Chapter 400

Inspiration, Metamorphosis, Rebirth, Transcendence.

The theoretically perfect state of the Non-Aggression Matrix, the four blessing chains that can be gathered, is a dream that is forever out of reach in the heart of every Mohist.

Even with such strong universality and such a wide range of adaptation, while the threshold is low, wanting to achieve something makes the requirements for aptitude and talent become incomparably harsh. At the same time, one must also possess good affinity and even high attainments in most Supreme Virtues.

Difficult first, difficult later, and then even more difficult; entry is hard, development is hard, and achievement is even harder, harder, harder.

Just the first "Heavenly Hand" at entry has already stumped who knows how many people; after all, not many people can receive the treatment of the Supreme Virtue's arrival when they awaken.

People with talent as absurd as Ji Jue's are, on the contrary, the exception.

The Rebirth rank is the same.

The Earth-Bearing Sea-Containing of the Wasteland lineage, the Heavenly Movement Vigorous of the Ascension lineage, and then the Ten Thousand Things Self-Transforming of the Ember lineage... none of these are easy to deal with.

In the direction of Non-Aggression, there is no order to these three blessings; as long as you are at the Rebirth rank, whoever comes first is fine, it doesn't matter; the conditions are very open.

Because you'll find it hard to get any of these three...

Earth-Bearing Sea-Containing requires realizing the true essence of the Wasteland and the magnificence of matter.

Heavenly Movement Vigorous requires grasping the crystallization of obsession and the purity of ascension.

And Ten Thousand Things Self-Transforming...

Refine, child, refine; in the furnace there is a house of gold, in the furnace there is a jade-like beauty, although in all likelihood you probably have neither.

Even Ji Jue is feeling a bit bald.

What Earth-Bearing Sea-Containing represents is the breadth and boundlessness of matter, the magnificence and inclusiveness of the Wasteland, such as the stability of the earth and the infinity of the sea.

Its effect is that with the infusion of spirit quality, it endlessly enhances the properties of matter itself—strength, hardness, toughness, rigidity... If the spirit quality is sufficient to squander, this reinforcement can even be maintained permanently.

Heavenly Movement Vigorous represents the growth of the soul and intellect, and like the primacy of the spirit, it is purely passive, but different from the primacy of the spirit. It can break through shackles, obstacles, and barriers, allowing the soul of the self to grow and advance through constant tempering.

Simply put, as long as you possess this blessing, there is no such thing as a limit to talent and aptitude; from then on, one point of effort will absolutely yield one point of gain!

And the blessing of Ten Thousand Things Self-Transforming is more complex.

It does not act on a single individual, but is a unique control force when facing multiple materials. Its effect is to make all things naturally change according to their own laws, whether it is achievement or destruction.

Evolution, progression, growth, degeneration, aging, decay... are all included in it.

Applied in alchemy, it is like a cheat code; as long as the theory is correct, throw the materials in, and just wait for the result. There will be no accidents or flaws; it will be exactly what it should be.

You can even throw in materials outside the formula, or even things with conflicting physical properties, and forcibly control the result to make them coexist.

But if used in struggle and life with the bare-handed refinement of Non-Aggression, it is a natural-born holy body for construction and demolition; the range of application is too wide.

At the same time, this is also the one that makes Ji Jue's heart beat the fastest.

Eyes red, heart racing, unable to sleep at night, as if in love; he sees the shadow of Ten Thousand Things Self-Transforming in everything...

Woo woo woo, Self-Transforming, Self-Transforming, my Ten Thousand Things Self-Transforming...

Without a doubt, this is Ji Jue's first choice.

He decided on the spot to ask his teacher for advice.

Ten Thousand Things Self-Transforming, I want it, how do I get it?

The answer he got was: It's very simple, child, don't worry, just use your hands!

"Like the Spirit of Heavenly Bestowal, although it is a blessing, at the same time, it is also a proof and achievement bestowed by the Embers, a distinction and a reward."

Ye Xian said slowly over the phone: "Ten Thousand Things Self-Transforming, to some extent, represents the naturally occurring alchemical effect.

With your affinity with the Embers, don't worry. Just push your experience and control in the four lineages of Ascension, Purification, Extraction-Transformation, and Integration to the limit, and then perfectly integrate them to gain your own unique realization; that should be about enough."

"Uh, teacher..."

Ji Jue on the other end of the phone felt numb from head to toe: "Is this what you call simple? Even an average master couldn't do this."

"It's something that only requires time and effort to obtain; it doesn't require you to gamble on probabilities, nor does it require you to search the mountains and plains of the whole world for some realization, let alone waste your whole life waiting in vain for an opportunity that you don't know will ever come. If this isn't called simple, what is?"

Ye Xian asked coldly in return: "It's not like I'm asking you to pluck the Association's crown; Kong Qingyan can do it, why can't you?"

[???]

For the first time in his life, Ji Jue had such deep doubts about his own Federation language: Is this human speech? Why can't he understand it?

What do you mean Kong Qingyan can do it?!

"She had already captured this blessing before becoming a master; it was I who got it relatively late, only after becoming a master."

That's just because you became a master at an absurdly early age, okay!

He still needs at least three more Golden Ribbons to even follow the regular process to get the master title! But if he were to follow his teacher's example and not take the regular route...

Do you think major breakthroughs that change the industry are cabbages grown in your own backyard?!

His revision and adaptation of purification alchemy have only just begun; if he really wants to achieve such results, the time and experience he lacks are vast!

As a result, in the end, he still has to grind.

And it's not one item, it's four; and what he's grinding isn't results or achievements, but the most difficult basic skills to improve...

"Then Earth-Bearing Sea-Containing and Heavenly Movement Vigorous..."

"I don't know." Ye Xian said: "I am not the Wasteland or Ascension; I don't have these two blessings, so I have no experience to give you.

As for some slight guesses, there might be errors, so I won't say them out loud to mislead your train of thought."

"It's okay to say a little bit, teacher!"

"No, I mean, I don't want to talk about it."

Ye Xian decisively and bluntly extinguished Ji Jue's little idea and said slowly: "I don't quite understand why you are so anxious and urgent, but I must remind you that whether it is alchemy or the achievements of a Heaven-Chosen, it is destined to be a long road; it is impossible to achieve it overnight.

Forcibly increasing the heat and being eager for success will only refine a pile of waste.

Sometimes, taking it slow is the most efficient and secure way. Ji Jue, you need to learn to temper yourself and wait. Before your Rebirth form is even complete, don't think about plotting for blessings; honestly accumulate your attainments and abilities.

Or, if you want to come back for class, that's fine too."

She paused and said warmly: "No need to pick a time, I have time whenever."

"No, no, no, it's fine, no need!"

Ji Jue shook his head frantically, sweating profusely: "I love researching on my own, teacher; alchemy makes me happy, I love accumulating and waiting for the right moment!"

"I hope so."

The phone hung up. Ji Jue slumped in his chair, letting out a long, helpless sigh.

Although she didn't say it explicitly, he felt the disappointment and displeasure from his teacher.

What Ye Xian was disappointed in was not his eagerness for success; after all, everyone has a heart of laziness and arrogance, and taking shortcuts is the nature of living beings.

As long as he doesn't fall off the mountain while taking a shortcut, Ye Xian doesn't care; anyway, he walks his own path, and the classes he skipped will have to be made up double one day.

But when the anxiety and restlessness in Ji Jue's heart were slightly revealed, it made her notice the signs of something wrong.

If he can't maintain his reason and clarity and control his own emotions and impulses, then sooner or later he will make taking shortcuts a habit, become accustomed to it, and even become complacent, self-inflicted, and eventually seek his own death.

The more arrogant and proud one becomes, the closer the cycle of stagnation and decay.

The moment you decide to walk toward the riverbank, it is already destined that you will spend thirty years on the surface and thirty years at the bottom.

A guy like Jian Yuan, even if he hasn't truly received the essence of the Evil-Foolish God, what is the difference between him and a follower of stagnation and decay?

When you look back at your former self with a face that is no longer recognizable, how could you ever distinguish the traces and spirit of the past?

Ji Jue lay in the chair for a long time, then suddenly asked:

"Isis?"

"Sir, I am here."

"Am I that impatient?"

"I don't know."

Isis answered calmly: "In my database, there is no state of you being patient and restrained; rather, your impatient appearance seems normal to me.

In case you didn't know, your humble slave and servant is currently also

monitoring the workshop, the construction of the site, the expansion and maintenance of Xinquan, the financial auditing and personnel appointments of the coastal industry, and the collection and distribution of the courier logistics for you... If you really feel regret and alarm about your eagerness for quick success, why not reduce my workload a little first?"

"Okay."

Ji Jue nodded decisively and waved his hand, saying: "Add this part of considering reducing the workload to your work as well; make a feasibility report for me later, and I will consider it carefully."

"No need for later, sir, I can give it to you now, and no report is needed." Isis seemed to smile: "How about using a bullet?"

"I believe it will be simple and straightforward enough to solve all worries and troubles."

"Haha, you're really humorous." Ji Jue was amused.

"You too."

Isis's projection dissipated silently, leaving only a cold, indifferent eye-roll for her master.

And a bullet.

Bang!

Amidst the loud noise, the bullet flew straight toward Ji Jue's forehead, but before that, Ji Jue suddenly raised his head, lifted his right hand, and snatched it out.

Immediately, in the dead silence, there was no more sound.

The scorching red bullet rotated flexibly between his five fingers like a coin, tossed up, and fell, then gripped tightly.

The moment his five fingers loosened, it had already turned into a tiny portrait.

Every detail was visible, lifelike.

Himself.

And right under Ji Jue's gaze, the portrait slowly began to move, rising, rotating, and even jumping, as if it were a living thing... but in reality, it was the result of reshaping and recreating more than twenty-four times per second, a simple and crude superposition of refinement times that created a dynamic like a living creature.

And when his palm closed and opened again, the portrait had turned into a tiny flying bird, with exquisite mechanisms and fine feathers.

It spread its wings and just like that, right in front of Ji Jue, leaped with all its might and soared.

It rose into mid-air.

Until the phlogiston gunpowder used as the power source was exhausted, it fell, returning to Ji Jue's palm, turning into a square steel ingot, and was thrown back onto the table.

The whole process didn't take any effort at all; it was easy.

Bare-handed refinement had become an instinct, like breathing.

After the Rebirth rank, the deep fusion of soul, body, and matrix into one meant that bare-handed refinement and spirit quality operation were no longer even skills, and there was no cooldown or fatigue; even if activated twenty-four hours a day without interruption, it was just a matter of consuming some energy.

"Rebirth form, huh."

Ji Jue sighed lightly, also without a clue.

He just leveled up and hasn't finished posturing yet; he doesn't want to be dragged back by Ye Xian to take more Spirit Quality Offense and Defense classes...