Chapter 796 A Treacherous Invitation
“By the way, how are humans treated in Machine Race territory?” Kael suddenly asked.
He had noticed the guilt in Arno’s eye.
“Uh... much better than they are among most other races,” Arno answered vaguely.
Kael could more or less guess what that meant, but it no longer mattered.
Respect had to be earned. Humanity couldn’t spend eternity begging other races for mercy.
Kael had already reached the Galactic Great Circle and would soon step into the Eternal Realm.
Only then would humanity possess the strength to stand as an equal beside the Machine Race.
Time passed slowly, and Kael had no idea how long they traveled.
A planet suddenly flashed past the side of the vessel.
The vessel began decelerating, its speed steadily dropping until it was moving far more slowly than before.
“Is there a teleportation array ahead?” Kael asked.
“Uh... yes.”
Arno’s evasive manner immediately put Kael on guard.
A moment later, the entire vessel entered a region of absolute darkness.
The darkness lasted only an instant. Then sunlight flooded the world around them, accompanied by blooming flowers and birdsong.
Arno landed the vessel on an enormous lawn.
Several figures stood silently at the far end.
They resembled Arno. The left sides of their faces were mechanical, while the right sides were covered in ordinary flesh.
“After you, Kael.”
Arno opened the vessel’s exit.
Unease stirred within Kael as he slowly stepped outside.
He released his vast Spiritual Sense. It spread an immense distance before colliding with a gray boundary that prevented it from going any farther.
“Arno, the Machine Race and I have no feud. Why did you bring me into someone else’s Inner Cosmos?”
Kael forced down his anger and turned toward him.
Arno blurred away and reappeared behind a white-haired old man.
“There’s no need for alarm, Kael,” the old man said with a smile. “This is my Inner Cosmos. I arranged everything according to human preferences. If I brought you directly into Machine Race territory, you might find our cold environment difficult to tolerate.”
“That doesn’t matter. I would still prefer to remain in the real universe.”
Kael’s voice was cold.
“Hahaha! It’s true that we have no feud, but there is something I would like to ask of you.”
The old man’s smile vanished, leaving only solemn authority.
“Say it.”
Kael didn’t want to remain there a second longer.
This was someone else’s Inner Cosmos. Its owner needed only a single thought to reduce him to ash.
“I would like you to refine Immortal Spirit Liquid for me for ten years. Even if you produce only one hundred drops per year, it will be enough for me to reach the Real Deity Realm.”
The old man sounded completely sincere.
The fact that they were standing inside his Inner Cosmos made that sincerity almost insulting.
“Fine. Release me from your Inner Cosmos first.”
Kael’s tone remained cold.
Arno let out a contemptuous laugh and stepped forward.
“Kael, I’ve always heard that humans were foolish. Today, I finally understand why.”
“I didn’t expect the urgent matter you invited me here to discuss to have nothing to do with fighting the Insect Race. Your true intention was to imprison me.”
Kael slowly shook his head as he looked at Arno.
“Now that you possess Immortal Spirit Liquid, why would we need to fight the Broodmother?” Arno asked. “The Patriarch can simply consume the spirit liquid, advance to the Real Deity Realm, and escape the black hole’s devouring power.”
“Wait.”
Kael suddenly caught the significance of Arno’s words.
“You called it Immortal Spirit Liquid, not Lesser Immortal Spirit Liquid.”
Only then did he realize that they had used the name Immortal Spirit Liquid from the very beginning. Unlike the other Eternal Realm cultivators, they had never referred to it as Lesser Immortal Spirit Liquid.
“Of course. It isn’t as though we’ve never seen Lesser Immortal Spirit Liquid before. The Machine Race managed to obtain several drops of the liquid you previously brought out, and our analysis confirmed that it was genuine Immortal Spirit Liquid.
“I don’t know how you managed to refine it, but that no longer matters. As long as you spend ten years refining Immortal Spirit Liquid for our Patriarch, the Machine Race will release you from this Inner Cosmos and restore your freedom.”
“You treacherous bastard!”
Kael turned toward the white-haired Machine Patriarch.
“Are you certain you’ll release me after ten years?”
“Of course.”
The old man appeared completely sincere, but Kael caught a trace of cunning in his eyes.
Kael’s hopes sank.
If he were the Machine Patriarch, would he care only about himself?
Of course not.
In the Patriarch’s place, Kael would imprison the alchemist inside his Inner Cosmos forever and force him to produce Immortal Spirit Liquid for the entire race. At the very least, he would ensure that those closest to him reached the Real Deity Realm and escaped the Blood Jade Galaxy.
“There is no point in wasting any more time on this discussion,” the Machine Patriarch said. “Remain here and refine the spirit liquid obediently. If you desire women, I can abduct them for you from any race you choose. I can even find female cultivators at the Eternal Realm.
“But you must produce at least one hundred drops of Immortal Spirit Liquid every year. If you fail, I’m afraid I will have to impose a minor punishment.”
The old man spoke as though the matter had already been settled.
He had reached Eternal Tier 9. The flesh covering the right side of his face was already riddled with patches of stone.
If he didn’t act quickly, he would become completely petrified within a century or two.
“Fine. I accept.”
Kael drew a deep breath before answering.
“Oh?”
“That is the sensible choice. Whatever environment you require, I can create it for you inside my Inner Cosmos. Which season do you prefer—spring, summer, autumn, or winter?”
The white-haired old man gave him a kindly smile.
“Whichever you choose.”
Kael shook his head.
“Very well. I will need to temporarily seal your cultivation. I assume you have no objection?”
“If you seal my cultivation, I cannot guarantee the quality of the Immortal Spirit Liquid. Naturally, I won’t be able to guarantee the quantity either.”
Kael spoke calmly.
The Machine Patriarch fell silent.
He was trying to determine whether Kael was telling the truth.
“Fine. I can leave your cultivation unsealed, but I will place several Restrictions inside your body. They will activate only if you attempt to force your way out of my Inner Cosmos. As long as you cooperate, they will not interfere with you in any way.”
The instant he finished speaking, Kael felt a cold presence seep through his skin and burrow directly into his dantian.
This was the Machine Patriarch’s Inner Cosmos.
Within this world, the old man was effectively its creator. Kael had no power to resist him.
“Arno will remain here and assist you in refining the Immortal Spirit Liquid.”
Kael immediately understood the Patriarch’s true intention.
The old man wanted Arno to steal his alchemical methods.
But did Kael have any right to refuse?
“I have no objection, but I do have one condition. I want the Machine Race’s Celestial Forgecraft Codex.”
“Kael, did you truly believe what I told you earlier?” Arno asked coldly. “The Celestial Forgecraft Codex contains the Machine Race’s most closely guarded secrets. How could we possibly teach it to an outsider?”
“Agreed,” the Machine Patriarch said.
Arno fell silent.
Metallic light flashed across the old man’s right hand. A thin manual with the sheen of forged steel appeared and floated toward Kael.
Kael caught it and examined the first several pages.
With his current mastery of artifact forging, he could easily distinguish an authentic manual from a forgery.
The Celestial Forgecraft Codex was genuine.
“In that case, Kael, may I have your alchemy manual as well?” the Machine Patriarch asked.
“My apologies. I developed my alchemical techniques gradually through my own experimentation. I have never compiled them into a manual.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
The Machine Patriarch didn’t press the issue.
Instead, he took out a spatial ring.