Five days later.

"High-end ingredients often require the simplest cooking methods. At three o'clock in the morning, Master Ji, who had been busy all day, started to make new dishes..."

Accompanied by Ji Jue's self-talk, the evil entities on the operating table were firmly held down by dozens of Mercury Hands. Thick metal rods pierced into their limbs, and solid alchemy froze the spiritual flow. Then came the electric saw, hammer, and vibrating knives in turn.

A seamless and pleasing flow of work.

Under the dismantling of various ever-changing tools, it quickly disassembled everything from head to toe, skin and shell included. After sorting and storing them accordingly, the next entity was eagerly anticipated.

Throughout the whole process, Ji Jue didn't even need to move a finger, naturally sitting in the chair while flowing mercury extended out, forming dozens of limbs that cooperated deftly and efficiently.

Everything returned to the old routine.

As they say, rehiring old employees speeds up progress!

Having worked together in Spring City for so long, violating laws and committing crimes, they showed impeccable teamwork and coordination, used without any hesitation—pressing legs when needed, pressing hands when needed. If the entity screamed too loudly, it was muffled directly without Ji Jue needing to say a word.

Coordination was spot on, and positioning too.

Otherwise, Ji Jue wouldn't be able to deal with the mountain of materials piled up in the warehouse.

Ever since a polluted rain fell, the evil entities on Luye Island grew wildly like well-fertilized weeds, scattered everywhere, unable to be gathered completely.

Whenever Ji Jue went out, he brought back carloads of harvest.

It's a pity that after the original welfare period ended, the drop rate became disheartening. Except for some materials from the evil entities themselves, blessings were nowhere to be found.

Forcing 'players' to invest money in creative ways.

Nowadays, without spending points, one couldn't even compete. The number of exam takers was too small, and the association was so big that it didn't care about these bad reviews; otherwise, it would have been hotly discussed long ago!

Ji Jue had expected this.

Game operators secretly adjusting data and drop rates was no longer novel. At least they had clear prices, avoiding bottomless pools without guarantees, forcing exam takers to spend points on ten-rolls.

But looking at that list, one couldn't help but see ill intentions.

Common materials and frequent blessings were manageable, but many rare materials and infrequent blessings had skyrocketed in price.

Especially passive types.

Heavenly Skill priced at four hundred, Spirit First priced at five hundred forty, Governance Axis priced at six hundred... let alone his Transformation Stage trio set, which was completely devoid of any cost-effectiveness.

Wanting to save for a big purchase meant retaining points, but in this competitive environment where everyone was scrambling upwards, holding onto points and staying static was tantamount to suicide.

Meanwhile, the prices of many blessings with strong destructive power and evident effects had been reduced. Entropy, large groups, White Deer, and others had early and mid-stage blessings at sale-like prices.

Almost like writing 'Buy One Get One' and 'Bored, I Want to See Blood Flowing' on the form.

Seriously doubting the examiners.

Recommending the association to investigate thoroughly!

At this stage, Ji Jue's needs were not many.

What was lacking was a vast amount of basic materials.

Despite repeatedly scaling down, it remained an astronomical figure. Even digging out the entire Luye Island wouldn't fill the gap.

With the exchange list, one could only proceed slowly, first updating the core area of the workshop, enhancing defense and control power.

At this moment, the importance of one's background and master's instructions became evident.

When some participants couldn't even start with materials and exchange lists, almost all exam-top workshops had updated and upgraded, transforming substantially.

Apprentices from large workshops were exposed to this from a young age, having seen, touched, and played with the materials, not to mention the master's verbal guidance and hands-on experience. Even mindlessly copying could complete the workshop's framework. As for the apprentices who couldn't penetrate the core circle and could only smash around the periphery, knowing what a workshop looked like was already challenging.

Sneaky ways couldn't survive in such a high-intensity competitive environment as Ashes.

As for Ji Jue...

Ji Jue needn't worry about this.

Though the days were short and Professor Ye hadn't taught in-depth theories, he'd seen a lot... From Ashes to Zhi Fu, from the association to You Sui, he smashed and dismantled so much, he spent days in Jian Yuan's workshop.

Besides, the framework of the former Saintly Mercury's workshop was still stored in the Doomsday Special Train's reserve!

Even if Ji Jue had just started researching and imitating, copying surely worked, right?!

Sometimes, being able to personally experience and operate once surpassed countless years of theoretical pondering. The association generously provided this free opportunity for practice, making Ji Jue almost wake up laughing from dreams these days.

If he couldn't seize this opportunity thoroughly now, even winning first place in the exams later wouldn't compensate for the potential losses.

For five whole days, Ji Jue's total sleep time hadn't exceeded four hours. After treating the materials and setting the Melting Furnace's custom processing procedures, he finally collapsed onto the bed in deep sleep.

Five hours later, he forcefully got up, half-awake, and completed the final processing.

After a cold shower to completely wake up.

Sitting in the chair, looking at his labor's fruits, he couldn't help but laugh.

Right there on the assembly table, the newly completed armor was entirely different from before.

Though still the red and black Power Armor, compared to before, it looked like a strong man shedding cumbersome clothes, revealing a lean body.

Using extensive evil entities' bones and blood as materials, with alloy as the base, the re-casted outer armor was several times lighter, and the defense performance was many times higher.

Additionally, after adding another auxiliary engine set, the mobility received a qualitative boost.

Aside from numerous weapons imitating Federation designs with added alchemy elements, two more Evil Batteries were introduced, doubling the output under overload mode.

To avoid the incident where something like the last time with Young Master Lou happened, the exterior of the cockpit added a layer of Fluid Mercury, providing 360-degree protection.

Furthermore, the most groundbreaking innovation was filling the biggest weak point of mirrors — not speaking.

He painstakingly recorded over four hundred lines of trash talk, provocations, and taunts, among other 'critical' battle cries, all imported into the machine's spiritual storage, and externally connected two large speakers.

Ensuring every adversary would enjoy the purest ranking experience in any situation!

Now, after days of preparation and arrangement, the most crucial moment for the alchemy work had arrived.

Naming!

A good name accompanies the work for life, often adding supreme value at critical times.

Just like humans.

If opponents stood out one by one, proudly announcing names like Ye Feng, Dragon Aotian, Li Xiaoyao, exuding class and grandeur, while if someone from one's side was named Two Dogs, it would be disastrous.

Look at Zhou Chong, who created a new Blessing Sequence and immediately called it 'Heaven and Earth are Unjust.'

Then look at his teacher, who named a whole Ominous Sequence that ranged from Federation to Empire to Central Earth, evoking PTSD in victims just by hearing Ye Xian's name!

"Hmm..."

Ji Jue racked his brains, looking at the hideous armor before him, lost in contemplation.

Considering functionality, since the purpose was assault and destruction, it wouldn't hurt to reflect this meaning in the name while emphasizing series inheritance and his expectations.

"Assault, forcible—"

He suddenly hit his palm, inspiration flashing: "Strong Assault... Strong Assault..."

"—Let's call it Strong Assault Bull Mark!"

"..."

For a moment, the idle engine of the armor seemed hesitant to start, almost expressing an opinion. But Ji Jue was already happily picking up the spray paint and started painting.

Halfway through, he realized this was a modified version, needing to distinguish it from the prototype.

With a grand gesture, he added a segment at the end.

[Strong Assault Bull Mark Nº 2]!

Such a strong and powerful name would surely instill endless terror and humiliation in opponents dying under it!

Not only that, after naming it, Ji Jue's inspiration burst forth. He even thought of names for the two machines used for workshop protection on the subsequent assembly line.

Among them, the pure white, glow-emitting armor during overload operation would be called [Two-headed Donkey], and the other named [Announcing Ghost]...

For some reason, Ji Jue couldn't stop the urge to change color and reduce components for cost-saving ideas, even thinking of creating unique packages for ten other variants, then selling them at double Federation Military Department prices to Central Earth, pouring in corrupt money waterfall...

Frightened, Ji Jue checked the workshop's spiritual lock several times, re-thickening it.

Must be Mutated Pollution's doing!

Too terrifying.

After completing the major task of Strong Assault Bull Mark, Ji Jue spent the remaining time on workshop updates and enhancements.

With each evil entity's corpse enjoying thorough dismantling, dissection, and bleeding services on the production line, then reborn in the Melting Furnace, the deeply buried workshop began further expansion, rooting deeper into darker depths.

At the same time, while tranquility reigned underground, the surface world deteriorated rapidly under stormy squalls.

On the sixth day, when Ji Jue went up to check, he had to wear respiratory equipment.

Even the air was filled with tiny black dust particles.

In the distant gray fog, the mountain ridges revealed blood vessels. The flowing river beside showed faint crimson.

The stench was nauseating.

Corpse bones sprouted like plants from the soil, growing bizarre structures.

In the distance, near the deep blue almost ink-like ocean, massive manta ray-like creatures slid silently, dragging tendrils across the surface, sweeping like dexterous limbs, hungrily preying.

Just half a wing passing over the island cast a shadow like night.

At this moment, Luye Island was gradually transforming into a high-pollution zone...

Was this also a former anecdote record?

Ji Jue doubted from the heart how much intensity the association added into this environment.

On the seventh day, again, torrential rain fell.

From the sky, black rain poured down, covering everything.

In everyone's anxious waiting, as the countdown reached zero, it seemed a clear bell sounded by the ear, startling countless individuals.

Then, prismatic kaleidoscope-like structures appeared before everyone's eyes.

Finally, it began!

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