Above Destiny

Chapter 668 Before the Storm
"Questioning session".

From the distant empire, the faint sound of bells drifts in.

Inside the magnificent workshop, which resembled a sanctuary, an elderly craftsman sighed softly: "That's the good thing about the association; nobody likes to put on an act."

"what?"

The dull young man, still studying the watch, looked up at his teacher.

I don't understand what it means.

"After putting on a dignified and rigid mask, they don't even bother with pretense anymore. They can't stand seeing others do well, can't stand seeing newcomers stand out, can't stand seeing others be better than themselves... They're already being tested as soon as the lotus buds begin to show their potential."

The old craftsman grinned mockingly: "Should I say he's a craftsman after all, or just worthy of being called a craftsman?"

"Can't understand."

Andre shook his head, making no attempt to hide it.

"If you don't understand, you don't understand. Everyone has their own way of living. If you understand everything, you'll just get tired."

The old craftsman casually rested his chin on his hand and said indifferently, "Whether it's scheming alliances or a sudden, astonishing breakthrough after three years of silence, it doesn't matter if it's all backstabbing and scheming."

There are so many solutions in the world; success is right, failure is wrong. If one can simply live openly and honestly, crushing all the clowns with a flick of the wrist, that might not be a bad solution either.

"Oh, I'll try my best."

Andre nodded, seemingly understanding yet not quite, and made no attempt to hide his indifference.

Instead, the old craftsman looked at him and chuckled softly.

The meaning of "talent" is freedom. You don't have to care about other people's opinions, you don't have to force yourself to be like everyone else, and you don't have to care about those petty scheming people.

Is he dull or naive?
It doesn't matter, none of them are flaws.

This is a privilege reserved for the strong.

The echoes of the bells gradually faded away, and the afternoon sun shone down from the sky, passing through the stained-glass windows and illuminating the overly magnificent and vast hall. In the silence, only the dust rustled and swirled.

The gaunt and aged craftsman leaned back in his chair, seemingly on his deathbed, yet his aura seemed to blend seamlessly with the entire hall.

A pair of amber-colored vertical pupils looked down at his students.

Suddenly, the teacher asked:
"After looking at it for so long, have you figured anything out?"

"two."

Andrei's gaze remained fixed on his watch. "It looks like two, but it's actually one."

The two different techniques used above were easily distinguished.

Fluid alchemy passed down by sages, and the spiritual shaping of the Lou family.

But now, the two techniques have gradually merged, and where they intersect, there is a subtle resonance, as if an invisible axis connects the two different techniques and unites them into one.

“This is not Ji Jue’s work,” he said. “It’s Lou Feng’s.”

Then, Old Dragon laughed.

He shook his head.

"wrong."

"..."

Andre remained silent for a long time, still not understanding: "Where did I go wrong?"

You're getting stuck on a single point.

Old Long beckoned with his finger, bringing the watch to his wrist and hovering it in the air: "When we determine who created a work, which aspect—materials, craftsmanship, theory, technology, or design—accounts for more weight?"

From the perspective of skills and production, there is no doubt that Xiao Kong's students account for a larger proportion, and he handles the entire operation.

The key point is that the design concept and purpose of the whole thing are completely different from that of the small hole.

From the very beginning of the design process—no, even before the design was completed—they had already started exploiting the association's rules. Just look at their scheming, their unbridled and insidious nature. Heh... If that little girl Ye Xian had been this good at pretending back then, her reputation might have been much better.

"Alright, let's not talk about things you wouldn't understand. Let's just talk about this. What do you think?"

"It's weird."

Without hesitation, Andrei returned to his original line of thought: "It looks normal, but something's not quite right. It seems to be intentionally left blank, hiding something. Can you tell, teacher?"

"It's just something used to scare people. I'm not ether, what can I possibly see in it? It's nothing more than some unfounded speculation, there's nothing to say about it."

Old Long didn't care and yawned: "If you feel something's wrong, then something's wrong. Don't overthink it. This isn't something you're good at."

Purely from the perspective of the work itself, what do you think?

"Excellent".

Anderleit gave it the highest praise: "The advantages and disadvantages are exactly the same."

The biggest drawback is that it lacks the ability to bestow blessings, which prevents it from maximizing its effects and making perfect use of this outrageously excellent foundation.

But the advantages are the same.

It is not only flawless in terms of craftsmanship and theory, but also in its use.

Without the blessing, it won't put pressure on the user like a blessed creation. You can wear it close to your body effortlessly and use it 24 hours a day, enjoying this convenience without worrying about it taking up space from other blessed creations.

Theoretically speaking, you could wear all eighteen pieces and enjoy several times more spiritual energy than others.

As long as you're not afraid of being drained when you're storing it, and not afraid of being overwhelmed when you're draining it...

But the problem also lies here: no matter how large the pool is, the size of the drain and inlet is limited, and the output efficiency cannot be changed.

Unless the matrix itself is overloaded, a forced boost is required.

Besides, how can someone who's covered in watches even live a decent life?

With the same amount of money, you might as well buy a transformation furnace and carry it around... It's much less troublesome; you can just burn spirit crystals and connect the equipment to use it.

For a system like Entropy, which consumes a lot of spiritual matter, it doesn't produce any qualitative change. It's also of little use to systems like the Heart Pivot and Aether, which are adept at conserving mana.

Such an awkward positioning destined it to be nothing more than an ornament, a luxury item.

is that useful?
Yes, but not much.

Useless?
That's not entirely true; what if?
"What if we actually need it someday?"

Old Dragon laughed: "Once the chosen one has such an idea, he has already embarked on the path he has set out for... just like the multi-functional knife that many people carry around but will never use."

Compared to the watch itself, the sense of security it provides—a feeling of security that exists somewhere between having it and not having it—is what he truly wants to sell. And those who genuinely find it indispensable and crucial aren't necessarily the chosen ones at all!

For a moment, Andrei's eyes widened.

It finally dawned on me.

"You mean... an ordinary person related to the Chosen Ones?"

"Look, a dial that can display rank has fooled everyone. What a brilliant feint!" Old Dragon chuckled softly. "The registered category isn't alchemical creations, but rather the modification of antiques and rare items... The large-scale sale of alchemical creations requires the association's permission, but there are too many loopholes in the regulations regarding the modification of antiques and rare items."

If I hadn't paid attention to this, I'm afraid I would have been fooled too.

Hey, these young people these days are terrifying.

All the functions of a sundial watch include: constantly monitoring one's own condition and displaying the surrounding corruption index; gently drawing upon one's own spiritual energy for reserves and slowly restoring it...

These features are all good, but unfortunately they are also quite ordinary and cannot bring about any qualitative change.

It's not very useful.

Because almost every chosen one possesses this ability.

So much so that few people realize that when someone wears this watch, everyone, regardless of who they are, can be considered half a chosen one...

Being able to preserve one's own spiritual essence and mobilize this power without any hindrance means that one can use it to bless creation!
Even more so, it can be used to establish a powerful influence...

For the chosen ones, it's merely a minor improvement, but for ordinary people, it's an infinite possibility, opening the door to power.

But will it bring about change or chaos?
Old Dragon chuckled silently.

"Just wait and see, someone's going to be in big trouble this time..."

"How could this be?"

Inside the Vision Workshop, the old craftsman slumped in his chair, utterly incredulous: "Master Hu, how could this happen?! We...we were just..."

"Well?"

The warm voice on the other end of the phone turned cold: "You asked me to help you before, and now you're turning around and blaming me. What kind of logic is that?"

The old craftsman stammered, unable to speak.

What else can be said? What the hell can be said!

By now, isn't it clear to everyone that they've been played?!
Questioning session?
What the hell is this "questioning session"?!
Previously, when everyone came to you for help, they just wanted to restrict Ji Jue's products and leave a share of the market for themselves. At worst, after the division was done, everyone could sit down and split the profits!
Are you guys just starting to tear each other apart by doing this?
Moreover, it was precisely them who were willing to risk their entire lives' achievements to charge into battle…

Even a fool would know that he had been inexplicably dragged into the internal struggles of the association!

"Don't worry, I've already spoken to everyone." The voice on the other end of the phone became warm again: "Everyone will support you, and Director Zhu is also paying attention to this matter."

"Cheer up, Old Sun! This is a master of our Transformation School; don't embarrass us!"

In a moment of confusion, a flash of lightning struck Sun Shicheng's mind, and his pupils involuntarily contracted.

Even though his body was hunched over, his expression gradually became resolute.
"I……"

His voice paused for a moment, a glint of light appearing in his eyes: "I understand, but, after all, I am but a nobody..."

"..."

The voice on the other end seemed to laugh: "Don't worry, Lao Sun, you've worked so hard for our faction for so many years, and your contributions are obvious to all. It's time for you to step up."

Sun Shicheng didn't speak; anyone can make empty promises. After a brief, almost imperceptible pause, the voice on the other end continued, "Hmm, let me see. I read the report you submitted for that project; it's very good, with great potential."

"This is a rare opportunity, you'd better seize it, Old Sun."

"Not at all, it's all thanks to your help."

In an ordinary conversation, a tacit agreement was already made.

The phone hangs up.

Sun Shicheng remained silent, looking at the wristwatch on the table, his expression shifting.

The opportunity you've dreamed of your whole life is right in front of you.

Just one gamble...

After a long, long time, he suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"Everything is determined by fate, and we have no control over it."

It was as if nothing had happened.

Pretending not to notice the undercurrents within the association, and seemingly unaware of the messages sent by their peers, Coast Technology continued to operate as usual.

The sale of sundials is proceeding steadily, albeit at a moderate pace.

"Did you plan this all along?" Lou Feng suddenly asked.

"Huh? What have you planned?"

Ji Jue turned around blankly, looked over, and then suddenly realized, sighing helplessly: "You're really overthinking it, Lao Lou. If you can live a good life, who would bother to go and fight with their peers?"

"Of course it's you!"

Lou Feng sneered, "What are you pretending to be, you scoundrel? Do you think I don't know you?!"

Even without wind, waves can rise three feet high. They feel restless if they don't stir up trouble for a day. They haven't stirred up trouble for months, so they're all holding back this big one. They can't even release the product yet, so they're probably already planning how to kill or bury them!

"Sigh, it's just testing the waters."

Ji Jue waved his hand, looking innocent: "The association is too complicated. I'm not sure if I'm popular as a newcomer. That's why I'm still hoping to rely on you."

It seems that Master Kong isn't very popular within the association.

"hehe!"

Lou Feng rolled his eyes so hard they almost reached the sky: "Before you say that, shouldn't you take a look at your own lineage?"

"what are you saying?"

Ji Jue was amused. "My master is compassionate and magnanimous. He has always taught me to back down first when encountering difficulties and to tolerate injustice for the sake of the public good. How could I possibly have enemies?"

Besides, even if they had enemies, how could they still be alive?
Questioning session?
What a piece of idiot stuff.

Disrupting the market?

This is probably not the usual approach anymore. In recent years, everyone has been hit with this blow. Anyway, every time, the blow is accurate, and no one's hands are clean.

But the real reason is obvious to anyone.

The joint workshop of Ji Jue and Lou Feng was the real trigger, while Ye Xian and Kong Qingyan behind it were, in a sense, the two big stones thrown into the muddy water.

What truly triggered all of this was Ji Jue's almost irrationally rapid upward trend.

And, without any pretense, a sprint towards the master's position!
The master evaluation is held once every five years, and all the directors and even grandmasters participate. Countless people are waiting in line behind them. They have waited their whole lives. How could they easily watch a greenhorn like themselves catch up?
Every faction has its own needs, every council member has their own subordinates and followers, and even grandmasters sometimes need to keep dogs.

Even if this position is given to the most capable, after so many years of swirls and twilight, there are simply too many capable people.

If you really want to rise to the top, you'll eventually have to go through some serious maneuvering!
What does it matter now?
They didn't even bother to say hello!

Let's wait and see.

Ji Jue tapped his fingers on the armrest, full of anticipation.

Having deliberately given others a handle to use against him and exposed his weaknesses... how many fish will be caught by this bomb?
There was a knock on the door.

The second round of market feedback was delivered to him.

"The secretary is quite nice."

Ji Jue's eyes lit up as he looked at Lou Feng: "You recruited him?"

Lou, expressionless, tossed the report over:
"It's up to you!"

Ji Jue flipped open the report indifferently, his eyebrows slightly raised.

unexpected.

The slight increase in sales is to be expected, as the market is still developing. It would take at least a month for the spiritual seed in the sundial to fully germinate, and it would be even more difficult to put it to use. What we are seeing now is only the initial feedback.

only……

To his surprise, in the survey, the most popular feature of the sundial among the chosen ones was not the blue bar function.

It displays the level.

Snapped!
Ji Jue slapped his forehead, finally realizing, "Oh no, we missed this selling point... Lao Lou, quickly write this down. In the next version of the sundial upgrade, add a dazzling light display, and then add a reminder for high-level chosen ones..."

The desire for advancement and change is indeed a great human desire.

Similarly, showing off is also indispensable.

In the past, if you wanted to show off, you would have to snort coldly and release your aura of power, making those around you feel your domineering presence.

Now that we have sundials, it's so convenient.

With just a casual gesture, revealing the numbers on his wristwatch, he can exude an aura of swiftness and mastery.

For some people, wouldn't they have to pretend to be something they're not?!
Whether you know something or not is not important; what matters is whether others know it!

In ranked games, even a single point difference can lead to fierce competition, let alone in real life.

In fact, this has almost become a kind of reputation – after all, the underlying design of the entire sundial has already locked down this related function, the spirit of creation is strongly bound to the user, and others cannot use it.

The rank and grade may not be displayed, but they absolutely cannot be faked!

Since Ji Jue released two more batches of sundials in the desolate area, the trend of showing off has gradually taken off. But after showing off one's level, one must continue to show off one's status.

For Bai Lu, money is money to be spent, and money earned is money to be displayed on her person; she doesn't care about anything else!
As a result, sales of the premium version, priced at 1,880 yuan, also took off!
This price...

Well, it's expensive, but not outrageously so.

After all, a poorly made blessed artifact would only cost this much.

For a Chosen One who has undergone a metamorphosis, while it may not be the most practical item, it's just the kind of item that one can grit their teeth and place an order with a little effort.

However, when it comes to such large expenditures, everyone will eventually be more cautious, after all, the chosen ones' money is still money, and it doesn't grow on trees.

So far, only about ten yuan have been sold.

As for the 48,880,000 artisan-signed supreme edition...

"How are the sales?" Ji Jue asked.

"Out of a thousand, more than eight hundred were sold."

Lou Feng said indifferently, "Unfortunately, apart from our own shills, we didn't have a single real sales figure..."

"very good!"

Ji Jue grinned and suddenly laughed: "Is the thesis ready, Lao Lou?"

"It's practically moldy and infested with bugs, don't you think!"

"Get ready to submit."

Ji Jue waved his hand, and finally said slowly, "Now, people can accidentally discover... that the premium version of the sundial can resist mind control and curses."

As for how it happened by accident...

"Hey, Boss, I want to place an order."

Ji Jue picked up the phone and dialed Chen Xingzhou's number. Chen Xingzhou on the other end was stunned for a moment, then asked blankly, "You killed someone and you're still looking for me?"

"Doesn't that make you look more professional?"

"..."

Chen Xingzhou sighed helplessly, "Fine, who to kill?"

"Xu Chao... cough cough, sorry, I just said it offhand."

Ji Jue said, "Hire a key figure, then promote him to a higher level. Not too strong, not too weak. Oh, let's kill that guy under your command, the one who's in charge of Hefang settlement. Who was he called again?"

"..."

Chen Xingzhou was even more speechless: "Those are my brothers, Ji Jue, what are you talking about?"

No extra charge.

Ji Jue interrupted the spellcasting: "You better find some for me!"

Chen Xingzhou was almost speechless. "Are you crazy?"

"Stock up on the goods you have."

Ji Jue smiled one last time, "Thank me after you've killed them all."

The phone hangs up.

　I'm offering a friend's book as a sacrifice.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)