The world has many skilled craftsmen, but good materials are hard to find.

With such beautiful jade in hand, who wouldn't want to strive for perfection and give it their all?

Ji Jue felt the same, even holding high hopes—his initial goal was to refine pure spiritual substance, akin to the spiritual creations of his teacher, Ye Xian, in the Ominous Sequence!

Regrettably, after trying for half the night, he hadn't even figured out where the starting line was, let alone finished.

The precision and control required to refine pure spiritual substance were terrifying. Even though Ye Xian had never concealed his skills, answering any question and laying out all related theories and methods before Ji Jue, he still couldn't grasp it at all.

It was even more difficult than the introduction to the Nine Types of the Xiang Sword Theory!

This was Ye Xian's unique expertise and achievement as a master, a result that no amount of shortcuts or bypassing difficulties could approach. Even with a cheating ability like Mechanical Descent in hand, Ji Jue felt a kind of despair from being unable to even imitate.

The aptitude of a craftsman is merely the beginning of the long Embers Road.

As long as there's breath, this stumbling, difficult journey has no end. No matter how glorious and proud one appears at the start, it's only because the generosity of the Embers hasn't yet exhausted, and the cruelty hasn't yet shown.

"What a pity."

Lost in thought, Ji Jue couldn't help but sigh with melancholy, his expression regretful.

Clearly, time waits for no one, and every moment must be seized.

Yet at such a critical moment, those wild materials actually needed him to fetch them personally. Couldn't they be a bit more sensible, willingly buy a ticket to Cliff City, process themselves, and jump into the furnace?

"Good materials and beautiful jade are still too scarce..."

For no reason, An Ning, who was playing with a little mouse beside him, stiffened suddenly, feeling a chill climbing up her spine.

When she turned around vigilantly and looked around, she saw the smile on Ji Jue's face.

Gentle and soft, as always.

"Let's go."

Ji Jue looked up, gazing at the raging torrents in the dark world: "The guests are still waiting outside, the weather is so terrible, let's not keep them waiting too long..."

Thus, amid the pitch-black storm, Little Ox waded through the rapids of the river, once again moving forward slowly.

.

"Damn it!"

In the same storm, someone looked up, gazing at the thunder that suddenly crossed the sky, while constant torrents washed down, running down the face into the collar of their raincoat, chilling their whole body.

The people who could stay in the car were anxiously smoking, while outside, the silhouettes scattered on the mountainsides on both sides could only crouch in the mud.

The radio crackled with incessant curses.

"Old Huang, damn it, is your information reliable?!" someone asked irritably, "With this setup, we might all die before we even see the target."

"That's how it was sold at the Desert Market, fake one pays ten. If they don't show up, we'll just go home and split the money, no loss to you, what are you anxious about?"

In the pouring rain's noise, an unbearable curse came: "If Desert Market says so, it is so. Is Desert Market your daddy?"

"Damn you, Zhao Surname!"

The voice on the other end was also furious: "When buying the information, you wouldn't chip in a single penny, yet insisted on tagging along when leaving. Now you're complaining about the information. Why didn't you complain about your mother's—?!"

For a moment, interference filled the channel, with laughter, instigation, sarcastic remarks, and irritable curses, all unending.

Until a rough voice sounded.

"Shut up everyone!" the burly man in the lead vehicle said, his eyes flashing with a green light: "Anyone who keeps babbling, I'll kill you first!"

Instantly, under the leader's suppression, the entire channel fell into dead silence.

Everyone swallowed hard.

No one outside dared to complain anymore, silently soaking in the rain. In the distance, the mud roared and surged in the riverbed, boulders crashed and rolled, booming.

And amid the silence, the leader looked back indifferently at his trembling subordinate: "Old Huang, you're sure the information is solid, right?"

"No problem, absolutely no problem!"

Old Huang firmly assured: "Besides the information, I also planted people at the checkpoint to confirm their departure direction... The local guide also confirmed it, in the region of Goutui Mountain and Chicken Foot Mountain, the only way through is below!"

Everything was ready, all traps and bombs installed.

With flash floods rampant now, if the competitors from the Coast wanted to move forward, the only path was under their feet; they could just wait at ease for the prey to deliver itself.

Waiting for prey by the tree!

But the problem was...

As time ticked away, the 'stake' was drenched again and again by the rain, yet not a single rabbit appeared!

Where were the rabbits?!

Inside the dead-silent car, under the suspicious gazes of those around, Old Huang's face gradually turned pale, swallowing hard.

Until a voice of delight came through the radio.

"Shh—"

Amid the gaps between the rain and the rocks, one of the prone watchers suddenly rejoiced, carefully sniffing the scent gradually becoming distinct in the stormy rain, "I can smell it now!"

For a moment, Old Huang couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

After breaking the deadlock, everyone broke into smiles, the leader even clapping him hard on the shoulder, marking his great contribution. The sound of bullets being chambered and swords being drawn was unceasing.

The hand clutching the remote unlocked the safety.

Silently grinning in anticipation.

Looking forward waiting!

——Boom!!!

In the silence, a thunderous roar exploded from the sky, lightning streaking across, fleetingly outlining the chaotic landscape between the mountains.

Even on the mountain top behind them, that eerie shadow descending from the heavens!

Another bolt of lightning flashed, illuminating the sharp silhouette.

One can still vaguely distinguish the form of the off-road vehicle in the past, but now, on the chassis, the wheels have disappeared without a trace, replaced by thick and sharp mechanical limbs.

Like a steel spider, its edges are menacing!

With just a light, unremarkable buildup of power, the massive body soared from the mountains, leaping tens to hundreds of meters, deftly hopping between the ridges.

Since the road is flooded, why not just walk on legs directly?

Tires, these decorative items, only exist for Ji Jue's driving experience and competition rules. If the committee could relax the standards a bit, don't mention walking mechanical limbs, Ji Jue could even mount jet engines on Little Ox!

Why bother with so much?

As long as there's a steering wheel, a seat, and tires that can shift gears, isn't this a car?!

"Wow, is there really someone here?"

An Ning curiously poked her head out, at this moment looking down from above, even though separated by a heavy rain curtain, all arrangements and traces were still there in plain sight, impossible to conceal.

"How did Ji Jue know?"

Even hunters, when faced with such weather, have their senses significantly impaired due to various noises and disturbances. From departure till now, across several dozen kilometers in this complex terrain and weather filled with chaotic Spiritual Wisdom, not even ether could possibly see this far, right?

Not only that, during the journey, Ji Jue reacted often even when An Ning hadn't noticed the slightest clue.

This instantly hurt the self-esteem of the bodyguard a bit.

Regarding this, Ji Jue only slightly smiled: "Of course, it's relying on technology."

"Technology, my foot!"

An Ning rolled her eyes, she had seen Ji Jue deploy drones before, only to crash a few dozen meters away.

With clouds so thick, satellites can't see through, where's the technology?

It can only be said, An Ning's gaming experience is too little.

If she played a few more ranked games, she'd know, technology sometimes definitely means more than just technology...

At this moment unexpectedly Ji Jue is enigmatic again, An Ning got angry and stared back at him.

Too wicked, starting a protest!

——If you don't tell, I won't work!

"Alright then..."

Ji Jue sighed, frankly told her: "Because along the way, there are many people I hired someone to pay for."

"...Huh?!"

An Ning was dumbfounded, face bewildered, suddenly a sense of confusion that her brain couldn't process.

"Because the opportunity is rare, it's rare there are so many suckers spending money to build hype, making a citywide splash, such a good opportunity, where's the reason not to seize it and floor the gas pedal more?" Ji Jue said indifferently: "Besides, with Chen Xingzhou's guarantee, even if the bounty set by Desert Market is high, the down payment only needs one-tenth.

Besides, as long as a few patents are mortgaged, through Yongji Bank and Chongguang Church, one can repeatedly borrow, extract a large sum of money, as long as it's repaid on time, one can even raise the credit rating, why not?"

"..."

An Ning's eye corners twitched madly: "So, you sold yourself to loan, spent a huge amount of money, came, and bountied yourself? Wait, how high is the interest? Can you repay it?"

"But I've already repaid most of it."

Ji Jue spread his hands: "Don't forget, I can still sell my intelligence, and it's guaranteed genuine, I can sell many copies at once — including this one, which I sold yesterday night under the guise of a repairman.

Besides, before the competition began, I bet on the rankings of those four houses on Desert Market's gambling website..."

Ji Jue pulled out a calculator, calculated the accounts on the spot, all in all: "See, this way, the amount prepaid has already returned more than half, equivalent to not spending much money. Besides, by leaking intelligence, a considerable part of the attacks can be included within my control.

Though purely from a monetary standpoint, subtracting interest and turnover, it's a net loss, but if you count the materials delivered by opponents, this turn is completely profitable! It's just like free material buffet, can't finish eating can even pack it up and take it away!"

At this point, he paused, solemnly advised: "So——"

"So?" An Ning was puzzled.

"Starting from scratch is not easy, budget is limited, entrepreneurship is difficult."

Ji Jue sighed: "To some extent, those below somewhat count as the fixed assets of my future workshop. So, when we get into action later, remember not to break them too badly, try to leave complete corpses, got it?"

"..."

In silence, An Ning took a deep breath, looking at Ji Jue, her gaze became particularly strange.

——No wonder the Evil Cult got wrecked, turns out because you weren't there!

She sighed, reminded: "Ji Jue, recently, try not to walk night roads."

"Why?"

"Of course, it's to prevent you from being mistaken as a wolf and beaten!"

The girl shook her head, gave him a glance, soon, like a phantom, flipped over the car window, hopped onto the hood, overlooking from the torrential rain.

Getting ready to start working.

And before this...

"First, let's say hello."

Ji Jue raised his hand, remotely towards the crowd below, took a deep breath.

In an instant, in the compartment of Little Ox, within the fluid Spiritual Cage disguised as fuel tank, the solid mercury suddenly surged, emanating boiling sounds, stirring.

The mixed spiritual substance collected along the way converged from within, landing onto his middle finger, into the vividly dripping gem ring surface, countless flowing light illusions emerged from the facets of the gem, fleeting as they passed.

Under the craftsman's activation, brilliant and glamorous rays ascended, like irreconcilable hatred and bitterness, igniting the light of anguish.

As the spiritual substance accumulated to the limit, it ushered in the most complete outbreak.

Having undergone the pollution of Mutated Alchemy and the purification of Fluid Alchemy, the amassed spiritual substance and malice within the blessing rolled and raged like tides, ready to burst forth.

With a flick of a finger, eerie illusions arose from within the ring's projection — under a blood-colored veil, a rotten, menacing corpse phantom opened its eyes, surveying all, mouth agape, letting out a long scream!

In an instant, spewing from the mouth of the artificial evil spirit was an even more overwhelming scream torrent, rushing wildly like mountain floods and tsunamis!!!!

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