Space Odyssey from Abandoned Mining Space Station

Chen Ming arrived at the center of the laboratory.

The Destruction Core, exuding a terrifying aura, was right ahead.

Before Chen Ming could face the influence of the Destruction Core, a large amount of Silent Alloy liquid suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of him, blocking his path, forming two massive and heavy mechanical arms.

Chen Ming did not hesitate at all, controlling one of the mechanical arms to touch the device located at the center, while the other reached directly towards the Destruction Core.

His intentions were very clear.

However, the previously inactive Mechanical Race finally took action before Chen Ming could end it all.

The device on the surface, which Chen Ming assumed was just a disguise, suddenly activated, and a layer of spiritual energy fluctuation, almost tangible, penetrated all substantial structures, forming a spherical barrier, sealing off everything in the surroundings.

In an instant, it encapsulated the underground, including the entire destruction area and the laboratory inside, along with Chen Ming within.

But just as the spherical barrier was about to completely seal, the last opening on its surface failed to close entirely, the efficiency of the spiritual energy seemed to stall suddenly, while the operation of the device grew more intense than before.

The surface device seemed to reach the brink of overload within a few seconds, forced to open its casing for heat dissipation.

The moment the device was opened, one could see through the gaps in the casing a spherical object radiating intense spiritual energy fluctuations inside.

This was also a Spiritual Core.

And Chen Ming already felt its specific effect.

At the moment when the device on the surface was activated, Chen Ming, who was underground, sensed a tearing sensation directly assaulting the essence of his consciousness.

He instantly understood that the surface device’s capabilities were identical to those of the underground device, only it was disguised outwardly to mislead him.

Causing Chen Ming to mistakenly believe the Mechanical Race intended to use the Destruction Core and the teleportation device to achieve a special effect.

The actual function of the surface device was to activate the internal spiritual core related to consciousness, sealing off all existing consciousness surrounding it.

It was precisely due to its function that it conflicted with Chen Ming’s consciousness.

Chen Ming’s consciousness on his body was not complete.

His consciousness simultaneously existed elsewhere.

This rendered the device unable to completely sever Chen Ming’s consciousness, leading to a stall in its operation and overloading.

However, the device prepared by the Mechanical Race still exerted maximum effort to cut the connection between his body’s consciousness and the other consciousness.

If his consciousness were truly severed, the impact would be extremely negative.

Though Chen Ming had always actively sliced his consciousness, spreading it across different bodies.

These separated consciousnesses maintained a layer of connection with each other, all part of Chen Ming himself, only in this way could each consciousness freely invoke complete spiritual energy.

If the consciousness were severed, not only would the spiritual effect be limited, but it would greatly affect the structure of Chen Ming’s consciousness, with unimaginable consequences given Chen Ming’s current state.

Chen Ming truly had no way to eliminate the device itself in a short time.

He initially aimed directly at the true goal—the Destruction Core—without bothering with the apparent trap device on the surface.

The Mechanical Race cleverly placed another trap within the surface trap, causing Chen Ming to neglect it altogether.

The surface device had been powered by antimatter energy for half a day.

Using human consciousness to counter an antimatter reactor was clearly not a sensible idea.

Though Chen Ming indeed wanted to do it, his current situation did not allow him to.

Because his consciousness state was very peculiar.

His consciousness was like a ball of yarn, difficult to cut in half directly.

However, when Chen Ming’s consciousness had several strands extending to different places, forming smaller yarn balls, severing the connections between these smaller yarn balls and the big yarn ball became much easier.

Chen Ming now seemed to be using the connections between yarn balls to counteract the energy from the antimatter reactor.

A yarn ball against a reactor posed no problem, but a single strand against a reactor was mere fantasy.

If Chen Ming did not want the connections between his consciousness to be severed.

Either he concentrated all consciousness on the body, or allowed the consciousness from this side to leave, or let the Mechanical Race’s device truly sever his consciousness.

The third option was directly ruled out.

Chen Ming had roughly several seconds to decide what to do.

Within these few seconds.

The large mechanical arm made of Silent Alloy had already touched the underground device.

Yet the underground device also had issues.

Its casing and internal structure were separate; just controlling the casing couldn’t manipulate the entire device.

Especially the energy progress bar Chen Ming saw on the casing earlier, which was fake.

This progress bar was purely deceptive, appearing similar whenever Chen Ming saw it.

It was psychologically manipulative, disguised as a seemingly urgent entity with a progress bar, prompting Chen Ming’s eagerness to stop its operation.

It was intended to lure Chen Ming underground, taking advantage of the unprecedented opportunity to trap his consciousness.