Chapter 70

【My internal archaeological data index tells me that this is an image left by history, a key turning point in the change of eras.】

【The former Eternal Empire exhausted all its efforts to erect the Tower of Heavenly Origin from the center of the present world, plotting to control all Supreme Virtues with Heavenly Origin, rule the world forever, and master everything.

But the Pillar of Heavenly Origin was not even completed when it collapsed, causing the old order to completely collapse—Heavenly Origin split into two, indirectly leading to the birth of the Federation and the Empire ninety years later.

Since then, stars have fallen from the sky, and flames have surged from the ground.

It rained blood for three years.

Plagues raged, and disasters ran rampant for twenty-one years, until the Eternal Dynasty completely ended, and the aftermath had not yet dissipated. Even today, natural disasters still rage on the earth.】

This was the final wail before the destruction of the Empire, taking away two-thirds of the life on earth.

Following the Primordial Era and the Chaos Era, the Era of Brilliance, which was thought to be infinite and endless, came to an end. And at that time, the prelude to the Era of Catastrophe had not yet begun.

The chaotic era without any order lasted for ninety-three years, until the twelve Supreme Virtues returned to their positions, the position of Heavenly Origin was re-established, and the two sages—the first Heavenly Supervisor and Earth Controller—re-established the foundation of order.

But the sky and the earth failed to return to stability, but instead ushered in long and endless friction and stalemate in the opposition and confrontation between the Federation and the Empire.

The world was like being frozen, not falling apart, but in the chill of hatred and hostility, it was in chaos, and the flames of war flickered.

Four hundred years later.

A sudden and unprovoked disaster descended again. When the natural disaster swept across the earth, it left the only survivor, and ten years later, that lucky person became an Awakened by mistake and finally stepped into this place.

Thus, time and history were extended into one by countless struggles, pain, turmoil, and death. One thread among ten thousand was just like fate, extended to Ji Jue.

Just like that, across the long time, he finally witnessed the back of the sage left at the other end.

This is a complex tapestry woven with time as the carrier, human affairs as threads, and dyed by the Supreme Virtues.

They live in different intervals, far apart, but vaguely connected. It's just that for the sage and the world, it can already be called a gorgeous pattern, while Ji Jue is just one pixel point among countless colors.

In the sudden trance, Ji Jue stared at the scenery outside the window and the sage's phantom that seemed to be close at hand, feeling his own insignificance again.

Like a drop in the ocean.

"When the Tower of Heavenly Origin collapsed, did anything else happen?" Ji Jue asked.

【You might as well ask what didn't happen. Everything that should have happened happened, and everything that shouldn't have happened also happened. The collapse of the Eternal Empire was too sudden. Most of the records left behind today are self-contradictory or even diametrically opposed. But there is no doubt that... Mercury was not here at the time.】

The Ghostly Work Sphere reminded: 【As the biggest thorn in the side of the Empire—a member of Mo, Mercury had already become a sage at that time, and her status within was no less than the leader "Giant."

And the Mo at that time had all gone out in full force to the Tower of Heavenly Origin. Afterward, I don't know how many pieces of evidence pointed to them. They might be the culprits who caused the collapse of the Heavenly Pillar. Mercury must have played some important role in it, and it is even possible that the collapse of the Tower of Heavenly Origin was caused by her.】

"..." For a moment, Ji Jue turned back in astonishment and looked at the phantom.

The phantom remained.

Just staring, as if the culprit was staring at the sin and bitter fruit she had forged with her own hands.

For a moment, the phantom seemed to finally look back, across the long time, looking toward this moment, looking at the young man who had broken into her abandoned workshop after I don't know how many years.

But after a moment of shock, when Ji Jue looked closely, he found that the phantom had disappeared silently.

Never to be seen again.

He couldn't help but feel his hair stand on end and his whole body feel cold.

Is it really haunted?

But Little An had no reaction, still squatting on the ground, curiously poking at the abandoned and incomplete instruments. Sensing Ji Jue's gaze, he looked over, full of confusion.

【Time to go, kid.】 The blue light emitted from the Ghostly Work Sphere contracted, as if helpless: 【Checked eight or nine times, there is no Non-Attack here, not even a hair of the matrix.

Forget it, I was wrong this time, a wasted trip.】

"Go?"

Ji Jue hesitated instinctively. After all, what's the difference between not getting any drops in a dungeon and not going to the dungeon at all? And he was scared out of his wits for nothing. He had to get something to make it worth it.

But when he looked around, he found that it wasn't that Brother Sphere wasn't useful, but that there was really no oil left here.

After all, when the workshop moved, the important things would definitely not be left behind, and the unimportant things had been completely scrapped after no one had managed them for so many years. There was only a furnace left that was fixed in place and couldn't be moved, and it would be better to rebuild it yourself. It was also completely in a scrapped state. Not to mention how different it was from scrap iron after the fire had been out for so long, without relevant spiritual quality circuits and equipment, it was a dream to try to utilize waste.

Wait, furnace?

Ji Jue's footsteps suddenly stopped in place, his eyeballs stuck to the rusty furnace, unable to move away.

Eyeballs, shining brightly!

How could I forget such a big treasure?!

He swallowed dryly, suddenly ran to the front of the window and looked down. In less than a few minutes, the guards and Returning Knights below were fighting fiercely, and the battle was scorching...

He suddenly turned back, "Brother Sphere, can this furnace still be started?"

【???】

The light on the Ghostly Work Sphere emerged with countless question marks, 【No, brother, this thing has been out for I don't know how many years, it has no value at all. If you start it rashly, it would be a ghost if it doesn't explode.

Do you have to rub against the sage's same style?】

"Yes!" Ji Jue nodded decisively, "Anyway, don't ask, don't care, just tell me if it works!"

【...】

The Ghostly Work Sphere was silent for a moment. It actually wanted to refuse such a crazy order, but the underlying instructions and permissions left by Professor Ye finally made it choose to obey: 【If you want to die, I can't stop you, but I don't guarantee the consequences.】

"As long as you don't blow me up."

Ji Jue grinned, rubbed his hands, and looked at the silent furnace before him, his eyes shining: The child is still young, and since he's here... the furnace has to let me touch it, right?

Will it explode?

Ji Jue was afraid it wouldn't explode!

Even if it had been more than four hundred years, even if it had been in disrepair for a long time, as long as it could be started, it meant there was still a possibility of waking it up with ability!

Such a big experience bag, as long as he doesn't die, he'll earn enough!

"Open for me!"

At the critical moment, Ji Jue was no longer stingy, poured all his spiritual quality into the Ghostly Work Sphere. The Ghostly Work Sphere rose in his hand, and in an instant, it was torn apart. The near-infinite recursive structure inside suddenly unfolded, expanded, and in an instant, complex circuits had been laid out on the walls, floors, and ceilings!

Rune clusters like stars surrounded the Supreme Virtue emblem and unfolded, hidden in the void, but connected everything again, connecting layer by layer to the external interface of the furnace, forcibly incorporating it into its own system.

Underlying instruction overwrite, specification conversion, backbone adjustment...

The operations that dazzled Ji Jue were completed in an instant.

——Mobile workshop, deployment complete!

And at that moment, a violent friction sound suddenly rang out, from outside the temporary workshop set up by the Ghostly Work Sphere—the Rift Realm workshop's own retrieval secret rite started, locked, and in an instant detected the anomaly existing here... the battle between the workshop and the Heavenly Work began again!

【Stealth project ended, defense mode loaded, parasitic project started】

The Ghostly Work Sphere's voice lost emotion and ups and downs, and didn't even have the energy to load a simulated personality: 【Reserve time sand consumption started, estimated maintenance time, 1 minute 14 seconds.】

"Thanks, Brother Sphere, I'll have enough spiritual quality later!"

No longer able to be polite, Ji Jue's hands had already pressed on the furnace before him, issuing instructions.

——【Wake up】!!!

The instruction was issued for the first time, as if facing the void, with no response. The instruction was issued for the second time, and a dim light emerged in the dead silence. The instruction was issued for the third time, and amidst the faint resonance like a candle in the wind, a vast echo that swallowed Ji Jue's soul and consciousness suddenly erupted!

It was like opening the lid of a dry well and starting the motor again, but what gushed out was a frenzy that surpassed the flood of a waterfall.

Spiritual quality was consumed rapidly, but it couldn't stop. His hands were like being stuck to a black hole, unable to let go at all. On the watch, the numbers in the spiritual quality reserve were falling crazily, and in just a flick of a finger, it was completely emptied.

The furnace seemed to still feel it wasn't enough, but in the end, it didn't open its mouth again.

Just a shallow taste, and it stopped on its own.

Ji Jue sat on the ground, his face pale, dripping with cold sweat, feeling bursts of dizziness. Little An next to him was quick-eyed and fast-handed, had already pulled out the emergency supplement injection gun from his backpack, aimed at the root of his neck and pulled the trigger, avoiding him from completely going into shock due to excessive spiritual quality deficiency.

Never before had he used his ability to wake up such a massive creation.

It wasn't because the volume was amazing, nor was it because the structure was complex, but because there were too many pasts and traces inside, and the marks left by the sages of the past were too huge.

So much so that just endowing it with consciousness made Ji Jue completely empty.

And now, the furnace shook slightly, the rust peeled off, and in the open furnace heart, a wisp of faint light flickered, like the phantom light of a soul, thinking, remembering, understanding, and realizing.

【Has it been, more than four hundred years?】

In his consciousness, an old voice rang out, with a metallic echo, tired and regretful: 【Thank you for your help, stranger, is there anything I can do for you?

Unfortunately, I'm no longer of any use.】

Ji Jue sat on the ground, straightened his body, and said solemnly: "As a junior, I humbly ask for your guidance."

The furnace was silent, as if thinking.

【I understand, if, it's just this—】

In that instant, Ji Jue didn't have time to respond.

The residual flames in the furnace burst suddenly, and the vast flowing light hit his face!

And then...

Wrapped around Little Niu Ma's body.

"Beep? Beep?"

The motorcycle that was sneaking and peeking next to him looked up in a daze, not having time to struggle.

And then, just like that...

Directly dragged into it!

The furnace closed, the flames flowed, and only the final terrified scream echoed in the air.

"Beep——!!!"