Above Destiny

Chapter 814 In the Dark

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Amidst the crisp friction sound, the delicate vibration of the reeds rang out.

The gaunt craftsman beside Ji Jue raised his hand, and the music box opened. A desolate and melancholic melody rose from the box, filling the entire workshop. Everyone moved calmly and silently, taking out boxes one by one, distributing items, and tidying up their disguises. No one looked up at the outside.

The giant eye's opening and approaching motion abruptly ceased, its empty pupils reflecting a void that seemed unable to transcend time.

The moment the melody began, time inside the workshop accelerated a thousandfold, making everything outside crawl as slow as a tortoise.

Without any warning or abnormality, being inside, there was not even any discomfort. As the music box melody resonated, everything naturally and at high speed.

Ji Jue took the lead and walked towards the furnace. He opened the door and threw in a lot of waste materials that had been prepared in advance. Then, he awkwardly used a series of techniques for refining and transforming the materials to start making a disguise.

Behind him, the 'nameless craftsman' who was still holding the dachshund in his arms pried open the dachshund's panting mouth. After a rough squeeze, the dachshund vomited out more than a dozen small pieces of meat. Thick saliva fell down and landed on the pieces of meat, which began to swell and sprout rapidly. Soon, more than a dozen bodies of men, women, and children of different ages grew out of the pieces of meat.

Among the remaining people, some began to implant remnants of spirits, some began to materialize their bodies, and others were infused with the essence of many great evils. Finally, they underwent plastic surgery and changed clothes.

Finally, after the exquisite arrangement, the task was completed.

The moment the music box's melody abruptly stopped, the accelerated time returned to normal, and a deafening roar echoed from the workshop.

The furnace exploded, sending countless fragments flying. The fragments of creation trembled violently amidst the flames, completely out of control, eliciting screams and shouts.

In the dilapidated workshop, the 'craftsman' guarding the furnace collapsed to the ground. Upon seeing the malevolent and ferocious giant eye, he trembled with fear and repeatedly kowtowed, trying to open his mouth to explain.

Unfortunately, it's too late.

It was as if an invisible force was choking me, preventing me from making a sound.

The eerie light within the giant eye spread like water, as if searching the heavens and the earth, thoroughly examining the entire workshop, looking for any flaws or suspicions, until finally, it completely swallowed up the panicked figures.

Like dismantling a machine, they brutally dismantle it, extract its soul, and dig deep for any clues until all the artisans who violated the taboo are reduced to ashes.

And so, the giant eye, having completed its search, slowly departed.

All that remains in the illusion is devastation.

But that wasn't an illusion.

On the contrary, they are the ones who ...

Ji Jue looked around, then finally raised his head and looked up at the ceiling. The seemingly ordinary, dilapidated chandelier quietly illuminated everything, casting a boundary between light and shadow.

Everything in the light and everything in the shadow are thus separated; they hide in the shadows of the workshop, like the darkness under the lamp, with layer upon layer of phantoms ahead.

Everyone remained silent, without even taking a breath, their movements uninterrupted as they methodically tidied and prepared.

The deep, mysterious avenues of discovery were like an inescapable net; their arrival being discovered was actually expected, and there were even contingency plans in place.

The Association's delivery did not go directly to the Deep, but through the careful operation of the Plowsmith, it passed through two layers of Great Abyss, separated by layers of disguise. The only observable fluctuations were those involving the Gate of Eternity.

Even if that giant eye searched the entire scene, all it could see was a group of audacious but incompetent craftsmen who had secretly run to the outer edge of the secluded place, defying the taboo, and secretly carrying out the creation and refining of related artifacts.

This kind of thing happens far too often.

The artisans in the association like to cause trouble, but at least the Exterminator Team keeps them in check. Now that they've all gone to the Deep, do you expect the artisans to obey orders?

With a scapegoat created on the spot by the association to take the blame, they quickly changed locations and hid in another safe house disguised as ruins.

Just like the Deep Infiltration Association, the Punishment Team has also secretly infiltrated the Deep over the years, making preparations and lying in wait in the shadows. Even today, if Jiang Tongguang told him that he had actually planted a bomb under the butt of the old man, Ji Jue would be more or less inclined to believe it.

After changing locations, changing clothes, and even changing faces, all the craftsmen here looked at Jiang Tongguang and the figure beside him.

The slightly aged middle-aged woman made no attempt to disguise herself; she simply sat on an old chair, her bare feet almost completely submerged in pale, fine sand.

A pendant-like swirls from her hands, spinning back and forth in the fine sand. Countless grains of sand seem to vibrate slightly, subtly changing and revealing a blurry pattern.

"What was the result?" Jiang Tongguang asked.

What else can be done?

The fortune teller smiled bleakly: "Everything is normal, and there is no chance of survival. Apart from that, I can't see any unexpected twists or dangers."

There has been no investigation or inquiry into our case yet, and the reconciliation is still under blockade.

She took a deep breath, her voice gradually becoming hoarse:
"Please hurry, everyone, time is short."

She gripped the pendulum tightly, her eyes lowered, and remained silent.

Thick, black liquid seeped from between the grains of sand, wrapping around her feet and spreading upwards. Wherever it passed, her toes began to crack and crumble into fine sand and gravel that fell into the dish.

Like a lit candle, it gradually withers away.

"There's no time to lose, let's act immediately!"

Jiang Tongguang nodded, gave her one last look, and led the team out.

This was the first time Ji Jue had seen such a deep and panoramic view.

Passing through the phantom-like ruins, they walked through narrow alleyways. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning, and pale ash fell from the sky like snowflakes.

The emerald fire rippled across the sky like waves, looking like a constantly changing aurora borealis, so dazzling.

But it cannot illuminate the dark world.

Most of the surrounding buildings are abandoned and dilapidated, but something seems to be hidden in the shadows, which is difficult to discern.

Everything in sight was a bizarre array of buildings, seemingly overgrown with weeds. Workshops were haphazardly pieced together, forming the outer sheds. Layer upon layer of buildings nested like rings, converging towards the center, sinking deeper and deeper into the interior.

At the very center of the deep abyss stands a towering furnace, its azure flames rising and constantly drawing upon the chaos beneath the vortex, supporting its own domain from the storm and maintaining the stability of the abyss.

The interior still retains some order, but the exterior is a chaotic mess of illegal buildings, with no sense of order whatsoever. It's hard to imagine what kind of shady things people would hide in such a place after venturing into the deepest part of the world.

They moved like ants through the streets and ruins. As time passed, the circular buildings seemed to rotate silently. In the narrow alleys, the direction ahead gradually became distorted and blurred, as if they had entered the deepest part of a maze.

Only the token worn in his bosom kept trembling, piercing through layers of blockades, and heading straight inward.

It is truly difficult to fathom the structure within the deep valley using common sense. Countless buildings within the entire deep valley seem to be alive, and the spatial relationships have become incredibly bizarre, making it impossible to describe the route based solely on memory.

Turning a corner through the ruins, one unexpectedly arrives at a bustling underground plaza. A large amount of materials are piled up on the stalls for people to choose from. The apprentices buying materials are arguing about the value of each piece of material, while those sitting behind the stalls are all puppets made from living people. Their faces are identical, their smiles are warm and friendly, but their bodies hidden under their robes are strange and have long been completely mutated.

After turning right in two directions and stepping onto the steps, everything becomes deathly silent again. It's so narrow that it's difficult to even turn around. Like blood vessels, there are countless forks in the road, yet they are not interconnected.

Where they go is not even something they can decide themselves, but rather a result of the interplay and attraction between the credentials they carry and the direction they are heading.

But the further you go, the stranger the direction becomes, and the more torment you feel inside.

disturbed.

Everyone gradually tensed up.

"wrong……"

The craftsmen leading the way suddenly stopped and turned around without warning. But when they turned back, they saw that behind them, there was only a high wall.

Amidst the surging azure flames, a cold eye slowly emerged, looking down upon them.

The high wall suddenly rose, sealing off the area, closing in. *Click*

With a crisp sound and a soft sigh, Ji Jue felt dizzy and before he could even react, the sound of shattering echoed in the enclosed space.

"Varied……"

Ji Jue was suddenly jolted, as if he had just woken up from a nightmare. He froze on the spot, drenched in sweat, only to find himself still in the narrow alleyway, with a fork in the road ahead.

It's as if nothing just happened; it was all an illusion.

Only in Jiang Tongguang's hands, on an ancient book riddled with cracks, a page silently fell away and turned to ashes.

“The inner layer of credentials is completely different from the middle layer. Let’s try a different approach.” Jiang Tongguang paused for a moment, “Let’s try the gap.”

The craftsman who was leading the way nodded silently, turned around, and led them step by step into the shadows, as if wading through a quagmire, into another world where black and white were reversed.

In the shadow world between the gaps of matter, everything seems weightless, and after all the colors are reversed, it is like a bizarre negative.

Even in such a remote and secluded place, the shadows still stirred in waves, and a large number of pupils hidden in the void silently emerged, with blurry lines winding out from the pupils, densely interwoven like a net.

Like a snake, it spreads erratically, constantly coiling around every passerby, silently spying.

Even the slightest touch will be met with a tidal wave of attacks and backlash.

Their presence permeates every brick, every tile, every blade of grass, and even the shimmering illusion.

The moment they appeared, countless eyes stared intently at them, yet the groping lines seemed to pass through his body as if piercing through layers of illusions.

They continued forward, but after walking for an unknown amount of time, Jiang Tongguang suddenly stopped and said, "Turn around."

late.

A tsunami-like surge rose from the bizarre light and shadow, roaring past and swallowing everything in its path.

Like a dedicated cleaner, periodically annihilating everything in these narrow spaces.

Before they could even resist, they were instantly dissolved into the bizarre light and shadow like blurred oil paint, leaving no trace of their remains.

Then, when Ji Jue opened his eyes, they had returned to ten seconds before the storm arrived. The craftsman who was leading the way stiffened for a moment, turned around, and took one last look at them.

It's like a silent sigh.

bang——

In an instant, he seemed to fall into the pool, involuntarily stumbling backward, falling through the dappled light and shadow, and returning once more to the material world.

Amidst the turbulent light and shadow, the last thing Ji Jue saw was the scene of that gaunt figure being swallowed up by the raging tide.

In the final moment, he seemed to shrug slightly and raise his hand.

A silent farewell.

Ji Jue's expression twitched; the gap closed in front of him, and he could no longer see the other scene.

In the deathly silence, in the darkness, no one spoke.

"We're almost there. Keep going, just a little further."

Jiang Tongguang lit a candle about the size of a finger, took over the responsibility of leading the way, and walked at the front.

A faint ray of light, invisible to everyone but them, emanated from a candle made of fingers, enveloping them and dividing the world into light and shadow, creating a dynamic interplay of existence and non-existence. Like a ghost lingering in the darkness, they moved forward silently.

It's like trudging through a mountain of garbage, with fragments piled up for who knows how long, stretching out like an invisible ocean in the dark space.

Every now and then, large amounts of broken debris would fall from the sky like rain, splashing tiny ripples in the ocean of garbage, the crunching and grinding sounds echoing in the darkness like chewing.

A deafening roar erupted as the building collapsed.

Amidst the towering garbage, a mutated creature formed from countless fragments slowly roams, its long tongue extending to gnaw at the trash around its mouth, discerningly searching for small prey that cannot escape in time.

On the massive head, pairs of eyes warily scanned the surroundings, their gazes sweeping over them time and again, yet they could see nothing.

He sniffed the unusual air, but ignored the craftsmen passing by.

When it tentatively tried to stick out its tongue, it suddenly froze in place, smelled a hint of aged wine, and its hungry eyes gradually became empty, its consciousness dissipated, its instincts evaporated, and it became an empty shell, disintegrating into countless pieces of garbage and fragments.

We waded through countless piles of garbage, crossed swamps, and traversed one ruin after another...

Until they crossed the final door, the magnificent structure, resembling an inverted pyramid, seemed to leap out abruptly from the horizon, making all the intruders appear as mere dust.

At the top of the inverted pyramid, countless fragments converge like a giant pillar, extending endlessly upwards until finally swallowed up by darkness, leaving no trace.

The foundation of the Pillar of Depravity!
The surrounding void was completely dark and empty; there was no other creation worthy of existing outside the Grandmaster's workshop!
All one can feel is the instinctive suffocation, the oppression, and even just staring at it is like being burned in flames.

At this moment, a glimmer of light finally appeared before everyone's eyes.

Having remained hidden until now, persevering through gritted teeth, they finally stand before the gate...

At that moment, what echoed in everyone's ears was a hoarse sigh coming from afar.

It was as if they were saying goodbye.

In the workshop where he was hiding, the craftsman, still buried in the sand, raised his head and looked up at the sky one last time.

The sandification accelerated suddenly, crossing the waist and enveloping the entire upper body. It spread inch by inch toward the shoulders, covering half the body. Wherever it passed, the exposed bones turned into fine sand, falling down as if being devoured inch by inch by an unseen monster.

They offered everything they had as a sacrifice to the divine craftsmen, leaving behind a final disguise for everything they were about to do.

Amidst the burnt-out sand, the remaining head stubbornly raises its head, opens its cracked eyes, and stares intently, yet it cannot see the familiar light of day.

Pity.

I forgot to say goodbye.

As the Heavenly Works burned out, a thin layer of mist rose from everyone's bodies, a dreamlike veil swirling in the void.

Then, as the last craftsman in the group stopped, a kaleidoscope of dazzling light expanded from his body, completely engulfing the entire area and refracting countless brilliant rays of light, completely covering everything in front of him.

Jiang Tongguang threw out a thin chain from his hand.

A thin line extends into nothingness, disappears, locks in heaven and earth, and banishes everything!
Following the [Dragon Palace Box] that can store vast amounts of time, the [Ganges Sands] that can drown all changes in fate, the [Destiny Collection] that overturns cause and effect and returns everything to its state before destruction, the [Shadow Painting] that travels beyond matter... and even the [Mirror of Light and Moon] that turns everything within its domain into a mirage, comes the [Kunwu Lock] that locks down all material domains and severs all communication between the inside and outside!
A total of nineteen original artifacts from the association, numbered and completed by countless craftsmen throughout the ages, each representing the creations of a large workshop and numerous factions, were all gambled on this operation!
At that moment, the artisans of the association finally stopped concealing their whereabouts and intentions.

Driven by murderous intent, he began kicking the door!
The massive inverted pyramid suddenly trembled, countless huge bricks swirling and displaying new changes, only to come to an abrupt halt, as if frozen solid by an unseen force. In the hands of the craftsman at the very front of the procession, a huge piece of amber perfectly reflected the workshop, like a miniature model, preserving everything within it.

Right behind him, a door appeared without warning, and purple lightning and black flames burst forth, rushing in!

In an instant, they arrived in front of the giant tower.

"Open the door, the association brings warmth!"

Ji Jue, no longer holding back, boldly reached out and knocked on the long-sealed workshop door. Between his five fingers, burning red, the long-brewing impact erupted one after another.

For example, the roar of fate.

Jing Zhen!
　After asking around, I finally found a clinic run by a professor at China Agricultural University and got my dog ​​transferred to another hospital. Thank you all for your support and concern; everything is fine now.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)