Above Destiny

Chapter 560 The Lord of the Flies
It's good to be young, just fall asleep.

Lou Feng closed his eyes and lay down. Ji Jue, on the other hand, had many more things to consider: taking photos, recording audio and video, posing and making gestures. He went to great lengths to leave Lou Feng with a beautiful memory.

If he doesn't say thank you after waking up, his conscience is practically ruined.

Although it is still questionable whether craftsmen have any conscience at all, at least they can't escape the position of partner... At this moment, seeing Lou Feng unconscious, Ji Jue didn't care at all.

Go to sleep, go to sleep. When you wake up, we'll be partners for life!
Hehehe, not only will you be a partner, I'll also make you the legal representative of the company!

Master Kong said nothing about this.

Be willing to admit defeat.

After administering two bottles of medicine and confirming that his life had been saved, they left. The subsequent care and concern, or rubbing salt into the wound, would naturally be left to the Lou family's relatives and friends.

As a teacher, after witnessing a student's overconfident challenge, I remained calm and composed, neither praising nor belittling him.

Victory and defeat are normal occurrences. Besides, being able to survive and make a comeback is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

All he lost was his independence as a craftsman, the autonomy of his workshop, all the accumulation he had made since becoming a craftsman, and incidentally, all the spiritual energy he had saved up.

He didn't die.

As long as one's heart and mind remain, the climb continues unabated.

No shame.

Moreover, even if he couldn't compare to Ji Jue, an extraordinary monster, Lou Feng's strength was enough to crush most of his peers.

Even if word gets out, no one will say that his third-place ranking is inflated.

If he hadn't been determined to give Ji Jue a hard time, the weapon he pulled out at the end—the [Blessed Chain - Han Guang]—which was an innovation and a step further than the Flowing Light Blade, incorporating the Lou family's heritage and the skills of the Ember, would have been enough to compete for the Golden Ribbon and make a name for himself.

Besides, having lost to Ji Jue... which of the other craftsmen in the association could be laughing?

As for Ji Jue, after this ordeal, the losses can't be described as huge, but rather almost nonexistent.

What did he lose?
A set of armor plates that you can change as easily as clothes? Punabantu has mountains of those things in their warehouses; they're purely consumables.

Longshan Armor?

It's just a matter of replacing a set of parts. The basic frame, under the protection of the immovable mountain, only suffered minor wear and tear. A little reinforcement and it's all done.

In comparison, the biggest drain is on the reserves of spiritual matter, but it doesn't matter... Isn't the young master of the largest spiritual matter industry tycoon in the entire eastern Federation about to become a partner?
Will we still lack mana then?

With Young Master Lou's credit card, the days of being able to run the Doomsday Special Train whenever I want are here!

Ji Jueguang couldn't help but hum softly as he thought about it.

After welcoming and seeing off the guests and settling the bloodthirsty audience, Ji Jue showed off his newly created creation to his teacher.

"Not bad."

Ye Xian glanced at the size of the Fly King: "The technique of refining spiritual matter can be considered to have reached a high level. It seems that further study is indeed useful."

"It's all thanks to the teacher's excellent teaching." Ji Jue smiled modestly, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch.

However, Ye Xian suddenly asked without turning his head, "The rebirth form was completed quite quickly, even the Earthly Burden and Sea Containment issues were resolved... What have you been up to now?"

"No, no!" Ji Jue's eyes widened immediately, and he answered in a loud voice, "Teacher, you know me. I've been in Haizhou these past few days and haven't left for a single moment."

"is it?"

Ye Xian nodded slightly, "That's good."

She believed it! She believed it! She believed it…

?
Ji Jue felt a surge of unease, utterly uncertain.

Fortunately, the teacher didn't ask any further questions. In fact, the teacher showed no interest whatsoever in what the twisted version of "Earthly Injustice and Vainness" was all about, and didn't mention it at all.

In contrast, the areas she focused on were quite unexpected.

"Your reborn form..."

She pondered for a moment, then fell silent, leaving Ji Jue bewildered.
"Teacher, what's wrong?"

"No, I'm just surprised."

Ye Xian sighed. Ji Jue smiled knowingly, but before she could speak, she heard her comment: "...I've never seen such a trashy rebirth form before. I was a little surprised."

【? ? ? 】

Ji Jue stood frozen in place, a million question marks popping up on his forehead.

"Rubbish?"

He stood there, stunned, as if his whole being was about to shatter.

"In terms of its nature, it's passable. Apart from your own blessing chain, it doesn't have any other abilities or effects. What else is it but garbage?"

Ye Xian asked indifferently, "Rebirth form, rebirth, that is the life rebirth of the chosen one, the form and ability most suitable for the person. But it is only to this extent, and only the efficiency of assimilation is worthy of attention. Do you want me to praise it?"
The reborn forms of artisans have always tended towards materialization, and what they create are mostly artifacts. Ji Jue, tell me yourself, from an alchemical perspective, what is your reborn form worth?

Ji Jue hesitated, unable to speak.

Indeed, while this posture is perfectly suited to deus ex machina, it is undeniable that it is exactly as Ye Xian said.

The robot looks cool... but what about the results? What about the transformations?
It's too simple.

In fact, after many attempts, Ji Jue discovered that his flesh and blood form and mechanical form could influence each other.

In other words, if one's physical body suffers irreparable damage, after switching to mechanical form, although the injury will still exist... repairing it is much simpler than treating it!

Replace whatever is broken, and if you have nothing else to do, you can even do some maintenance yourself, like putting on some engine oil.

Furthermore, the reborn form has an exceptionally strong assimilation effect on mechanical items, and after assimilation, its strength can be subtly increased through fluid alchemy. Different equipment can be switched as needed to handle different situations.

But besides that...

"It's just a blank container," Ye Xian sighed softly.

"Isn't this bad?"

Ji Jue was puzzled. "Although the starting point is a bit low, we can adjust and change it at any time if we need any effect. Moreover, I also plan to gradually iterate and improve it in the future."

"A blank canvas is easy to draw on, with no limitations and a high ceiling. But don't forget, while machines may expand endlessly, humans cannot."

Ye Xian finally looked at him directly, his eyes sharp: "Do you still remember the symptoms of the mutated form of the Ember lineage?"

"Things..."

Ji Jue's answer came without hesitation, but then abruptly stopped.

I'm starting to sweat.

What is it?
What else could it be!
The most common form of loss of control in the Ember series is the materialization of artisans!

Ji Jue's reborn form perfectly embodies this, and it's true that his entire body is transformed...

"hiss……"

Ji Jue subconsciously took two breaths of the cool air in his computer room. He felt a chill run down his spine. It was one thing for his soul reflection to be engulfed in flames and corrupted, but why was his physical body also corrupted?

"Wouldn't that be very dangerous?"

"..."

Ye Xian looked at him with the kind of look that seemed to be watching an idiot drooling over a live wire, full of curiosity: You even know how to write the word "dangerous".
No, do you even have words like "safe" or "stable" in your dictionary?

Ji Jue lowered his head in embarrassment.

“Taking an unconventional approach isn’t necessarily bad, but being too extreme isn’t a good thing. Although telling you this often doesn’t help, as a teacher, I still have some obligations to fulfill.”

Ye Xian paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Let me guess—are you harboring the reckless and foolish idea of ​​relentlessly investing all your energy into transforming yourself into a master craftsman?"

"..."

Ji Jue's gaze gradually drifted away.

My mouth is starting to water.

The soul has its own limits.

The more you pile on your equipment—CPU, graphics card, RAM—the more likely the motherboard is to be overloaded, and the power supply might even blow up.

Modifying a car without changing the engine is pointless; even if you change everything, is it still the same car?

The hardships and bitterness of a small horse pulling a heavy cart are known only to the person involved. Not to mention the need for self-transformation, which requires utmost caution and extreme care... Even so, nine and a half out of ten will go mad.

Ye Xian commented on this: "Although we don't know whether we'll live or die, it's still pretty good."

"Huh?" Ji Jue was stunned again.

"Anyway, you'll just do it secretly even if I stop you, trying it little by little until you can't stop yourself. It's better not to stop you than to stop you. Besides, I also want to see your limits."

Ye Xian laughed, a hint of expectation in his eyes: "Who knows, you might actually turn into a fine piece of jade." "..."

Ji Jue wiped his sweat and drooled, feeling like he was about to lose the ability to distinguish between good and bad words.

Is the teacher encouraging or warning the teacher?
Perhaps it's a combination of both.

The danger is right here, the progress is right here, and the results are far away. It is not the way of a craftsman to be afraid of danger and stop moving forward. But how can a teacher persuade students to take a risky path and risk their lives?

"If you want to try, I won't stop you."

Ye Xian said slowly, "Because every craftsman has such thoughts and ambitions, and more or less, they will make some attempts. This is also part of the path of a craftsman."

However, your potential for expansion is too great, and your malleability is too high, to the point that it has become too dangerous. Therefore, I have to be upfront about the unpleasant aspects.

Even so, you'll still try, right?

"..."

After a brief silence, Ji Jue slowly nodded.

"Then let's give it a try."

Ye Xian nodded, completely unconcerned: "You have to walk your own path, why worry about others? Sometimes I really doubt if you're even a student of our lineage, why are you so respectful to your teacher?"

Ah this...

Ji Jue hesitated, not daring to speak in order to avoid being reprimanded for his spiritual defense lesson.

"However, there is only one thing: as your teacher, I have to impose some restrictions on you."

Ye Xian paused, turned around, and looked at the students behind him with a solemn expression: "Your rebirth form offers convenient assimilation, but it must never be abused. Leaving aside repairs and emergency situations, rashly fusing with other alchemical creations is absolutely unacceptable!"

"I see."

After nodding decisively, Ji Jue hesitated for a moment, not to refute, but because he noticed a loophole in the request: "In other words..."

"Yes, that's right."

Ye Xian nodded, used to Ji Jue's quick wit: "To maintain the stability of your own will and not be alienated by external things, all the alchemical creations you fuse with must be completed by you personally, and you must use yourself as the main material. Only in this way can you minimize the hidden dangers of conflict and the burden on your soul."

Anyway, isn't it quite easy to modify your current reborn form?

She paused, a glint of expectation reflecting on her glasses: "Of course, if one day you find yourself unable to do so, as your teacher, I'm not incapable of helping you."

No thanks!

I can do it myself!

With such a daunting goal, Ji Jue wiped his sweat, feeling an immediate surge of pressure. At the same time, a hint of anticipation and excitement also surfaced within him.

If you don't want to become the Ship of Theseus, which ends up completely unrecognizable, then you must use everything you have as material to elevate yourself.

In this process, mortals are elevated, their properties are purified, their essence is extracted, and the whole is integrated.

Be your own best material, be your own craftsman.

To truly transform this blank slate into a unique masterpiece!
When the Autobots transform, the Great Chaser can create whomever he wants, and make whoever wants to live a life of passion live a life of passion... Wouldn't that be wonderful?
"Alright, I won't go on with the rest. I'm leaving now." Ye Xian waved his hand, not intending to linger.

Ji Jue followed closely behind: "Is there anything else you need, teacher?"

"You've already joined the workshop yourself, so you need to learn to make your own decisions and stop thinking about what others think and want to say."

Make your own decisions.

Ye Xian stood in front of the door, turned back to look at him one last time, and said with a half-smile: "As your teacher, I just hope that you won't cause any trouble that will implicate me someday."

I'll try my best not to cause any trouble that could involve you.

If this can be achieved, then it could be considered a mutually beneficial arrangement.

After saying that, without waiting for Ji Jue's reaction, he waved his hand and turned to leave.

Ji Jue was left standing alone in front of the elevator.

silence.

Is this a reminder to myself?

Perhaps, or perhaps it's simply a matter of indifference, and not minding waiting until this literal scoundrel causes some truly uncontrollable consequences before turning around and slowly mocking him.

Ji Jue sighed silently.

Turning around, I walked towards the crystal array behind me, where countless stars rose into the sky.

“Sir, the seventh phase of the project is ready.” Isis asked, “Shall we continue?”

"continue."

Ji Jue chuckled silently: "It's rare to have a 'good friend' as a partner to foot the bill, so we can expand the scale a bit more. We don't need to tolerate any more waste. Let's increase the output this time."

"Understood. The production process adjustment is complete, and we initially expect an increase of one-third. In the future, we will gradually improve and optimize the process based on batches."

The magnificent ocean of wisdom rose once more.

wisps of ethereal light rose from within, flowing along the mercury and drifting into the distance. In another workshop, countless robotic arms began to process the mercury in perfect unison…

The assembly line is in operation.

The Lord of the Flies was reshaped once again.

In fact, Lou Feng's analysis of the Fly King was mostly correct, except for one point, which was ridiculously wrong—as a craftsman, he habitually divided the Fly King according to its functions, but the Fly King's actual internal structure was not four layers, but... five layers!
From the Lord of the Flies to adult cats and kittens, and even the spirits waiting to hatch, it is indeed correct to sort things out from top to bottom, but he instinctively ignored the 'failures' that he considered utterly useless!
—Those fragments and remnants of intelligence that failed to hatch or withered away on their own!

If we include the total number of Fly Kings, they will account for more than a third, and will continue to be produced as Fly Kings develop.

Like scrap.

But where are there really any truly useless scraps?
For Ji Jue, these so-called junk products were far more useful than the 'genuine products' in a short period of time!

It should be understood that even fragments and pieces of intelligence are still part of the Fly King's overall composition. Even if they are beyond his control, his birth and death are still within his perception.

That is why it has the value of being processed.

At this moment, what awaits processing on the assembly line is not high-tech equipment or weapons, but a massive amount of parts and handicrafts produced by factories on the outskirts of Xinquan, even refurbished second-hand pistols and submachine guns, and cheaply recycled old clothes and even books...

Under the guidance of fluid alchemy, tiny, almost non-existent specks of light fell into it, quickly disappearing and vanishing into nothingness.

The remnants and fragments attached to it were so tiny, so small, that they were almost imperceptible, just like the entanglement and contamination of ordinary resentment and obsession, infected by the 'spiritual plague'.

Soon, with the help of numerous mechanical cats moving and transporting them, these outrageously cheap handicrafts, bullets, and parts were mixed in with more ordinary parts and goods.

Inconspicuous.

With the constant flow of logistics in the coastal industry, those miscellaneous goods will be transported to various docks in Haizhou by different vehicles.

In a minimum of six hours and a maximum of seven days, these goods will be packed into containers and then sent to the Federation, the Thousand Islands, or even the Empire via smuggling or normal trade routes!
The vast majority of them went to the Middle Kingdom, and it can be expected that they will soon spread and circulate in the huge low-end market.

Those cheap handicrafts will soon appear on various stalls and markets, perhaps catching the eye of a discerning housewife who, after some haggling, will take them home. Inexpensive plush toys and rag dolls will end up in children's hands. Outdated old clothes, after being washed, might be displayed in shops under the label of a trendy federal brand, waiting for passersby to choose them.

Meanwhile, a large number of second-hand parts will gradually appear in various repair shops through the resale of suppliers, and be installed in vehicle radios, brakes or steering wheels, generators that have been used for who knows how many years, water pumps, and even all sorts of randomly cobbled-together firearms...

Just as everyone was getting used to the routine, the invisible and intangible plague of the Lord of the Flies was gradually spreading.

Like duckweed on the water, they drift with the current, leaving their fate to drift to distant places.

During this process, the wisp of remnant spirit wrapped around it will not cause any symptoms, nor will it spread or show any abnormalities.

It has no negative consequences.

After being carefully adjusted and prepared by Ji Jue, they had only one function left—to quickly wither and self-annihilate upon encountering any scent that resembled a 'wolf'.

It leaves no trace.

Furthermore, the wolf's spiritual essence naturally possesses a stronger corrosive and suppressive power, which is entirely natural and no one would care about it.

It will not send any information.

Ultimately, this minuscule decay will remain in matter, air, and even soil, leaving a faint, unnoticed hue until it is perceived by the other components of the Fly King in the vicinity.

Admittedly, there will be no shortage of misjudgments and errors, but through cross-verification, we can always find clues that were previously difficult to find.

The seventh delivery and sowing is nearing completion.

Another invisible, sparse net has been cast over the results of the previous six attempts.

Perhaps there won't be any feedback or meaningful results in the short term, but that's okay. Ji Jue has enough patience to wait patiently.

Even if it's just day after day, year after year.

The plague of the Lord of the Flies has arrived, spreading silently amidst chaos and turmoil, waiting for the slightest disturbance so that the wolves lurking in the shadows will come running...

(End of this chapter)