Above Destiny

Chapter 582 Calamity and Tribulation

The twelve highest virtues each have their own unique abilities.

They are all different.

For a profession like Ember, where the internal barriers to entry are extremely high and the competition among members is fierce, the most important thing, without a doubt, is experience, theory, and accumulation.

Or, in short, it's about inheritance.

While the master-apprentice system has its advantages, it also has the most crucial drawback: teaching the apprentice can lead to the master's downfall!

These are crucial secrets, records accumulated by generations of schools, and countless details and key points—all painstakingly honed by countless generations of craftsmen who have dedicated their entire lives to their craft. Why should I teach you just because you kowtow? Do you deserve it?

Whether due to the disciple's dullness, the teacher's selfishness, or many other complicated reasons, the most disgusting phenomenon inevitably occurred in the end.

—Everyone's starting to like keeping something in reserve.

They teach half, withhold the other half, and even hold onto the most insignificant tips and tricks, constantly exploiting their disciples. They live off their disciples for a lifetime, and then their children and students continue to exploit them.

Absolutely shameful.

Even the Ye family's nine-element inheritance is the same.

When the Ye family, which Ye Xian despised, was destroyed because of its own desires and ambitions, it had already swelled into a corpse that reeked of decay, with no redeeming qualities left.

Even the core Enneagram has internal and external distinctions.

Even if members of other surnames and collateral descendants study for a lifetime, they can only circulate outside the scope of the true teachings, stumbling and struggling their whole lives, and it is difficult for them to achieve anything significant.

Just like Zhanlu in Ji Jue's hand right now.

Is it Zhanlu? Yes, it is, but it lacks the true essence.

At best, it is just a very useful entropy-based alchemical creation. It is indeed very mysterious and worth studying, but if one does not grasp its essence, one will never achieve anything in a lifetime.

The eight-character mantra, "Binding away the scourge, concealing the thunder within," has hindered the entire lives of countless exceptionally talented craftsmen.

The moment the craftsman realizes this critical juncture, he will understand that his Zhanlu is now merely a half-finished vessel.

The real Zhanlu is actually that wisp of spirit within Ji Jue's heart, constantly pulsating and wandering!
This is the true foundation of Zhanlu!

Everything Ji Jue did before went smoothly and effortlessly, because the real difficulty lay elsewhere.

Even if the overall structure is modified in a blasphemous way, and massive adjustments are made to adapt to its own heart, it is only a superficial adjustment.

The true challenge Zhanlu needs lies in its ability to "regenerate and transform itself in times of disaster."

The essence of metals and the spirit of the sun are used to lay the foundation of Zhanlu, which serves as a vessel. Through the changes between birth and death, a wisp of spiritual essence originating from energy transformation is created.

Then, what the craftsman needs to do is to use Zhanlu to capture and devour a natural disaster that exists in the outside world, bind its essence within Zhanlu, and forge it once again.

This vessel of spirits has been transformed into a thunder pool that contains calamities.

By capturing natural disasters time and time again, and feeding calamities upon the spirits, they gradually temper and transform them, changing their nature and form, until finally, this insignificant wisp of spirit is transformed into a real natural disaster!

When unleashed, it is as powerful as thunder, shaking heaven and earth!
When the clouds disperse and the rain stops, the sky clears and the sun shines brightly!
It is precisely because in the process of constantly seeking out natural disasters and capturing their true essence, thereby indirectly eliminating the harm of the desolate ruins, that the legend and name of the Sword of Benevolence came about.

If used properly, it can truly benefit the world!
Compared to such a secret technique, the blessing chain it contains is not the main point, because they are all support. As long as it is convenient to increase stats and special attack and type advantage when it is used, it is fine.

The blessings associated with it are countless, such as the Heavenly Great Strength, the Earthly Fiery Light, and the Earthly Fire Bright Light. It can be said that any entropy-based blessing will suffice!
And that's where the real challenge lies.

Put a bell on the cat, a golden headband on the monkey, and catch natural disasters to stuff into the sword...

So how can one enter the core unscathed during the most violent moment of a natural disaster, extract its essence, carefully maintain the stability of one's spiritual energy, and at the same time ensure that one is not struck dead by a lightning bolt from the natural disaster?

The answer is to look at ability, skill, and equipment.

If you have nothing, you can rely on fate.

More than 30% of the Zhanlu craftsmen died in the first step, and the remaining 60% died in the fifth, sixth, and seventh steps... Playing with fire leads to self-destruction, as the saying goes.

Given the Ye family's long-standing tendency to hoard their wares, after the collapse of the Eternal Empire, no Zhanlu was ever fully completed. Even if there were a few unfinished pieces, they were left to gather dust in warehouses for a long time.

Aside from suicide squads and expendable tools, nobody uses them.

It is not its own creator, and the Zhanlu spirit does not recognize it at all. When it is used, it offers no protection whatsoever. Moreover, Zhanlu, which was born from disaster, is inherently restless and violent. It will explode at the slightest disagreement. It is a shortcut key to live as long as heaven and earth.

In the records Ye Xian knew, the few times it was used, it was all used to commit evil deeds!
Remember, everything is difficult at the beginning, difficult in the middle, and difficult at the end.

The difficulty in starting Zhanlu lies in choosing a calamity that is weak enough not to destroy Zhanlu's spirit, and pure enough to prevent the spirit's growth from becoming mixed and chaotic.

So, how exactly does Ji Jue intend to take a calamity of nature and magnitude that perfectly matches his Zhanlu sword, then integrate it into the sword and transform it into a Thunder Pool to aid in the transformation of spiritual essence?

“Emmmmmmm…”

Ji Jue began to think, and then he stopped thinking.

Ji Jue found the answer.

The answer is, you don't need to do anything.

Because the item was in his pocket.

—The disaster is my own doing!

What are you looking for? He himself is the hole in this world created by natural disaster!
That dark, gaping hole is still hanging on his chest in his aberrant form...

Admittedly, the Flame Tide, which possessed the dual nature of the Abyss and the Desolate Ruins, has been annihilated. But what has been created from it is precisely Ji Jue, a surviving demon who has severed ties with the Great Abyss after breaking away from the vortex.
The monstrous form hidden within the reflection of the soul is nothing short of a humanoid catastrophe, and its purity is outrageously high. It's so pristine that it could be mistaken for an unopened, brand-new product hanging in a seafood market.

All it takes is a little stimulation...

In an instant, the workshop went dark.

Tangible darkness emerged from Ji Jue's flesh and blood, thick and surging, spreading silently like water, yet rising eternally like flames.

As the hole in his chest opened, sharp, jet-black crystals gathered and grew out of thin air, and a ferocious seven-pointed crown appeared on Ji Jue's head.

Ji Jue took a deep breath.

It was as if I had been freed from my shackles; I felt a freedom I had never known before...

It was as if with just a little effort, one could break through those obstructive curtains and barriers, reach out and touch the vortex, open one's soul, and perceive the earth-shattering roars within the endless darkness and nothingness beneath the vortex.

In fact, with just one step, you can ascend to the heavens!

Ji Jue remained motionless.

They remain unmoved by the calls and cries from afar.

After finally managing to get the Divine Cut done, only an idiot reconnected it. Who knows what shape he'll be turned into after re-merging with the Great Abomination?

Demons are purely tools.

The hole in the chest proves that its existence undermines the lock and is incompatible with the present world.

He's not like Kengen, a lunatic who's just bored and has nothing better to do than make trouble for the world.
It wasn't just the resonance of the Great Evil; he could feel waves of faint electric shocks all over his body, like invisible winds blowing by, searching but unable to find his trace.

Beneath the black flames, Ji Jue's expression twitched uncontrollably.

It's been so long, why are these old bastards still searching for Lu Changsheng! They're even scanning him 24/7... to make sure they can lock onto him the moment he shows his face!
Unfortunately, the account and keywords were not chosen correctly at all.

What business is it of those bastards from the evil cult? With Tian Du's intervention, Lu Changsheng was already dead beyond any doubt.

This wave is like a Vtuber debuting and then graduating at lightning speed, leaving no place to criticize them.

Ji Jue, who was in charge of the middle, was covered in interference sources.

The Mohist's non-aggression, the Emperor's hand, and the swordsmith's image—three originally contradictory and irreconcilable shells were attached to the same person, like three boxes intertwined and overlapping, almost beyond the explanation of topology, not to mention that they were hidden in the celestial orbit outside the mortal world, in the doomsday special train, inside which was a workshop structure of sage mercury...

There was no other way; the ingredients were too mixed, so they were all strung together.

As long as Ji Jue is careful and doesn't show his face in public under this disguise, this box won't be able to be opened, let alone by the Federation and the Empire, or even if the Heavenly Book were to be resurrected!

Let them make a fuss!

At this moment, in the workshop, the Flame Shadow, its body wreathed in black flames, rose once more, sensing the boundless potential within this mutated form...

The soul reflection was completely different from his own, and everything was different from what he was used to—it was as if everything about himself had been completely reversed!
It's not a simple mirror image reversal, but a complete subversion of its very nature.

Its source is not non-aggression and blessing, but Ji Jue himself, who possesses all of these. Under the cover of black flames, everything is reversed.

The precise control we took for granted and were once so proud of has vanished without a trace, replaced by an unfathomable chaos and absolute uncontrollability!
Even deus ex machina...

Ji Jue's raised finger froze in mid-air. He didn't dare use it on the calf and horse, but instead pointed to another activated machine that was assisting with the cleaning.

In an instant, the machine that had transformed into a beast suddenly froze in place, sparks flying from its body, sharp sounds emanating from it, and plumes of acrid smoke billowing from its joints.

It was as if he had died. Immediately afterward, Ji Jue felt a wisp of spiritual energy flow into his body along with the black flames—his intelligence was completely disintegrated, his consciousness dissolved into chaos, and his spiritual energy was completely seized and returned to Ji Jue!

The effect of a deus ex machina is to give souls to inanimate objects, but Ji Jue at this moment is able to turn all sentient creations back into inanimate objects.

He casually picked up a piece of scrap material left on the ground. Black flames flickered around it for a moment, and then the all-pervasive flames seeped into the alloy ingot. Immediately afterward, the highly purified alloy ingot actually developed cracks in Ji Jue's hand, quickly softened, and decayed until finally turning into a handful of chaotic and impure metal sand, which fell to the ground in a flurry.

This chaotic essence possesses terrifying corrosive and assimilative abilities. Ji Jue didn't even do anything; under the natural erosion, the residual stress from the casting process and the loosely bonded fractures between the metals were naturally intensified and cracked.

When he picked up a piece of spiritual crystal, he saw that the gray-black color quickly spread within the crystal.

The spiritual matter, which was in a material state with a tightly packed internal structure, began to rapidly disintegrate and decompose, unable to maintain its original stable state.

Such an effect and power...

Ji Jue stood there blankly, then suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh. This was the complete opposite.

Non-aggression's control and the chaos that follows its reversal; alchemy's creation and the erosion and decay that follow its reversal; the bestowal of mechanical deity and the plunder and obliteration that follow its reversal.

He suddenly realized that he had become his own nemesis, his own natural enemy.

He doesn't even need to specifically control or enhance it; as Ji Jue grows, the power of this soul reflection will naturally rise as well.

So, can Zhanlu accept such power?

He looked down at the hole in his chest, where the dim, burning light rose and expanded in wisps. As Ji Jue's spiritual energy erupted, black flames surged and the chaos of disorder spread suddenly!
He gritted his teeth, reached into the hole, and plucked a wisp of firelight, as if extracting a part of his own soul, carefully feeling the pain of his brokenness and emptiness.

A faint flame appeared at the fingertip, and then it entered the reborn mechanical heart.

In an instant, a sharp heartbeat suddenly burst forth.

Like thunder, so high-pitched!

No, absolutely, it was like thunder!
Under the seal of layers of metal and alchemical circuits, the Heart of Zhanlu suddenly contracted and expanded, unleashing one earth-shattering roar after another.

It thirstily absorbed this essence of calamity, triggering a cataclysmic change, much like some kind of extreme chemical reaction.

The forbidden zone has been opened!
The absorption of spiritual energy was still insufficient, and a massive amount of current, following Zhanlu's call, leaked from the cable, gathered around Ji Jue, and was completely absorbed into Zhanlu.

The sudden surge in demand overwhelmed the entire workshop's power system, which was more than sufficient to supply the entire Xinquan area, and even showed signs of overload!
The lights flickered intermittently, and the dazzling electric current surged like a tidal wave, engulfing Ji Jue and penetrating his heart.

Within the heart, in that void of darkness, flames suddenly erupted and dissipated. A wisp of dark mist rose from the dazzling lightning, rapidly expanding like a thick thundercloud.

After the intense transformation disappeared without a trace, that wisp of spirit quietly ushered in its first and most crucial transformation since its birth!

At this moment, within the Thunder Pool, the faint illusory light that once shone there had vanished without a trace, replaced by a wisp of deep purple lightning that moved ceaselessly.

Suddenly, the speed vanished, and it transformed into a viscous, sluggish flame, as deep as silt.

When Ji Jue flicked his finger again, the spirit instantly leaped into the air, and a streak of purple lightning appeared, disappearing in an instant and returning to Zhanlu.

Right in front of him, a tiny, minute hole had silently appeared on the alloy target, piercing through it!
The hole spread silently, as if growing, until finally, it suddenly exploded.

The steel powder that fell to the ground dissolved like water.

There was no heat at all; the wind that rushed towards me still carried the coolness of the air conditioner. Only the floor was melting rapidly, hissing and crackling.

It took a long time for it to finally solidify.

And the coverage area has expanded to tens of meters!
When a gentle breeze blew again, the snow-white ash quietly rose.

The destruction, restrained to the extreme, had burned and annihilated everything within its range, turning it into ashes.

Dead silence.

In the long, deathly silence, only the mournful sound of horns blaring as the calves turned their heads could be heard.

It was as if it were a tearful accusation.

I just finished sweeping! You beast, what are you doing?!
"Beep—!!!!"

Then it saw the wisp of purple lightning swirling around Ji Jue's fingertips, its electric light illuminating the surprised smile on his face, and even the eyes that were looking at it with eager anticipation...

The calf felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave.

Of course, Ji Jue has a conscience.

Why would they harm innocent calves and horses for the sake of mere experimental results?
Besides, if it gets burned or broken, you still have to fix it yourself.

Where did the money come from?

I've almost spent all my money on in-game purchases!

As Ji Jue pondered, his mind raced, and he quickly made up his mind: No, he still had to find another opportunity to get some more gold coins from Brother Du...

The Evil Cult has already been used once, so should we go with the Dragon Sacrifice or the Deep Abyss? No, this won't do... We can't possibly have to go through another round of Nirvana, can we?

While he was pondering, he had finished cleaning up all the marks on his body, restored himself to his original appearance, and then went up the stairs to the rooftop of the unfinished building.

Look to the sky.

The sky over Tacheng remains the same sky. Under the constant sandstorms of the Central Plains, clear skies are rare; it's always shrouded in overcast clouds, a gray expanse with nothing particularly interesting to see.

But at this moment, the purpose is completely different.

Zhanlu's growth requires constant calamities; to make progress, it must relentlessly pursue and overcome natural disasters. Now that Zhanlu has undergone a qualitative transformation and is in its early stages of rapid development, it hasn't encountered any bottlenecks or troubles that Ji Jue can't resolve. It's the perfect time to quickly grind for higher levels.

He dared not touch high-level natural disasters, but he had no problem finding disaster weather such as thunderstorms to make snacks for Zhanlu.

Within the Hanxiang Mirror, there is a function and skill that perfectly matches Zhanlu, called "Observing the Wind and Qi"—it does not involve ether at all, cannot discern the rise and fall of destiny and fortune, nor can it find any true dragon emperor, but when combined with the Hanxiang Mirror's own insight, it can capture the traces of impending disaster.

Moreover, in the Middle Kingdom, there's not much else, but extreme weather and climates are absolutely abundant!

The frequent storms, earthquakes, mudslides, and flash floods are perfect for feeding Zhanlu dog food...

Ji Jue raised the Hanxiang Mirror, looked down at the sky reflected in the mirror, and began to search for traces of the natural disaster. But then he felt as if he had gone blind.

"Holy crap—!!!"

An unexpected, blinding light burst forth from the Hanxiang Mirror, piercing Ji Jue's eyes and nearly blinding them.

incredible.

Ji Jue started sweating profusely, his back drenched in sweat.

In the Enneagram tradition, a calamity that comes from the heavens is called a "calamity," and there are always signs before the calamity arrives.

Just like the sweltering heat before a downpour, the flashes of light before an earthquake, or the stinging sensation on the skin when a thunderstorm strikes... before a calamity descends, omens will emerge from the desolation and the tremors of the present world.

The Hanxiang Mirror seeks out traces of natural disasters by observing such calamities.

It's not difficult at all.

But the key point is... there's way too much of this calamity energy!!!
Within the perception emanating from the Hanxiang Mirror, within a thousand miles of the entire Tacheng, countless calamity energies surged and erupted, and the combined signals almost blinded Ji Jue.

There are countless natural disasters queuing up and waiting to be selected!
Even more deadly, in his other hand, on the real-time satellite map on his phone, eyestorms were moving across the sky, and clouds were spreading across the entire Central Plains like mold.

At this very moment, countless natural disasters are roaming the Central Plains! A casual glance reveals more than four colossal natural disasters manifesting, not to mention countless smaller ones.

And on the distant horizon, a dark cloud silently rose slowly from the gloomy sea.

In the southern part of the Endless Sea, the eyes of two storms merged, transforming into a new giant typhoon, which is slowly creeping towards the Central Plains!

On the mirror of omens, the surging aura of calamity almost dyed Ji Jue's face blood red.

Here you go, the natural disaster you requested!
coming!

Delivered to your door, dear! Aren't you happy? Unexpected?

Ji Jue could no longer laugh.

Five minutes later, the federal government issued a warning.

On the endless sea, Typhoon Coral and Typhoon Pelican merged after their paths collided, and the wind force continues to rise, currently reaching level 10.

The direction has shifted 41 degrees to the north and is expected to make landfall in Tacheng tonight. All residents of Tacheng are advised to prepare for disaster prevention.

After swallowing up the coral and pelicans, the newly formed typhoon 'Bailu' swept across the endless sea with fierce winds and torrential rain!
Even before the typhoon arrived, the entire city of Tacheng had fallen into silence.

Ten minutes after the warning was issued, a deafening thunderclap echoed from the sky above, filling the thick, sultry air.

Then, a torrential downpour engulfed everything...

Disaster is imminent.

(End of this chapter)