Without warning, a crisp sound, like that of fine porcelain suddenly cracking, echoed throughout the underground space. One by one, spiritual circuits hidden within the vaulted ceiling and air trembled into visibility, shattered, and dissipated into scattered light.
It was as if stars had appeared in an instant, only to plunge toward the earth.
Bathed in rainbow light, they were unbelievably beautiful.
Even as an apprentice who had just started in Alchemy, Ji Jue could tell what this meant… The inner defensive sequences had, in that moment, completely collapsed!
Then came a collapse with a roaring sound.
A loud boom.
In the distance, on another path, a wall suddenly collapsed.
Amidst countless particles of dust, the booming continued without interruption.
A row of figures, dirty and disheveled, crawled out from the rubble, the leader clutching a broken sword blade—the very Alchemy Weapon that had just dissolved the inner defensive sequences, a masterpiece forged by the master for this mission—now defenseless, shattered in one strike!
"I've found it! I've found it!!!"
Lou Feng shouted excitedly, oblivious to all that he had been through. Covered in mud and with a new scar on his face, under the workshop's defense program, many had fallen, everyone wounded.
At this moment, seeing the sea of spiritual light shining in rainbow hues, he couldn't hold back his joyous dance, laughing out loud.
Until…
Across the deep Sea of Spirit, he finally saw the figures on the distant road.
Two people and a cart, riding along, hair blowing in the wind, not a speck of dust on their temples.
It was as if they were on a casual outing.
Only missing ice creams and cameras to take selfies for social media.
Lou Feng's smile froze on his face.
And when he clearly saw the scar on the leading figure's face—a scar he could recognize even if it turned to ash—he couldn't help it, his rage burst forth!
"Ji Jue!!!"
He roared in anger.
How the hell is it you again?!
"…Oh, Mr. Lou."
Ji Jue rubbed his eyes, the reunion was so sudden that he didn't know what to do but smile: "What a coincidence?"
From the back seat, Xiao An sniffed the air and frowned, whispering, "Brother Ji Jue, they smell so bad."
In the silence, deadly silence, only low whispers echoed.
Like the roar of thunder.
Before he could finish, Ji Jue covered his mouth: "Better not speak carelessly, eh!"
If he kept going, this guy might really lose it…
Although it was always fun when Lou Feng lost his temper, they couldn't keep teasing him every day, could they?
"Ji Jue—"
Lou Feng squeezed the hoarse voice through his teeth, his expression shifting, unable to contain his murderous intent anymore.
Behind him, several Returning Knights had already raised their weapons, waiting for the command.
But the booming continued.
Right above their heads.
Again, a loud boom!
The dome shattered.
Crimson blood spurted out, swirling under the protection of moving corpses gathered in the spiritual energy, forming an invisible face that looked down upon the halls below, unable to contain its excitement:
"Ha ha, it's really here!"
Without hesitation and unconcerned about the two insignificantly small teams in the far distance, the Shepherd flew down towards the hall!
Behind him, countless resentful spirits almost formed a waterfall, cascading downward.
Then, immediately afterward, a door, emerged out of nowhere from the void.
"We've found it, it's right here!"
A joyful voice called from behind the door, a dirt-smudged face peeking out, eyes sparkling with delight: "It's right here!"
Another team!
"Boss, the detectors we left behind have picked up a signal." Slan's face changed as he moved close to Lou Feng's ear: "It looks like someone is catching up with us."
Lou Feng stood still, unresponsive.
He only saw two more figures emerging from the cracks in the ceiling and walls, reaching for the core of the workshop he was determined to claim.
The earthquakes and various anomalies of recent days had made countless Chosen Ones aware of the abnormalities underground.
As the restart date approached, the workshop no longer concealed its structure, and anyone with experience could determine its location... Lou Feng had prepared to defend his discovery, but he hadn't expected to open the door only to find someone had already gotten there first.
So Ji Jue, that damned dog, got here first, but what the hell, how did so many people spring up behind him?
It was like returning home only to find something off, with shadows lurking under the bed, behind the curtains, outside the window...
The road below seemed empty, but how come the bushes were full of people?!
Where did they all come from?!
But now there was no time to worry about that.
After one fierce look at Ji Jue, he redirected his gaze and led the team in a mad dash towards the hall. Any later, and they wouldn't even get the leftovers!
On the other side, Ji Jue couldn't hold back anymore.
What is this?
A farmers' market?
Why is it so lively all of a sudden?
"Prophet," he instinctively looked towards the silent person beside him, "do you have any clue?"
"I'm not quite sure either."
The prophet calmly replied, "It's probably a coincidence."
Did everyone coincidentally discover the hidden workshop at the deepest part of the underground, and coincidentally arrive at the same time, and moreover, coincidentally rushed into the core of the workshop one after the other?
Is it really just a coincidence?
Anyone who has bought the Federation lottery twice wouldn't be so naive.
Boom!
Flame Light suddenly rose from the end of the road.
Inside the hall, a sharp tongue of fire, like a blade, burst out without warning, dispersing in the air and spreading the hot wind, causing countless dust particles to rise in terror.
One could faintly see a charred figure being thrown backward, turning into ashes mid-air, and falling down with the dust in a rustling manner.
Explosions of fiery light burst forth incessantly from the dark recesses of the towering hall...
In an instant, the quiet hall seemed to awaken suddenly, countless spiritual circuits emerged from its surface, and a liquid-like viscous darkness rose and spread, revealing an unforeseen ferocious form.
It was like an enraged monster.
Choosing its victims!
The defense measures buried by Mercury in the past had been fully activated; after four centuries, they burst forth with the dreadful power to bury any intruder!
"Damn, did you lure so many people to act as cannon fodder for pathfinding? This lady is really ruthless!"
The first to react was the Ghost Work Ball, which could directly read the workshop's operating status through spiritual fluctuations, shouting in shock: "Did you see that? Did you see that?! Didn't I tell you?!
The more beautiful a Heavenly Artisan, the more deceptive! Be careful, little Ji!"
Ji Jue asked dryly, "All this is your..."
"It was just a precaution to ensure the success of our mission."
The prophet turned back and spoke casually, "With so many people ahead of us, we probably don't need to worry about being targeted by the internal defenses of the workshop."
She was like a guide diligently clearing any stones in the path for her employer.
She said:
"Now, we can set out."
The first sound to erupt was the deafening thunder, with lightning flashing.
Brilliant Thunderbolts spread rapidly, and one figure dashed at an invisible speed from the crevice and then burst into the central hall of the workshop.
And then... a leg, still crackling with electricity and sparks, was thrown out, falling into the Sea of Spirit, quickly dissolving, disappearing without a trace.
Even the scream was absent.
With the air disturbances, a creature as large as a giant lion appeared the moment it entered the range, revealing its figure. Unexpectingly detected while being invisible, the giant beast slightly stunned, then layers of shells grew out of its flesh, staunchly resisting the electricity and flames, and it burst into the darkness, vanishing from sight.
In the silence, a weird, coquettish laugh suddenly erupted, so enchanting that everyone who heard it felt their minds go blank, even Ji Jue, despite the distance, felt darkness before his eyes and blood leaked from his nose.
But the laughter abruptly ceased, turning into miserable groans and screams.
Boom!
Amidst the loud noise, a scarlet spiritual light exploded violently from within; the residual light surged like a blood mist from the darkness, dispersing outwards, chilling to the bone.
Meanwhile, Lou Feng and his group made no effort to hide; surrounded by a dozen Returning Knights who protected him, he lifted his wrist, and a familiar rosary to Ji Jue suddenly had one bead crumble.
Spiritual Shaping!
But this time, what appeared was not some creation or armor, but a blurry and indistinct human figure—through the power of Spiritual Shaping, the Lou Family elders sealed their spiritual essence and power within the rosary beads, providing their descendants with protection, which, in times of need, could even create clone-like effects.
After briefly perceiving the moment, this blurry figure waved its hand, and a silver mist appeared from nowhere, enveloping them and carrying them through all the defenses dropped by the workshop, directly crashing into it.
Ji Jue watched with envious eyes.
They said it was an exploration of the Crack Realm, but look at you, hopping non-stop wherever you go, and even bringing so many people along!
But now, as the core was activated, increasingly more figures appeared from the crevice or various passages.
Ji Jue watched, agape.
If you must say, it felt like a deserted fairytale land suddenly hitting peak tourist season.
What was an utterly desolate place suddenly swarmed with people...
For a moment, there was almost an illusion of a surge of heads.
Ji Jue could never have dreamed that the Crack Realm could suddenly become so vibrant, but at the same time, he couldn't help a tingling scalp—how could there be so many people lurking in the bushes?
And, a few days earlier, not even a trace had been visible...
This world is too cunning!
It's making it impossible for the younger generation to get by...
"So what now? How do we get in?"
He looked at the outermost defensive domain, akin to an iron barrier, at a loss for where to start—besides the little horse and bull, he, Xiao An, and the Prophet, one was Embers incapable of performing tasks, another was White Deer who chose to dodge entirely, and one was a person who couldn't even move, none had even chosen defense!
It's not like they could just drive a car in, right?
"Just take your legs and walk inside!"
Ghost Work Ball couldn't stand watching any longer, only wanting to give him a huge push: "The external defense modules only recognize authority levels; have you f***ing forgotten that you're a local now?!"
Damn, right!
Ji Jue finally came to his senses, he still had the authority from the Melting Furnace and the validation from Fluid Alchemy!
With such high authority, he might as well cosplay as Mercury itself...
The defense program is to stop all the stinky outsiders; currently, with the heavenly pattern on his head, he is a true local from the Crack Realm!
Then what are they waiting for?
Let's go!