We agreed to seek enlightenment together, but how did you end up seeking enlightenment for my mother

On his eighteenth birthday, Xu Zhou wished for a marriage, and heaven was kind to him, giving him a little girl as a mother.

"Baby, I'm not a loli, I'm the Alliance Social Basic Service Bionic Robot Type AA."

"Mom doesn't object to that."

Xu Zhou leaned against the railing and sighed.

He transmigrated. One second he was making a wish with his eyes closed over his birthday candles, and the next he opened his eyes to find himself in another world.

Good news! The first thing he saw when he woke up was his incredibly cute little robot mom, who was resting her head on her cool, hard thigh.

Bad news: this is a stronghold of a heretical sect, and they are holding a fire-worshiping ceremony. He was immediately respawned in the prison and seamlessly became the fuel for the sacred fire.

The worse news is that supernatural powers exist in this world, but he is just an ordinary person with a little more information in his mind.

It was midnight, and the towering flames illuminated the training ground as if it were daytime.

In the center of the open space, hundreds of iron cages were suspended in mid-air. Xu Zhou sat shirtless in one of the cages, his body twitching slightly.

"Baby, stop praying to the sacred fire. Why don't you turn around and look behind you?"

Upon hearing that soft, emotionless female voice, Xu Zhou pulled his hand out of his pocket, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Don't say that."

He leaned on the railing to get up and looked at the figure in the cage on the other side.

The first thing you see is a head of jet-black hair, an elegant and refined appearance, and skin with a cold white that seems inhuman. Her purple eyes seem to be forever filled with an unyielding frost, making her look like a celestial being.

The only drawback is his height; he appears to be less than 1.4 meters tall, which adds to his youthful appearance.

Xu Zhouchong extended his thumb to the other person and slowly turned it downwards.

"Ya Qingyan, the hot spring down there is ninety degrees Celsius. Are you sure I can hold on? I just saw a stranger fall in and then an acquaintance float up."

Directly below the iron cage was a large, open square pond, in which a faintly glowing orange liquid flowed.

In the center of the deep pond stands a giant three-legged cauldron, within which a dark red sacred fire surges and burns.

On the surface of the liquid, countless fine threads could be vaguely seen spreading and flowing toward the sacred fire like living things, eventually being completely devoured and absorbed by the flames, fueling the fire to become even more intense.

A five-story-high grandstand surrounds the edge of the pool, and it is packed with people.

Whether they were spectators or the officiant, they all crossed their arms in front of their chests, bowed their heads, closed their eyes, and murmured prayers.

Ya Qingyan didn't look around, but stared straight at Xu Zhou without changing her expression.

"Of course, baby. According to the preset protocol in this unit's intelligent agent, I will strictly follow the program instructions to protect your safety."

"What agreement?" Xu Zhou raised an eyebrow.

"A mother's love."

"Don't say that."

Xu Zhou helplessly rubbed his forehead; he had actually come to terms with it.

He woke up to find himself in a Zoroastrian dungeon. Before he could even figure out his surroundings, he was dragged into this cage. He was completely bewildered.

If Ya Qingyan hadn't guaranteed his survival and provided him with the necessary tools, given his temperament, he probably would have already committed suicide.

Why would Zoroastrians need to boil or roast people?

If he had a chance to live, he would fight to the very end. But if things didn't go as planned, Xu Zhou wouldn't mind offering his "blessing" to this "wonderful" world before he died.

He was born with this open-minded personality.

"I'm not your baby, that sounds really weird," Xu Zhou emphasized again.

Ya Qingyan's expression remained unchanged, and her tone remained calm and composed.

"How could you talk to your mother like that?"

"I don't have a mother who looks younger than me!"

"But it was I who gave birth to you during the day, that's absolutely true."

He spoke these words without batting an eye, his tone carrying an undeniable certainty. If he hadn't known the truth, Xu Zhou would have almost believed him.

"You're just a bionic robot, how could you possibly have that kind of function? Besides, who's born just turned eighteen!"

He felt a tightness in his chest from anger, and took two heavy breaths. The wailing around him seemed to grow even louder at that moment.

A night breeze blows, and a wave of heat hits your face.

The cage creaked and swayed, like withered leaves in late autumn.

Unlike the two who were still in the mood to bicker, most of the other offerings were already dead.

Some bowed in prayer, some cried out in despair, some sat blankly resigned to their fate, and some went completely mad, smashing their heads until they bled profusely.

The lives of all those trapped in cages are sacrifices for this grand ceremony.

Ya Qingyan's words pulled Xu Zhou back to his senses:

"Extraordinary power, isn't that amazing?"

Ya Qingyan remained expressionless and made a victory sign in front of her chest.

"As a superhuman, isn't it reasonable for me to give birth to an eighteen-year-old boy in a cyborg body?"

"I'm asking you, where is the logic in this?" Xu Zhou stretched his neck and spread his hands.

"...He's already in his rebellious phase? Is my parenting philosophy wrong?"

Ya Qingyan tilted her head slightly, her fingertips lightly touching her cheek. Her cold purple eyes met Xu Zhou's, and her tone unusually carried a hint of confusion.

Just then, a loud announcement swept across the sacrificial site like a thunderclap, the sound waves making the iron cage hum.

"An auspicious day and a perfect time!"

Xu Zhou turned around and saw a richly dressed bald man slowly walking out from the host's seat on the high platform to the north. He held a flaming staff and faced the sacred fire with his chest open.

"I will purify the world with flames, burning away the filth of all living beings!"

As the man shouted out the doctrines of Zoroastrianism, a deafening chorus of chants erupted from the sacrificial site.

"I will purify the world with flames, burning away the filth of all living beings!"

The man nodded in satisfaction and raised his arms and shouted again.

"The Fire Worship Ceremony officially begins!"

boom!

Inside the giant cauldron, dark red flames erupted, their volume suddenly expanding, and the flames shot straight into the sky.

At the same time, the suspended iron cages began to fall one by one, with cries of agony rising and falling.

As the iron cage plunged into the water, a silver waterfall splashed everywhere. The prison slowly sank to the bottom of the pool, and even if the people inside weren't stunned by the impact, they would simply suffocate or be scalded to death.

Xu Zhou was naturally unwilling to accept his fate. He had only been in the world for less than a day and knew almost nothing about it. He was going to die in such a muddle. Who would be willing to accept that?

The iron cage itself was very poorly made, with uneven gaps between the bars, clearly indicating that it was a low-quality product made by hand.

He quickly found a gap that was just big enough for him to peek out, clamped his hands on one side, braced his feet against the other, gritted his teeth, tensed his muscles, and used all his strength to gradually widen the gap by a few centimeters.

Seeing that it was almost time, Xu Zhou immediately poked his head out and twisted his body to climb to the outside of the swaying iron cage.

Just as he regained his footing, a crisp click sounded from the mechanism above. Before his brain could even process it, his body had already moved, and he leaped towards Ya Qingyan's cage with a powerful kick.

Snapped!

With his ten fingers barely gripping the bottom edge of the iron cage, Xu Zhou's entire body was suspended in mid-air. Soon, a dull thud came from below.

He looked down at the still-undisturbed waves and felt a wave of fear wash over him. He had almost drowned just two seconds before.

Looking up, he met Ya Qingyan's emotionless metallic eyes.

"Give me a hand! Why are you just watching?"

Ya Qingyan ignored her, her tone seemingly even colder than before.

"You're not my baby, why should I help you?"

Xu Zhou was both amused and exasperated, unable to tell whether the human-machine loli was being sincere or just teasing him.

However, as a grown man, Xu Zhou also had his own principles; the mother in his heart would always be the one in his memory.

How could we easily show weakness to a loli robot?

"Mom! Dear Mom! It's your big son, help!"

"Why."

Ya Qingyan responded, casually pried open the iron bars with both hands, grabbed Xu Zhou by the neck, lifted him up, and easily dragged him into the cage.

It's hard to imagine that such a petite body could contain such immense power.

Xu Zhou's legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

What should you say after someone helps you?

Ya Qingyan stood to the side, her voice calm but carrying a hint of warning.

Xu Zhou raised his head, facing the loli robot who was only half a head taller than him when he was squatting, and flashed the brightest smile of his life.

"Thank you, Mom. I love you, Mom."

The iron cage continued to fall, and Xu Zhou knew very well that he had only postponed his death for a short while; the crisis was far from over.

"Baby, do you remember the survival methods I told you before you were locked up?" Ya Qingyan suddenly asked.

"Remember—when the final moment arrives, press the button."

Xu Zhou nodded and pulled out a transmitter about half the size of his palm from his pocket. It had a red button embedded in it. He had actually been holding this thing when he was told to pray for the sacred fire.

He woke up in the dungeon a few hours ago and it took him a while to accept his current situation. After that, Ya Qingyan gave him this little gadget, claiming that it could save lives in critical moments.

Xu Zhou weighed the transmitter in his hand, a hint of doubt appearing in his eyes.

"So as long as I press the button at the right time, I won't die? Aren't you really going to translate it again? You can't expect a half-baked baby to have much knowledge, can you?"

Ya Qingyan gently shook her head and looked directly into Xu Zhou's eyes.

"I'm just relaying what you've said, but you have to believe me, you won't die here, and I will believe you."

Paraphrasing?

Xu Zhou frowned.

The way you're saying this makes it sound like someone predicted he would time travel.

"But why should I believe you? We've only known each other for a few hours."

"Because I am your mother," Ya Qingyan said seriously.

"Well, it seems you're neither going to explain nor correct this form of address."

Faced with the riddle-maker who kept talking to himself, Xu Zhou felt like he had all his strength but nowhere to use it.

In truth, his mind was as clear as a mirror. The person who could embrace him closely when he awoke could only be one of two types.

They are either benefactors or enemies.

Xu Zhou is more inclined to believe the former.

Ya Qingyan must have many secrets hidden in her mind, but this human-machine mother obviously has no intention of telling her the truth and always gives irrelevant answers.

Just then, the android loli suddenly ripped off her black robe, revealing the silver-white metal structure inside.

The components are small and precise, exuding a cold, technological feel.

She neatly tied the robe around Xu Zhou's neck, then reached out and grabbed her precious son by the back of the neck, lifting him out of the iron cage.

Xu Zhou stared at her in astonishment. Her exquisite bionic face remained expressionless as she calmly spoke.

"Mom will explode at them in a minute."

"What? What do you mean by 'exploded'?" Xu Zhou asked, his eyes wide. "If you exploded, what about me?"

"You won't die, because we'll see each other again in six months." Ya Qingyan paused slightly. "When that time comes, as a reward for my help, you'll need to do me a favor."

Xu Zhou paused for a moment, but didn't dwell on it; he was already used to the other party's cryptic behavior.

"Wait a minute, shouldn't a mother's love be selfless?"

Ya Qingyan ignored his complaints and flung him towards another iron cage not far away.

At the same time, the cage beneath her feet suddenly shook and accelerated its descent.

"Ya Qingyan!"

Xu Zhou only had time to shout this before his body slammed heavily into the iron cage. He instinctively reached out and grabbed the bars, barely managing to hold on. The impact made half of his body go numb.

Snapped!

The transmitter slipped out of his hand and fell inside the cage. Due to inertia, it slid rapidly to the other side, about to slide off the edge of the bars.

"Grass!"