Chapter 241: Love, Death, Machines, and People

The broken flag glowed fiercely.

Looking down from the firmament, it was like a ray of dazzling starlight rising amidst pitch-black darkness and embers, scattering light.

But within that massive projection, everyone's eyes looked higher, toward the terrifying shadow that shrouded and obscured the entire Quancheng.

"It's already too late."

In the darkness, a sigh: "The haze of the four seas has gathered, with the sin of the world as the pillar, and the entire Quancheng is sinking into the shadow of the vortex.

Lu Changsheng is gambling, gambling that he can prop up Tao Cheng's assimilation of the Heavenly Human, gambling that he can complete his own ambition. I told you all long ago, that madman won one round and wanted to win another; after tasting the sweetness, he wanted more. Where is there any talk of knowing when to stop?"

"Then what are you all still dawdling for?"

Among the five seats surrounding the projection, a restless middle-aged man asked, "The legacy of the Heavenly Track is being abused, and the Federation keeps sending messages to question us.

Making it look like we deliberately violated the T5 Agreement.

When the Heavenly Track collapsed, who knew there was still such a Myriad Phenomena Engine lost outside?"

"Dumping another mess on us?"

A doctor-like person wearing a white coat and a mask said slowly, "The T5 Agreement hangs around our necks like a dog leash, almost strangling us to death; it's been a decoration for so many years, with so little business every day, reviewing and reviewing without understanding, and now that something has happened and there's a problem, you remember—Doctor, come save me... what were you doing earlier?"

"There's even more troublesome news—"

The restless middle-aged man said slowly: "Two minutes ago, the emergency communication line between the Emergency Situation Office of the Federation's Central City Council and the Empire's Senate was connected.

Currently, both sides are judging the situation; if the situation continues to deteriorate, it is very likely that they will use the unnumbered Supreme Heavenly Work to carry out a cleansing."

"Then why urge us?"

"Don't forget, the T5 Alliance is one body, a covenant of shared existence; the responsibility is shared by us all." The old man who initiated the meeting knocked on the table: "If this continues, once the Heavenly Track collapses and the Seal of the Shadow Sun goes out of control, how will the consequences be handled?"

Everyone fell silent.

Only the old man in the shadows extinguished his cigarette and suddenly raised his hand: "The Eternal Bank proposes to resolve the current situation of the abuse of the Heavenly Track's legacy by activating 【Dust】."

For a time, in the deathly silence, not even the sound of breathing could be heard.

Dust, it sounded insignificant.

In reality, the amount remaining today in the vault of the Eternal Bank was only 0.81 grams.

A destruction-level weapon left behind by the Dragon of Mountain Light during the era of the Chaos Kings—a Supreme Heavenly Work originating from the 【Barren Ruins】, shaped like dust, yet it was the natural enemy of all tangible things in the world.

Just less than 0.1 grams was enough to erase the entire Quancheng, along with everything within a radius of thousands of kilometers, from the map completely.

As if it had never appeared in the world.

And as the price, the disappearance of tangible things would lead to the birth of equal intangible things from within.

Tangible things are objects, existing with the world.

Intangible things are disasters, coming and going without a trace...

If the entire Quancheng were completely erased, what terrifying disaster would be born from it?

"... How could it come to this?"

Even the most restless middle-aged man hesitated.

"The Federation has already authorized it, and furthermore, this complies with the regulations of Article 4 of the Supplementary Provisions of the T5 Agreement regarding emergency situations."

The old man sighed, "I have already notified the Federation; if the proposal passes, Dust will be deployed in half an hour; they have enough time to complete the evacuation.

I know the consequences are devastating, but as things stand, you have to choose one of the two consequences, don't you?"

And so, no one spoke again.

"Gentlemen, the mission of T5 has long been completed; we will eventually withdraw from history step by step. And what we must do is maintain our final dignity and ensure our power is not abused.

Please begin the vote—"

The old man raised his palm first: "Eternal Bank, approved."

A green light lit up.

Silently in the shadows from beginning to end, in a seat where the specific appearance could not be seen, a clerk-like person put down the phone and raised his hand: "Cosmic Heavy Industry and Great Creation, approved."

The second green light.

The middle-aged man was silent for a long time before sighing silently: "Boundless Communication, abstained."

The third light went out.

"Can you stop bothering me with killing and arson in the future?"

The doctor waved his hand, "Hope Hospital, approved."

The fourth green light lit up.

Three votes for, one abstention.

"Since that's the case, let's adjourn the meeting." The old man stood up: "The preparation work will be handed over..."

Beep!

At that moment, a harsh sound rang out.

The fifth light lit up, a dazzling crimson!

Causing everyone to freeze in place, looking back in a daze at the empty seat.

【—Heavenly Track Transportation, vetoed!】

According to the T5 Agreement, the five parties integrate their positions and share responsibilities, but in order to avoid mutual interference, the presiding party has veto power over proposals concerning the internal affairs of each party!

At this moment, in the seat that had been covered in dust and vacant for who knows how many years, a figure appeared.

It actively leaned forward, sitting where the light could shine on it.

It was a sheepdog.

As if it had traveled over mountains and rivers, its soft and shiny fur was full of machine oil and dust, wet, and there were traces of smoke and fire.

So disheveled.

Only two black, round eyes remained clear and bright.

Reflecting the light.

Pleading silently.

The middle-aged representative of Boundless Communication froze for a moment, then flew into a rage: "Hey, dead dog, do you understand the situation?"

"CEO, this is no joke."

The doctor reached out and carefully wiped the dust off its face: "You can't mess around, understand?"

"What exactly are those guys thinking? I said long ago that letting a dog hold the voting power was unreliable!" The old man's expression was gloomy, glaring: "The situation is already too late, I demand a forced change of agent!"

Amidst many gazes, the CEO lowered his head in disappointment.

Drooping his ears, he whined twice.

"Wait, wait."

It hurriedly leaned out, poking its nose at the voice button on the table: "I! I! I! Speak!"

"Group! Defense! Must!"

It raised its head, looking at everyone, pleading, its claws pressing: "Problem, CEO, good, employees, together, solve! Employees, good, very good, CEO, believe!"

"Everyone, believe, CEO, please, believe!"

"..."

The old man was silent for a moment; for an instant, he wanted to open his mouth, but looking at those clear eyes that no human could compare to, he sighed silently: "Do you really understand the consequences? This is not a responsibility you should bear."

The CEO's pupils lit up, as if smiling, its claws pressing the button: "CEO, like, humans! Like! Like! Like! Like!"

"CEO, love, humans, more than anything!"

"More than, himself, love!"

"Please humans, don't hurt humans!"

It hurriedly and anxiously searched for the button, pressed it, pleading:

"—CEO, definitely, will, protect humans!"

In the silence, no one spoke again.

After two hundred years, Heavenly Track Transportation submitted an application to the T5 Alliance once more.

Special operating rights opened!

Time, three minutes!

Many people have different views on the scene of the world's creation, but the appearance of the world's destruction seems to be much the same.

Just like many years ago.

The earth was pitch-black, the sky was burnt red, and rain of ash drifted between heaven and earth.

Like the lingering hatred of the deceased, the ashes named death...

"So similar."

Ji Jue looked at the world before him and suddenly felt that what Jianyuan said actually made sense.

Perhaps he had never been able to escape the hell of the past.

Perhaps this was just a child's fantasy before death, a drifting dream, so absurd and bizarre.

The disaster more than ten years ago—the destruction and burning came too fast, so much so that everything he had was torn apart.

Half was buried in the past, sleeping in eternal silence.

And the other half rushed forward, drifting further and further away.

To this day, witnessing all this again, he suddenly began to wonder: in these ashes in the wind, was there a part that originated from his former self?

If hell is so terrifying, why are there so many people who can't wait to create more hells?

"Why throw yourself into stagnation, Jianyuan?"

Ji Jue turned his head and asked curiously: "You have never been tainted by sin, and you don't care about the so-called great sin at all."

The moment he started the engine and revealed his soul, Ji Jue saw it clearly.

Within Jianyuan's body, traces of supreme goodness and great sin coexisted, but neither could occupy the main axis. Just like his equal disdain for great sin and supreme goodness.

He treated everything as material, simply using it, without any intention of taking sides.

But why was he so obsessed with destruction?

"Is it that important? I don't care."

Jianyuan's fingers scattered, easily mobilizing the Heavenly Track he had created, maintaining Quancheng's stability, and asking indifferently: "Why can't I throw myself into sin?

And why divide goodness and sin?"

"The incompetent will always draw lines, deceiving themselves, saying there are things beyond human reach, to face their own insignificance and incompetence calmly, like those pedantic and incompetent people in the Association.

But some people take those excuses and lies as truth, thinking they are pearls of wisdom, like you.

But boundaries are always meant to be crossed; the so-called rules never existed from the beginning!

Stuck in a rut, lazy and not moving forward, covering your eyes and pretending it didn't happen, covering your ears and pretending not to hear, deceiving yourself—what kind of artisan is that!"

He looked back, as if he had had enough of the ugly state and jokes of the fool's dream and the fool's self-trouble: "Supreme goodness or great sin, both are the principles of the world.

Since the principle is there, I will go there to seek it.

I want to ask you, why is there something in the world that I cannot know!?"

Ji Jue was indifferent, just asking: "Even if it leads to endless poison?"

At that moment, Jianyuan could not help but laugh out loud.

"The flood is overwhelming, what does it have to do with me?"

"No, it has to do with you."

Ji Jue shook his head and told him solemnly: "The snow mountain collapses, the flood breaks the dam; among ten million snowflakes, perhaps one or two innocent ones will come before you.

In the endless flood, could there not be a drop of revenge falling on your head?"

Like now—

At that moment, a violent roar exploded from beneath Jianyuan's feet.

Blazing light soared into the sky.

Compared to it, the silver radiance appearing in Ji Jue's pupils was so insignificant.

Only a single strand, but as it flowed, it was like a hot knife cutting through wax, destroying all the blockades Jianyuan had set up on himself.

Destroying them!

Completely exhausting the breath that the blade of change had left in him, Ji Jue returned to freedom.

Without hesitation, he pounced!

He had been comforting himself that the situation hadn't reached the most troublesome point, that everything might not be that bad. Be patient, stay steady, wait for an opportunity.

But he couldn't wait any longer.

"Fuck it, I'm exploding with you!"

Unknown when, the skull left at Jianyuan's feet roared in anger, completing its final translation work.

And then, within the locked skull, the chained spiritual quality structure hidden under the blessing of 【Mutual Knowledge】 fell like dominoes, triggering an irreversible chain reaction.

For days, all the flames and temperatures Ji Jue had stolen from the furnace, from the burning explosives purified to the limit by non-attack, exploded with a bang.

But unfortunately, it was useless.

The moment the flames exploded and rose, they stagnated in place.

At most, it was just a waste of Jianyuan reaching out and pointing downward.

Barren Ruins · Stagnation Zone!

But it was enough to buy Ji Jue a crucial moment; while breaking free from the shackles, the wheelchair beneath him suddenly roared, raged, the hand-cranked motor spun wildly, the structure operated, and the mercury hidden beneath the steel pipes flowed, changed, and from the armrests, cushions, and even the wheels, blades of sin emerged from the blockade of mercury, slashing.

Like a storm of steel, enveloping everything, hacking Jianyuan into a thousand pieces!

Unfortunately, still useless.

The higher ruling power of the Ember Path was almost absolute; for a master artisan like Jianyuan, all of Ji Jue's tricks could not escape his eyes, let alone that he had been watching from under his eyelids all along, pretending not to know?

Even Ji Jue's sudden attack was not beyond his expectations.

The only miscalculation was...

Ji Jue's counterattack was too weak!

He hadn't found a better opportunity, hadn't even had the patience to wait for him to reveal a flaw, rushing up so recklessly and meaninglessly, with no result at all.

Furthermore, mere petty tricks!

Boom!

Just a flick of a finger, and countless blades and edges, along with the entire wheelchair, disintegrated into dust.

Heavenly Human · Power Impact!

And so, finally... the truth was revealed!

Behind the remains of the wheelchair, that gray fluorescent light illuminated his pupils.

Making this shell, riddled with trauma, shudder in fear!

That was what he had ruthlessly cut from the hands of Master Zhou Zhong and forcibly kept for Ji Jue...

—Heart Poison Arrow!

The moment it appeared, it had already dissociated into countless fine rays of light, gathering into a single strand, completely activated, and locked on!

No, he clearly hadn't leaked any spiritual quality as a medium for locking on, so how did it work?

In a flash of lightning, Jianyuan's peripheral vision caught the remains of the skull, and he couldn't help but want to laugh in realization—so that was it?

Ever since he created this work used for comedy and lured him into trying it, had he been preparing for today?

He really had some ability!

But, still not enough!

He didn't even disdain to mobilize his blessings, let alone defend; he raised his head coldly, letting the Heart Poison Arrow pour into his body, infinite resentment, hatred, and even distortion pouring into his soul.

But so what?

The next instant, it was completely swallowed by his soul, which had been through so much trauma!

Mere heart poison, nothing more!

Slap!

The sound of a blade piercing flesh rang out.

Jianyuan's cold smile froze on his face.

He slowly lowered his head, seeing a shallow blade edge protruding from his chest, piercing, and then, the sin-tainted poison he had painstakingly taught and forged spread, poisoning his flesh and blood.

That was... a fragment of the skull.

When it exploded, the fragment fell from the main body of the skull.

But accompanied by the collapse of the main structure, what appeared from within was actually another blessing of the great group!

【Battle-Hardened Tempering】?

Where did it come from? When?

At that moment, what appeared before his eyes was that back-scratcher that was completely trash...

Deliberately making the back-scratcher into a defective product, but hiding the incomplete blessing in the skull?

A creation that looked the size of a fist was actually a dual-blessing creation, relying on hidden explosives to completely deceive his eyes in structure.

Beneath the secret room, there was another secret room.

Beneath the change, there was another change!

The moment the fragments flew, a third invisible hand of spiritual quality caught the flying blade-like fragments and gripped them tight.

And then, without hesitation, it pierced into his heart from behind him.

The blade, which was originally only an inch long, drained his blood in an instant, multiplied itself, and then, dozens or hundreds of scarlet blades exploded from his body and spread.

Hacking him into pieces!

If doing so really had any meaning.

Boom!

Ji Jue's body flew backward; his just-healed legs shattered inch by inch, his ribs broke under the ravages of pressure, and the pain of piercing his lungs spread.

But his hands were unharmed.

Mockingly leaving him the possibility of resistance.

Jianyuan's torn-apart body reassembled in the air.

Mere rebirth, still with infinite vitality, why underestimate him so much?

Or was it that he had long known the consequences, that he was no match, and was making a desperate struggle just to sprinkle those drops of flood and snowflakes on his head?

"Really, I underestimated you."

He waved his hand, easily crushing that hand of spiritual quality, took the remaining blade, examined it carefully in his hand, and when he glanced at Ji Jue's tragic appearance, he couldn't help but 'admire' and sigh:

"How did I only find out today... that a righteous messenger who would fight to the death had come to the Ember Path? A warrior who does not fear authority?"

Jianyuan sneered, "What should I call you?"

Ji Jue was silent.

Just like he was distracted.

But for some reason, he remembered the immortal patients in the Time Ruins not long ago.

Their cries, shouts, and silent wails echoed in the rain and darkness, just like those of the others before him.

So familiar.

Just like himself back then.

The earth burned, and ashes rained down.

The flames rushed, carrying hell, carrying more pain, passing through the barren world, flowing into the sea of tears, never to be seen again.

But what did he count for?

Among so many suffering people, a special guy didn't necessarily need one more Ji Jue, and among so many innocent people who died, it didn't necessarily have to be one less of himself.

From beginning to end, he was just lucky.

He was just coincidentally lucky, loved by the best person in the world, by... her.

So, there was no need for a special title, nor was there a need to summarize it with a high-sounding name.

Precisely because of this, he felt such regret and shame.

Sorry, Director Qian.

He sighed self-deprecatingly: "I'm really not a good doctor."

At that moment, in Ji Jue's hand, the bone blade extended from his flesh and blood, falling into his five fingers; on the translucent blade, compassion was gone, and the edge was sharp.

Pointing at Jianyuan's face.

But immediately after, before he could react, he turned it around.

Pierced down!

Pierced into his heart, twisted!

"Call me whatever you want, Jianyuan."

Amidst the astonishment of the Deep Sect Master, Ji Jue smiled calmly: "Call me whatever."

He did not possess great love, nor did he possess any compassion.

Hypocritical, hesitant, cold and thin, possessing only a cavity of resentment and anger, and a little bit of petty cleverness that couldn't be brought to the table. He couldn't be a messenger of justice, couldn't be a doctor with a benevolent heart, and certainly wasn't a warrior who would never yield...

"I am your enemy, Jianyuan."

He raised his eyes contemptuously, glancing at Jianyuan's gaze, and told him: "That's all!"

At that moment, the bone blade was pulled out from his chest.

And then, as if infinite scarlet gushed out, spreading, winding, scattering, falling in all directions, flying, a drop among ten thousand strands, falling on Jianyuan's face.

Just like the snowflakes falling during an avalanche, the mud splashed when the flood raged.

A drop of blood debt fell.

So insignificant, not worth mentioning.

But enough to determine the situation!

At that moment, with the flow of blood, the Blade of Compassion wailed, Ji Jue's aura completely faded, life passed away, irredeemable, and death came as promised.

Following it, there was a change Jianyuan had never imagined.

Suddenly started!

The moment he sensed something strange, Jianyuan reached out without hesitation, mobilizing all his power, no longer having any love or cherishing heart, wanting to crush Ji Jue into powder.

But immediately after, the world shook violently.

Steel roared.

A ten-thousand-zhang tide of spiritual quality roared over, turning into a torrent, mighty and sweeping, smashing into Jianyuan, forcing his body to retreat inch by inch.

Engine change!

He raised his head in disbelief, looking at Ji Jue.

Or rather, behind Ji Jue, on the surface of the engine, a strand of scarlet slowly fell, evaporating from the heat. The engine, which had been under countless chains and shackles, suddenly vibrated, gushing thick smoke and flames, roaring in anger.

It was as if it had heard a call that had been absent for two hundred years from its slumber...

And so, the spirit of the deceased opened its eyes once more.

Countless chains collapsed inch by inch in an instant from the backlash of the engine.

The key created by Jianyuan was instantly ejected, twisted into a ball.

At this moment, the core hub that combined all the power of the artificial Heavenly Track launched a fierce counterattack against its own controller. It was as if... it had been given life and soul!

—【Deus ex Machina】!

"All along, relying on this, relying on that, relying on others, completely forgetting that I still have a palm technique that descends from the sky..."

Ji Jue leaned on the engine and smiled self-deprecatingly.

At that moment, accompanied by the passing of life, the familiar pop-up window appeared before his eyes again.

【Life danger detected, standard emergency survival protocol activated—within the protocol's effective time, the Chosen One's ability will qualitatively leap one stage—dual qualitative leap complete!】

No longer an invocation, under the promotion of the protocol, 【Deus ex Machina】 entering the metamorphosis period acted here.

Just like the scene that happened in the Jici Hospital, only this time, the object of the ability was no longer an electric car worth only a few hundred or a thousand yuan.

But a behemoth close at hand...

Truly, giving the engine life!

The violently operating engine did not resist his ability at all; on the contrary, it was as if it had been waiting for who knows how long, actively opening all internal spiritual quality sequences and verifications.

Eagerly waiting.

All he needed was to take out the key...

That was all!

Countless spiritual quality structures overlapped in an instant, verifying and locking; the moment all this was completed, a mighty and magnificent high-pitched scream erupted, soaring into the sky.

The loud and distant echo, like the whistle of a train about to start, announced to all directions.

Under the transformation of the qualitatively leaped Deus ex Machina, the ecstatic engine spirit swallowed everything in the artificial Heavenly Track, operating in overload.

The sin that had seeped into every part and component was extracted under the manipulation of the Heavenly Track; the sound of steel screaming was endless. In the burning ruins, pieces of iron and remains flew from all directions, falling onto the engine, making up for the incompleteness.

It was like time reversing!

And accompanied by the call of the whistle, in the void, one door after another opened without warning.

Without hesitation, exhausting all the reserves in the warehouse.

Amidst the CEO's excited howling, steel frames, drive shafts, pipes, cables, instruments... countless parts poured down like a flood, mighty and coming.

The behemoth that had once passed away roared and revived, regenerating internal organs and limbs at a speed visible to the naked eye, growing flesh and blood again!

The behemoth rose from the ruins.

And in front of the countless rising smoke and dust, Ji Jue sat calmly on the steps.

He lowered his head, curiously studying the wound on his chest, reaching out, fiddling with his broken heart, examining it carefully, and thus, becoming even more confused.

Where does the great sin exist? Where is supreme goodness?

He couldn't help but laugh out loud.

It was nothing more than a cavity of blood, what arrogance and emptiness was there to speak of?

Just like that, he took the blood-stained watch from beneath his heart and, in front of Jianyuan, put it on his wrist: "No need for the Master to worry, whatever is in this blood, I will choose for myself!"

No need for the future, Jianyuan.

And no need to wait for any great disaster to appear...

At this moment, the enemy you crave is right before your eyes! ===== CHAPTER 242 =====