Traveler of the River of Time and Space-Chapter 572 - 48: Mechanical Soul

The ultimate goal of the Mechanical Pantheon is to establish an Empire that combines politics and religion.

However, to achieve this goal, merely spreading Faith is not enough, so they've devised a small trick: implanting mental suggestions deep within everyone's minds.

This was a common practice in the past.

In the chaotic times thousands of years ago, many powerful Spiritual Warlords used mind manipulation to dominate a region, a country, or even a planet.

The Mind Synchronization Device beneath the Golden Palace also possesses such a function.

Of course, this is not its true purpose.

After the failure of Spiritual Ascension, all citizens of the Empire must rely on the Mind Suppression Barrier to live normally, while the Mind Suppression Barrier is only the outer layer of the Mind Synchronization Device. Although one of the initial purposes of this device was that, in case of rebellion, the Emperor could easily use Mental Control to subdue others, in practice, this function has never been used once.

Not only because the Imperial Family has some principles, but also because using it comes at a certain cost, since it involves invading the minds of millions.

Behind Su Ziyu was a trail of blazing firelight.

Holding Empress Isabella, he broke through the front lines, rushing into the enemy's encirclement amidst the sky full of electromagnetic beams.

—"Sunlight Spear!"

A Thunder Spear composed entirely of golden lightning sliced through the air. In the exploding dance of electric serpents, Su Ziyu's pupils transformed into glaring golden light, visibly cutting through the space ahead and evaporating a Knight from the Mechanical Church. He then stomped the ground firmly, and a burst of Telekinesis instantly overturned the overhead passage, causing massive boulders to fall, and before they buried everyone, his figure vanished like a fleeting shadow.

Rumble.

Most of the passage collapsed, and Su Ziyu had just steadied his footing when he suddenly pushed Empress Isabella aside.

A streak of dark light flashed.

A slender figure seemed to appear in the darkness, accompanied by a fleeting dark shimmer. Su Ziyu's Spiritual Protection Field shattered instantly, a trace of blood appearing on his abdomen.

Tatatata.

In the darkness appeared a slender figure slightly abnormal, carefully observed, revealing electronic eyes glowing with a dark red light. Its outline resembled a female form, but only in likeness, as its entire body was made of metal, legs were sharp blades, hands extended dark Light Blades, the diameter of its arms and thighs did not exceed five centimeters, the whole body slender like a metal frame.

"It's a Punisher." Empress Isabella spoke softly, "A cyborg from the Church Court."

"They are semi-products of Mechanical Ascension."

The air trembled slightly.

The electronic eyes of the Punisher before them flickered momentarily, and the figure disappeared instantly, its speed almost uncapturable, fully mechanical construction easily surpassed human limits, even its brain was completely replaced with memory chips, showing no hesitation, instantly choosing the best attack method, the figure leaped up and launched an assault from three directions.

After complete Mechanical Ascension, humans no longer need sounds for communication; electronic signals suffice.

"You don't need to intervene." Su Ziyu slightly raised his hand to stop Empress Isabella beside him, transmitting his voice, "I can handle it."

"You cannot unseal my restrictions now."

The gradually rising Spiritual Fluctuations of Empress Isabella suddenly halted, Su Ziyu's palm sparked with lightning, his body instantly transforming into exploding light, directly colliding head-on with the Punisher before him.

—"Domain [Lightning]!"

Suddenly, the entire corridor was filled with dancing electric snakes, completely obscuring everyone's vision.

When everything calmed down.

Su Ziyu's figure stood at the front, beneath him lay a completely shattered mechanical corpse, slender, from its brain area emerged sparks of electricity.

Full mechanical transformation is strong.

Genuinely strong.

Utterly surpassing human limits, even Legendary Professionals cannot compare, but they also have a fatal weakness, if the mechanical parts that form their mind consciousness cannot withstand high voltage, facing Su Ziyu, they might be instantly killed.

Very unfortunate.

The Punisher before them might withstand ordinary electric shocks, but within the exploding Lightning Domain, the memory chip inside its brain was directly burned.

"Let's go." Su Ziyu turned around and said.

The corridor ahead became much quieter, and it seemed that within the Mechanical Church, such semi-mechanical ascended cyborgs are not many.

Soon.

They arrived at a spacious hall, directly ahead was a dark blue Dark Energy Barrier, visible were men and women dressed as Bishops, at the center was a scene Su Ziyu had seen before, the Empire's next heir, Prince William, was entirely naked and confined within a completely sealed crystal jar, strands of silver-white metal wires connected various parts of his brain, then extended to a diamond-shaped crystal cluster above, the top was a colossal mechanical structure composed of numerous dark blue crystal circuits and electronic components, resembling a large brain.

This is the Mind Synchronization Center?

Su Ziyu instantly felt his Spiritual Energy being amplified, even just entering here, his Mind Waves were slightly unstable, scattered debris around directly floated up.

Here.

Even a novice Spiritualist could easily unleash considerable Power.

"This is practically a super Spiritual amplifier!" Su Ziyu murmured.

Inside the dark blue barrier, more than a dozen Bishops of the Mechanical Church were sitting cross-legged around Prince William with closed eyes, the forefront was an old man in a bronze robe, Mechanical Church's Archbishop - Dan Davenport, yet at this moment, he neither stood nor opened his eyes, still sitting motionlessly like a puppet.

"Release William!" Empress Isabella, caring somewhat for this nephew, raised her hand wanting to break through the Spiritual Energy Barrier ahead.

Su Ziyu instantly reached out to stop her, saying in a deep voice, "Don't act impulsively!"

"Look carefully!"

After saying this, a Spiritual Light flashed at his fingertips, directly unsealing the restrictions on Empress Isabella, while augmenting her with Spiritual Vision.

In their view.

Directly three meters before Prince William above, a humanoid outline composed entirely of countless intricate mechanical components gradually emerged, possessing a slender body and unfolding metallic wings behind, appearing in the form of a Spirit Body despite being mechanical.

—"Mechanical Soul (Machine Spirit)! [Projection of the God of Machinery] [Descending]"

Faith of the Mechanical Pantheon.

They believe that every machine contains a Soul, yet they worship the God of Machinery, obviously walking a materialistic path, yet making a detour through idealism, going further and further.

.........