Within the Artisanship Commission, massive root veins twist like ancient serpents, piercing through the structures.
Guinaifen clearly knew no one would come to greet them, but she was certain this wasn't the original layout of the commission.
Some new creatures lurked in this area—
All of them were [Demon-possessed Machines].
For example, a toad perched on a mechanical structure resembling a sugar owl, or a blade-wielding entity that dangled like a goldfish.
Guinaifen scoffed, "These creatures are way too weak!"
"My Divine Blade didn't even need to descend—they all died instantly."
"Hmph, how boring..."
"Let's just call them 'Toad' and 'Goldfish'."
On a broken bridge, they encountered a middle-aged man wearing the uniform of the Artisanship Commission.
Before him stood a toad and a goldfish, seemingly guarding him like puppets.
"Th-This is the Artisanship Commission's restricted area! Outsiders, retreat! Retreat now—ahhh!"
"Turn back! If you advance further, the commission's traps will—"
Hearing the man's words, Guinaifen couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh? So you're the legendary Master Gongshu?"
March 7th muttered, "Why does this guy talk like he's reciting lines from a script?"
"What's there to explain? It's just an excuse made up by those scheming people."
"The Artisanship Commission is in chaos—I knew someone was behind this! As expected!"
"Since the guards are useless, I'll have to rely on you to deal with these machines!"
Without hesitation, Guinaifen unleashed Jing Yuan's ultimate skill—
Most of these creatures had Wood-type weaknesses. With a single slash— Only a heavily damaged toad remained.
"Golden Cloud Toad! Blade Goldfish! What's wrong with you?! Get up now! I treated you like my own flesh and blood—how could you—"
"Enough! Stop wasting time! These weak little things shattered with a single hit—just hand them over!"
[You're Master Gongshu, right?]
"Hoh? Little girl, you know my name?"
"The fame of [Master Craftsman] Master Gongshu is still that widespread?"
After this exchange, Master Gongshu realized they were here to help.
"Ah, so you're sent by the General? A golden opportunity! Forget those broken toys—they're useless now!"
"But right now, the Artisanship Commission has been taken over by an unknown Wooden Demon! The core of the commission—the [Creation Furnace]—has been seized by that monster!"
"That thing is terrifying! It's as if all the mechanical creations in the commission have gained sentience and now obey it. Going up against them is suicide!"
"But after much thought, I couldn't just leave. Inside that [Creation Furnace] is..."
[Just tell us straight—where is it?]
Guinaifen decisively accepted the mission.
She was still itching for a fight—craving something more challenging.
She didn't want another weakling that crumbled at a touch.
She wanted a worthy opponent!
After navigating the maze-like environment, they arrived at the location of the Creation Furnace.
Using [Radiant Light], they shattered all the surrounding Wooden Entanglements, clearing the path.
Finally, they stood before the Creation Furnace!
"Little girl, hurry! Use all your strength to destroy it—don't let it escape the furnace!"
Just as they were about to advance—
The old man suddenly warned, "Wait! That thing is evolving...!"
A delicate flower bud slowly bloomed...
And from within—stepped out a deer!
Its body shimmered with iridescent hues, draped in golden floral patterns.
The Mystic Deer shook its body—
A powerful aura erupted!
"W-What kind of monster is this?!" Master Gongshu gasped in shock.
Tingyun, with a fascinated tone, remarked, "As expected of a divine creation—evolving life forms. Such power... truly remarkable."
"Tingyun, stop admiring it!"
"Your thoughts are quite unique, Miss Tingyun!"
"Enough talk! I'll handle this monster! Its golden patterns are so pretty!"
"Wait—is this thing weak to Ice? Was it designed specifically for Seele?"
"Hah! Finally, something worth fighting!"
Guinaifen rubbed her forehead, unable to hold back her frustration.
"This damn [Wooden Abomination] is so annoying!"
"It can summon roots endlessly!"
"Every time I lock it down with Jing Yuan's Divine Blade, it just heals itself!!"
Watching the Divine Blade fail repeatedly, she grew so agitated her face turned red.
She checked the monster's detailed stats.
"Wood resistance... and Lightning resistance?! What the hell?! This thing has 409% damage reduction?!"
"Damn it! Trying to brute-force this with a main DPS of the wrong element is impossible. The game's mechanics are ruthless!"
"Next time, I'd better bring a proper team!"
(At least I still have my ultimate trump card—Silver Wolf, you're up!)
After the Mystic Deer revived several times—
March 7th gasped, "It can even revive from ashes?! This is too unfair!"
"The defensive line has collapsed—fall back!"
Once they reached a safe location—
March 7th sighed, "No wonder Xianzhou was so quick to label this a [Wooden Abomination]. Its revival ability defies logic!"
"Miss Tingyun, Xianzhou's resurrection technology... isn't available to everyone, right?"
"The Mystic Deer is likely a guardian entity created by the [Wooden Zone], deeply connected to the root system. Most Xianzhou natives don't have such regenerative abilities..." Tingyun explained.
"While the deer appears to be resting, its true nature is far more sinister. It's absorbing energy from the surroundings..."
Following the old man's guidance, their next task was to use [Radiant Light] to destroy the Wooden Entanglements blocking their path.
Guinaifen was actually enjoying herself.
She found the mini-game of purging all the corruption in one go quite satisfying.
The group marched toward the Wooden Zone's cavern.
Leading the charge was Jing Yuan, representing Xianzhou's local authority!
Accompanying him was Yanqing, the prodigy of the Cloud Knights!
Next came the Astral Express Crew—
Himeko, Dan Heng, March 7th, and Stelle.
Following closely behind were the Stellaron Hunters—
Blade, Kafka, and Silver Wolf.
There were also Jingliu and Fu Xuan, silent but ever-present, trailing at the rear.
Among the crowd, someone suddenly chuckled.
"Such a huge group moving together... feels so lively!"
A small mechanical drone flew down from above, capturing the scene.
"Smile for the camera! This'll go straight into the [Data Bank]!"
The drone went unnoticed as the group pressed forward—
Like a procession of silent warriors.
"Oh no! The leaker's instincts are tingling!"
"We can't let her get ahead of us! Leak it first!!"
Guys, my country has been in state of war for a few days and my city is on the borders so my update schedule has been very unstable. I apologize for that. And I am not sure when everything will get to normal so I request you all to be patient with me! Also I would appreciate it if you guys will support me financially in the times of crisis! Thank you!
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