Chapter 98: Cultivation

"Ah? Who?"

Ji Jue blinked, taking a long time to react to who she was talking about, and immediately patted his chest to guarantee: "Don't worry, I keep my word. I can't help it if there are missing limbs, but as long as the money arrives, I will never kill the hostage!"

"Don't be nervous. Whatever situation you encounter during Rift exploration, there’s no need to hesitate when it’s time to be ruthless. A young master is nothing; it doesn't matter if he’s dead or alive.

I’m just reminding you that the corpse is also quite useful, don't waste it."

Professor Ye shook her head with emotion: "Compared to that, it’s your talent for kidnapping, extortion, and scraping the ground three feet deep that has made me, your teacher, look at you with new eyes.

The Ember Path has somewhat delayed you."

It wasn't that she was dissatisfied with Ji Jue; after all, in her earlier years, when she really encountered a situation, Ye Xian herself was much more efficient than Ji Jue, and she was a person of few words and ruthless actions.

If someone really didn't have eyes and offended her, there were few opportunities to even leave a whole corpse to throw into the furnace to extract a blessing.

Besides, wasn't it her instruction to give Kong Qingyan a few big slaps?

It was just that Ji Jue’s style was truly too unique, with every step falling outside of expectations.

He went out for a trip and came back with a matrix, a blessing, and he’d almost completely moved Mercury’s collection back. Did you go out for archaeological exploration, or for demolition and blasting?

Did you happen to catch the Rift’s Friday sale and ride your tricycle to stock up?

She felt she needed some time to accept it and think carefully: Did she get the cultivation direction wrong? It’s possible that her student’s talent for murder and arson is much higher than for being a craftsman...

But immediately after, she heard Ji Jue’s stammering voice.

"And there’s also... Fluid Alchemy."

Ji Jue rubbed his little hands and confessed shyly: "I accidentally learned it all."

"..."

Professor Ye was silent again, looking at him for a long time, as if doubting her own ears, "What... did you just say?"

"Fluid Alchemy, the one Mercury is best at, the absolute echo of classical alchemy, the art of ten thousand changes, the great achiever of purification. I’ve learned it."

Ji Jue nodded frankly, without holding anything back: "Although limited by my personal ability, the application is still quite restricted for now. However, the core concepts, basic theories, and advanced content will be organized in the next few days."

As he spoke, he reached directly into his pocket, took out a bottle of transformed mercury he had been using to practice in the last two days, and pinched a little moped out of it on the table on the spot.

The lifelike little tricycle twisted and turned, sputtering.

This was the best evidence.

There was no room for refutation.

From the unique spiritual quality circuits and construction of the classical period above, one could clearly distinguish that distinctive aura.

One look and you know, it’s Mercury’s direct descendant!

"..."

In this long silence, she took a deep breath, as if she had finally accepted this bizarre reality, took off her glasses, and rubbed her sore nose bridge.

Deep breath.

"Is there anything else I don't know?"

Professor Ye sighed lightly and put her glasses back on: "Say it all at once. Don't be afraid, I can accept it."

"It seems, there’s still a bit... more?"

Ji Jue hesitated and replied: "Mainly, I came into contact with the history of the Mohists when the Heavenly Pillar collapsed four hundred years ago, and then I was lucky enough to learn Fluid Alchemy. As for what happened later, I don't know how, but I seem to have blown up Mercury’s workshop, and the Rift is gone... Mercury’s remains were also burned to ashes.

In the middle, I seem to have touched a sword, called something... Blade of Reform? But later it disappeared again."

"Oh, and there’s this..."

As he spoke, he reached into another pocket and took out a small metal bird that had curled up to sleep, placing it gently on the table. The bird sensed his finger, rubbed against it with its eyes closed, and then continued to sleep soundly.

In this wave of messy reports, Ye Xian, who had keenly sensed several key terms, hadn't reacted yet, her gaze attracted by the bird curled into a ball on the table, and she asked subconsciously: "What... is this?"

"Uh, it seems to be Mercury’s final masterpiece?"

Ji Jue became uncertain, "Hmm, probably... it should be about right..."

Considering the teacher’s cardiovascular endurance, he ultimately didn't dare to tell her that this might be Mercury’s precious daughter.

But looking at the frequency of Professor Ye’s changing complexion, he still regretted not buying two packs of emergency heart-saving pills on the way.

Should he have laid some groundwork to give the teacher some buffer time?

He took the Ghostwork Ball, which had shrunk to the bottom of his pocket at some point, out: "Brother Ball, do you want to add a few words?"

Brother Ball was silent, with no reaction, not even a sound.

Brother! You are my brother!

I beg you, don't say anything.

Brother Ball shivered, not daring to speak.

It was just like in a calm afternoon, when a dozen screenshots suddenly appeared in a happy gaming group—a newbie just entered the pit, drew a few cards in a single draw, and didn't know if they were good, could the big shots help me take a look?

That’s enough, it’s already more than enough.

Many big shots are already not as good as you!

Don't show off anymore!

If you keep showing off...

Clatter!

The Ghostwork Ball fell into Professor Ye’s hand out of thin air. The internal record briefing appeared and flowed out, reading complete, from the moment Ji Jue entered the Rift until the first clang of the Blade of Reform.

In the long silence, Ye Xian was silent for a long time, then sighed:

"It really is, beyond expectations."

She had originally thrown the travel toad out, hoping it would send back a postcard. She didn't expect this thing to pack up the entire scenic spot and bring it back.

From the stone lions in front of the gate to the dogs raised in the scenic area, not a single thing was left behind!

Simply the Rift demolition king.

Besides that, the collapse of the Heavenly Pillar, the afterglow of the Empire, the past of the Mohists, the Mercury workshop, the Rift explosion, and even... the Blade of Reform!

The harvest was so rich, and the experience so explosive, that even though Ye Xian had gone to so many Rifts and Time Ruins in her early years, she had never seen such an exaggerated battle.

It was bizarre to the point of being unbelievable.

But to be this outrageous, it seemed to be very real. It’s just...

He had completely thrown the teacher’s safety education to the back of his mind, done all the things he should and shouldn't have done, and even dared to touch and feel something as deadly as the Blade of Reform... After touching it, he wasn't burned to ashes, and he came back whole and lively, as if nothing had happened, to show off his death-seeking results to the teacher.

It really is...

She laughed softly and shook her head helplessly.

"...Ji Jue."

Professor Ye took off her glasses.

Carefully folded the frame and placed it on the table: "A fruitful harvest, congratulations to you."

"Oh no, no, it’s all thanks to the teacher’s cultivation!"

Ji Jue hadn't finished his habitual humility when he saw Ye Chun, who had been playing dead on the sofa, suddenly jump up as if her butt was on fire, and slapped her head: "I... I remembered, I haven't hung the socks yet! Oh my, how could I forget..."

Muttering, she ran away as if her feet were greased!

This gave Ji Jue an instinctive, uneasy premonition.

"Speaking of cultivation..."

Professor Ye, who had been staring out the window, finally turned back. In the sunlight, a rust-colored shimmer flickered in her pitch-black pupils.

Suddenly, she gave a warm smile.

"Thinking about it carefully, as a teacher, besides the introduction to modern alchemy, I actually haven't taught you the crucial spiritual quality offense and defense. It’s indeed a dereliction of duty, and this is very bad."

She said: "Since I’m free today, let me give you some pointers."

What should you do if a child is disobedient and loves to touch the electric socket?

Don't be afraid, just give them a beating.

She believed that after receiving a beating of love, any bad habit could be cured. If one time wasn't enough, then come a few more times.

As for the slight unhappiness brought about by her student’s abrupt showing off, what is such a small matter? It’s just drizzle... Of course, she didn't care at all.

In his daze, before Ji Jue could react, his vision suddenly blurred.

The chair under his butt disappeared without a trace.

Not just the chair, the entire living room suddenly disappeared.

In a moment of trance, he was already in a strange space. The flipping walls slid backward inch by inch. In the empty space, lights turned on one after another, illuminating pieces of ground that rose and assembled from the darkness.

Faint stray electric light flashed and disappeared in the air, and the accumulated dust disappeared in an instant.

The ceiling, walls, and floor all seemed to have life, constantly changing. In just a few snaps of the fingers, they formed a spacious space large enough for horses to gallop.

This is... underground?

Ji Jue subconsciously touched the floor, but sparks flew from his fingertips.

The massive mechanism that made up all of this did not respond to the resonance and call of the mechanical god, but instead moved away in disgust—Stinky brother, who are you trying to be with? Step back a bit, don't splash blood on me, it’s very hard to clean!

Ah, this...

Are the local gangs so unfriendly?

Turning back, he saw Professor Ye’s figure not far away.

As usual, with her hands behind her back.

But on her usually cold and distant face, a subtle smile appeared that made Ji Jue’s hair stand on end, carrying three parts calm, three parts helplessness, three parts doting, and ninety-one parts expectation that you won't die too quickly—for so many years, he had only seen this formula of smile when Lu Ma called Lu Feng to the kitchen to get the rolling pin, broom, and mop.

Generally, at this time, he knew someone unlucky was going to get beaten.

So who is this unlucky person?

Oh, it’s me... then it’s fine.

No, something’s wrong!

Ji Jue was already sweating profusely, while Professor Ye just pulled a strange-looking pair of handcuffs out of the air, put them all on her right hand, and then turned the knob to the end. Instantly, invisible shackles appeared from the void and bound her heavily.

"Don't worry, to ensure the teaching results, I will suppress my ability and spiritual quality level to the initial stage of the Calling period.

Just treat it as a placement test.

You don't need to have any scruples, just play as you like."

Faced with such a benefit, Ji Jue wanted to speak but stopped, unable to be moved at all.

When you find out that Tyson is the referee, you should pray that the person walking up on the opposite side isn't Taro.

You know, for a faction like Ember that purely eats operation and experience, an old hand beating a newbie is called one-sided silence.

It’s like everyone playing the same game. Some people start sitting in jail as soon as they open the game, some people can dominate the school, and some people can take girls to fly. And some people, even if they easily get a hundred stars every season, still get beaten when they meet professional players. And in the professional field, the players who struggle to climb to the top can only get the ticket to the strongest...

There is always a mountain higher than another.

For the Ember faction, even if it’s just one point higher, it’s enough to leave an invincible, terrifying shadow in the opponent’s heart.

From Ji Jue’s debut until now, not counting the matches where the Blade of Reform’s salary fire top account went online to play, the highest-end game he had played was just playing side drums when Wen Wen beat Lawrence.

Now he actually has to play a teaching game with Professor Ye?

Me?

Are you serious?

But while shocked and terrified, he couldn't help but feel a trace of curiosity and excitement he had never had before, and as if possessed, he took a deep breath.

No more hesitation.

He said: "Then please give me more pointers."

Seeing him discard useless distracting thoughts so quickly, Professor Ye’s eyebrows raised slightly, but the moment she nodded slowly and was about to say something... she heard the sound of wind in her face!

Ji Jue moved forward, galloping like lightning!

Just a snap of the fingers, and he crossed a distance of more than ten meters, close at hand.

—Without hesitation, a sneak attack!