Ye Jingyu truly hadn't expected anyone to come to his rescue at this moment; a look of surprise washed over his face, and his head instinctively turned toward the direction from which the projectile had come. Instantly, the look of astonishment deepened across his entire countenance, his mouth and eyes wide open in sheer disbelief...

The reason was simple: standing a few dozen paces away was a mechanical beast resembling a leopard. Yes, a gleaming metal carapace, eyes shining with an inner light—a beast forged entirely of metal...

That projectile must have erupted from the mouth of this very machine...

How was this possible? How could such a thing exist in this world?

Moreover, a mechanical beast so flawlessly constructed that even the Earth he once knew hadn't attained such high technology!

The appearance of this creature completely shattered Ye Jingyu’s understanding of this world...

Miao also turned his gaze. Upon spotting the mechanical beast, a flicker of surprise crossed his face, yet unlike Ye Jingyu’s utter incredulity, Miao's astonishment stemmed from the fact that the machine could actually penetrate the defense of his blade...

“A mechanism beast—from the Zhuge family? Or the Lu family?” Miao murmured coldly, the killing intent in his eyes undisguised...

“Whoosh...” The mechanism beast darted forward, its speed nearly matching Ye Jingyu’s own, its razor-sharp claws lunging toward Miao...

“Tricks unworthy of display here...” Miao scoffed, raising his hand to strike the beast away...

With a sharp “Crack,” the mechanism beast was sent flying by Miao’s palm, slamming heavily against the nearby wall. The entire section of the wall buckled, revealing a clear handprint imprinted upon the beast’s back. Yet, whatever metal it was composed of showed no signs of cracking whatsoever...

“Whoosh...” The mechanism beast merely struggled for a moment before rising, charging at Miao once more. Before it even reached him, its mouth opened, launching a dark arrow directly at Miao’s throat...

“I care not if you are from the Zhuge or Lu family; if you dare obstruct me, do not blame me for my ruthlessness...” Facing the whistling cold arrow, Miao remained utterly confident. His body shimmered, easily evading the shot, and he closed the distance to the mechanism beast’s right flank. He circulated his True Essence Force, then unleashed a devastating punch toward its body—his ultimate move, the Sky-Shattering Force...

“Rumble...” With a tremendous crash, Miao’s fist smashed heavily into the mechanism beast. The terrifying True Essence Force burrowed into its core, and immediately, the metallic leopard’s body began to crack inch by inch, seemingly on the verge of disintegration, when it suddenly exploded...

A blinding light shot out from within the mechanism beast, the terrifying energy forcing Miao to stagger backward repeatedly, his eyes involuntarily shutting tight...

Under this blinding white glare, Ye Jingyu also had to close his eyes. However, he felt as though someone had grabbed his body, steadying him as they pulled him aside...

Though he didn't know who it was, he knew this person had come to save him, so he allowed himself to be pulled along without speaking...

When the light gradually faded, Miao saw nothing on the ground but scattered fragments of broken metal, stirring a wave of shock and fury within him...

He truly hadn't anticipated that the rescue of Ye Jingyu would involve members of the mechanism beast lineage; this was far beyond his expectations...

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the alley. Miao knew this must be Ye Jingyu’s reinforcements arriving. Without hesitation, his figure leaped upward, vanishing from the spot in a few swift bounds...

Not far from the scene, inside a humble civilian dwelling, lay Ye Jingyu, grievously wounded, bones likely shattered, almost entirely immobilized upon a bamboo-woven cot. A handsome youth clad in white robes stood before him...

“My name is Zhuge Yishi. I know you have many questions, but your injuries are severe. Focus on recovery first...” Though the youth was young, his eyes held a profound wisdom, like that of an elder who had weathered countless trials, or perhaps like a living encyclopedia...

At least, that was the impression Ye Jingyu had at that moment...

Without saying much, he simply nodded gently and lay quietly on the bamboo bed. A moment later, faint footsteps echoed again, and a delicate figure entered, carrying a bowl of fragrant herbal medicine...

“This is my elder sister, Zhuge Siyu... She is a master of medicine, though, regrettably, she cannot speak... Your injuries are too grave; this is the Dragon’s Saliva Herb she brewed specifically for you. It will aid your recovery as quickly as possible...” Zhuge Yishi said, stepping forward to help support Ye Jingyu while making the introduction, a trace of regret lingering in his eyes...

Ye Jingyu looked up and beheld an exquisitely beautiful face, in no way inferior to the most captivating enchantresses he had ever seen. Yet, unlike the seductive allure of Yao Rao, this woman possessed a beauty that moved the soul, especially her pair of obsidian eyes, which always conveyed endless wisdom, lending her an ethereal grace, as if she were a goddess of wisdom descended from the heavens...

Noble, beautiful, yet undeniably wise...

In her presence, it seemed all other women in the world lost their color...

But such a stunning person was mute?

A profound, inexpressible pity welled up in Ye Jingyu’s heart...

Why would the heavens be so cruel as to sculpt such a beautiful being only to deny her a sweet voice? Was this her fortune, or her sorrow?

An undeniable pang of melancholy struck Ye Jingyu’s heart, but Zhuge Siyu seemed utterly unconcerned. A gentle smile graced her exquisite features as she carefully sat beside the bamboo bed, holding the bowl of medicine in one hand and a spoon in the other, lovingly tending to Ye Jingyu’s dose...

Gazing into Zhuge Siyu’s dark eyes, Ye Jingyu felt that he would drink this without hesitation, even if it were poison rather than the finest medicine...

The moment the medicine touched his lips, Ye Jingyu felt a sensation like a clear spring flowing into his mouth, instantly invigorating his spirit. But once the bowl was empty, a heavy drowsiness overtook him. He spared one last glance for Zhuge Siyu before sinking into a deep, heavy sleep...