Among the common knowledge passed down among the Chosen Ones, although everyone acknowledged that the Embers were truly incapable of combat, they had to admit another point—the authority of a craftsman in his workshop was absolute.

Don't even mention someone of the same Rank and level as the workshop manager, sometimes, even the Heavenly People might find themselves at a disadvantage beneath the hidden defenses stored in certain workshops.

It was like facing an entire fortress armed to the teeth with crossbow carts, arrow carts, falling rocks, and rolling logs not to mention, there were those disgusting characters who simply boiled shit on the battlements waiting to splash it on the faces of those who dared to breach the walls.

Ji Jue firmly believed that even if the sky fell and Hai Province was swallowed by earthquakes and floods, as long as Professor Ye remained in his workshop, he could continue living as usual.

Its defensive and oppressive powers were just that terrifying and outsized.

Unfortunately, a qualified workshop couldn't merely be a room with a furnace. Just like pressing an electric curtain button doesn't mean the whole house is smart, a workshop wasn't a trivial matter like whole-house intelligence.

A qualified workshop required three generations of craftsmen to spend hundreds of years to complete.

It needed a complete set of tools covering all aspects of alchemy applications, and even specialize and modify according to the skills passed down by its own faction, which was just the basics.

It required a power source that could supply all the spiritual material consumption—in the official channels of the Taiyi Ring, the cheapest mobile miniature "Spiritual Essence Day" was priced at two billion, four hundred twenty million and nine thousand four hundred eleven Gold Coins. Don't ask why there are exact numbers and decimals; Ji Jue used all the coupons available and it still cost that much.

At the same time, the entire space's spiritual circuit installation and rune container embedding involved various Superior Secret Rituals and blessings, Ascension provided a better quality output rate, Tian Yuan endowed craftsmen with stronger control, and a Vortex could keep the craftsman unharmed even if the furnace exploded right in front of him.

Not to mention the external defense part, the risk control system that monitors everything at all times, and the necessary alchemy assistance, each aspect was a bottomless pit, each one was enough for a craftsman to exhaust his wits for more than a decade without completion.

To be able to streamline the entire set so that it could be compressed into something that could fit in a pocket and be carried around, the Ghost Work Ball as a mobile workshop was indeed valuable.

Inside it contained all the simple emergency processing tools, and the underlying commands inscribed in its core were vast like a sea of smoke, capable of autonomously responding to any accidents, and even capable of directly confronting Mercury's workshop defense system with its proprioceptive volume!

Unfortunately, a simplified version was ultimately a simplified version, and the operator was still Ji Jue, the apprentice who knew nothing but pressing buttons. Just maintaining the defense nearly crashed the system.

And now, what they had to face was a Grandmaster who encompassed the entire Crack Realm within his workshop realm!

A god who was omnipotent inside the workshop!

The severity of this situation was like Ji Jue, a robust little ghost entering Mercury's Jingle Garden, left to the mercy of others. They could flatten him if they wanted, or roll him into a ball... perhaps, he might even be thrown into the furnace and forged into a literal armament.

The good news was that Mercury seemed dead.

Seemed!

The bad news was also… Mercury was dead. There was no administrator authority left to control the workshop to let them out, they must confront the workshop filled with various defense instructions and extermination programs.

No, unless he wasn't completely dead...

The thought of an old ghost from years ago lurking in the shadows watching him made Ji Jue's skin crawl.

Fortunately, at the very least, the Ghost Work Ball was tough enough.

After enduring an invasion of spiritual material and an EMP, it still could reboot automatically, even sufficient to shake off the workshop's search, helping Ji Jue to also perform signal blocking, not immediately treated as pests upon entry to face the workshop's extermination measures.

At least for now, he was safe.

Once the Ghost Work Ball unfolded, it formed a secure space with the properties of a basic workshop, even equipped with a shower and washroom, greatly alleviating the user's troubles of wild survival.

Under the protection of the Ghost Work Ball, Ji Jue, and Xiao An managed to sleep soundly.

Five hours later, when both their conditions had recovered somewhat, they set off again, carefully approaching the church at the exact center of the city, following the clues given by the Ghost Work Ball.

More precisely, it was the bell tower that stood out in the Crack Realm filled with ruins and debris, lofty and unmatched like a crane among chickens.

Based on the brief confrontation when they entered, the Ghost Work Ball had precisely captured the flow of spiritual material throughout the Crack Realm and marked many critical locations.

Among them, the most likely central hub of the workshop was that bell tower.

Unfortunately, the bell tower was too conspicuous.

Not only could they notice it, but anyone with eyes would probably realize something odd about the bell tower after a search around. Whether or not there were clues or evidence didn't matter; exploring the Crack Realm required patience and carefulness.

And even some people, very wisely, considered targeting other Chosen Ones.

If I can't deal with the bell tower, can't I deal with you?

Who bursts Gold Coins isn't bursting them?

Twenty minutes after departing, Ji Jue had already dismantled the second trip-wire mine from a pile of ruins on an essential path... he was somewhat concerned about the psychological state of contemporary Chosen Ones.

How can you turn every game into a battle royale?

Where has love and peace gone?

But since everyone had stopped being gentlemen, Ji Jue was also... sorry about that.

He directly changed the direction of the trip-wire mine, then installed a new one on the opposite side in the most noticeable spot, and commanded with his abilities—if someone tried to disarm it, it would immediately explode!

"Truly devoid of conscience," he chided the other unscrupulous explorers, reluctantly integrating into their ranks with indignation.

"Ji Jue, so righteous!"

Xiao An, who had witnessed everything Ji Jue did, wrote in his notebook: He didn't deliberately use disabling amounts of gunpowder to lure others closer only to set an ambush, but rather cleanly gave the opponents a death with no remains left, genuinely noble and kind!

Such stout moral character, even in the dark Crack Realm, still shone brightly.

Meanwhile, as he diligently observed and learned, the youth's expression slightly changed.

White Deer blessing, murderous premonition—Cicada's Senses!

"Ji Jue, someone is coming."

The ailing youth propped up his body from his small steed, the scraping sound of metal from under his sleeves becoming clear: "He's probably coming after me. Sorry for the trouble again."

He pulled out his folding cane, ready to get off the young cow horse, but Ji Jue stopped him.

"Stay put on the cart."

Ji Jue shook his head, "I don't have the habit of betraying my teammates."

Not to mention the relationship with Sister Wen, since entering the Crack Realm, An had saved him countless times without his being aware. Now, if he would simply walk away amidst a bit of trouble, Ji Jue would look down on himself.

After all, it wasn't his first PVP.

He reached out, pulled out the shotgun from the young cow horse's gun rack, and pumped the action.

As the drone took off, a loud boom erupted!

Above their heads!

The shattered skylight, in an instant, collapsed!

A massive figure descended from the sky!

At the same time, a fierce killing intent came from behind!

.

.

"Found them!"

Two minutes ago, in a ruined building, a Chosen One holding a water basin was delighted, "Just in front of us, less than five hundred meters."

"Are you sure it's him?"

The team leader, a burly man, asked cautiously, "Don't make a mistake."

"Absolutely, the Way of the White Deer, looks just like a woman, it's the An Family. And he's even short-haired and lame, definitely our target. He's done countless hateful deeds at the Security Bureau, and has a crowdfunding bounty of over seventy million on Desert Market!"

"Don't let the other one get away either, he's also worth a lot of money," the woman, sharpening her blade, grinned, "I've checked, especially since right before the opening of Crack Realm, another huge amount was added."

"Good, stay sharp."

The team leader raised his hand, placed the pneumatic injection gun against his neck, and pulled the trigger, injecting a full dose of the drug into his arteries, visibly turning his face red and even expanding his physique.

Thick shells grew out from under his skin and in an instant, turned into a three-meter-tall beast, with fingers sharp as knives yet movements incredibly gentle, quickly crawled up the ruins, stealthily moving under the guidance of an Ether Chosen One.

As everyone was in position, they silently grinned.

The giant beast clenched its fist and fiercely smashed onto the overstressed floor.

Thus, it descended from the sky!!!!

At the same moment, Ji Jue saw, to his shock, that An, who was sitting on the young cow horse, had suddenly turned around, shooting a streak of metal toward Ji Jue from his sleeve!

Suddenly, Ji Jue, immobile, still maintained his aiming stance.

Aimed at the Chosen One falling through the air.

He pulled the trigger!

Bang!!!

Two loud sounds overlapped, simultaneously sounding.

The single-headed bullet, inscribed with the emblem of the crowd, hit the giant beast Chosen One plummeting down, causing it to fly backwards in mid-air, its forearms' shell and bones showing deep cracks, sweat drenching its back.

And right behind Ji Jue, an unexpected shadow appeared, his dagger already knocked away by a piece of iron thrown by An, shattering. But the retaliation of the two didn't stop the attacker's movement.

The wound on the giant beast instantly closed up, forcibly sealing itself. Amidst the ground-shaking thud, it fiercely charged at the two.

And at the same time, the attacker hidden within the Illusion Technique charged once more, furiously targeting Ji Jue. Halfway there, the woman's other hand swept horizontally.

In an instant, a myriad of colors appeared out of thin air, fiercely flashing, bursting, and the scene before them started spinning wildly, like being thrown into a rolling washing machine.

Everything was spinning!

He could hardly see anything!

Ji Jue managed to follow old Zhang's training by strengthening his legs with the White Deer Emblem, bounding forward, leaping, and lying flat.

He marveled with a chill at the skilled and deadly attack.

Admittedly, with a Vortex System Blood Bull Chosen One as tank and main attacker, a Mirror system Chosen One hidden behind as support, then setting control skills, assisting other attackers lurking in the shadows... and they also seized the initiative.

The location was in this kind of mechanical-scarce ruin.

Timing, location, and human advantages, they had it all.

A whole set carried out, if it were just Ji Jue, he would definitely die undisputedly in this first wave.

Fortunately, there was An.

And even luckier…

The woman who incessantly trailed him, the weapon belt around her waist.

You say you ambush... but why would you carry a hand grenade with you?

Ji Jue, plunged to the ground amid the air, expertly positioned himself in an anti-shock lying pose, then clenched his right hand.

—[Explode]!

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