"The Sword Banner of the Profound Daoist Sect."

A muscle in Hu Zhenyue’s cheek twitched. He spun his horsewhip in his palm three times, then finally wrenched his mount around. "Move out! Back to the family!"

From the watchtower, Mo Shisan watched the cloud of dust kicked up by the Hu Family’s riders. The faint sound of interlocking gears echoed in his ears.

The three thousand six hundred Profound Steel Bricks of the fortress’s outer wall were shifting, revealing the Honeycomb Crossbow Mechanisms within, ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

The Celestial Craft Fortress was awaiting word from Hong Baichuan and his men. As soon as they got confirmation, the Celestial Craft Department disciples anchored below the Ghostly Wail Abyss would send the signal.

Twilight dyed the lingering clouds the color of rust, and the sighing of the pines along the ridge carried the intermittent caws of crows.

’These young whelps... a few peaceful days and they’ve become completely lawless!’

In the distance, three figures galloped toward them. It was none other than Xu Yunfan and his party, rushing back to Shuzhou from the Cyan Mountain Profound Daoist Sect.

There had only been three of them when they’d descended the mountain, but they had been escorted by a bustling entourage of Profound Daoist Sect disciples.

’Who wouldn’t want a fine weapon? Now that the Sect Leader had set the tone, and the Celestial Craft Cave—a Great Foundry Sect—was being incorporated into Lingnan Dao, it was only natural to offer them some protection...’

’And, of course, to see if they could get a superior weapon forged for themselves along the way.’

While they were on a mountain ridge, Xiong Kun stood at the edge like an iron tower, his sheer weight causing the bluestone under his feet to sink and crack.

"A while back, when the Incense and Candle Sect was causing chaos, that pack of jackals from the Hu Family aided the wicked, committing one atrocity after another. Last month, they even dared to transport Blood Jars for the Incense and Candle Sect! If I hadn’t been forbidden to leave the mountain, I would’ve slaughtered their entire clan!" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Upon hearing this, Xu Yunfan couldn’t help but glance at the irritated Xiong Kun.

’In all the Six Paths and Seventy-Nine States of the Great Zhou, I don’t recall you people being this indignant when the Six Top Sects sat back and did nothing.’

’Just three days ago, while passing through Yongzhou in Lingnan Dao, I distinctly saw Profound Daoist Sect disciples on patrol turn a blind eye to the horrific sight of a burning city. Yet now they’re putting on this big show of righteousness.’

But the thought merely passed through Xu Yunfan’s mind; he gave no outward sign of it.

’The values of these high and mighty top sects are completely different from those of the common people.’

’At their core, they’re self-important Celestial Dragon People. The "justice" they hold in their hearts is a world apart from the values of ordinary folk.’

"Senior Brother Xiong, watch what you say."

The accompanying Daoist Bai M placed a hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

"The Profound Daoist Sect will deal with the Hu Family’s transgressions according to the Six Paths Covenant."

Before his voice had faded, startled birds suddenly exploded into the air at the end of the mountain path. A dozen black-maned horses came galloping through the thin mist. The riders all wore profound-colored martial attire with gold embroidery—the uniform of the Cyan Mountain Profound Daoist Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall.

"Hmph, the Six Paths Covenant again."

Xiong Kun’s face soured. "Back when I wanted to lead the disciples of Purple Peak down the mountain to stop the Incense and Candle Sect in Yongzhou, a few Elders forced me to stay, not letting me take a single step. And what was their reason? This damned covenant. Now, suddenly, they’re so proactive. I even saw some disciples head down the mountain a few days ago, flying the banner of ’slaying demons’ to go ’clean up’ the Incense and Candle Sect."

Daoist Bai M’s expression darkened. "Senior Brother Xiong, if you continue to spout such nonsense, I’ll have no choice but to discipline you according to the sect’s rules!"

Xiong Kun grumbled under his breath for a moment but ultimately fell silent.

’The Six Great Sects have always used the Covenant as a fig leaf. This swift and decisive action today seems more like a desperate attempt to silence public opinion.’

He watched as the disciples of the Profound Daoist Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall brandished their weapons and descended with lightning speed to intercept and slaughter the Hu Family. Faintly, he could hear roars and agonized screams drifting up from the foot of the mountain.

The mountain wind carried the stench of blood past his nose, and he was suddenly reminded of a folk ditty he’d once heard from a storyteller in Beiye City in Qingzhou.

"A Bodhisattva sits enthroned in Jinluan Hall, chanting of Maitreya over piles of white bone..."

As the group from the Profound Daoist Sect rounded the final pass at Broken Dragon Cliff, a dull, metallic roar suddenly echoed across the entire mountain ridge. Great jets of steam erupted, shrouding the area in a swirling vapor.

The Law Enforcement Disciples all pulled their reins tight in unison. Some thirty zhang away, deep within the mist, sixteen colossal steel limbs glowed with a cold, dark cyan light as they slowly bent and straightened like the legs of a giant spider.

Each limb was a pillar over thirty zhang in diameter, its surface covered in gear sets of all sizes. At the joints, hundreds of Profound Steel transmission chains were stretched taut, thrumming with a sound like a dragon’s cry.

"This... This is the Celestial Craft Cave?"

The Law Enforcement Disciple in the front row nearly fell from his horse.

They had assumed the "relocation" would be nothing more than a few hundred disciples snaking along in a line, carrying chests and baggage.

But what stood before them was a behemoth cast entirely from Profound Iron. Its turtle shell-shaped hull was studded with rivets thicker than a man’s torso. High on the center of its dorsal plate, the head of a Mechanical Giant Tiger was mounted. Gleaming Armor-Piercing Crossbows jutted out from each overhanging eave, and at its peak, thirty-two massive bronze arms were in the process of folding inward. The grinding of its gears was enough to set their teeth on edge.

It actually towered a great deal over the mountain before them.

With a SNAP, the horsewhip in Xiong Kun’s hand broke in two.

The largest creatures he had ever seen were the Four Symbols Battle Beasts raised on the back of the Profound Daoist Sect’s Cyan Yue Mountain. But those three-zhang-tall primordial monsters were like bobcats compared to the saber-toothed tiger that was this mobile fortress.

As three jets of incandescent steam erupted from the fortress’s base, the very gravel for five li around began to tremble in time with the rising and falling of the sixteen colossal support struts. It was as if the entire mountain range was a mere toy beneath the feet of this Mechanical Giant Beast.

"The Mo Family’s Mechanical City, from the Celestial Craftsmanship Records... it’s actually real..."

The Compass Needle hidden up Daoist Bai M’s sleeve began to spin frantically.

He noticed that each time one of the Profound Steel limbs touched down, a massive shock-absorption mechanism struck the ground, sending spiderweb cracks through the earth. Simultaneously, a wave of force traveled back up from the ground, providing at least half the kinetic energy needed for the next step.

This was the Earth Vein Summoning Technique, a secret technique exclusive to the Celestial Craft Department, capable of converting the power of the very earth into kinetic energy for their machines.

What was even more terrifying was the sight of armored plates on the fortress’s flanks slowly sliding open, revealing honeycomb-like launch bays. From within each hexagonal aperture pulsed the distinctive, cold blue light of a Thunder Fire Bomb.

The mountain wind carried the distinct, sulfuric smell of a cast-iron furnace, mingled with the scorched scent of whale oil leaking from the gearboxes.

After a long while, Xiong Kun finally tore his gaze away. "No wonder the Sect Leader places so much importance on your Celestial Craft Cave," he said, his voice filled with awe. "You’ve actually managed to recreate the legendary Mechanical City of the ancient Mo Family."

Hong Baichuan rapped a knuckle against a passing Profound Steel spider leg. The metallic thrum was tinged with the subtle grinding of gears.

"You flatter me, Brother Xiong. Compared to the Mo Family’s Mechanical City, this fortress is just a lumbering Iron Tortoise."

He pointed to a retracting spider-leg joint to the southwest, where sulfurous white steam hissed from a heat sink. "The true lost city of the Mo Family... its eaves could transform into wings, its gates could become shields. Its three hundred and sixty mechanisms moved in concert with the Stars of the Celestial Sphere. But us? We’ve toiled for a thousand years just to put a few legs on this iron shell. The Mo Family’s Mechanical City could once ascend to the highest heavens, floating among the clouds. And what did we manage after all that effort? A giant iron clunker that can only crawl."

Xiong Kun knocked his gilt bracer against the Profound Steel leg, striking a shower of sparks.

This Observatory Master from the Profound Daoist Sect’s Purple Peak was a sight to behold. Even the voluminous Daoist robes couldn’t conceal his powerful, nine-foot frame.

The potent Blood Qi that occasionally surged within him was enough to make anyone take a second look.