The Chosen One's Origin Stone Twelfth Rank encompasses four stages: Summoning, Transformation, Rebirth, and transcendence.

The Summoning Stage is the growth and evolution of one's abilities. The Transformation Stage then progresses toward the fusion of soul and body, gradually removing the flaws of mortal birth. By the Rebirth Rank, the soul, abilities, and body of the Chosen One have thoroughly combined, and they can be considered as fantastical creatures that have surpassed humans.

Depending on the Superior and the Matrix, some people could bathe in fierce flames and soak in magma without changing their expression, others could shrink or expand their bodies at will, hiding their form. There were also those who, like the elves of legend, were intimate with flora and freely took the vigor from plants, and still others, who simply turned into monsters.

The invisible rebirth transformation is Spiritualization!

Influenced by the Matrix, they might even possess the characteristics of Nether River Transformation, completing the thorough transformation between soul and spiritual essence, with every bit of spiritual essence being treated as their very self.

It was with such a transformation that he had earned the name Invisible, existing everywhere by inhabiting countless hosts.

It was a pity that the once-failed-proof techniques of Wanxiang General Knowledge had suddenly failed after entering the Crack Realm... just like a certain Mr. Ji who had been taught a harsh lesson by the local canned sardines.

Damn!

It's all shit!

Ordinarily, these soulless, mindless Puppets were the best to inhabit and control, but alas... now coming across one mad after another, he himself had nearly been infected, plunging into madness!

Filled with so much chaotic and deranged spiritual essence, if one were to foolishly consume it all, even Invisible might mutate on the spot.

The folks at the Dragon Sacrifice Ceremony only worship the power of dragons, drawing near the essence of dragons, attempting to utilize this apocalyptic force akin to that of a Saint; it doesn't mean everyone wishes to turn into a Mutant.

Okay, there might be some lunatics, but at least Invisible isn't one!

He simply couldn't understand how a Saint could turn their own Crack Realm into a cesspool... Even Invisible, who relished in spiritual essence and souls, could only express that he literally couldn't stomach it!

However, the numerous traces left by the Saints undoubtedly confirmed his original conjectures.

This was the final resting place of Mercury!

The news he had heard about that fellow was indeed accurate...

In the deep underground, Invisible greedily gazed upon the vast Crack Realm before him—this time, he might actually find the body of a Saint!

Just the thought alone, and he was already, ravenous with hunger.

.

.

An allure so intense, he had never felt before.

Ji Jue felt he was going crazy with hunger.

In the temporary sanctuary of the Ghost Work Ball's makeshift workshop that had finally restored some peace, Ji Jue was struggling to recuperate, ensuring that his abilities, body, and soul were all in their prime condition.

Drooling madly.

Not because of An Ran and the little cow beside him, but because in his soul, the essence that was almost within reach of his abilities...

His abilities were restlessly surging.

Like a mad dog tied by the neck, no, to be exact, Ji Jue felt as if a part of himself was going mad, wanting to roll around on the ground, feeling ants crawling all over him, constantly begging himself, "Take a bite, bro, just one bite!"

Ji Jue could only use all his strength to restrain himself.

Telling himself to endure, endure, endure.

He could say that the place outside wasn't safe enough and that there could be danger. But now, hiding within the sanctuary provided by the workshop of the ball, his already delicate willpower was gradually failing to hold back the hunger pervading his chest.

Until the hunger reached its peak, Ji Jue could no longer resist.

To hell with endurance, he couldn't stand it anymore!

The shackled powers were liberated in an instant, and the emblem of Mechanical Descent shone brightly, lunging towards the remnants of scattered essence within him, howling, and in one bite!

Clean as a whistle.

And then, there was no more after that.

Ji Jue, darkness descended before him.

As if, suddenly, someone had struck his forehead with a hammer, and as his head hummed, his soul wavered.

It seemed there were sounds around his ears, but he couldn't hear them clearly, until he finally realized, oh, it was the sound of his brain boiling over.

He completely, lost consciousness.

Endless feelings, memories, and insights poured into his soul like a waterfall, instantly crashing Ji Jue's ability to think, filling him to the brim, but still not stopping.

They continued to rush in violently!

Without end!

It was but the blink of an eye, yet it seemed to span millennia, too much, too many chaotic and unbearable scenes and memories, but more so, were smelting and forging!

The records and history imprinted in the Melting Furnace sprang to life before his eyes!

No, it felt so real as if it had happened within his own body, and now he was merely recalling it, making it so vivid.

At times he burned for nine nights, melting unknown materials, suppressing the rebelliousness that was almost alive with fierce flames. Then, as if on an assembly line, he processed massive amounts of steel and blood, effortlessly creating one after another mechanical heart integrated with flesh.

More often, he participated in part of a vast project, pouring all his effort into purifying the iron glow in the Melting Furnace time and again, seeking the limitless approach to the extreme of material properties.

It seemed to be a broken sword blade.

No matter how it was called or touched, the only response was silence.

Occasionally, the sword blade would tremble as if awakened from a deep slumber, bringing forth Sword Sound that reverberated throughout the Crack Realm.

Its name was Transformation.

Forged with the flame of the End Dragon and the bones of an ancient Saint as its origin. Though not yet fully formed, the moment its blade would be honed, it would become the blazing light that completely severed the glory of the Eternal Era!

Ji Jue was immersed in it.

Forgetting everything.

He poured his heart and soul into what seemed like sharpening his own soul, until the day the blade was restored, the first rust flake fell from the sword.

It seemed he heard the sound of the world collapsing.

And yet so distant.

Until after a long, long period, he seemed to awaken from a deep slumber and heard unfamiliar words.

Within that bell tower, the view outside was already a ruin.

The Heavenly Origin Tower, nowhere to be seen.

Yet, within the dilapidated bell tower, the conversation continued.

"Such a notion is indeed ingenious, but perhaps too exaggerated," the gaunt man sighed. "Besides, the history riveted by Superior is already a part of the tapestry. What you're doing is mostly in vain."

"Why not try? Who's to know?"

Mercury still stood before the window, staring at the ruins outside. "Has Mo come to stop me?"

"With Mo gone, let's not bother with that kind of messy title. Moreover, even when I was Mo, I never forced you to do anything, did I?"

The man known as Mo sighed lightly and waved his hand. "You surely know the consequences of what you're doing. I'm merely curious... Mercury, will you ever regret the choices you've made?"

"Never have," Mercury answered firmly.

"You will one day," Mo said.

"Let's talk about the future when it comes," Mercury finally turned around and told him. "Mo, it's time for you to leave."

But Mo remained seated, motionless, just looking at her, for a long while.

"...I have had regrets."

He spoke, "I have regretted many things I've done, more than once. But by the time of regret, it was already too late, and no amount of penance was useful."

Mo, sounding sorrowful, earnestly pleaded, "Don't repeat my mistakes."

Mercury didn't speak again.

She watched him silently.

After a long while, she averted her gaze and made her final farewell. "Mo, you should leave."

Mo didn't speak again, gave a silent sigh, and stood up to leave.

From then on, no one visited anymore.

Within the workshop, only silence remained.

Aside from the occasional alchemy work, Mercury spent more and more time standing by the window, gazing at everything outside.

Simply watching.

As if waiting, waiting, then waiting some more.

When alone, she would sometimes sing, her sparse voice echoing in the silent workshop.

"Recalling my hometown, my dear hometown... the sky so clear, the breeze so cool... homesickness comes in waves... How are the people of my hometown? I constantly remember and can't forget..."

In the song, everything outside the window turned from ruins to a town, then from a town back to ruins again.

The cycle repeated endlessly, without cessation.

But hometown and old acquaintances were nowhere to be seen.

Until one day, that figure who had always stood before the window also vanished without a trace.

And after that, for four hundred years, what echoed outside the window was no longer false laughter, but the genuine... cries and wails!

This was the end of the long dream.

Inside the workshop, Ji Jue opened his eyes, drenched in sweat, panting heavily.

An Ran handed him a glass of water.

"How long have I slept?" Ji Jue felt his throat was about to crack from dryness.

"Three hours, a little more," Xiao An answered.

Only three hours, yet it felt like hundreds of years.

The records and imprints stored in the Melting Furnace were too deep, so much so that Ji Jue had almost lost himself. But now, when he tried to recall, everything rapidly blurred, coherent memories became fragmented and swiftly dissipated.

Even trying to summarize and describe became impossible.

The only thing that remained was the conversation between the man called Mo and Mercury that he saw in the dream.

If Ji Jue's brain hadn't been fried, then the Mo he saw should be the leader of the Eternal Empire's rebellion, [Mo].

When he awoke from the dream, he couldn't even recall the man's face, nor remember the distinctiveness of his voice.

But what he couldn't forget, even if it was burned to ashes, was the emblem the man wore on his chest.

So familiar.

His gaze aimlessly lifted to his wristwatch.

On the dial, the mark, like the silhouette of a mechanism, shone silently.

The two were identical!

"Sky Rail?"

Ji Jue muttered in astonishment.

According to Wanxiang General Knowledge, the existence of T5 had already emerged during the time of the Eternal Empire, and Sky Rail would have held a critical position at that time, and even after the calamity of the new era began, it continued for over a hundred years.

Yet Mo wore an insignia related to Sky Rail. What could be the relationship between the two?

He fell into contemplation.

And then... naturally came up with nothing.

There were too many missing clues, too many gaps. What Ji Jue knew was merely some historical retrospective fragments brought about by the essence.

To unravel the mystery of the Eternal Empire's downfall based on this, why bother being a craftsman at all? Sitting atop Superior's position in Ether as a prophet would seem more appropriate.

Simply put, incomprehensible.

But there's no need to waste time on the incomprehensible. What's more important is to focus on the present.

Like—

Ji Jue looked down at his hands,

—the gains brought from the essence!

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