Chapter 182: Group 3.0 — The Luxury Warship Going Public in the Mortal Realm

The void seemed to retch as it flung several figures out in utter disarray.

When his feet once again stepped onto solid ground, Zhao Wuji could no longer maintain that “senior executive” composure. He braced himself against a charred rock and vomited until the world spun.

“Ugh… Chairman… I… I request… ugh… I request that next time we have ‘team-building’… could we… include the ‘comfort level’ of the ‘transportation’… into the ‘project budget’ as well…”

His face was as pale as paper. It felt as though his internal organs had been stuffed into an industrial tumble dryer and spin-dried a hundred times on maximum power.

Compared to his misery, Zhang Daniu’s condition was far better.

Although he was covered in wounds, his spirit was excited to the extreme. His ox-like eyes were wide open as he relived that world-destroying industrial spectacle, muttering nonstop:

“So damn thrilling… so damn thrilling… this was a hundred times more exciting than getting beaten up in the arena!”

Feng Zhiruo supported herself on her knees, gasping for breath. Her breathtakingly beautiful face was filled with lingering fear and shock.

The way she looked at Chu Feng had completely changed.

Gone were curiosity, wariness, or scrutiny. What remained was something akin to the reverence a mortal felt when gazing upon a god.

Just what kind of monster was this man?

He had actually used a set of unheard-of twisted logic to detonate a secret realm, burying a Nascent Soul Great Perfection cultivator whose cultivation far surpassed his own!

Chu Feng gently set down Murong Xue, whose breathing was steady, from his arms. He patted the dust off himself and surveyed the surroundings.

This was the rocky wasteland outside the City That Never Sleeps. The air still carried the scorched stench left behind when spatial rifts had sealed shut.

“Director Zhao.”

He spoke calmly.

“Yes!”

Zhao Wuji jolted, snapping to attention on instinct and pulling out his small notebook.

“Immediately draft a ‘Gui Xu Rift S-Rank Project Summary and Asset Inventory Report.’”

Chu Feng did not speak quickly, but every word was like a nail, fixing the future direction of the group in place.

“First, classify the ‘Industrial Cultivation’ theory of the ‘previous-generation traverser’ as the group’s highest-level ‘core technical asset,’ code number 001. Immediately establish a ‘Steam and Gears’ special R&D task force, with Chief Product Officer Leng Yanran remotely leading it. I will personally serve as project director.”

“Second, package all secret-realm materials acquired this time, combat data, and the ‘logical decryption’ insights regarding Murong Tian’s ‘Supreme Forgetting of Emotions Record,’ and send them to the Technical Department as the core data package for the ‘Group 3.0 version’ upgrade.”

“Third,” Chu Feng paused, a trace of amusement flashing through his eyes, “record a special first-class merit for all our ‘project participants.’ Once we return to the group, bonuses, equity, honorary titles—none of them may be missing. Especially Zhang Daniu. His ‘physical pressure-resistance test’ performance this time was outstanding. Promote him directly to ‘Deputy Director of the Security Center’ upon return!”

“Yes! Chairman!”

Zhao Wuji wrote furiously, his face flushed with excitement.

“Hehehe…”

Zhang Daniu scratched his head, grinning like a three-hundred-jin child.

Feng Zhiruo listened from the side, utterly dumbfounded.

Others escaped from secret realms after brushing with death and thought about healing their injuries or avoiding enemies.

This man, on the other hand, immediately thought about holding a summary meeting, distributing rewards, and upgrading technology.

Just what kind of brain did he have?

“Alright, don’t just stand there.”

Chu Feng glanced at the sky.

“Our ‘roadshow’ isn’t over yet. Back to the flying vessel. Prepare to depart for the next stop—Falling Sun Sacred Sect!”

…

Half an hour later, when the group returned to the “Ascension No. 1” docked outside the City That Never Sleeps, everyone was stunned by the scene before them.

The once luxurious and imposing flying vessel was now surrounded by thick, metallic scaffolding and countless mechanical puppets.

Chunk after chunk of thick armor engraved with runes had been welded onto the hull. Beside the bow-mounted “Annihilation Soul Crystal Cannon,” several additional ferocious, honeycomb-like launch ports had appeared.

Countless small mechanical spiders crawled across the surface of the vessel, dragging spirit-energy conduits engraved with formation patterns.

At the stern, two massive thrusters resembling metallic flower buds were being slowly installed.

This was no longer a luxury flying vessel—this was clearly a starfaring warship undergoing emergency refitting!

“Report, Chairman!”

On the deck, Wu Hao was drenched in sweat as he commanded a group of “engineering troops” with star-pirate backgrounds. Seeing Chu Feng return, he sprinted over, his face overflowing with fanatic excitement.

“After receiving your orders, I immediately contacted Chief Leng! Chief Leng held an emergency ‘technical consultation’ with Young Master Jian Wuxin of the Myriad Sword Sect and mobilized the first batch of ‘strategic cooperation resources’ from the Feng Family! At present, the ‘Ascension No. 1 · Industrial Edition’ refit has already reached seventy percent completion!”

Wu Hao introduced excitedly:

“We dismantled thirty percent of the nonessential ‘luxury interior’ and converted it into ‘combat modules’! We added sixteen ‘Gear Rapid-Fire Cannons’ and eight ‘Steam Jet Shield’ generators! Most importantly, based on the ‘industrial core’ blueprints sent by Chief Leng, we installed two ‘spirit-energy steam hybrid engines’ onto the vessel! Theoretically, the vessel’s maximum speed will triple! And… and it can even perform short-range ‘spatial jumps’!”

“Jumps?”

Chu Feng’s eyes lit up.

This was truly an unexpected delight. He had only wanted to add some “firepower” to the vessel. He never imagined that Leng Yanran would extrapolate further and, together with Jian Wuxin and Feng Zhiruo, directly create a “quasi-interstellar warship”!

This was the advantage of a “platform-type company”! Resource integration and coordinated operations far surpassed solo efforts!

“Well done!”

Chu Feng slapped Wu Hao heavily on the shoulder.

“Transmit my order. All departments coordinate fully. All modifications must be completed within one hour! One hour later—set sail!”

“Yes!”

With Chu Feng’s command, the factory-like flying vessel instantly burst into astonishing efficiency.

The whirring of gears, the hissing roar of steam jets, the clanging strikes of puppets, and Zhao Wuji’s hoarse shouts through a megaphone artifact—“Time is spirit stones, efficiency is life!”—interwove into an incomparably stirring yet absurd industrial symphony.

Feng Zhiruo was completely numb.

She felt that the hundreds of years she had lived were utterly wasted. The cultivation world she once knew, in the face of the Ascension Group’s almost perverse “execution capability” and “iteration speed,” was nothing more than a primitive tribal bonfire party.

One hour later.

When a steel behemoth fully clad in dark-golden armor, its flanks bristling with ferocious cannon ports and its stern spewing a mixed blaze of blue spirit energy and white steam, slowly rose above the City That Never Sleeps—

The entire city fell into dead silence.

Every cultivator who witnessed this scene had only one thought left in their hearts:

A brand-new, unreasonable era had arrived.

“Ascension No. 1, target: Tianyuan Continent, Falling Sun Sacred Sect!”

Chu Feng stood upon the brand-new bridge, gazing at the rapidly retreating clouds beyond the viewing window, brimming with heroic spirit.

“Full speed ahead!”

…

Several days later.

When a majestic divine mountain, floating above the sea of clouds like a blazing sun, appeared on the horizon, everyone knew—the center of the Mortal Realm had arrived.

However, just as the steel behemoth known as “Ascension No. 1” appeared outside the mountain gates of the Falling Sun Sacred Sect in an overwhelmingly oppressive posture—

They were stopped.

Before the grand mountain gate stood a young man clad in golden Falling Sun robes, his aura reaching Nascent Soul Great Perfection. Hands clasped behind his back, he was handsome, yet his gaze was sharp as an eagle’s, exuding the domineering authority of one long accustomed to power.

He was none other than the Falling Sun Sacred Sect’s chief senior disciple—Imperial Son Ji Wuming!

Behind him stood a figure in white. That figure appeared somewhat illusory, his aura weak, eyes hollow and lifeless, like a puppet whose soul had been ripped away.

It was Murong Tian, rescued from spatial turbulence by sect elders, yet whose Dao heart had already been completely destroyed.

Ji Wuming’s gaze, like twin blades, pierced through the void and locked firmly onto “Ascension No. 1.” When he saw Chu Feng and the others exit the bridge, a cold arc curved at the corner of his mouth.

He did not even acknowledge the “invitation letter” in Chu Feng’s hand. Instead, he spoke directly, his voice thundering across heaven and earth:

“Tianxin Holy Land’s Murong Tian accuses Chu Feng, Chairman of the Eastern Wasteland Ascension Group, of colluding with the Demonic Path in the Gui Xu Secret Realm, betraying trust, and cruelly murdering fellow cultivator Lei Qianjue of the Lei Family!”

“This seat is the chief of the Sacred Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall, acting under the Sect Master’s orders, to investigate this matter!”

He stepped forward. The pressure of Nascent Soul Great Perfection crashed down upon Ascension No. 1 like a tsunami!

“Now, open your flying vessel, hand over all personnel and treasures, and submit to this seat’s… inspection!”

A blatant show of force!

Just as Ji Wuming prepared to act by force, powerful auras suddenly descended from all directions in the sky!

To the east, a magnificent carriage pulled by nine seven-colored luan birds halted in midair. The Saintess of Yaochi Sacred Land, Liu Ruyan, lifted the beaded curtain. Her cool gaze swept toward Ji Wuming as she spoke lightly:

“Senior Brother Ji has quite the imposing air. But since when did this Dao Debate Conference become the Law Enforcement Hall’s one-man show?”

To the west, a massive golden lotus platform emerged. The Buddhist Child of Myriad Buddhas Temple, Jin Chanzi, pressed his palms together, his expression solemn and compassionate, his voice gentle yet imbued with unquestionable authority:

“Amitabha. Right and wrong have yet to be determined. Benefactor Ji’s actions may violate the Sacred Sect’s principle of ‘fair value.’”

From the southern sky, a sky-piercing sword intent tore through the clouds. Jian Wuxin of the Myriad Sword Sect stood upon a flying sword, his posture proud as he snorted coldly:

“My Myriad Sword Sect has just signed a major ‘technical cooperation’ deal with the Ascension Group. Ji Wuming, you may investigate him if you wish. But if this delays the delivery of our ‘new product,’ can your Law Enforcement Hall afford to pay this ‘breach-of-contract penalty’?”

They were not standing up for Chu Feng.

They had come as “stakeholders” on this emerging “industrial chain” of the Ascension Group, to safeguard the “market fairness” of this imminent “roadshow”!

For a moment, outside the gates of the Falling Sun Sacred Sect, winds and clouds converged, swords drawn and tension mounting!

An unprecedented “Mortal Realm Dao Debate Conference” had not yet begun—

Yet its most spectacular prelude had already been unveiled!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep