Xia Li gripped his old Spirit Core, injecting spiritual energy while fleeing.

  Fortunately, he could see the enemy's position. Otherwise, he couldn't even circle around, because the enemy clearly seemed to know his approximate location too.

  "Sis Ke, I think he knows where I am too. Any way to jam him?"

  "No can do. The Hidden Wing Heaven Chip has anti-tracking capabilities. Theoretically, others shouldn't be able to track you. But he's probably not using a Heaven Chip."

  "Then what is he using?"

  "Don't forget he's fully mechanized. I don't know how many modes his mechanical eyes have, but at minimum, thermal imaging and X-ray modes can see through walls."

  "Damn!"

  Xia Li now understood what it felt like to be technologically outclassed. While he was still lamenting his flesh and blood limitations, the enemy had already achieved mechanical ascension.

  Full mechanization had pros and cons. The downside was needing to frequently replace parts as cultivation advanced, or they wouldn't withstand the realm's intensity.

  Yes, fully mechanized individuals could still cultivate—their entire bodies were essentially spirit artifacts.

  The downside...

  They were cut off from the martial path forever. They could never touch the secrets of the physical body—that was exclusive to flesh and blood.

  The so-called martial path, like the sword path, was a branch of cultivation—just a larger branch with independent methods at each realm.

  Thus there were specialized martial Spirit Cores and sword Spirit Cores, and corresponding Heaven Chips.

  Of course, full mechanization wasn't necessarily weaker. It was its own path. Integrated mech Spirit Cores and Heaven Chips formed a seamless whole, extremely difficult to deal with.

  If Xia Li didn't still hold the belief that his body was a gift from his parents, he might have just gone for mechanical ascension too.

  Continuing his desperate flight.

  Xia Li scrambled through the alleys like a rat, hiding and dodging. Many buildings had collapsed into rubble.

  The residents of those buildings had fled at the first sign of conflict. In the lawless Black Street, this was just daily life—getting caught in the crossfire was just bad luck.

  One minute passed...

  Perhaps out of rage, the enemy suddenly leaped into the sky. Jets of flame burst from his back as he hovered in the air.

  "Xia Li, you're locked! Watch out for missiles!"

  Ke Xiao immediately warned him. Upon receiving the voice message, Xia Li rushed into a building almost instantly, looking up at the enemy.

  Then...

  He saw the man's chest plates open, revealing dozens of gun ports.

  Then came a barrage of small missiles!

  Xia Li hid in the building's ruins and cursed the enemy's entire family. Was this even human?

  Wait—the enemy probably didn't count as human anymore.

  He probably hadn't used missiles initially to save money and minimize attention.

  Killing someone quietly in Black Street was one thing. Using missiles for a forced kill was another matter entirely.

  After the bombardment ended, even with spiritual energy protecting him, Xia Li was covered in wounds.

  【Alert: Approximately 60% of your skin has suffered moderate burns】

  【Alert: You have inhaled hot ash. Lung damage at 24%】

  【Alert: Your...】

  One bombardment and Xia Li was half-dead. He lay in the rubble, struggling to raise his head at the enemy descending from the sky.

  A mechanical man made entirely of black alloy.

  "Number 327, you have one chance. Will you continue to fulfill your Company contract?"

  The machine extended its hand. Electromagnetic energy gathered in its palm—an electromagnetic cannon. A direct hit would scatter Xia Li's molecules.

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  "I... I... I'll fulfill..."

  Xia Li gasped as he struggled to his feet.

  "My ass!"

  Xia Li suddenly shouted, hurling the energy-filled old Spirit Core. Then, despite being only at Qi Refining, he launched himself into the air.

  He'd already taken a Cloud Breath Pill during the bombardment.

  The next moment.

  The Spirit Core exploded. No flames or smoke—only a devastating shockwave blasting outward.

  But before Xia Li could confirm the enemy's status, the enemy shot back into the sky and grabbed his arm.

  "Die."

  The mechanical man's voice synthesizer produced cold, emotionless words as he raised his palm toward Xia Li's head.

  【Disconnect prosthetic link!!】

  In that split second, Xia Li's thought was faster than the enemy's attack. Fortunately, the enemy had grabbed his prosthetic arm.

  Disconnecting from the arm, Xia Li's body fell. In that instant, a blue electromagnetic beam flashed past his head.

  Xia Li seized the opportunity to flee on qi. The enemy tried to pursue, but sparks suddenly erupted from his body. He lost altitude and plummeted.

  "Xia Li, now's your chance! Run! He's having a power malfunction. It won't take long to self-repair. Go to the marked location and enter the sewers!"

  Xia Li received Ke Xiao's message and immediately headed for the marked position.

  Soon he arrived. The destination was a rusty old manhole cover. Xia Li wasn't stupid—he immediately understood Ke Xiao's meaning.

  Opening the cover with one hand, Xia Li dropped into the sewers.

  "Don't worry about the filth now. Swim through!"

  Ke Xiao's next instruction arrived—this was to prevent thermal imaging and X-ray detection.

  With no choice, Xia Li held his breath against the nausea and swam through the sewage. Following Ke Xiao's subsequent guidance, he entered her underground modification station through a secret entrance in the sewer.

  Inside the station.

  Xia Li was in terrible shape—missing his right hand, covered in burns, coated in a layer of foul sewage.

  "I know you're exhausted, but I still suggest you wash up immediately. Don't catch some weird disease."

  "Okay..."

  Xia Li didn't refuse. He staggered into the bathroom.

  Several dozen minutes later.

  Xia Li emerged from the bathroom in clean clothes Ke Xiao had prepared. Unfortunately, his new outfit hadn't even gotten warm before it was gone.

  "Sis Ke, I really almost died this time... What happened to that guy?"

  Xia Li sat down right on the floor, already somewhat drained. The Company was really too much, sending that thing to assassinate him.

  But with such a big commotion, wouldn't Linguang City's officials do something?

  "He circled around looking for you, then left on his own. Don't worry, there won't be a next time. I've already reported to Linguang City officials. Qiming Mining's armed rating has been downgraded one level. They're no longer allowed to station D-class armed personnel in the city."

  "That guy was only D-class?"

  Xia Li was shocked. An existence that could have been a super soldier in the past was only D-class?

  "Yes, and only D-minus—just barely meeting D's minimum threshold. Your comprehensive armed rating is F-plus."

  "Tch..."

  Xia Li clicked his tongue. His hatred for the Company rose another level. If he hadn't earned so much in the other world and raised his cultivation quickly, today would have been certain death.