Chapter 148

Ye Chun had a nightmare.

It seemed that in the pitch-black night, a dog was chasing wildly behind her, foaming at the mouth, wagging its tongue and refusing to let go. In the middle, she seemed to meet her aunt, but before she could shout "Aunt, save me," she heard her aunt say something to the dog, and then... that ghost thing's eyes turned red, and it ran wildly regardless of its life, shouting something like "I want to eat a hot dog" as it chased after her...

Regardless of how she cried and begged for mercy.

It was too damn scary, okay!

Ye Chun opened her eyes suddenly, breathing heavily.

Waking up from the dream, she realized she was drenched in cold sweat, and the rain outside the window was dripping non-stop.

She climbed up, took a cup to the kitchen, and drank several cups of cold water before finally becoming slightly clearer, and couldn't help but grit her teeth and stomp her feet.

You surnamed Ji, just you wait! It was still because you were fed too well!

Don't even think about sitting at the table tomorrow!

But when she turned back to continue sleeping, she saw the light in the crack of the door; the living room light was still on, and it seemed there was the sound of talking.

Nearing the end.

"Good, since Master Ye is so straightforward, the Association will not be stingy with the reward. Of course, I know you wouldn't care about such things, but it is a token of our sincerity, so please do not refuse."

The late-night visitor said goodbye politely, stood up to take his leave, and departed without looking at the slightly closed door.

The footsteps faded away.

"A-Chun?" Professor Ye on the sofa turned her head back.

"Yes."

Ye Chun pushed the door open and rubbed her eyes: "Is Aunt still busy?"

Professor Ye said: "Go back to sleep; it was someone from the Association."

"Oh." Ye Chun nodded knowingly, withdrawing her gaze from the direction of the main door, appearing relaxed: "I thought they were leaving."

"It's not time yet."

Professor Ye lowered her eyes and said calmly: "Go rest."

"Hmm..."

Ye Chun thought for a moment, turned back, and smiled: "Thank you, Aunt."

Professor Ye didn't speak, looking at the drizzling rain outside the window, the sound of the tide in the distance faint.

The footsteps faded away.

The night passed in a hurry.

The next day, when the sky was just beginning to brighten, Ji Jue, with bloodshot eyes, brought his toolbox and clocked in for work.

Obviously, he had been struggling with the pocket watch in his hand for most of the night; although the spiritual quality was abundant, it was still a bit floating and uncontrollably leaked a trace.

His state was not perfect.

"How is the progress?" Professor Ye held a teacup, seemingly caring for her student, but also as if she were gloating.

Or perhaps, both.

Why hadn't she noticed before that watching a student scratch his head and rack his brains over a problem in front of him could also be a pleasure... There was a beauty in watching someone repeatedly fall into a ditch, climb out, and then continue to fall back in.

But immediately after, she heard Ji Jue's voice.

"It seems... I've found a little trick?"

He said it with uncertainty, causing Professor Ye's action of lowering her head to drink tea to pause slightly.

It was so brief that it didn't last an instant, and soon, it returned to being fluid.

Maintaining her original posture, she took a light sip before putting down the teacup and slowly raising her eyes to look over: "Oh?"

For some reason, that look inexplicably put Ji Jue under immense pressure.

"I don't know if it's an illusion, come and see."

Ji Jue raised his hand and released Mechanical Descent toward the pocket watch in his hand again; a glimmer of spiritual quality like a candle in the wind emerged from the watch and lit up.

Then, this time, he took a deep breath and slowly reached out his hand...

In that instant, Ji Jue's spiritual quality fluctuations were dissipating and slowing down at a speed visible to the naked eye, while the spiritual quality appearing on his five fingers was as thin as a thread, still and frozen, without any fluctuation or wavering.

That was... an application of the Dissociation Technique; no, it should be said to be the most superficial basic skill—stopping the operation of all spiritual quality and keeping it in place.

As the creator of the Dissociation Technique, no one knew better than Ye Xian.

The source of this static inspiration was the most lofty and profound application in the Way of the Ruined Ruins—the Static Zone!

If the soul is as fleeting as fireworks, then the essence of matter points to what is called eternity.

A true powerhouse of the Ruined Ruins, such as Wen Wen, when using this skill, could do it nonchalantly and with ease, enough to completely stop all spiritual quality changes in the former Mercy Hospital, protecting the safety of the victims to the greatest extent.

It is said that the final form of the Static Zone is a terrifying effect that can even completely freeze the molecular motion of matter, as if time had stopped.

And now, Ji Jue's stasis couldn't even be counted as a drop in the bucket compared to what Wen Wen had revealed; at best, it was nothing more than a clumsy imitation.

And relying on this crude imitation, Ji Jue's five fingers actually managed, for a moment, to truly grasp the fragile intelligence within the pocket watch between his fingers.

He caught it!

Even if the next instant, with his slight movement, that fragile intelligence fell apart... it was still enough to make Ye Xian fall into silence.

Fast, too fast.

Even faster than she had anticipated.

It had only been one night...

If one were to consider it with the crude logic of how to stuff an elephant into a refrigerator, taking out the intelligence contained within matter is only three simple steps: first, grab that tiny glimmer of spiritual quality; then, ensure its structure is intact; and finally, take it out.

Each step sounds very possible, but in practice, they are all fantasies.

But as it happened, Ji Jue had already completed the first step.

Without destroying its own structure, with extremely delicate operations, he held the spiritual quality bestowed by Mechanical Descent in his hand, and he even self-taught the key to the second step—how to ensure its structure remains intact.

Ji Jue's method was simple: if it's too soft, too brittle, and too weak, then wouldn't "freezing" it work?

Through the basics of Dissociation Technique practice, he made his own spiritual quality appear in a stagnant state, and then gradually spread it into the structure of the target object.

As long as the structure of the target object is completely fixed in the end, wouldn't it be easy to take it out?

Unfortunately, the direction was completely wrong.

He was not a Chosen One of the Ruined Ruins lineage, and he didn't even possess the blessing of the Ruined Ruins. If he maintained his current state, even if he spent his whole life on this, he might not be able to comprehend the eternal meaning within the essence of "stasis"...

The feasibility was there, but Ji Jue was destined not to be able to do it, or rather, it didn't have the cost-effectiveness to continue grinding away at it.

But at the very least, he had already realized where the problem lay and had begun to make attempts.

This was the most important thing.

The hardest part of a troublesome matter is never how to do it, but discovering where the problem actually lies. After finding the key to the problem, even if one uses the most stubborn brute-force method, one can always make some progress.

"Thinking of applying the basics of the Dissociation Technique after breaking it down is indeed an idea, but you currently lack the conditions for practice." Professor Ye pointed out the error in direction with a single needle: "If I were you, I would think of a way from the primacy of spirit."

When pointing out the problem, Professor Ye's wording was also rarely peaceful.

After all, as a student, it was already not easy for Ji Jue to find a direction to make decisions and attempts without knowing the origin of the stasis technique.

Moreover, it had only been one night...

"Let me guess, your current interference and control over the intelligence of creations..." she pondered for a moment and suddenly asked: "Is it the effect of Non-Aggression?"

"That's right."

Ji Jue nodded.

To be precise, it should be the credit of the "Invisible Hand."

For the first time, outside of alchemical creation, Ji Jue felt this existence again. When Ji Jue was fully focused on performing spiritual quality operations on the pocket watch, that hallucinatory sense of control appeared in his heart once more.

According to his previous understanding, this should be an illusion.

The Invisible Hand should be a feeling that arises when he has all changes in his heart and everything under control during alchemical creation.

It refers to everything happening in the furnace fire as if there were an invisible hand manipulating it at will.

It was just a description.

According to common sense, it should be like this.

But Ji Jue seemed to have really felt it.

A strange tactile sensation like a phantom limb, even stronger than what he had felt before.

It was different from the touch familiar to his ten fingers; it was a more vague and faint sense of control—within the range covered by his spiritual quality, such a 【Hand】 existed.

Invisible and formless, but with the operation of spiritual quality, it was enough to replace him in completing all precise operations and achieving various incredible operations.

Including, carefully holding the fragile intelligence in his hand as if holding dew!

After trying dozens of times, he was already familiar with it.

The most difficult step had already been completed with such a simple method.

After the blessing of the primacy of spirit arrived, the effect of Non-Aggression on spiritual quality operation was further enhanced, and at the same time, the matrix, which was closer to a complete state compared to the original, was also increasingly compatible with Ji Jue.

It was as if it were also adapting to Ji Jue, conversely cooperating with his habits and usage, changing on its own.

So natural.

"Is this the inheritance of the Sages?"

Professor Ye whispered.

As far as she knew, in the current era, there were at least three Non-Aggression matrices circulating outside...

One of them was properly preserved in the collection of the Ring of Unity; one appeared at an auction in the Thousand Islands decades ago and was taken by a mysterious buyer; and another should be in the preservation of the Federal Huangzhou Security Bureau.

But among these three, absolutely none could compare to the Non-Aggression in Ji Jue's hands.

There is nothing more closely combined than a matrix and a Chosen One; this itself is a creation completed by relying on the Chosen One's own soul.

Likewise, in the long years of use, the matrix will inevitably leave the traces and experience of the user. So much so that in the end, there will be a clear and huge difference between them.

Not to mention the difference in level between users.

For the Sages of the past, reversing time was already theoretically feasible; what high-end operations hadn't they played with? At this moment, "reversing the heavens and stars," conversely cooperating with Ji Jue's operation, was completely a matter of course.

Not to mention the already amazing compatibility between Ji Jue and Non-Aggression.

It couldn't be reflected in daily basic use, but when facing targets beyond his own limits, any extra help became so obvious and clear.

In a daze, Professor Ye couldn't help but sigh, "It seems Mercury really likes you."

"Mom likes Big Brother very much!"

The metal hummingbird, having played enough on the living room chandelier, jumped down, rolled in his hair, flapped its wings, and shouted excitedly, wishing to declare to the whole world:

"All moms like him!"

Ji Jue's expression twitched, and he pinched the bird's beak.

They were all good words, so why did the praise suddenly change its flavor?

Was he used as a tool by the prophet, so why did it sound like he was a gigolo cheating an old lady?

They only saw him eating meat, but he was clearly pitted and scammed more often!

This was clearly his nutrition fee, okay!

"Alright, since you know you have an advantage in this aspect, don't waste it; go back and practice."

Ye Xian didn't want to watch Ji Jue show off anymore; if this continued, she wouldn't be able to help but put a few pairs of beautiful little pink shoes on him.

"Also, this has been checked, take it back."

The last thing Professor Ye took out and placed on the table was an antique-looking bell, overflowing with secret spiritual quality fluctuations, distant and elusive.

Just looking at it, it was as if a crisp bell sound like an illusion echoed in his ears.

Making one unable to help but be fascinated.

This was the complete thing Ji Jue found from the remains of that lightning old man after he had scoured the battlefield—everything else had turned to ash, only this one could remain intact after experiencing the Sword of Minerva, not even a crack.

Who couldn't see that it was a good thing?

However, according to the almost unspoken rules among artisans of the classical era—generally, the better the thing, the more the artisan would subconsciously stuff some more secret backdoors or more sinister surprises, and the result for those who used it without knowing the truth would be worse, which led to the bizarre situation where the better the alchemical item, the worse it was.

Without Professor Ye's guidance, Ji Jue really didn't dare to use such things he picked up randomly.

Otherwise, while using it, he might be used by someone else without knowing it.

Hearing this, he was immediately happy:

"You've finished looking?"

"Hmm, in a way, this can be considered the most high-level thing you've brought back in these days."

Professor Ye pinched the bell and shook it slightly, and a crisp sound instantly rang out from the bell.

As if from the underworld.

An invisible chill instantly spread, even more so than when the old man used it before, almost freezing Ji Jue, who was close at hand, and then, he felt the death-like silence that came late.

He couldn't help but turn his head and look out the window.

From beneath the dark clouds, in the drizzling rain, outside the workshop gate, in the hazy rain and fog, one after another, blurred figures slowly emerged.

Just like the lingering ghosts of the deceased.

Scarlet eyes looked back, looking toward this side.

Hundreds, thousands...