Chapter 316: Great destruction and ruin, blood flowing across the ground

Death was like a shadow, quietly spreading.

The aberrant species covering the mountains and plains dissipated rapidly amidst their hissing and wailing; in the gradually clarifying silence, there was only the faint sound of them collapsing to the ground.

The withering of life was like an endless swarm of ants, surging toward extinction, flowing away together with the blood.

At the very moment those fish scales shattered, the massive Ba Serpent collapsed with a roar.

Even the strength for its death throes was snatched away; its body, as vast as a mountain, began to rot and dissolve at a speed visible to the naked eye, emitting a foul stench and turning into sludge.

In the end, even its skeleton could not remain, crumbling into fly ash.

A life that should not have existed here met its end.

And after losing the support of the Ba Serpent, the rain of blood filling the sky also began to wither rapidly.

The Disaster fragments, having been repeatedly overdrawn and thoroughly squeezed dry in Ji Jue's hands, could ultimately no longer sustain themselves in the present world.

Without internal supplements and support like the Ba Serpent, it was like an empty shell nearing its limit, gradually cracking under the pressure of the present world, which was comparable to the deep sea.

What's more, Ji Jue had no intention of maintaining it, and was even turning back to accelerate this process.

Yet, as the worms gradually dissipated... a certain eerie attraction emerged out of thin air from the void!

Amidst the faint, distant sound of water, a wisp of flickering light extended from the dark clouds in the firmament, landing on the shattered fish scale fragments.

It was like a not-so-honest little hand, tugging at something it had already given away, wanting to pull it back into its pocket...

Pull your mother's leg!

Ji Jue instinctively widened his eyes, flying into a rage.

Could someone really snatch back material that had already reached his doorstep?

Dream on.

——I've even thought of how to use it!

In an instant, the remaining blood rain across the sky converged, and one palm after another emerged from thin air, covering the two fish scale fragments, gripping them tightly, refusing to let go.

Disaster of Blood Rain, let me see your limit!

Amidst a loud noise, it seemed as if some massive object had collided.

The disaster nearing collapse was accelerating its dissipation. Not hesitating to squeeze dry the last bit of value remaining in the worms, and relying on this final flash of brilliance, Ji Jue forcibly dragged the two fragments back from mid-air.

【?】

It was as if it hadn't expected that someone would dare to steal its things.

The mysterious existence on the other side of the water's light was also stunned; caught off guard, Ji Jue had actually dragged them over.

In the momentary astonishment, it felt its connection to the fragments begin to blur rapidly.

Layers of mercury swirled, stained with Ji Jue's own blood, winding around the fragments, covering and sealing them—layer after layer, dozens or hundreds of times of Solid Alchemy in an instant, binding them tightly!

The water's light expanded abruptly, and a giant eye, lusterless and like a dead fish, looked down from the void, seeing only Ji Jue's expression, which lacked any sense of guilt, and the mercury cube vibrating violently in his hands.

Being watched by the original owner, Ji Jue felt no shame, and even accelerated his speed in defiance.

What are you looking at?

I picked this up!

You say this thing is yours, will it answer if you call it?!

It seemed as if anger emerged from that hollow fish eye; the attraction suddenly increased and accelerated, just like a tug-of-war.

It wanted to forcibly drag its scales back!

Unfortunately, on the other end of the rope, besides its own scales, Ji Jue had also tied a Nether Sea worm that was about to collapse completely, along with the obstruction of layers of Solid Alchemy; for a moment, it actually couldn't pull them...

Immediately after, there was no more chance.

"Brother Ji Jue, use this!"

Right beside him, the young girl handed over a long, eerie bone blade. As soon as the bone blade was in his hand, it seemed to sense something, filled with hatred and enmity, shining brilliantly!

Eerie, flickering phantoms seemed to emerge faintly from that wisp of light, their faces ferocious and distinct, yet their movements were identical to Ji Jue's as he raised the blade.

Without hesitation, he struck toward the fish scale seal in his hand.

——Slash!

Snap!

A crisp cracking sound emerged abruptly from the void; the connection and sense of origin between the fish scales and the Sin-Tainted Object, which should never have been separated, were actually severed out of thin air.

The surging light and sound of water were like a broken rope, recoiling and shrinking rapidly, unable to sustain themselves.

In the final moment, that hollow giant eye looked down coldly at Ji Jue's appearance, as if wanting to carve that face into its heart.

The light and color of the water dissipated into thin air.

Gone forever.

Without the obstruction of the Sin-Tainted Object, the subsequent recovery became even smoother.

Not only did he seal the two fish scales that had changed their surname from then on, but Ji Jue also seized the time, using the method of operating mechanical intelligence, to seal the wisp of divine essence of the Nether Sea worm that was about to collapse into the mercury, in preparation for the future.

When the last drop of blood rain fell, the two mercury seals in his hands were completely successful.

Finally, he lowered his head to look at the remaining fragments of the Soul-Summoning Bell at his feet, and couldn't help but let out a silent sigh.

Brother Bell had been with him for so long; he hadn't expected it to be scrapped here too.

What a pity.

However, there was absolutely no time for melancholy or reflection.

In the corner of his vision, there was always a figure twisting back and forth, making all sorts of strange movements and expressions, trying to attract his attention.

Until Ji Jue finally looked over:

"Looks like you rested well."

"No."

An Ning stared at his face with resentment: "I had a nightmare. In the dream, a super annoying guy said some really mean things, and I was so sad I even shed tears."

"Maybe it was because the injury was too heavy, causing hallucinations."

Ji Jue corrected her seriously: "That wasn't a dream, that was real."

"..."

An Ning widened her eyes in rage, preparing to roll up her sleeves and tear the scumbag apart by hand.

But then she heard his voice:

"By the way, in my current state, if someone kicks me, I really will break a leg." Ji Jue glanced at her movements and warned: "Pinching won't work either, I'll shatter at a touch."

In the breeze blowing from afar, a tiny crack appeared on his face, and a small piece of shattered skin fell off just like that; before it could hit the ground, it turned into fly ash.

Material Property Overload.

It was like metal fatigue, rubber embrittlement... it looked fine, but the interior was already riddled with holes.

Even if Mechanical Descent was omnipotent, and even if Alchemy had no limits, Ji Jue was not omnipotent after all. His body was still just a mortal frame in the Metamorphosis Stage.

Not possessing a form closer to the Supreme Good like the Rebirth state, it naturally had the limits of all mortal things.

Even materials have their upper limits.

In just a few hours, to maintain the control of Mechanical Descent and ensure his own state, he had applied massive material interference to his body: hardness reinforcement, toughness enhancement, spiritual quality infusion, alchemical repair and enhancement...

That he hadn't turned into fly ash or aberrated by now was already due to the fact that the Metamorphosis brought by the Furnace Blood and the Undying Fire was too strong.

The Furnace Blood maintained the operation of life, while the 14% of body tissue tempered and elevated by the Undying Fire now conversely maintained the remaining 80-plus percent of bodily functions, supporting the artisan named Ji Jue like a skeleton.

The rest was almost turning into bean curd dregs.

Now, his hands were numb, and Non-Attack had also lost its response. Mental Primacy conversely supported his reason and clarity, while in a state of near-zero blood, slowly repairing his body.

"Shatter at a touch" was not a metaphor, it was a description.

Looking at An Ning's condition, it wasn't necessarily good either, but it was just emergency treatment; even having received the blessing of Bai Lu, she had only returned from a dying state to a heavy injury.

It was just that the techniques of the An family and the inheritance of the Hunting Finger could still maintain her continuing to move like an ordinary person.

Fighting until now, a desperate comeback, the price of almost wiping out the opponent was running out of ammunition and food, with the blood gauge completely empty.

Unprecedented weakness.

At this time, if anyone came over, they could easily take their heads.

Not to mention...

——Gao Yue Chen, who hadn't suffered any fatal wounds at all!

Boom!!!

The incomplete mountains shook and collapsed; countless stones and sludge slid down, falling into the rolling torrent. Amidst the dissipating blood color, the burning iron-stone giant raised its head and roared loudly.

Now, just a stomp caused the earth to shake and the mountains to echo.

It set off an earthquake as if breathing; just its instinctive operation caused all matter within a magnificent range to resonate!

Over a long period, day after day of accumulation, endless torment, abandoning all humanity and love and hate, endlessly approaching the true essence of the Ruined Realm.

The Chosen One, who had long been at the peak of Rebirth, after experiencing the ravages of the natural disaster and the erosion of the Sin-Tainted change, had completely broken free from all shackles.

Amidst the flow of spiritual quality, it rose abruptly, just like a volcano that had been accumulating for a long time, erupting magnificently!

Even if covered in wounds, its power was climbing step by step, and its body was expanding further; finally, it broke through that barrier that was almost a dead end, and stepped one foot into the boundary of Transcendence...

Hysterical laughter rang out.

The soul underwent a heaven-turning and earth-shattering radical change; that wisp of persistent and crazy consciousness rose again, becoming closer to the eternal Ruined Realm. At this moment, it was like the mountains laughing, fully displaying tyranny.

At the end of this unexpected trial, he finally ushered in a breakthrough—even if only by a thin line, it was a world of difference from the past!

"Should we run, Brother Ji Jue?"

An Ning looked back at the artisan beside her: "There's still a distance of ten kilometers or so, I can cover you."

"No need, it's already over."

Ji Jue shook his head and sighed softly: "Help me get a glass of water, I'm a bit thirsty."

"Are you sure?"

An Ning frowned suspiciously.

According to her understanding of Ji Jue, this guy who wouldn't turn back even when death was imminent was bad, spoke meanly, lacked quality and morality, and also liked to make girls angry and ignore the young girl's heart—he really deserved to die.

But his resilience in desperate struggles was outrageously strong; surely he wouldn't just lose heart and lie down to die just because he saw his opponent break through in the middle of the battle?

"Water."

Ji Jue repeated.

Until An Ning sighed helplessly, turned back, and handed over her water cup.

The water cup was slowly raised, moistening his parched lips, relieving the dry cough in his throat, and his voice finally stopped being hoarse.

"Facing an opponent of the Transcendent Rank was actually within my expectations from the beginning. Rather, that it's only a low-health Transcendent coming to kill me now is already something to thank heaven and earth for."

He gave a self-deprecating smile and said slowly: "I like a life that follows a set routine. An orderly schedule, day after day of learning and working—no matter how much or how troublesome it is, it can always be handled properly.

Unfortunately... there's never a choice.

So, in order not to take risks, one must always make more plans, exhaust all one's strength to prepare, and plan properly, even if it doesn't come in handy... Being a bit despicable doesn't matter, having no quality or morality matters even less, even if it means killing every opponent by any means necessary, using every trick in the book."

"I don't want the process, I want to win."

Ji Jue raised his head and looked toward her: "Do you think what I was originally counting on was the so-called Disaster of Blood Rain?"

An Ning froze in place. ===== CHAPTER 317 =====