Above Destiny

Chapter 676 Just have the skills
What's all this noise?

Lou Feng was completely flustered, and his first instinct was to run away...

After all, you stormed into the basement to confront them, only to have the bastard across the way burst into laughter before you could even utter a sound, grab you, pull you inside, and then close and lock the door...

He was just one hair-pulling gesture away from giving a crooked smile and saying, "Finally, she's been fooled."

It’s so annoying!

Before Lou Feng could react, Ji Jue had already thrown his failed attempt into the pile of waste materials, grabbed a sword blank from the table, and tossed it into the furnace.

Flames rose fiercely.

The process is complete; let's begin.

In the silence, Lou Feng stared wide-eyed.

Then... his eyes started to dry out.

Um, can I blink now?

After all, no matter how intently he looked at it from the left and right, from the top and the bottom, it was just a simple three-phase alchemy casting, and even its form and design were just an ordinary blessed creation.

What the hell am I supposed to see?

Lou Feng was so angry he laughed.

Yes, I admit you're quite skilled at using the [Battle-hardened] blessing, and the Triad Alchemy is profound and complex, but what were you thinking with this little trick?

Indeed, it's just average, nothing special.

Being ordinary is a sin in itself, and given your current status, this level is already ridiculously low!
What picture?

Am I wasting my time?

Considering the meager, non-existent trust between the two, Lou Feng couldn't take it anymore after squatting for half an hour.

I feel like an idiot.

"What the hell did you make me come here for?!"

Lou Feng rolled his eyes and demanded, "Stop pretending to be an expert if you're not going to talk! Speak up!"

"It'll be ready soon, just wait a little longer, just a little longer..."

Ji Jue's hands continued moving, having reached the stage of spiritual material shaping.

Very fast.

It was indeed fast, ridiculously fast. Lou Feng was a little surprised by this quick alchemy technique. After all, being this fast is also a basic skill. Although the operation was so-so, the control of the heat and timing was exceptional.

Snapped!
With a crisp sound, the fingers of both hands came together and then spread out, revealing intricate and intertwined spiritual circuits emerging from the metal. The material and the spirit combined and merged into one, like a towering tree that had grown out of thin air, causing Lou Feng to frown involuntarily...

It's too complicated, too exaggerated, and too outrageous.

It's like trying to cram a computer operating system into the motherboard of a microwave oven. Is this guy showing off his skills to me?
It's no use stuffing it in; you can't even run!
The material for the sword blank is too ordinary. No matter how much you stuff in, the upper limit is already determined. Even if you stuff it all in, given your craftsmanship level, it will only be a C+ grade.

Then, Lou Feng was dumbfounded.

boom! ! !
The furnace suddenly trembled violently, spiritual energy erupted, and physical properties clashed. Cracks appeared all over the blade, and the overly bulky spiritual energy structure began to collapse and disintegrate rapidly.

In that instant, the intricate tree of spiritual energy shone brightly, colliding violently with the sword blade, the sound of shattering echoing incessantly…

Like a chain reaction, the blade was rapidly cracking and shattering, and the spiritual structure was also rapidly collapsing—no, it should be said, exploding!
From the outside in, the spirits are annihilated!
Failed?
No, that's not right...

In the near-headed clash, streaks of scorching red flames burst forth from the blades, along with a large amount of impurities and fragments. The spiritual circuits, after being peeled away and split layer by layer, quickly transformed from bloated to concise and straightforward, becoming remarkably clear.

When they consumed each other to a certain point, they stopped abruptly, merging perfectly together, blending seamlessly, as if created by nature.

Only a broken sword with a mournful clang remained in the furnace, its blood-red hue stinging Lou Feng's eyes.

The blade fell into Ji Jue's hand. With a skillful flick, he dissipated the remaining heat, and after the scorching red faded, it turned into pitch black. However, under the tempering of spiritual energy, strands of brilliant silver light quickly emerged from the pitch black.

They didn't even bother to fix the hilt and fittings anymore; a broken sword, cut in half, was simply handed to Lou Feng.

Even the silvery glow had dissipated, and it looked completely ordinary.

The moment the finger was flicked, a chilling, clear cry spread out, as if falling into an ice cave, sending shivers down one's spine.

Its charm is understated, its sharpness is not outward.

It appears simple, but in reality, from the moment it comes out of the furnace, it is like a vortex, drawing in the thin spiritual energy in the air. When it senses the spiritual energy that Lou Feng has injected, it becomes even more thirsty and greedy, like a bottomless pit, endlessly devouring... And right under his nose, the nicks and cracks on the blade have already shown signs of healing.

Lou Feng stood there, stunned, and leaned closer to examine it closely, ignoring the fact that his eyes were dry.

Incomprehensible.

No matter how you look at it, the sword in my hand, even if it's flawed, would be rated at least B+ in the association!

The reason it's not an A is because it only has one blessing and no blessing chain. If Ji Jue put in a little more effort and added a large group of three-piece sets, it would start as an A+!

The problem is that everything has been under Lou Feng's nose from the beginning until now. A piece of shoddy goods that could only be rated as C grade due to its limited materials and simple design has instantly been upgraded by a whole level and three rating tiers right before his eyes. It's like a hen turning into a duck and a chicken turning into a phoenix!

Literally, turning lead into gold!
It didn't even rely on the transformative effect of non-aggression!
Ji Jue was the one who operated everything. He could understand each individual operation, but when they were put together, he was completely bewildered.

I could only barely make out the changes from that one instant.

Through the interaction of spirits and objects, chaos and conflict are actively triggered, catalyzing each other.

Destruction and reconstruction.

Destroy and rebuild, then destroy and rebuild again!
Strip away all impurities and obstacles, erase past constraints and advantages, and start anew.

Each eruption is a complete disintegration, and each aggregation under the guidance of non-aggression is like a rebirth. Each eruption and reunion is like the three-stage propulsion of a rocket...

Explosive upward surge!
Theoretically, it seems plausible, but theoretically, Lou Feng could shoot from the Federation all the way to the Deep Abyss! What are the chances of that happening in practice?!

To put it bluntly, this whole set of techniques involves forcibly raising the grade and upper limit by consuming a large amount of the material properties and lifespan of the created creature.

What Lou Feng has now acquired is practically a dilapidated, broken shell on the verge of being scrapped.

If you put it in a game, its durability might only be 1 point left.

Lou Feng clearly understands this!
The Triad Alchemy is least afraid of so-called losses!

Fluid alchemy unites spiritual and material elements; where the spirit exists, the object exists, using spiritual leaps to elevate the material, forming the foundation. Solid alchemy maintains the structure and stability, ensuring the smooth execution of the process. Finally, there is vapor alchemy, which plunders spiritual and material properties for its own use, compensating for deficiencies and losses.

Just find a lucky spot and insert it there. After ten days or half a month, it will recover most of its strength.

Not to mention the blessings of battle tempering and blood sacrifice, even if you don't kill a human, you can kill a chicken or a sheep for a cheap price, or find the corpse of a calamity beast for a more expensive price and stab it in, and you'll be fully revived in no time, with your sharpness and durability even higher!
The moment he understood, Lou Feng felt a darkness engulf his vision.

Black with vibrant colors.

I can't breathe...

Oh no, I'm actually seeing magic!
"...Is this...right?"

"Isn't that right?"

Ji Jue tilted his head and asked in return, "Isn't the result right in front of you?"

"you……"

Lou Feng suppressed a trembling voice, "How did you do that?"

"Uh... can't be done with just hands?"

Ji Jue pinched his chin and pondered for a moment: "Add a little more feeling, hmm, more experience. You've learned the Three-Phase Alchemy, haven't you? You should be able to do it too."

Lou Feng's face turned red, and he felt like spitting a mouthful of blood in this bastard's face.

I could never do that!
After squinting through Ji Jue's notes and listening to his barking, dog-like operational techniques, Lou Feng drifted out of the basement like a ghost, his mind filled with all that bullshit experience and intuition...

After walking two miles, I realized that the broken sword was still in my hand.

When I looked up at the sun, my eyes welled up with tears.

I genuinely want to ask a question...

—What the hell did I even learn?
For the next two weeks or so, no matter how much trouble Ji Jue caused, Lou Feng never came again.

Cheap furnaces were being blasted one after another, cheap materials were being consumed ton after ton, and free spirit crystals were being burned box after box.

Coast Technology's funding is like a swimming pool, constantly bubbling up and draining.

Money enough for an ordinary family, or even several families, to live a life of extravagance and debauchery for generations was continuously thrown into the furnace, disappearing without a trace, completely evaporated.

Lou Feng didn't want to speak, but Chen Xingzhou, one of the suppliers, felt his scalp tingle—the way that bastard Ji Jue talked about the future with such flowery words was still fresh in his mind. Thank goodness he didn't fall for your tricks!
If he actually believed that, the little money he made as a scalper wouldn't even be enough to cover it all; he might even have to put in more money himself...

Ji Jue, on the contrary, was not worried.

He was already numb.

Besides, money spent can always be recovered.

After all, high consumption also means high output!

After his initial triumphant progress following his enlightenment, it has become increasingly difficult for him to fail lately. Even if he closes his eyes and randomly presses buttons, purely relying on luck, his intuition and sense of possibility always allow him to find the simplest and most straightforward solution amidst the chaotic forging process.

Even if the final product is terrible, its quality keeps getting higher and higher...

As a result, Inayat was completely overwhelmed and wrote a letter overnight asking the Wolf Lord to withdraw his supernatural powers. If this continued, everyone would soon have a Blessed Creator. This is not how you build an army... We can't expect everyone to be financially free in this godforsaken place called Middle-earth before we've even begun to fight and restore our White Kingdom.

As a result, the market in Haizhou started to suffer terribly!
The prices of low- to mid-range alchemical creations and even blessed creations plummeted, dropping as much as 16% in a single day at the peak!

Ji Jue, in particular, produced the most various kinds of swords and guns, and he was churning out bullets by the ton!
The market was already nearing saturation, and now it's being subjected to such intense, all-out destruction...

It was a nightmare.

For more than half a month, the market was thrown into chaos. It was one thing for competitors to cry out, but middlemen who gritted their teeth and hoarded goods died one after another, and there were almost not enough rooftops left.

As their money dwindled day by day, everyone went crazy sending complaint letters to the association—someone was disrupting the market and maliciously dumping shares!

Hey association, say something!

The association is aware of this, the association is investigating, and yes, the association is still investigating...

Everyone knows perfectly well who the mastermind behind it all is.

Even if it's sold through the black market or in desolate markets, without any names or markings, you haven't even bothered to fake the traces of fluid alchemy! But the key point is...

After careful analysis and thorough review by the association, they couldn't find any fault on Ji Jue's part. He doesn't sell counterfeit goods, doesn't sell at high prices, and doesn't hide anything... He tells you directly that these are defective products, and this is the price. No after-sales service is included. If you can snag one, go back and enjoy it.

Does that mean you have to control whether someone has high production volume?
Isn't your association meddling a bit too much?
In the end, Chen Xingzhou stepped in and, through the association, directly packaged all of Ji Jue's output and sold it to various states, cities, and even the Thousand Islands Empire through the Huangji network.

So much so that after burning through money for a month, Ji Jue did the math and found that he had only lost a few tens of millions... So what was he waiting for? He continued burning through money!
—Our coastline is overflowing with gold and silver, enough to last forever!
This happy time lasted for a week.

Until the courier arrives at your door.

It was delivered by a special person, and the mailing party was the Taiyi Ring Craftsmen Association, and it was delivered all the way to Ji Jue's hands.

This quarterly association publication, which can be considered a perk for artisans, is actually full of trivialities and empty talk. Apart from the first few pages which may contain some useful information, it's basically just something to prop up a table leg.

When Ji Jue casually opened it, he discovered that a hole had been cut out inside.

It's like the ingenious idea in a prison break movie.

Inside was a mask, along with a number, a time, and a location.

And Jiang Tongguang's signature.

Ji Jue stood there stunned, then burst into wild joy.

Finally, some work has come!

—The penalty team, move out!
A day later, Ji Jue appeared in a fishing port on an island in the southern part of the Thousand Islands through the Star Core Association's earth vein teleportation, and waited at the port according to his number.

Until, under the dark sky, a fishing boat with the exact same number, reeking of foul odor and fishy smell, slowly sailed over and docked at the shore.

The workers skillfully began unloading and packing the fish, and after taking the catch away, the crew members jumped off the ship one by one.

Finally, a burly figure with a white beard and sideburns emerged from the cabin, looked at the guests waiting on the shore, squinted, and examined them carefully.

"Ji Jue?"

Ji Jue nodded. "It's me."

"We arrived a little early, but it's alright."

The burly old man with a pipe in his mouth nodded and pointed to the cabin behind him: "We're not setting off until tonight, so let's get on board and rest first. I don't need to tell you anything about cell phones and security, do I?"

"What's your name?" Ji Jue asked.

"I've been retired for many years, and it would only be embarrassing to say it. Just call me Captain."

The old craftsman, who called himself the captain, sighed and shook hands with him: "You'd better give yourself a code name. The seminar does not allow inquiries about other people's identities, nor does it allow keeping records or getting entangled with them. If you recognize someone, please pretend you don't know them. It's best to act as if nothing happened. That's better for everyone."

If you're not used to it, just put on the mask.

"understood."

Ji Jue nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Regardless of the past or the future, the atmosphere of everyone living together as a family immediately arises.
As expected of an association, they are always pragmatic, believing that everything is the same when the lights are off!

Upon entering the cabin, the pervasive fishy stench suddenly vanished.

The interior of the small fishing boat was surprisingly spacious, like a large hotel, with a lobby that was dozens of meters high... He had already stepped into someone else's workshop, but he did not feel any sense of oppression at all.

Guided by the illusion, I found a room to rest in at random and surprisingly felt no fear at all. I closed my eyes and fell asleep immediately.

It's like coming home.

Even the captain was a little stunned.

Seriously, are all the younger generation in the association this carefree? Don't they care at all what others might do to them? Do they really trust the association that much, or... do they just not see it as a potential problem?
In any case, at least he's not the kind of troublemaker who thinks he's above everyone else.

The Exterminator Corps is a place for murder and arson, not a daycare center.

As for that subtle, pricking sensation, it didn't matter; the captain looked away and stopped looking.

I slept until evening when the bell rang. Suddenly, the lifelike wooden bird carving on the display cabinet in the room began to chirp.
"Everyone is present. Before the operation begins, please proceed to the restaurant to exchange briefings. Please refrain from any disputes or conflicts. If you are unsure about your identity, please wear a mask."

mask?

What kind of mask should I wear?
Ji Jue glanced at the mask in his hand, casually hung it on his bag, washed his face, and then swaggered into the restaurant following the guide, finding a seat at random.

Soon, footsteps sounded, and one figure after another walked in from outside the restaurant.

one two three four……

Including myself, five?
The sheer number surprised Ji Jue slightly. Five members of the Judgment Team had been mobilized? Moreover, the lingering aura emanating from each of them was no less than his own, and their ranks were undisguised, almost surpassing his own. Only he himself was a reborn individual, making him appear the most pathetic.

Those selected by Jiang Tongguang for the Judgment Team are no pushovers; they are all formidable figures who are adept at dealing with their peers, capable of taking on five opponents at once to entertain one person.

With this level of skill, are they really going to catch a big fish?
Those who came were either men or women, old or young.

Ultimately, for craftsmen, appearance and looks are completely irrelevant. Countless people can modify themselves into bizarre shapes, and at most, it's just a classic skin.

After dealing with them for a while, you can tell them apart just by their smell, let alone the signature tools they carry when they're working.

As everyone looked at each other, their expressions gradually turned serious, all anticipating that the assignment was likely to be something far more sinister than they thought.

The captain sat silently in the main seat, smoking his pipe, and while he was still writing and drawing on the briefing, the others had already started looking at each other and exchanging greetings.

Before Ji Jue could even use his social skills to liven things up, he noticed that the middle-aged man sitting across the table was staring at him intently, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

His expression changed, his meaning unclear.

Disgust and patience.

This familiar taste...

Ji Jue raised an eyebrow, racking his brains but unable to recall anything. He asked in confusion, "Excuse me, do we know each other?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man's eyes widened, his expression twitched for a moment, but in the end, he said nothing.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Ignore them.

Hey, you've got quite a temper!
Ji Jue was amused and didn't care. He turned around and looked at the familiar person next to him, who was over two meters tall like a giant, with muscles all over his body and a big golden beard.

wink.

Master Huangxu, it's been a long time!

do you miss me?

Master craftsman, I've missed you so much!
Even if you don't think about me, you should think about the batch of alchemical bullets and firearms I just smuggled to you last month...

Huang Xu remained silent, closed his eyes, and tried to pretend he hadn't seen anything... Huang Xu felt someone nudging his arm with their elbow, like someone passing notes in class... They grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and handed them over.

Hey bro, wanna eat?
Huang Xu didn't want to eat; Huang Xu just wanted to beat him up!

At that moment, he couldn't help but raise his eyes and glare at the captain—how could you have brought such a scoundrel here?
The old captain, puffing on his pipe, shrugged helplessly.

He tapped the dustpan, breaking the strange atmosphere of them exchanging winks and glances. Why was the dignified Judgment Team conducting business like a mobile game players having an offline social gathering?

“Alright, since none of us are used to wearing masks, let’s just leave it at that. Let’s just come up with code names; that’ll count as an introduction.” He said, “I’m the captain.”

Huang Xu clearly didn't care about this disguise, and casually adopted the title: "Carpenter".

The middle-aged man who had been glaring at Ji Jue for a long time opened and closed his lips slightly, letting out a silent sigh, "A losing proposition."

Holding a dachshund in her arms, the young-looking craftswoman smiled sweetly: "Veterinarian."

"emmmm..."

Ji Jue hesitated, almost blurting out Lu Changsheng's alias. After thinking it over, he hesitated for a moment, considering mentioning the factory manager's title, but then felt it overlapped with the captain's title. After a brief moment of thought, he recalled the craft he used to make a living...

"Bricklayer".

He smiled slightly: "Just call me the bricklayer."

It was practically a social gathering of craftspeople, just missing the chance to walk around and offer toasts.

Under the cold, impersonal lights, the captain distributed the briefing to everyone.

Ji Jue had just opened the door when he heard the sound of tables and chairs rubbing together.

Right across from him, the director's expression suddenly changed. He couldn't help but stand up, wanting to speak, his hand clutching the briefing report almost into a ball.

In the end, however, no sound came out amidst everyone's gaze.

He fell onto the chair.

His expression was gloomy.

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Ji Jue moved closer and whispered, "Master Craftsman, who is this?"

"..."

Huang Xu glanced at him, his expression indifferent, too lazy to pay him any attention.

But after noticing the genuine bewilderment in that expression, she couldn't help but feel a pang of suspicion: "You really don't know?"

Ji Jue nodded.

Huang Xu then fell even more silent.

His expression grew increasingly complicated.

You almost beat someone to death in the association last month, and now you're telling me that Hu Jian has been sitting across from you for so long and you didn't even recognize him?!
I thought you were just being difficult!
Don't go too far!
Unable to get an answer, Ji Jue helplessly lowered his head, opened the briefing in his hand, and looked at the mission target.

Suddenly, I couldn't help but gasp.

Dust and Haze Workshop?

Wait, dust and haze?
Ji Jue stared in disbelief, rubbing his eyes—it was definitely Chenmai, one of the largest workshops in the association, the former leader of the Vacuum faction... the same Chenmai that had a director more than eighty years ago!

They were even commended by the association just two days ago!
Holy crap, this is serious today!

(End of this chapter)