Chapter 71

In a sudden moment, the silent massive furnace seemed to turn into a tentacle monster, flame light flew out, grabbed the terrified Little Niu Ma and swallowed it into its belly, the motorcycle could no longer be seen, and only the constant beeping could be heard through the furnace.

Brother Ji Jue, it's not good!

Xiao An was also shocked, instinctively wanting to shout: Master Little Niu Ma was eaten by the furnace monster!

But Ji Jue, still had his normal expression, and in the communication and sensing of the mechanical god's descent, all the operating conditions of the furnace were within his perception and control.

No, it was just as if he were controlling it himself.

The furnace, took the initiative!

This furnace, which had experienced who knows how many years of time and refined who knows how many blessings and superior virtues, at this moment actually went against the supply of ability, and instead, pulled Ji Jue into its control.

It was as if it was pulling his hand, pressing his palm onto the operating lever and workbench, guiding him step by step, showing him hastily and bluntly, longing for him to remember it firmly.

【Wasteland】, 【Metamorphosis】, 【Ember】...

The spiritual quality from Ji Jue operated in the furnace, divided into nine, like a chain reaction, triggering qualitative change one after another under the interference of the three superior virtue emblems, and then after merging with each other according to an inexplicable order, it revealed the silver-white phantom light that Ji Jue had never seen before, all of which merged into Little Niu Ma's massive body.

Then, an unprecedented high-pitched horn sounded from the furnace, through the thick obstruction, so blurry.

But in Ji Jue's perception, Little Niu Ma's form seemed to melt, rapidly losing its original appearance. In astonishment, he wanted to stop, but the furnace forcibly pulled him, urging him to continue, telling him that what followed was the real point.

Like dissolving, Little Niu Ma's huge body seemed to melt into a ball in an instant. It went against gravity, suspended above the flames, and then... the pitch-black thick smoke and a large amount of impurities were forcibly removed amidst the rough vibration of spiritual quality!

Just a snap of the fingers, a large amount of impurities and messy interference objects that even Professor Ye was almost helpless about were screened out seven or eight out of ten.

Seven or eight bolts that had long since broken and rusted, a large handful of aged and broken gaskets, two bent crankshafts, and even half of a hood scraped from who knows which car and two valves...

The moment they fell, they were burned into smoke and disappeared.

Ji Jue was dumbfounded.

He checked every day, not knowing that Little Niu Ma had hidden so many messy things in its belly.

But immediately after, what was screened out in the second pass were substances like smoky crystals, iron plates as sharp as bone spurs, and scarlet worms that kept wriggling as if they were alive...

Those were the degenerate impurities in the blessings that Little Niu Ma had swallowed, and even, the dregs in the dragon blood!

Just like throwing water-stained clothes into a spin dryer, irrelevant things were thrown out quickly—after breaking the shackles of the material's old form, with operations that Ji Jue couldn't understand at all, everything that interfered was completely removed in an instant!

Among the four elements of alchemy, this is the 【Purification】 that had reached its peak more than four hundred years ago!

And when Little Niu Ma liquefied again, expanded, read the material properties and past traces, and recovered its original state, even if Ji Jue was stupid, he could guess what it was that the furnace was guiding him to practice, learn, and realize hand-in-hand.

Sage Mercury's unique skill.

——【Fluid Alchemy】!

Even if Ji Jue only understood two out of ten, even if the only thing Ji Jue could learn was the introductory operation, the furnace still exposed this inheritance unique to the Sage without reservation!

He forgot to breathe.

Trying his best to remember the feeling and operation at this moment, trying to capture more application methods, and leaving more memories and feelings. But it was too fast.

The energy remaining in the furnace, and the time they had left, were not much.

In less than ten seconds, when the furnace door opened again, a scorching wind rushed toward his face, and in the diffusing smoke, a pitch-black motorcycle drove out slowly.

The dazed headlights flickered, still confused, not knowing what had happened.

The form had shrunk a bit compared to before, but the spiritual quality fluctuation lingering on it was rising like flames, waiting to erupt at any time.

Countless spiritual quality circuits were inscribed on the mechanism beneath the armor, sixteen superior virtue emblems were distributed in every key corner of the whole body, and the rune sequence guiding the power of blessings spread from the engine to the whole body.

Completely, reshaped!

Even if it looked like an empty shell compared to other alchemical products at this moment—except for the original dragon blood, it had nothing—it still left space for Ji Jue's subsequent modification and loading. And everything was inscribed on it in the way of fluid alchemy, so that Ji Jue could reverse-engineer it through research when he continued to study downward...

If it weren't for the fact that the blessing cage connected to the furnace was already empty and there were no blessings to use, it would probably have directly filled all the slots on Little Niu Ma's body with Mercury's remaining blessings.

And besides that, what was even more eye-catching... was the huge metamorphosis welcomed after purification!

Ji Jue froze for a moment, then froze again, and widened his eyes.

Unbelievable.

Why was it two wheels before entering, and it became three after coming out?!

It turned from an original pedal scooter into a tricycle?!

The cargo capacity has been greatly improved!

No, is this evolution tree normal?

But Little Niu Ma didn't seem to have any discomfort, as if it were born like this, skillfully operating the extra wheel, twisting and turning in front of Ji Jue, excitedly making beeping sounds.

Fluid alchemy is the art of breaking the shackles of matter and form, making the external form closer to the essence.

Ignoring the expansion of material properties, it tends more toward the internal, resulting in the defect of high requirements for the quality of the material itself, but at the same time, the method of adjusting the external based on the internal essence of the result also guarantees an absolute yield rate. And its potential in the way of purification has also been exerted to a terrifying degree.

And Little Niu Ma's metamorphosis today is just the change it showed after the dragon blood was purified and the materials Ji Jue fed it were completely digested.

【This is fluid alchemy】

The furnace let out a tired sigh, 【If some inheritance can be left behind, my master might be comforted.】

"..."

Feeling the wonderful realization that had not yet completely dissipated, Ji Jue came back to his senses and couldn't help but sigh: "Is there anything I can do for you?"

【Never thought that there would be a chance to reignite before being abandoned.】

That little dim fire light rose, trembled, and was on its last breath, 【I am satisfied, nothing else, just... my master's actions in the past became increasingly extreme, deviating from the Ember path, leading to this end.

As a creation, I really can't bear to see the workshop sink like this.】

It hesitated, but finally didn't say anything more, just laughed at itself: 【If, there is still a chance... please show mercy to us again.】

Just like that, the flame light extinguished silently.

Never to be seen again.

Only a hallucination-like sigh echoed in the wind.

So many years of old time, everyone, goodbye.

Right before Ji Jue's eyes, the furnace shook slightly, collapsed in the breeze, turned into dust, and star-like flashes appeared, rising and gathering.

Fell into Ji Jue's hands.

But after witnessing the furnace's final contribution, Ji Jue no longer had the joy and excitement from just now.

Even, he didn't have time to mourn for it.

Ignoring the hunger and urgency coming from his soul, Ji Jue couldn't absorb it at all, and could only carefully collect them with spiritual quality, ensuring they wouldn't dissipate.

He flew up, jumped onto the vehicle nimbly, and after ensuring Xiao An was sitting well, began to run wildly outward!

Because, if he didn't run now, it would really be too late!

Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click!

Violent friction sounds kept erupting from the void, just like the hull of a submarine rapidly cracking in the ten-thousand-zhang sea abyss.

The Ghost Work Sphere's countdown was nearing its end, and the ghost light originally supporting the abandoned workshop was rapidly dissipating...

【11——10——9——8——】

Accompanied by the countdown from the Ghost Work Sphere, Little Niu Ma galloped on the uneven steps, instantly soaring to over two hundred yards, even more exaggerated than before.

Directly along the tower body inside the bell tower, circling down!

In just a few snaps of the fingers, it landed on the ground, leaving only three rows of charred tire marks.

The Ghost Work Sphere re-gathered from Ji Jue's hand, a wisp of light flew out, landed on the portal they entered before, instantly swallowed them, and closed again.

And at that instant, the entire bell tower erupted with a loud noise like never before.

Heavenly thunder shook!

A flash of light suddenly descended from the sky, instantly piercing into the bell tower. The purification instruction from the defense sequence brought a supreme punishment that surpassed flames and lightning.

The square shook, and from the bell tower, cracks spread out, and countless bricks and stones flew.

And amidst the fierce siege of the Returning Home Knights, the giant, which was already riddled with holes but still fighting fiercely, suddenly stalled and knelt on the ground.

No more power.

The change for a moment made everyone freeze slightly, and then they looked around even more vigilantly, alert to any signs of anomaly, preventing sneak attacks.

And it was this glance that allowed Lou Feng to see the figure at the street corner in the distance that made him blush instantly.

"——Ji Jue!!!"

Not far from the square, that damn guy, who knows when, had already touched here!

And, after being discovered, he actually wanted to turn around and run?!

"I'm..."

On Little Niu Ma's back, Ji Jue, who was preparing to run away, paused, turned his head with difficulty, and squeezed out an awkward smile: "Oh, isn't this Brother Lou? What a coincidence."

All the Returning Home Knights raised their spears in unison, aiming at Ji Jue's face from afar.

"It seems Mr. Ji's sense of smell is very keen." Lou Feng said coldly: "Running so close rashly, could it be that you want to fish in troubled waters?"

"That's impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Ji Jue shook his head violently, shouting loudly.

How could I want to fish in troubled waters? I've already damn well finished fishing! This is all thanks to the hatred you helped me pull, Brother Lou!

Filled with joy and gratitude, he tried his best to restrain himself from laughing out loud, but when he looked at Lou Feng, he no longer had the awkwardness he once had.

The more he looked, the more he liked it, the more he looked, the more satisfied he was.

It was like looking at a godson.

Revealing a kind of kindness that made Lou Feng's hair stand on end.

He took a step back: "Take him—"

"Brother Lou, wait!"

Ji Jue raised his hand, stared and shouted: "As the saying goes, heavenly materials and earthly treasures, divine artifacts and heavy objects, belong to those with virtue! With my mere firefly light, how dare I compete with Brother Lou?

It was my ignorance before; how could I make the same mistake again?"

"Brother Ji Jue..."

Xiao An, who was at a loss, reached out and pulled his clothes, wanting to tell him that he was stepping on his foot, but was waved away by Ji Jue, "Don't talk!"

"We're quitting!"

Ji Jue squeezed the sound out from between his teeth, as if restraining the emotion and wailing that was about to burst out, gritting his teeth: "This workshop, let it be for Brother Lou!"

After saying that, he kicked Little Niu Ma.

Little Niu Ma retreated a section, then retreated another section, and then after retreating a large section quickly, suddenly turned around and ran wildly toward the distance.

Just like that, disappeared.

"Ran?"

Even Si Lan couldn't believe it, looked up at the sky, a flying star rose, instantly overlooking most of the town, confirming that Ji Jue and the others had run far away.

Originally, they were all prepared for another bitter battle.

But Ji Jue didn't even dare to probe, and didn't touch them at all?

"Hmph!"

Lou Feng snorted coldly; actually, several times, he wanted to order the Returning Home Knights to take Ji Jue down immediately. But considering that everyone had just fought a big battle, and who knows what backhands Master Ye had hidden on him, it finally made him choose a safer way.

Since Ji Jue left tactfully, he couldn't bite and not let go.

But suddenly, he looked at the direction Ji Jue and the others left, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat: Wait, how did he know there was a work...

Lou Feng turned his head violently and looked at the empty and open bell tower.

Widened his eyes.

No longer caring about following the steps and being steady, he rushed straight in.

And then, he saw... the familiar tire marks in the ashes, as if they were printed on his heart, making his heart suddenly cold.

And when he climbed the stairs panting, and finally saw the half-broken door that fell to the ground, and the workshop ruins that were full of mess and only ashes left, he couldn't help but feel his eyes go black.

What echoed through the sky of the entire Rift Realm was an indescribable angry scream!

So, heartbreaking.

"——Ji Jue!!!!"

Ah, it's the end of the month, asking for monthly tickets~