[At this moment, a staff member presses the alarm device. A piercing red light swirls and flashes, and a shrill alarm fills the hall!]
[The scholarsâ expressions are stern, their gazes carrying killing intent, and they faintly form an encircling formation as they close in on youâŠ]
[You hear a scholar not far from you sneer, saying this stupid swordsman doesnât know that Coleman Workshop and their Direct Vision School are in a deep cooperative relationship?]
[Daring to make trouble here, it really is tired of living.]
[Another scholar replies, maybe itâs some bumpkin who just came from a remote village town and doesnât understand the rules here. But being able to do something this stupid, it truly lives up to being a crude martial brute with nothing but muscles for brainsâŠ]
[The tightly shut doors at the far end of the hall suddenly open. A squad of black-robed scholars strides out. On the front of their robes, besides a single giant eye, there is also the emblem of refined copper gears.]
[They are the Direct Vision Associationâs guard scholars stationed at the workshopâŠ]
[You look around. Most of the scholars in the hall are wearing the Direct Vision Associationâs uniform mage robes. There are only two or three Multivision Association scholars. They stay far from the encirclement, standing in a corner with an air of none of their business.]
[The guard scholars enter the encirclement. The leader comes before you, raises a staff and points it at your nose, and coldly says, damned swordsman, it swears you will pay a painful price for your stupid actions⊠now kneel and confess at once!]
[You observe the style of its mage robe. It is exactly the same as the one worn by the Direct Vision School Branch Association Grand Scholar you saw before.]
[And in this entire hall, there does not seem to be any scholar of a higher rank than this guard Grand Scholar.]
[Will you kneel and confess to be captured without resistance, or will you rise up and resist, killing and slaughtering?]
Lin Xun narrowed his eyes.
He was still thinking of drawing the Direct Vision Association in as his ally. Tearing his face off at this moment was not a wise move.
[You ignore the staff that is about to poke between your nostrils and loudly rebuke it: ignorant ant, you are the envoy of the great Omniscient True Knowledge. Daring to profane the envoyâs dignity is to profane the supreme true Lord!]
[Hearing your words, the leading scholar cannot help but freeze. The many scholars surrounding you also cannot help but freeze, and then they burst out laughing togetherâŠ]
[Does this swordsman have nothing in its head besides muscles?]
[Do they think theyâre fools? Not to mention that True Godâs Envoy only exists in legends and myths, even if our Lord truly sent down an envoy, it would never be a crude swordsman.]
[âŠ]
[For a time, many scholars point at you, mocking and cursing.]
[The leading guard Grand Scholar also cannot help but laugh, then it straightens its face and solemnly announces: you intentionally murdered, disturbed the nobles, disrupted workshop order⊠committing multiple crimes. Not only do you refuse to kneel and confess, you also lie that you are a True Godâs Envoy, profaning the great true Lord.]
[Only the evil heretics who chase the stars would profane the true Lord⊠a mere Death Penalty can no longer wash away the grave sins upon you.]
[Now it announces that it will send you, this evil heretic, into Blackwater Prison, to suffer endless punishment, to repent your crimes in regret and pain, and then die together with those who chase the stars!]
Lin Xun was speechless. Publicly revealing the True Godâs Envoy identity not only made nobody believe him, it also got him slapped with the big heretic label of chasing the stars.
But thinking carefully, what these scholars said was not wrong either.
A swordsman who was not a scholar at all suddenly popped out and claimed he was an envoy of Omniscient True Knowledge⊠if they believed that easily, then the scholars would be the ones with water in their brains.
If Lin Xun could prove his identity right now, he could easily resolve the situation in front of him.
He recalled that Branch Association Grand Scholar he had met in the fog.
When he was about to kill the Grand Scholar, the Beast of Disordered Knowledge descended into the world, making the Grand Scholar recognize his True Godâs Envoy identity.
And the leader before him, this guard Grand Scholar, was also a Direct Vision Association Grand ScholarâŠ
Lin Xun decisively clicked the latter option, choosing to rise up and resist.
[You roar in rage. Terrifying strength erupts and surges from within your body. You swing the Scarlet Kingâs Sword and fiercely cleave at the guard Grand ScholarâŠ]
[Its expression does not change, as if it had long expected you to suddenly resist. With a lift of its hand, it raises a Knowledge Barrier!]
[The Scarlet Kingâs Sword tears through the air, exploding with ear-splitting sonic booms. The guard Grand Scholarâs face changes abruptly, as if it senses your terrifying strength, and it hurriedly injects more spell power into the Knowledge Barrier.]
[The solid light barrier before you clearly cannot stop your full-strength strike. Under the crimson greatswordâs blow, it instantly breaks apartâŠ]
[The greatsword continues and cleaves through the guard Grand Scholarâs body. Its expression freezes on its face. A ghastly blood slash appears from its left shoulder to its right waist. Then its upper body slides down diagonally from the torsoâŠ]
[With blood spraying and gushing, its body collapses to the groundâŠ]
[Many scholars stand stunned, never expecting that you, this swordsman from the backwoods, would cleave apart the Knowledge Barrier with one strike and kill the guard scholar who was a Grand Scholar right here.]
[The entire hall instantly falls silent!]
Lin Xun was also stunned. âWhy didnât the Beast of Disordered Knowledge appear? It shouldnât be like this.â
The scene he had anticipated, where the moment he attacked a Grand Scholar the Beast of Disordered Knowledge would descend, did not happen.
Without the watchdogâs identity authentication, he naturally could not prove he was a True Godâs Envoy.
[The scholars finally react. They all raise their staffs. Countless tiny characters surge into existence from thin air, condensing into an unbreakable Knowledge Barrier that binds you withinâŠ]
[Then they loudly chant incantations, and terrifying spell power gathers and converges.]
[They seem to be jointly casting a large-scale spell. In the face of your extremely formidable strength, they no longer care about escorting you to Blackwater Prison, but instead intend to execute you on the spot!]
Seeing this, countless thoughts flashed in Lin Xunâs mind⊠and in the end he made his decision.
[You smile cruelly. The Scarlet Kingâs Sword in your hand erupts with thick bloodlight!]
[Even the Knowledge Barrier blocking your way, a Knowledge Barrier jointly condensed by the spell power of many scholars, cannot stop demigod-level might!]
[The Knowledge Barrier shatters instantly under your cleave. You stomp the ground hard, and your ferocious figure charges into the scholarsâ encirclement.]
[Like a tiger pouncing into a flock of sheep, you sweep one sword across and can kill several scholars with frail bodies. Without protection from defensive spells, they are like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.]
[Shrill wails erupt from the crowd. Streams of spurting blood shoot up to the ceiling, adding a vivid splash of color to the singing of brutal slaughter.]
[In the blink of an eye, twenty to thirty people die under your sword, falling into pools of blood.]
[The scholarsâ faces fill with terror as they scream and flee toward the workshop gatesâŠ]
[With a flash, you block the gates, holding your sword horizontal to cut off their retreat.]
[The scholars slam to a stop, scrambling backward. Not a single one dares to meet the gaze of you, this crude swordsman.]
[You stride up to one scholar and loudly ask: you say you are a True Godâs Envoy, does it object?]
[That scholar draws a deep breath and stiffens its neck, saying: how could you, this stupid swordsman, possibly be a True Godâs Envoy? You are an evil heret⊠]
[You cut it off and say: no, you are a True Godâs Envoy!]
[It is about to keep arguing, but before it can speak, you block it with a sword. It slowly collapses into the pool of blood.]
[You ignore the corpse that falls unwillingly and go to the second scholar, asking again: you say you are a True Godâs Envoy, does it object?]
[Seeing the miserable death of the first, the scholar hurriedly waves its hands and shakes its head: no objection, no objection, you are the great True Godâs Envoy!]
[You smile slightly, and the scholar forces a smile in agreement.]
[You suddenly say that it clearly knows you are not a True Godâs Envoy, yet it lies against its faith. It is the true heretic who betrays the true Lord.]
[After saying that, regardless of the scholarâs terrified expression, you cleave it to death with one sword.]
[Then you go to the third scholar and continue asking: you say you are a True Godâs Envoy, does it object?]
[Seeing the deaths of the first two, the third scholar does not know how to answer. It trembles violently, stammering and unable to speak.]
[You frown and, without hesitation, cleave it to death again. Looking at the corpse in the blood pool, you sneer: it canât even speak properly. A cowardly trash like that is worthy of believing in the great Omniscient True Knowledge?]
[At this moment, the many scholars look at you as if they are seeing a demon king from the abyss. Other than fear, no one dares to provoke your dignity anymore.]
[You then walk up to the fourth scholar. Before you even ask, it collapses and cries: l-lord, we were wrong. Whatever you say is what it is. Whatever you want to ask, it absolutely wonât hide anything.]
[You nod in satisfaction. You lay the crimson greatsword sideways and use the blade to pat its cheek, saying: hand-draw the Route Map to Direct Vision School Branch Association for me.]
[That scholar nods like a chicken pecking rice, immediately pulls out paper and pen, and lies on the ground to scribble and sketchâŠ]
Lin Xun pursed his lips. When dealing with these small mobs, there was no need to talk about rules, nor any need to talk about humanitarianism. A bigger fist was the only hard truth.
[Very quickly, that scholar finishes drawing the Route Map and tremblingly offers it with both hands to you.]
[You obtained Route Map to the Direct Vision School Branch Association (map)!]
[You are about to go to the corner of the hall to pick a fight with the two Multivision Association scholars, but you see that the door at the far end of the hall opens again. From the gate connecting to the back workshop, a black-robed young man walks out.]
[On its robes chest, there is no eye drawn, only rings of refined copper gear emblems.]
[You discovered Knowledge-Seeking Device Artisan!]
[The first time you see the appearance of Knowledge-Seeking Device Artisan, your Knowledge stat increases by 2,000! Current Knowledge stat: 2,000/43,800!]
[It tries its best not to look at the scholars lying in pools of blood, and instead comes before you and respectfully says: this lord, the workshopâs owner, that is, its teacher Master Coleman, invites you to go deeper into the workshop for a talk.]
[Hearing this, you sneer. This Coleman has such a big airs? It insists you go in to see it. Wonât it come out to see you on its own?]
[The Device Artisan calmly replies: my lord, you may not know. Teacher has inconvenient legs and feet. Otherwise it would certainly come out in person to welcome the honored guest.]
[Will you go deeper into the workshop and meet Master Coleman?]
Lin Xun thought for a moment, then directly summoned the Valkyrie and the Nine-Tailed Fox, having them keep watch over these scholars.
After the Grand Scholar died, there were not many scholars here who could fight. The Nine-Tailed Fox and the Valkyrie were enough to suppress them.
[âŠ]
[You follow the Device Artisan to the far end of the hall, step through the gate, and formally enter the workshopâs manufacturing areaâŠ]
[Along the way, you see many apprentices and workers bustling. Some polish refined copper parts, some assemble devices. You even see that some craftsmen are clearly proficient in knowledge spells, carving related magic formations inside devicesâŠ]
[You pass through several spacious factory halls and go straight to the deepest part of the workshop, finally meeting Master ColemanâŠ]
[This is a huge room opened up separately. The moment you enter, you feel scorching high-temperature steam, as well as the rumbling frictional noise of refined copper machinery operating.]
[Through layers of mist, your line of sight catches the enormous shadow at the very back of the roomâŠ]
[It is a gigantic monster composed of flesh and refined copper. Like an octopus, refined copper mechanical arms extend out from beside its body, continuously grabbing parts delivered by a conveyor belt in the corner, rapidly tuning and assembling them.]
[The enormous monster has no legs, not even a lower body. Its upper body is directly welded to the ground, and dozens of twisted pipes connect to its back, delivering unknown liquid substances.]
[But what is connected to the monsterâs thick neck is a normal human head. The white-haired, gaunt old manâs head combined with the enormous refined copper torso looks extremely awkward no matter how you look at it.]
[Seeing your arrival, the old manâs head lifts slightly and looks toward youâŠ]
[You discovered Knowledge-Seeking Legendary Device Master â Coleman!]
[The first time you see the appearance of Master Coleman, your Knowledge stat increases by 7000! Current Knowledge stat: 9,000/43,800!]
[Coleman smiles. The wrinkles on its face squeeze together as it excitedly and fervently shouts: respected True Godâs Envoy, your arrival is the honor of Coleman Workshop, and even more, it is my greatest honor!]
[It has waited here for your arrival for far too longâŠ]
[You cannot help but freeze, suspecting that Coleman is afraid of your formidable strength, so it is putting on an act with you here.]
[But looking at its fervent, excited appearance, it does not seem like acting or faking.]
[Coleman sees your confusion and immediately explains: it knows you are the genuine, authentic True Godâs Envoy. The reason it has stayed in the auxiliary capital Notos and not gone to the Imperial Capital is because it has been waiting for your arrival.]
[Because the Great Prophet long ago prophesied that it would meet the envoy sent down by the great true Lord within the workshop!]
[And you perfectly match the appearance described by the Great Prophet, so you must be the True Godâs Envoy!]
Colemanâs words only made him more confused. Great Prophet, prophecy?
He had heard that Prophet was a rank above Sage. A Sage already had demigod-level strength, so a Great Prophet was very likely someone who had surpassed demigod level and reached the immortal realm⊠a pseudo god-level big shot!
But what was this prophecy about?
Did the Great Prophet predict he would definitely come to the workshop, and so arranged for Coleman to wait here?
[Coleman knows you have a belly full of doubts. It does not keep you in suspense and tells you one by oneâŠ]
[There are a total of two Great Prophets, the highest leaders of the Direct Vision School and the Multivision School!]
[The Great Prophets are powerful figures who can stand shoulder to shoulder with gods. They know everything and understand everything. And the one who prophesied that you, the True Godâs Envoy, would come to the workshop is the Direct Vision Great Prophet!]
[It waited here in bitter expectation according to the prophecyâs content, and has waited for over twenty yearsâŠ]