leaders knew the bureau knew they were lying.
But who would go against money?
A third of the protection fees collected from the residents each month went into the pockets of the head of the Public Security Bureau.
Driven by a swelling desire to kill, the Hair Ghost was ready to slaughter the young couple, even without considering the need for secrecy. His cultivation method required it.
Thrusters roaring, the Hair Ghost, wielding a long sword, charged toward the couple.
He couldn’t wait to tear their bodies apart, letting blood flow, breaking their bones, and bisecting them.
Just then, the young couple did something the Hair Ghost hadn’t anticipated.
They turned and ran into a dark alleyway..
