Above Destiny

Chapter 772 The Old Man's Intentions
"What the hell is going on?!"

"What's going on? Isn't it supposed to be ten days later?"

"Ha, trying to pull this on me? You damn bastard, you're even playing the military strategy now, huh?"

Not only was Ji Jue caught off guard, but everyone involved in the entire plan was completely bewildered and in a state of chaos.

At this moment, on the agreed-upon desolate island, chaos still reigned outside, with all parties' subordinates and attendants hurriedly assembling and preparing.

Fiery beams of light descended continuously, carrying with them a barrage of questions.

Lord of decaying winds, commander of ten thousand with bloodshot eyes.

This includes Du Luojia, who has been sitting here in meditation, and even the tyrant shrouded in black mist in the dark rift he created.

As they stared at each other, amidst their astonishment and anger, a flicker of realization flashed in their eyes.

Finally, when it landed on that oil-painted mask, a chill ran through it.

"You didn't plan this from the beginning, did you?" Du Luojia questioned.

From the very beginning, this guy never trusted anyone.

Even the given time was wrong.

"A golden opportunity is rare, and time waits for no one."

The rotten ape sighed helplessly, "There's nothing we can do, it's an unexpected turn of events... We just received news that the Gluttonous Turtle Charybdis has gone mad and is showing signs of relocating again."

Based on its direction of travel, it is very likely to pass through seven cities.

In an instant, the previously restless and angry atmosphere froze, and everyone's expression became serious.

Even a severely damaged Annihilation-level Disaster Beast possesses immeasurable destructive power. Moreover, compared to the destruction a Disaster Beast can cause, being severely damaged and going completely berserk are not debuffs, but rather positive enhancements.

The more insane and mad a beast is, the more unpredictable it becomes.

Once a ravenous Charybdis rampages through the seven cities, taking a couple of bites along the way, nothing will be left!

"If we follow the original plan and wait another five days, it's uncertain whether we'll even have the Seven Cities," the rotten ape sighed, unfurling a map-like scroll in his hand. In the changing ink, a mark resembling a swirling cloud was slowly moving towards the Seven Cities along the dotted lines.

It may seem slow, but a quick estimate of the map's scale and dimensions reveals just how fast it actually is.

Who knows, it might be right over Qicheng tomorrow or the day after!

"..."

Within the turbulent black mist, the bloodied and mangled tyrant suddenly sneered, glancing sideways at the decaying ape: "Could this be something you did?"

"how is this possible?"

The old ape spread his hands: "If I could really command something that big, why would I need to rely on you all to remove the obstacles from the seven cities for me?"

Ji Jue gave a cold laugh and remained silent.

To be fair, there is some truth to that, but truth is truth, does You Sui really understand reason? What has this old dog been trying to achieve by stirring up trouble in the Seven Cities for so long?!

So that we can gather a huge amount of explosives to set off a big firework?

Why not just follow Ji Jue's example and go and suffer in the Empire or the Federation? Wouldn't a fusion bomb be more exciting?
"The time was too short."

He didn't dwell on the issue, and said indifferently, "The preparations are not yet complete. We are not entirely confident that we can bypass the craftsmen and take over Luo Island."

"It's alright, the missing parts can be made up by everyone here."

The voice of the decaying ape seemed to be smiling: "As long as you can break through the workshop's suppression and sever the connection between the craftsmen and Luo Island, everyone will naturally be invincible."

"What about the plan?" asked the blood-eyed commander.

"First destroy Luo Island, then take Xiangzhou, and then just push forward all the way. It's not that complicated."

The rotten ape solemnly warned: "Everyone, do not relax too soon. The craftsmen are too unpredictable. Even if we have the seven cities under our control, as long as the craftsmen are still around, accidents will be hard to avoid."

"Is this the Ji Jue you mentioned?" The aged Lord of Calamity glanced over: "When did the Ring of Taiyi gain such a master?"

"Not a master, just two gold ribbons."

The rotten ape corrected him, and before the disaster lord and the commander could laugh, he said decisively, "Don't forget, it is the craftsmen whom you all despise now who have been able to turn the tide within the Federation and rise to prominence overnight, becoming the founders of the current situation in Haizhou."

I won't go into his connections with the National Security Bureau, but the anti-cult group has already failed under his leadership more than once.

In the Central Plains, because he had killed countless comrades, he still managed to open up the situation for the White Kingdom by stepping on countless corpses.

His shadow is behind the White Bang Restoration Army. Those with bloodshot eyes must have suffered a lot, right?

He has only been in Qicheng for less than two months, and two parts of Qicheng have already fallen into his hands. If left unchecked, once the storm passes, all the businesses and investments you have made in Qicheng over the years will probably be taken over by him!

Even as a celestial being, Aquilino, who founded the seven cities, struggled to make progress. Now, a mere craftsman can easily stir up the wind and rain, as if heaven and earth were working together... Do I need to emphasize how terrifying this is?
If such a great scourge is not eliminated in time, it will likely turn into another plow maker and another ember master! For a moment, apart from Du Luojia, the Disaster Lord and the Commander of Ten Thousand were stunned and incredulous, never expecting that someone could be evaluated by the Rotten Ape in such a way.

But then a question arose from the side.

"These words only boost others' morale and diminish our own."

The tyrant within the black mist said coldly, "In my opinion, even if Ji Jue is troublesome, there's nothing to fear!"

"..."

The old ape turned around, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself. He wanted to emphasize the threat posed by the craftsman, but when he saw that it was the Lord of the Abyss speaking, he immediately shut up.

You bunch of tyrants, you're really stubborn!

If it weren't for the fact that you almost had your leg broken by Ji Jue a few days ago, I might have actually believed it!
Beneath the black mist, Ji Jue felt a mix of emotions.

I almost forgot about my public persona!
Well... the enemy's contempt makes me ecstatic, but their attention, though not good for my future fishing, is also really refreshing!
If you can speak, speak more!
I haven't told you the little story of the Evil-Transforming Saint Master yet...

However, besides that, he keenly sensed an important point outside the plan: "Don't forget, the Empire's fleet! The Holy Tree Family's support is still in Dan City!"

The rotten ape seemed to laugh: "Please rest assured, Your Excellency, I have my own methods. The Empire may be strong, but it is not an obstacle for us... In fact, we might even be happy to see it succeed."

Where is the lighthouse?

Du Luojia asked, "The Lighthouse has gathered the power of seven cities to temporarily create the Tianyuan Domain. With this constraint, it may be difficult to carry it out."

"Rest assured, it's already under control." The rotten ape chuckled. "The lighthouse has been no obstacle since the operation began."

Bullshit!
If it weren't for the deus ex machina and the extensive surveillance, which kept the lighthouse in Pucheng intact, Ji Jue might have actually believed it.

That blessed creation, rooted in the earth's veins, was built under the leadership of Achilles, with the resources of seven cities invested, and by hiring a master from the Ring of One.

After its completion, it existed almost simultaneously with the seven cities.

The seven cities still stand, and the lighthouse remains.

Even if Luo City is gone, there is still Xiangzhou, and even if Xiangzhou is gone, there is still Ma Island. Unless the people of the seven cities are all killed, there is absolutely no chance of anything going wrong.

If he really has that ability, then why would he need to find outside help?
If we roll up our sleeves and beat Ji Jue, it'll be as easy as beating a dog. Why would we need to put in any effort?
Under the scrutiny and observation of many creations, the lighthouse remained intact, unshaken, and showed no signs of any great erosion...

Where does this rotten ape get its confidence?

With his mind racing, Ji Jue threw himself into the intense oral gymnastics and melon-splitting competition.

Even close brothers keep clear accounts, let alone those who are deeply sinister figures caught in the vortex? It's common for fellow villagers to stab each other in the back when they meet. Even if the rotten ape gave a deposit, who would work for you for free if there's no benefit to be gained?

Besides, you've moved up the schedule, so do you need to pay for the express service?

Even if we can't squeeze anything out of them, we'll still try our luck and see what happens!

What if!
For your bloody eyes and great merits, may your corpse be placed in a sacred temple!
The decaying wind acts on behalf of Heaven, and the heat and frost disasters are taken away!
The usurper rallied his forces, and Luo Island was appeased. Wulou Temple endured humiliation and hardship, and the household deity took command!
And then there's the rotten ape, lying low and enduring, which is the most difficult thing to do. I'll leave the seven cities to you!

Besides these, there are many other variations.

From flesh and blood, bones, assets to souls... death is harvested by bloodthirsty eyes, life is dominated by tyrants, souls are devoured by household gods, and civilization is wiped out by decaying winds.

A sumptuous feast, where everyone can eat to their heart's content.

If you can't finish it, you can take it with you.

Even if you agree on it verbally and it's stipulated in the contract, how much you can eat and how much you can get still depends on your own abilities!

However, just when everyone was almost satisfied, the tyrant spoke up again.

"Wait a minute!"

The tyrant raised his hand. "I have one more question!"

In the sudden silence, as everyone turned to look at him, Ji Jue looked at the withered ape and solemnly asked, "What exactly do you want to do?"

In an instant, sharp gazes fell upon the decaying ape.

Yes, what about you?
What do you want from all this trouble?
Surely they're not here to do good deeds, are they?

"I am merely fulfilling the old man's request; what more could I possibly ask for?"

On the mask of the decaying ape, oil paint flowed, revealing an exaggerated smile. He bowed slightly, and from the nothingness beneath his black robe, a small coin appeared.

The coin, made of some unknown material, gleamed with a dim golden light, and in the center of the coin, a strange flame relief rose and changed endlessly.

On the reverse side of the coin, there is a familiar-looking emblem.

The incomplete overlap of squares and triangles, the emblem that once appeared in the ruins of the Dust and Haze Workshop, the mark of the profound master craftsman, Anvil!
In this era when the Anvil King is rapidly expanding and once again ruling the Deep Realm, holding this token represents only one identity.

Messenger of the Deep!
(End of this chapter)