Amidst the roaring tides, an awkward silence suddenly descended.

The two men stared at each other in silence, one filled with eager anticipation, the other utterly disillusioned and fed up.

Now, upon hearing the examiner's words, Ji Jue almost laughed out of sheer exasperation.

Are you just not listening to what people are saying?

And what do you mean, go take out the Nether Sea Worm?

"Me?"

He pointed to his own face, unable to comprehend: "Go fight the Nether Sea Worm?"

Are you serious?!

I'm a complete whiteboard, with my limits locked, unable to advance, no offensive skills, no Heavenly Skill, and you want me to go fight a calamity that has caused countless pollutions in the real world?

Why don't you just tell me to go to Desert Market and dabble in manned spaceflight?

At least if I screw up, I might really take the association to the moon!

"Can you win?" The examiner asked with high hopes.

"Do you want to die!"

Ji Jue rolled his eyes: "Moreover, after all these exams, just sitting on Luye Island watching the Nether Sea Worm pollute the environment, I've got no idea what it looks like or where it is!"

"Hmm, that indeed is my oversight."

The examiner nodded thoughtfully: "It seems there's been a misunderstanding in comprehension, stuck in conventional thinking, even you haven't realized it?"

"Realized what?"

"The name Nether Sea Worm is just a label. Calling it a worm doesn't mean it literally is a worm. But at the same time, it's called Nether Sea because... it can truly create a Nether Sea."

At that moment, the examiner lightly clapped his hands.

Pa!

With a soft sound.

The brilliant sunlight, the turquoise ocean, and the golden beach vanished without a trace.

Engulfing darkness rose like a tide to cover everything. Torrential rain and fierce winds arrived suddenly, the Mutated Pollution engulfing everything.

The world once again returned to an apocalypse.

Everything fell into the Netherworld.

However, Ji Jue, along with the examiner, ascended upwards, like phantoms that didn't belong here, effortlessly escaping gravity, looking down from the sky.

In the blink of an eye, they had reached outer space.

The surrounding universe was dark and vast. A star floated past his eyes, twinkling as it moved on to another place and disappeared.

Looking back down at the world below, he saw the edge of reality, the dark storm covering the blue sea.

Like a black felt, it slowly spread outward.

The apocalypse spread.

"Contaminating the world, mutating everything, throwing the deep sea into the Netherworld. What you see now is the Nether Sea."

The examiner beside Ji Jue slowly extended his hand, as if drawing back a curtain, and effortlessly dispersed the clouds, then snapped his fingers again.

Instantly, the wind and clouds raged, rain fell, and tides rose. All changes in the weather and land became clear after key transitions, imprinted in Ji Jue's eyes.

Endless darkness flowed, the ceaselessly mutating spiritual pollution circulated like blood, sweeping through the sea and sky, covering everything.

It looked just like... a worm?!

Black worms wriggled out of the storm, coiling, rooting in the ground, enveloping the sky, and parasitizing on the world.

From start to finish...

Ji Jue and the others were within its body, completely unaware.

The clouds they saw above stemmed from the Nether Sea's tides; the fierce winds were part of the worm!

"This Nether Sea is its embodiment.

If you need a metaphor, the worm is now in a metamorphic developmental stage, likened to a returning embryo, spreading itself across the real world, birthing anew."

The examiner said: "It's an aggregation of numerous large malevolent entities from the real world. From the moment it sprang into existence as a projection in the real world, it could be seen as an apocalyptic spawn. Only, it's a pity that it lacks innate purity.

It formed from the remnants of countless malevolent entities, which affects its purity. It's immense in quantity but lacking in quality.

That's why it needs to re-nurture and transform.

When several parties united to exterminate it, it was just one step away from ascending to become a genuine doom-form, achieving the shape of destruction.

If it had succeeded, it wouldn't be the Nether Sea Worm but would be called the Nether Sea Dragon."

The more Ji Jue listened, the more absurd it felt: "You say it's so formidable, do you think I can handle it?"

The examiner turned to look at him, suddenly smiling: "Anyway, there's nothing else to do, right?"

Saying this, he tossed something like a remote over.

It fell into his hand.

"What is this?"

"It's one of the internal cores of Heavenly Craft·Transformation, the remote control for this fictitious world you're in."

The examiner said calmly: "Press the red button to rewind, return to saved state. The blue button fast-forwards time."

Ji Jue thought for a moment, curiously asked: "What if I press both red and blue together?"

"It exits."

The examiner answered frankly, "I mentioned, this is an extra challenge. If you don't want to play, you can leave anytime, I won't stop you."

"Heh."

Ji Jue squinted at him, sneered coldly, suddenly understanding a bit of Lord Lou's feelings: "What made you think I would let you control me?

Even if..."

Before finishing his words, he decisively raised his hand.

I'm done playing with you!

Time to go!

"Oh, right."

The examiner said casually: "If you cooperate, I won't tell Ye Xian about your plans to leave the faction and stand on your own."

Ji Jue's finger stopped mid-air.

Unable to move any further.

Sweating profusely.

Glaring in anger.

Son of a bitch, you...!

Though Ji Jue didn't want to drag Professor Ye into this, he knew his teacher wouldn't appreciate his unilateral decision.

No, she definitely wouldn't appreciate it.

She would most certainly beat him to a pulp... beat him back to life and continue until he wished for death!

He hesitated, took a deep breath, mustered his courage, with trembling fingers, struggled towards the buttons.

Better to die than to surrender!

Run first and—

"Ah, one more thing I forgot to mention!"

The examiner turned back, smiling even more brightly: "I just unlocked all materials in the Association's standard records and all the blessings in the Almanac for you."

"..."

"No more points needed, unlimited exchange."

He tapped his head, recalling the term: "Isn't that what you young folks call 'creation mode'?"

Ji Jue's fingers hovered over the buttons, unable to press them.

His heart sank completely.

It's over, no escape now.

He couldn't handle it, he was outclassed...

Although he couldn't gauge the other's identity and intentions, someone able to bypass procedures and target him at this critical juncture of the craftsman's exam at the association was probably a high-ranking member, maybe even a director. If the other wanted to manipulate him using Jian Yuan, they wouldn't need such convoluted means, nor spend a fortune on these Heavenly Craft·Transformation experiences.

Now, the person wielded both a stick and a carrot to toy with his mind.

The stick might not even be a real threat; after all, Ji Jue could just be beaten half-dead by his teacher. If they really wanted to threaten him, they'd openly reveal their identity and easily crush him? But the carrot…

It was not just sweet, but irresistibly tempting...

A simulated world in creation mode, allowing Ji Jue to do whatever he wanted, freely accessing all blessings and crafting?

If it were a different time and place, he would have kissed their feet, shouting 'Purine levels high, you're my godfather!'.

So...

Damn it, just enjoy it first!

"Well, it seems you've made your choice."

The examiner, who had been waiting, smiled and waved goodbye: "Then, enjoy yourself!"

Just like that, he vanished.

"Damn, like a ghost..."

Ji Jue jumped in fright, feeling a chill: "Shit, could the Tower of Transformation have gained sentience? Alchemy Ghost haunting me? Why me?"

"Hmm? Are you talking about me?"

A puzzled voice suddenly sounded from behind, almost making Ji Jue leap in shock: "Didn't you leave?!"

"I didn't go far."

The examiner shrugged: "And, I wanted to give you a sense of freedom. If you need anything, you can always call me."

He patted his chest reassuringly:

"I'll always be reachable!"

Ji Jue finally broke down: "Bro, what do you actually do!"

"Well, just a part-time worker at the association.

If the examiner needs help, I assist as an examiner. If you need customer service, I don't mind playing that role too."

The examiner offered a sincere smile, showing eight sparkling teeth: "By the way, can you give me a good review after this?

I have too many bad ratings, I'm embarrassed to go out."

"Of course, of course."

Ji Jue forced a smile through twitching lips: "Seeing how the association is progressing, you must be flooded with positive reviews!"

Pa!

The examiner disappeared again.

But Ji Jue still felt a chill down his spine, as though being watched.

He imagined a sneaky guy in the shadows watching his every move, maybe even spying while he used the bathroom!

"In the simulated world, you don't need the bathroom." The examiner's voice timely clarified.

"Damn it, you really are spying!"

Ji Jue fumed: "Spying is one thing, but mind-reading?!

"The Tower of Transformation lacks that function, but based on my understanding, you'd likely think that." The examiner explained: "Don't worry, I'm not a bad guy, pretty easy-going.

And if I were you, I wouldn't mentally curse an innocent guy as 'dog'."

"I'm not that kind of person."

Ji Jue twitched a smile: "Not just in my mind, I'll curse you out loud too, is that okay?"

The examiner chuckled:

"You guess?"

Guess my ass!

I might guess you're a 4'6" legal loli with blond twin tails and pure white thigh-highs!

Ji Jue didn't want to talk anymore.

The outer space view vanished.

He was back in the simulated world, under the dark sky, on the mutation-ridden island.

Looking around, feeling both a cold despair and rare excitement.

"Start with nothing, pick up gear along the way?"

He muttered to himself, with that damned thing in tow, walked into the false world.

Ready to go all out.

.

Ten minutes later, Ji Jue blew himself up.

Not even ten minutes.

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