It did not come from an enemy.

Rather, it comes from the environment—the broken continent itself.

Of course, the anomalies that occurred on this continent were most likely caused by human error.

Ultimately, it may still be due to human intervention.

Let's plant a flag first.

Prevention is better than cure.

The earth began to tremble.

It wasn't an earthquake.

It wasn't an earthquake, at least not the kind of earthquake caused by normal crustal movement.

The ninety-nine naturally formed pillars that reach the heavens on this continent are inexplicably shaking.

"Boom!"

"Crack! Crack!"

The moment the anomaly occurred, Jin Yuanbao and his nine companions immediately abandoned everything and returned to Mingxi's side.

And there's light.

They shielded her in the middle.

The group of people with white faces also looked somewhat bewildered.

It was as if this change had nothing to do with them at all.

But the battle, which had lasted for about half an hour, gradually subsided, and neither side was prepared to make another move until the strange noises died down.

"thunder?"

Jin Yuanbao looked at Yaoxuan and Guangguang, hoping to get some information about the source of the anomaly from them.

"I can't tell yet, it's a bit... strange."

Yaoxuan can sense fate, but he is not omniscient or omnipotent.

We can't force it.

Guangguang also looked confused.

Mingxi remained remarkably calm in the face of this bizarre encounter, simply stating, "When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it!"

When your luck stabilizes to a certain extent, you'll always encounter some strange and wonderful things.

"You'll see when we get there, no rush."

At worst, this shattered continent will crumble, just like Zetalem.

For her, there was no loss.

Anyway, this continent doesn't belong to her.

What is she afraid of!

"Boom boom boom—"

The ninety-nine towering pillars were still shaking, vibrating, and shedding their skin, like electric eels dancing wildly in the sea, causing the surrounding'sea water' to boil.

The air was filled with particulate dust.

As the eerie 'electric eel dance' grew increasingly violent, the cracks on the surface of the towering pillar became more pronounced, and rubble continued to fall off.

"Beep beep beep!"

Suddenly, the electronic eye emitted a piercing alarm.

Its bear-like body was battered and tattered from a battle far exceeding its physical limits, and one of its metal arms was missing.

As the alarm sounded, electricity crackled across its body, and various parts shot out in all directions like popcorn.

"...Master...possesses...super-strong...magnetic wave current and...extraordinary energy...zzzz—"

Guangguang expressed the accident it was experiencing in a halting electronic voice. It was not intentional, but because its mental communication with her had been interrupted for unknown reasons.

This is the first time!

Mingxi narrowed her eyes slightly and, before Guangguang could finish speaking, took the tattered Guangguang back into the Time Realm.

Although Guangguang is an intelligent butler of the Time Realm, it is unlikely that he would have any problems due to this strange energy.

But it's better to be safe than sorry.

There's no need to gamble Guangguang's safety on any uncertainty.

"Master, there's something wrong with these ninety-nine Heavenly Pillars! There's a big problem!"

Guangguang's voice quickly returned to normal, probably because it had broken free from the damaged body and separated from the abnormal energy.

Mingxi took a breath and asked, "Can you tell what the problem is?"

"...I feel that these towering pillars are very likely not from the Beast Taming Civilization."

Mingxi: "???"

Not belonging to the Beast Taming Civilization?

In other words, the Heavenly Pillar, or this broken continent, belongs to another civilization, which is completely different from the secret realms and hidden places.

These secret realms and hidden places may come from different dimensions, but no matter how different they are, they still belong to the same civilization as the six major stars.

Even in ancient times, before the emergence of humankind, civilizations all shared the same origin, forming the cornerstone of the beast-taming civilization.

However, the nature of a civilization that does not tame beasts is completely different.

Because this involves heretical civilizations or even other worlds.

Heretical civilization, that's a much bigger problem!

"Click-click-click..."

The stone layer on the surface of the pillar cracked more violently, and the sounds of breaking and shattering became more frequent.

Mingxi didn't miss the expressions on the faces of the white-faced people. They looked confused and curious. Could it be that the changes that happened to these pillars of heaven really had nothing to do with them?

Did she plant her flag too early?

What caused this turn of events?

It can't be because of her, can it?

Impossible, impossible.

She didn't do anything.

As Mingxi's eyes glazed over, a towering pillar, its surface covered in rubble resembling dandruff, finally revealed its true form.

Its golden luster is like the current running through an integrated circuit, or like a stabilizing needle that has been submerged in the sea for thousands of years!

But that thing clearly had the flexibility of a living organism.

It looks like a living thing!

This towering pillar that has stood in the Shadow Market for countless years actually looks like this.

Has no one noticed this before?

Even if the pillars to heaven cannot be pushed down, has no one ever tried to explore them?

Absolutely impossible.

The only reason it hasn't been exposed is that the outer stone structure is incredibly strong and durable.

It couldn't even break through the defenses of a supreme being.

Mingxi has already proven this point. Regardless of her or anyone else, the skills of other pets only destroy the buildings built on top of the Heavenly Pillar, but have no effect on the Heavenly Pillar itself!

Therefore, that layer of stone is very likely an extremely rare and special material.

Mingxi winked at Liangjingjing and the black pearl.

The two who shared her sentiments immediately sprang into action.

Florence, on the other hand, used a deceptive approach to cover them up.

No one noticed the changes on Mingxi's side; most people's attention was drawn to those towering pillars.

"What's this?!"

"It looks like a mechanical creation?"

"No, this Heavenly Pillar seems to have fluctuations of life energy."

The pale-faced scholar and his companions no longer cared about Mingxi; their eyes were filled with shock, curiosity, and greed as they stared at the towering pillars.

That's just how people are.

In the end, it is often self-interest that moves people the most.

They can disregard life and death.

Mingxi was also staring at the Heavenly Pillar, mainly observing the light flow that resembled an integrated circuit board.

Because he carries the "Book of Rules," and because he understands the written rules.

She deduced that this circuit flow was probably a form of writing.

“Master, according to the scan, these towering pillars should be the product of some mechanical civilization.”

Because the reward duration is sufficient, Guangguang is not too restrictive in its use, and it can start a full-range scan when a certain towering pillar reveals its true form.

It continued, "They are not simply machines, but a fusion of machines and biological tissues. It is not a cruel and inhumane fusion, full of irrationality and side effects, but a natural birth."

In other words, true mechanical life.

Mingxi roughly understood.

"In other words, this shattered continent might actually come from another world."

"That's right."

Guangguang hadn't finished speaking.

The ninety-nine towering pillars that had revealed their true form trembled simultaneously once again.

All mechanical structures collapsed inward.

It's not disintegration, it's compression.

Under the stunned gaze of the crowd, the kilometer-long pillar shrank into ninety-nine dark golden metal spheres the size of walnuts in a tenth of a second.

Metal spheres are arranged in a precise array in the air, with light filaments extending from each other.

"Snap—"

At the center of the array, a crystal core the size of a fist emerged.

Ninety-nine metal spheres, like stars surrounding the moon, revolved rapidly around the core, and finally—

polymerization.

The light exploded.

When the light faded, what remained suspended in the air was a palm-sized, multifaceted mechanical core.

It consists of ninety-nine facets, each with a different holographic projection floating on it.

Star charts, energy circuits, spatial topology, and even... time flow maps.

The nucleus itself is constantly deforming.

Sometimes it transforms into a miniature clock, with the hands running backwards;

Sometimes it transforms into a miniature starship, its engines humming softly;

Sometimes it transforms into a mechanical heart, beating rhythmically.

Not only that, it is also transforming into various extraordinary creatures, taken from the scene.

Thunder Demon Heaven.

Bloodthirsty Devourer.

Spirit Bone Butterfly.

Jinyue Shura.

Ling Tianzi.

...

They transform so vividly that even their tamers might not be able to tell them apart if they were standing together.

Finally, it transformed into a polyhedral mechanical core, floating silently in mid-air.

The entire venue was deathly silent.

Even the sound of breathing seemed to have been erased.

Except for a certain god-level pet.

"It seems to be evolving on its own, accepting and adapting to...this world!"

Yao Xuan shook his head, his voice unusually excited, "This alien creature must have quite a background."

Its sound reached everyone's ears clearly.

At this moment, everyone who was still alive stared intently at the mechanical core.

Greed instantly overwhelmed everything.

This includes the murderous intent these people harbor towards Mingxi.

"Rob!"

The pale-faced scholar roared, completely forgetting his plan to ambush Mingxi.

As long as you have eyes.

As long as the brain folds haven't been flattened.

Everyone knows this is a good thing!

It could even be the last legacy of a civilization!

The SSS-level beast tamers simultaneously commanded their pets to pounce.

They looked far more ruthless than when they were hunting down Mingxi, like dry tinder being ignited into a raging fire, their target the mechanical core.

"This thing is mine now!"

"Get out of my way! You dare to compete with me for this!"

It's all messed up.

A group of people from one faction started to panic before they even got their hands on the mechanical core.

So-called alliances, in the end, cannot escape the cracks caused by conflicting interests.

Murder is nothing compared to the allure of treasure.

Mingxi evokes a sense of melancholy and desolation, as if people are inferior to things.

In the end, she had misplaced her trust.

Not only these big shots, but also the «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» ordinary people, black market merchants, and information brokers who were originally hiding on the periphery, struggling to survive amidst the gunfire from both sides, all had their eyes turned red.

Fortune favors the bold!

"Getting this stuff is enough for me to enjoy for ten lifetimes!"

"Let's give it our all!"

More than five hundred pets emerged from their hiding place, like sharks that had smelled blood.

Their strength varied greatly, but their numbers were astonishing, instantly disrupting the battlefield formation.

The intrusion of these passersby naturally attracted the attention of the big shots vying for the mechanical cores.

"Overestimating yourself!"

"roll!"

The pets' skills were ruthless, even more so than when they fought Mingxi!

Whoever gets close to that mechanical core will be hit harder.

After all, none of these people are Mingxi, and none of them have her monstrous defensive abilities.

They couldn't even withstand a second of concentrated fire!

It turned into a fragrant piece of roasted meat.

Mingxi and her pets were inexplicably squeezed into a corner, staring in disbelief at the appalling scene.

"Ruthless! Absolutely ruthless!"

"No! This is not right!"

Mingxi and Yaoxuan exchanged a glance, and the two spoke in unison: "There's something wrong with this mechanical core!"

Mechanical cores are indeed very attractive, but not enough to make a group of people so infatuated that they've lost their minds.

After all, none of the people present who are still alive and kicking are ordinary people.

Both in terms of strength and mental fortitude, they are exceptionally capable; it is impossible for them to lose their minds so easily and do something so insane.

Therefore, the only problem must be with that mechanical core.

"Lolo?"

Is it a deceptive skill?

“Definitely not.” Mingxi denied the possibility. “There was no energy fluctuation from any skill.”

Guangguang offered a curious possibility: "It should be a kind of digital code that can directly affect the human brain. It's like it can set the human brain as a computer and then edit the code to control it, which is why there are no energy fluctuations."

This mechanical life form is amazing.

"Then why wasn't I affected?"

"It might be related to your mental strength, or it might be because your brain development is almost 100%."

Of course, it could also be due to the boundary of time.

In short, its owner is different from others; there are just too many possibilities, and it can't judge for the time being.

"This mechanical core..."

Mingxi frowned, feeling that things might be more serious than she had imagined.

She is unaffected...

"Let's join in! We can't be the ones who stand out!"

Whatever the reason she wasn't affected, she didn't want to expose herself for the time being. At least until the mechanical core revealed its true strength or purpose, she had to go with the flow.

Hiding oneself in a bunch of madness.

Jin Yuanbao and the others immediately reacted and rushed into the crowd like the wind.

"boom!"

"Aww!"

"Bang!"

The skills were used haphazardly and without any strategy.

Anyway, there are only enemies on all sides, so it doesn't matter who I kill.

Mingxi also displayed the same 'fierce and vicious' attitude as the others, and her frenzied rush towards the mechanical core was no less than that of the people around her.

As long as it's crazy enough.

She was just an ordinary kid in the crowd.

Of course, she's perfectly normal.

So she noticed that those who had previously regarded her as their mortal enemy didn't even glance at her.

Even if they value the mechanical core highly, they would never ignore her because of that importance; at the very least, they would take the opportunity to attack her.

But none of them; they were only interested in people who were close to the mechanical core.

Clearly, these people are truly abnormal.

It is also evident that the mechanical core uses a standardized encoding, with relatively simple settings and not overly complex instructions, which may be because...

“It probably doesn’t know what happened here before the combination,” Guangguang’s voice rang out again.

Mingxi deeply agrees.

At the time of the Heavenly Pillar, this mechanical life form should have had no field of vision and be unable to sense what was happening in the outside world.

Or perhaps at that time it was just a component, not a true mechanical life form.

"Guangguang, keep a close eye on that mechanical core. I have a feeling that this thing is going to do something big."

"clear!"