The sky seemed to have cracked.

Above the skies of New Spring, the spreading darkness was rapidly dissipating and contracting, disappearing entirely with the dispersal of the serpent's shadow. Any remnants of the great curse were thoroughly washed away by the Mercury Rain, and soon, the entire town once again returned to its original state.

With the shrinking and disappearance of the mercury curtains, the alarm sounds abruptly ceased, and the security department lifted the lockdown, allowing pedestrians to appear on the streets once more.

The onlookers, still shaken, exchanged glances and whispers, discussing fervently as rumors spread. After all, the changes within just half a day were too numerous, exceeding what most people witness in a lifetime.

Some began to worry about what kind of nefarious experiments were being conducted on the coast, fearing they might send the entire New Spring skyward. Others retorted, "What nonsense! I saw it with my own eyes; this is clearly a spiritual revival, don't you understand? It must be that Director Ji finally achieved Perfection, overcame the tribulation, and ascended riding the serpent."

These various rumors spread in colorful forms, showcasing remarkable imagination and leaving people awestruck.

It didn't take long for the chaos to subside, or rather, aside from the industrial zones on the coast, it seemed people were always in some level of disorder, only reverting to their usual state.

Not long after, market stalls resumed their operations, functioning as usual.

If you want to survive outside the city, you'd better have a strong heart.

In these times, wind and rain and even death are common occurrences, nothing to get too worked up about, especially since no one died this time, so what is there to fear? Working in the afternoon counts as overtime, and the pay is double!

Spending a couple of hours on the assembly line means you can go for a foot massage afterwards. How delightful is that, brothers!

"...That's about the gist of it," Isis reported. "Due to the attacker's interference, the eradication in the wilderness of Hai Province has not been fully completed. Should we continue?"

"What's the progress on clearing the key areas outside the city?"

"One hundred percent," Isis replied decisively. "All the labeled swarms of adult insects have been thoroughly exterminated."

"Then let's leave it at that for now."

Ji Jue lowered his gaze, staring at his phone screen, which continuously displayed inquiries and warnings from various parties. He let out a cold laugh, put away his phone, and said, "Since everything that needed to be done is done, let them mind their own business."

Originally, they were all indifferent, turning a blind eye, but now that there's action on the coast, they start to show off their presence one by one.

Jumping clowns, nothing more.

I truly hope that if there's any backlash, they can still be so stubborn.

Ji Jue held two Mercury Crystals crafted through solid alchemy, feeling the spiritual essence they extracted, and fell into deep thought.

The creation of the Soul Pointer should be prioritized, though the Ether series materials that New Spring has in reserve are still too little, which might necessitate bringing two chickens to the Tong family to bother them a bit.

Compared to that, what concerns him more is the anomaly in the palm of his hand.

Not long ago, just as the serpent disintegrated and its incarnation dispersed, something unexpected seemed to have occurred, and with the rising crystalline glow from Cliff City, everything spiraled out of control, structures crumbling, defenses down.

Such a perfect opportunity, Ji Jue certainly couldn't let it slip away...

With quick reflexes.

He rapidly seized at the heart of the serpent!

And it seems like he did manage to snatch something back?

In the workshop's augmented state, the hand of non-attack performed above and beyond, for a moment making Ji Jue feel like he had grasped something crucial, something tightly clenched and brought back...

Yet his palm felt entirely empty.

As if an illusion.

Something fragile like a Dream Shadow, seeming never to have existed from the start.

Only through the Shadow of the Soul of Chun Jun and Ji Jue's own Spiritual Vision, under dual observation, could he see the vague and indistinct silhouette in his palm.

Like an eerie insignia resembling a phantom flower in the mist.

If not paying close attention, it would be hard to notice at all.

Ji Jue frowned, instinctively attempting to analyze, only to figure out that it's purely a virtually non-existent spiritual imprint, like a mark, a proof, a...

Key?

Yet if it's a key, what does it open?

Holding it, he could feel a subtle call and resonance, like an invitation, offering guidance, though such guidance was too faint to be discerned clearly.

Amidst contemplation, a thought crossed his mind when he heard footsteps approaching from behind.

Mercury flowed, completely enveloping and storing the spiritual insignia as if it would disperse in the wind.

He'd study it slowly later on.

"Mr. Ji… are you alright?"

Yu Shu, panting heavily, finally climbed the stairs, drenched in sweat, seemingly having searched for him for a long time.

Feeling the intense Spiritual Fluctuation and clashes from before, yet still calm and steady now, his face had turned a pale shade.

Once assured of Ji Jue's safety, he finally let out a long breath of relief, though even he wasn't sure why he was so worried.

At this moment, wiping his sweat and breathing heavily, he asked, "What exactly… happened just now?"

"Ah, just a few fights, don't worry.

Ji Jue waved his hand dismissively, "It should have been the spreaders of the spiritual epidemic coming for us; fortunately, we didn't suffer any loss."

"Spiritual epidemic…"

Yu Shu was bewildered, finding it hard to understand, but soon, his pale face flushed red, eyes wide, subconsciously balling his fist, "The spread of the spiritual epidemic is… it's man-made?"

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