Above Destiny

Chapter 812 The Maze: The Transformation of Existence and Non-existence
What? Am I not a good student?!
Ji Jue stared blankly, feeling an unprecedented shock: Wait, it's not?

That can't be right.

Looking back carefully, although I was more diligent in the Spiritual Attack and Defense class, made more mistakes, caused more trouble, frequently ignored advice, had an embarrassing habit of being a stress-crazy person, picked up some strange things, stirred up some chaos, and caused some tricky situations... but wasn't I pretty good the rest of the time?!
The carrion eater didn't speak, but just looked over with a half-smile.

Ji Jue felt increasingly guilty.

In the end, she didn't say anything else, but continued to focus on the matter at hand. She tapped the stack of papers on the table and said slowly, "To be honest, it is truly remarkable that you have achieved such a wealth of results at your age and with so much time on your hands."

Even compared to all the previous Ember Chosen cases, you stand out from the crowd. You are completely comparable to… that ‘certain person’ your teacher doesn’t want to mention, and in some aspects, you might even surpass them.”

Ji Jue nodded repeatedly, his face beaming.

I want to hear it, I love to hear it, I enjoy listening to it.

Hey, how did you know I passed the federal civil service exam in just half a month?

"...But that's also where the problem lies."

The carrion eater changed the subject and looked at him: "You've learned too much, too many things, and too much in a chaotic way, Ji Jue. As a result, you've accumulated too much and your foundation is too deep."

Thinking too much, wanting too much, yet unable to attend to everything, unable to achieve perfection; changing too quickly, burdened by too many thoughts, yet unable to find stability, unable to settle down; pursuing truth and rejecting falsehood, yet unable to distinguish between them, thus becoming broad but unable to specialize.

“You are a good student, Ji Jue, but you learn too well, to the point that you can easily copy everything.”

She sighed softly, "But the essence and the dross are always hard to distinguish. The strengths and weaknesses of your lineage are almost all reflected in you."

The fluid alchemy of mercury, the legacy of the Ye family's nine types.

The spiritual essence refining and disintegration techniques taught by Ye Xian were half forced by Jian Yuan and half self-taught by Ji Jue, along with the blessings scattered by the embers and the secret teachings instilled by the stagnant decay...

Each one is a magnificent and righteous path, each one a direction perfected by countless generations of craftsmen through painstaking effort.

With one person's will and strength, even if one chooses to climb one path, there is still a limit. No matter how talented or how fine the material, how can one possibly trek across two different rivers or two different mountains at the same time?

It would be great if they didn't have a split personality!

Unfortunately, Ji Jue's talent was so extraordinary that he actually succeeded.

The problem arises precisely because it was accomplished!
Ji Jue pondered for a long time before solemnly asking, "Are you saying that the Three-Phase Alchemy is insufficient to solve my problem?"

“The three-phase circulation is indeed a way, and an unprecedentedly good method... By giving matter and spirituality the properties of fluids, solids and gases, most conflicts and contradictions can be resolved in their mutual circulation.”

Just as a larger wilderness encompasses the existence of different species, you use a larger proposition and framework to include these originally incompatible theories.

They even went a step further and introduced some new products.

The carrion eater sighed, unsure whether to admire or lament, "This is an advantage, but also a flaw. Arrogance is the original sin of every craftsman, and reaping what you sow is also the consequence."

The craftsman's tendency to overthink and meddle is unavoidable, and his self-righteousness is even more impossible to eradicate.

For Ji Jue now, these problems are not really problems, or even troublesome, because they are all within his ability to solve.

But as long as Ji Jue is alive, he will instinctively add bricks and tiles, constantly absorbing everything he can use, and constantly stuffing more and more hard work into it.

Bigger! More! More beautiful! Better!
In the end, everything he created was so vast that he couldn't control it, so numerous that he couldn't attend to it all, so beautiful that he was mesmerized, so good that he couldn't give it up.

Finally, when he has exhausted all his strength and can no longer take another step forward, when he has given everything but cannot break through the shackles, the moment of decline after reaching the peak will arrive.

At that time, everything he created will be completely destroyed in the midst of a massive upheaval and loss of control!

In a sense, he and non-aggression were a perfect match.

With both hands and ten fingers, one can recreate all things in the world.

As long as Ji Jue is alive, he will instinctively try to change everything about himself, bringing everything back to the path he has drawn. But the ten fingers on both hands have their limits.

This is not a drawback.

It's not even rare; there are far too many cases of people unknowingly bringing disaster upon themselves, so many that many craftsmen have become accustomed to it and don't care at all.

Many more people realized their own limitations and the constraints of their talents much earlier, making it impossible for them to reach such a level.

My abilities are limited; I can't produce anything worthwhile.

However, when this power was amplified infinitely by Ji Jue's own talent, ability, obsession, and skill, what was born was a complete and utterly terrifying disaster.

"Your problem has never been with the theory, but with yourself."

The old lady sighed, looked at him with deep sorrow: "Your lineage... achieves success through attachment, yet is also easily destroyed by attachment."

Sometimes, even we ourselves don't understand how terrifying what we hold dear truly is, or how far away the place we're chasing is.

"The Heavenly Furnace's obsession lies in change, yet it cannot change; the Universal Obsession lies in wholeness, yet it cannot be whole; the Leaf Limit's obsession lies in truth, yet it cannot be truth."

And you, clinging to existence, yet perplexed by non-existence.

Those cloudy eyes shone with a kind of all-seeing, all-encompassing brilliance, illuminating Ji Jue's face, just as a craftsman makes a judgment on the creation before him, telling him decisively:

"What you fear and what you pursue are always intertwined."

If you are not allowed to take control of yourself, you will be filled with fear and confusion, unable to live a fulfilling life. If you cannot truly experience your own fears and understand your own nothingness, you cannot be whole, and the direction you pursue will not be sound.

But now, Ji Jue has achieved what he has. But what will be left when you truly lose everything and have nothing left?

Ji Jue remained silent and lowered his head.

Speechless, with nothing more to say.

But after a long while, he sighed self-deprecatingly, "I always feel like I'm such a troublesome guy..."

The carrion eater shook his head and said calmly, "It's no trouble. Trouble is self-inflicted. If you can let go and see things clearly, then it's not trouble."

Ji Jue raised his head and solemnly pleaded, "Can't even a grandmaster offer me some guidance?"

"What the scavengers have, and what the scavengers don't have, how can it be your own possession or absence?" the old woman retorted. "That's your own question. You have to see it clearly for yourself and find the answer yourself."

Ji Jue fell silent again. After a long while, he sighed and asked, "What if I can't see clearly, or can't understand?"

"That doesn't matter."

The carrion eater's words left Ji Jue stunned and incredulous.

"So what?"

The carrion eater calmly sipped his tea: "Does every problem have to be solved? Leaving it alone is also a solution. Is this the only trouble you have?"
Besides, I didn't say it had to be this way.

"what?"

Ji Jue was stunned, wanting to speak but hesitant to.

"It doesn't matter if you can't see clearly. In this day and age, who can see clearly? Even the Heavenly Furnace has things that it can't see or understand."

The old woman laughed: "If you can really understand everything, you might as well ascend to the next level. If you can be indifferent to everything and have a heart of stone, wouldn't the path through the desolate ruins be much wider?"

She paused for a moment, looked at Ji Jue, and chuckled softly.

It wasn't just pity and sympathy, but also approval that Ji Jue couldn't understand, and even a trace of... agreement?
"Look, the so-called craftsmen are such awkward and pitiful things. They wander between the spiritual and the material, but can't find a place to belong on either side."

The arrogant pursuit of change is like rowing against the current; if you don't move forward, you fall behind. One problem solved, another arises; one trouble resolved, yet another ensues.

Until there is nowhere left to advance, or nowhere left to retreat.

Enjoying Ji Jue's astonished expression, the carrion eater's smile grew even more delighted. She reached out and tapped his head like an elder.

"Therefore, there is no need to force yourself to change, nor to be afraid or reject it. Ji Jue, whether you have it or not, it is your deep-rooted nature and the key to your existence."

This is also a question you'll face your whole life, and an answer you'll spend your whole life searching for.

She said, "I promise that no matter what the final outcome is, or whether the question is answered, you will definitely achieve something, just as you hoped."

Ji Jue remained silent.

Look at her.

Those aged eyes were still warm and gentle, like an old man reminding a young person, a senior making a promise to a junior, or a teacher showing recognition and expectation to a student seeking knowledge.

So Ji Jue lowered his head deeply.

He was speechless.

After that, the carrion eaters stopped talking about artisans and instead started chatting about other things, like an afternoon tea party.

Despite her aged appearance, the old lady had an incredibly youthful mindset. She even showed great interest in the latest off-road vehicle from Coastal Industries, bluntly telling him to quickly send her one as a gift, and to do so discreetly so that no one else would know.

With nothing else to do, she decided to go for a stroll. It wasn't until the bell rang that Ji Jue realized she was lying back in a chair on the other side, completely relaxed, with half a tea snack in her hand.

"The young people in the association always make a fuss. I'm at least a grandmaster. I'm not so weak that I get tired after just a few words."

The carrion eater got up and escorted Ji Jue to the door, still reminding and advising him: "Don't rush, the transcendent realm can be reached slowly."

At this stage of the process, it's not troublesome at all; it should be finished in a week to a month at most.

"understand."

Ji Jue nodded repeatedly, still carrying two bags of tea snacks that the old lady had cooked herself. He didn't dare to accept them, but the Grandmaster insisted on giving them to him.

As they walked along, Jiang Tongguang didn't hold back at all, grabbing a box to take home with his drinks.

"How was the harvest?"

“There have been a lot of troubles and problems,” Ji Jue said after thinking for a long time. “But I feel much more at ease and reassured.”

He paused for a moment, then looked at Jiang Tongguang, whose clothes he had just changed into, and even the faint smell of blood: "What happened? You were busy?"

"I just played a game to warm up."

Jiang Tongguang smiled slightly, his smile growing even brighter. Outside the window, cheers and shouts came from Tian Shu.

The blood-stained old captain slowly walked back, dragging the sharp harpoon in his hand.

Amidst the distant roar, the Pillar of Demise trembled once more, visibly shrinking in height!
It's like a receding iceberg.

But the increasingly sharp outline always made Ji Jue feel uneasy, as if something was silently brewing.

Then, I felt something being stuffed into my hand.

That was... a mask.

The masks of the Punishment Team!

"You know the rules."

Jiang Tongguang's smile vanished abruptly, and he said, "Someone will take you to the association's workshop later. Ring a bell to call for help if you need anything, and we will do our best to assist you without hesitation."

Review all the documents and identification provided, memorize them, make all necessary preparations, and be ready to depart at any time.

In a moment of pause, Ji Jue nodded, suddenly realizing what was happening.

Immediately afterwards, the door opened out of thin air before their eyes, engulfing them.

The quiet hall remained deathly silent; even the sound of breathing was clearly audible.

The original spacious and empty area has expanded once again, becoming so magnificent and enormous that it is difficult to distinguish the real from the fake.

Inside the tranquil hall, doors appeared out of thin air, and in the silence, no sound could be heard behind them.

The entire space of Tian Shu is actually under the control and dominion of the Association. At this moment, it is only a matter of temporarily bringing a few workshops under the sequence into the jurisdiction of the Tranquil Hall.

Even time is under control.

Ji Jue had no idea how long he had stayed in the workshop provided by the association.

How many days? Or how many weeks? What is the situation outside?
He almost suspected that he had been forgotten by the association, or even... that this might be a conspiracy by the association, an excuse to imprison him.

No one responded to his questions. His only way of communicating with the outside world was to check off the materials on the order form provided by the association, and then the materials would be sent to the workshop.

In the darkness where no sunlight could be seen, only the flames of the furnace rose.

All he could do was pick up the documents and files on the table and record everything he needed to know, engraving all of it into his instincts and his very being.

The meticulous process of refining his skills propelled the completion of his reborn form, ensuring all preparations were in place.

Until the knocking finally sounded.

Jiang Tongguang's face appeared from outside the door.

How long has passed?

"Not long, just one day."

He held a nearly empty, cracked hourglass in his hands: "This is the last bit of time the association can buy for you."

Is everything ready?

"Ah."

Ji Jue nodded, put his mask on again, and followed Jiang Tongguang into the quiet hall once more, hearing his reminder:
"Be careful, don't let it go off accidentally."

The moment I looked up, I felt a chill run down my spine and my whole body tensed up.

I was almost on the verge of a breakdown.

"...Holy shit?"

Right before him, in the hall, stood twelve figures standing silently, of varying heights and builds. The only thing they all shared was the stale, decaying aura emanating from their bodies, so pure and undisguised.

Even the air refracted a faint rainbow light under the bending of the invisible aura, and the floor beneath their feet cracked, revealing living flesh and blood patterns.

At that moment, they all turned around in unison and looked at them.

I saw Jiang Tongguang.

And behind him... that figure shrouded in pitch-black flames.

Ferocious and violent.

His mere breathing seemed to freeze the entire quiet hall, the air burning like embers, and invisible flames leaping and surging from his body, as if to incinerate the whole world.

In the visionary state, everything turned to dust, and everything was shrouded in flames, wailing in vain.

The moment the overwhelming darkness rushed in, my breath involuntarily stopped.

A subconscious chill ran down my spine.

There are more experts?!
"This is my first time playing You Sui. If there's anything I didn't do well, please remember to point it out."

When Ji Jue asked Jiang Tongguang for his opinion, he was met with an incredibly complicated look in his eyes.

"Just remember to keep it under control, don't go too far." Jiang Tongguang sighed, "We're here to infiltrate the Deep Abyss to assassinate the Grandmaster, not to replace him, okay?"

For a moment, Ji Jue was speechless, and in silence, he gathered with the group.

It's like a real wolf peeking out from among a pack of huskies.

Filled with curiosity.

Look at this, smell that.

What a coincidence, bro, you play too...

It's a pity that the masks of the penalty team are too much of a hindrance; otherwise, they could have changed their phone numbers, added each other as friends, and exchanged advanced experiences.

"The plan is here, detailed down to every part. Memorize it in three minutes, then get ready."

Before putting on the mask, Jiang Tongguang handed out different sheets of paper to everyone and told them bluntly: "Each of you has your own mission and goal. Don't inquire about other people's missions, and don't trust anyone except yourself."

As long as the mission is completed, the association will not pursue any other matters. Furthermore, we hope that even if you die, you will die on the way to carry out the mission, and preferably be completely annihilated. Understand?

No one responded; the crowd remained silent, listening intently.

There was no need to express any opinion. The moment he nodded before he even knew it, everything was already predetermined. All that remained was to risk his life to complete this reckless stab, nothing more.

When should we begin?

Ji Jue asked the final question.

"Don't worry, it'll be quick."

Jiang Tongguang sighed one last time, put on his mask, and said, "Someone will create the conditions for us."

At that instant, a deafening roar erupted outside the Heavenly Pivot.

Amidst the resounding tolling of the bells, the aged craftsman, leaning on his cane, walked step by step toward the Rift, the battlefield that belonged to him.

(End of this chapter)