Boom!!!

The sound of a distant rumble came from above once again.

In the narrow tunnel, dirt fell in a flutter, causing the little ox-horse to stop in its tracks, looking around in alarm. Its headlights were brighter than anyone's, fearing even the slightest increase in darkness.

It's ridiculous to think that an old motorcycle is afraid of the dark!

Irritated, Ji Jue kicked its wheels hard, "Move faster and scout ahead!"

"Earthquake, seems to be getting more frequent," Xiao An pressed his hand against the wall, feeling the distant vibrations, "It's as if the Crack Realm is collapsing."

"A complete and sound system must have its own renewal mechanism, not only for repairs when errors occur but also for destruction when things become irreversible, only to then recreate a new one."

The Prophet spoke indifferently, "According to calculations, the original reset was supposed to happen eighty years later, but the appearance of outsiders has accelerated the distortions within the workshop.

It looks like we need to speed up."

As soon as these words were spoken, silence fell over the team.

Even the little ox-horse froze in place.

Only Ji Jue coughed awkwardly twice, "Er, Prophet, we all know that commentary is important at times like this, but could you please speak a little less?"

"Hmm?" The Prophet looked puzzled, "Did I say something wrong?"

On the head of the motorcycle, within a basket, a human head turned its direction, its pitch-black eyes like glass beads looking backward.

That's even more terrifying, okay!

It's getting more underworld-like!

After preliminary expressions of cooperation, the common 'character recruitment mission' in RPG games would be completed, and if there was a notification, it would pop up now to tell you: Prophet has joined the team.

If it were a mobile game, it might let you try out a powerful character first, then trick you into spending money.

The situation in reality was even more complex.

The problem was... the Prophet's body was already very old, so old that moving slightly caused parts to fall off everywhere, touch it, and it would break apart.

It's really like a quadriplegic ICU patient, totally unable to walk!

But nobody else could lead the way either.

There was already one person in the team with inconvenient legs and if there were one more, Ji Jue felt this trip through the Crack Realm was about to turn into a disabled outing.

The Prophet calmly suggested, "Don't you have a vehicle? Just chop off my head and hang it on the front of the car. As an old model like me, besides navigation and leading the way, I hardly have any other functions left."

It was as straightforward as if chopping someone else's head.

But Ji Jue wasn't someone idle with nothing better to do than chop off heads, even though they weren't familiar with each other, they were still teammates. He couldn't bring himself to do it!

But then, the Prophet's head rolled off with just a slight shake of his shoulder.

Just like that, with such a bizarre setup, two people and a head on a vehicle, the team set off again.

Heading downward!

Through the web-like, intricately complex sewers, they reached the deepest part of the town, and then, like going on a spring outing, they made their way to the bottom level via elevator.

All the way, without any obstacles!

Not even a gatekeeper.

Being led by a local seemed too skilled, right?

[Don't you think this is a bit too easy?] he quietly asked the ball in his arms.

[Otherwise? If I were to betray you, walking in the master's workshop would definitely be easier than strolling in a park,] replied the Ghost Work Ball indifferently. [At the several junctions just now, had you taken a wrong step, you'd probably be ash by now. Better appreciate your good fortune.]

Boom!!!

Before the words were finished, a massive sound burst from the deepest part of the underground, with violent tremors and faintly audible sounds of gunfire and wailing, causing Ji Jue to briefly stun.

Xiao An stretched out his hand, pressing it on the wall as if listening carefully, "About two kilometers, four people, and something very big and very scary."

"Someone triggered the alarm, the peripheral defense program has been activated, the Guardian has awakened," the Prophet's eyelids slightly lifted, unconcerned, "Don't worry, the maintenance passage is not in the isolated area, you have authorization, those rigid tools won't stop you."

As soon as his words fell, it seemed like nimble little spiders had crawled over the ceiling.

As they passed over them, their compound eyes seemed to scan briefly. But Ji Jue, possessing the Melting Furnace authorization, and Xiao An on the little ox-horse, shielded by the Prophet, noticed nothing unusual and left without any worries.

Ji Jue breathed a sigh of relief, hearing the voice of the Ghost Work Ball.

[Be careful, the more beautiful a Heavenly Artisan, the more deceptive they are.]

The Ghost Work Ball said: [This lady definitely has issues, watch out and don't capsize.]

[Is she a Heavenly Artisan?]

[Capable of thinking and reasoning, able to defy basic commands and spiritual circuits, and can still exist and grow independently after separation from the user—these points alone qualify as the basics of a Heavenly Artisan.

All others might be considered conscious Puppets, but only she is far more advanced than any other Puppet. You haven't forgotten the history of alchemy I taught you, have you?]

What he referred to was the grand competition from ancient times about quality, almost etched deep into Ji Jue's bones, who knew what extent Mercury's tools could be sentient.

The more human-like, the trickier.

Although it wasn't nice to distrust the Prophet who was still supporting him relentlessly, caution was necessary when dealing with human-like beings.

Now the Prophet was just a head, hanging in the basket by the little ox-horse's mouth. Ji Jue didn't even need to give orders; a slight disturbance would result in the ox-horse's snack.

Unless it was time to confront him, Ji Jue didn't want to rashly use his capabilities to control.

Mechanical Descent wasn't omnipotent.

Not yet, at least.

And in the silent forward movement, the passage finally came to an end, leaving only a sealed door resembling one from a ship's cabin in their path.

"We're almost there."

The Prophet said, "Once opened, we should see the core."

As she spoke, she turned around to look at Ji Jue, making no effort to conceal her meaning and said nothing more.

Little An tried to get off with his cane but was stopped by Ji Jue.

"Is there a password?"

Ji Jue bent down, examining the rusty sealed door before him, knocked on it, and heard a hollow sound. The moment he touched it, resonating with the Mechanical Descent, he could feel the entire structure. There were no traps to be wary of, merely an ordinary door, nothing more.

He reached out, gripped the handle firmly, and used all his strength to turn it.

A screeching sound burst forth.

Echoing through the darkness, covering a vast distance.

Rust flakes fell from the wheel-like handle, and with a dry rotate, finally, a crack was opened.

Brilliant ripples of light spilled from that narrow gap, shining into Ji Jue's eyes.

He instinctively held his breath.

There were no ambushes or mechanisms, only shimmering light waves, resplendent and colorful, silently rippling through the air... That was spiritual essence.

Truly, a sea-like liquid spiritual essence undulated endlessly from the vast, seemingly endless space behind the door.

Flowing through the cracks, it washed over their feet.

Raising numerous sparkles like ripples.

That was a genuine ocean.

Little Niuma turned its wheels and approached curiously, gazing towards the deep, bottomless Sea of Spirit on both sides of the road, even the shallow parts drowned by the liquid spiritual essence.

Stretching straight towards the underground world's center, that grand hall, as exaggeratedly large as half a city.

"Welcome to the deepest layer of the Mercury Workshop, the spiritual essence circulation area."

From inside the carriage, the Prophet sighed softly, staring at the distant huge structure enveloped in rainbow light and brilliance, "Ahead is the core of the workshop."

"Have you been here before?" Ji Jue asked curiously.

"Yes, many times," the Prophet softly chuckled, glancing at the deep Sea of Spirit beside her, "In the workshop, every one of us has been here more than once."

She said, "This is where we were born."

In the surging Tide Sound from the sea surface, suddenly, a huge vortex emerged...

Like boiling!

Massive amounts of Scarlet Spirit Essence poured down from the dome above like heavy rain, falling into the sea, dying it a shocking shade of blood-red.

Those broken spiritual fragments still brimmed with memories of fleeting light, slowly dissipating.

The oncoming air seemed filled with wails.

Yet immediately after, multiple Spiritual Circuits appeared in the void, causing the vortex to rise from the sea, transforming into a ferocious tornado that swallowed all the spiritual fragments.

Those false souls were torn apart instantly, shattered into pieces, all madness and pain spiraling down into the huge vortex beneath the Holy Temple, vanishing from sight.

Then came severed limbs and fragments.

Heads, arms, legs, torsos, organs...

Falling like hail, even twisted monster shells, as a massive crack opened in the dome, and tilted downwards.

Thus, they fell into the boiling sea of spiritual essence, quickly disintegrating until only ash-like Dust remained, silently sinking to the deepest part of the sea, accumulating into an extensive mountain range.

With no end in sight.

The rainbow light persisted, as splendid as ever.

One could hardly tell how many corpses and remains had settled in this seemingly heavenly world, nor hear any cries or wails.

Ji Jue felt a chill all over.

"Those broken tools, out-of-control Puppets, after being recycled, are brought here. The spiritual essence is shattered, filtered, and purified to its purest state.

After the shells are broken down, only unusable ashes remain."

The Prophet slowly said, "Soon, following the assembly line below, new empty shells will be produced, starting with bones, then flesh attached, finally imbued with spiritual essence and memories, a brand-new tool will emerge from the conveyor belt, continuing to fulfill new missions.

Until it discovers once again what it really is..."

She chuckled lightly, mocking, "If there were an afterlife for tools, then this would be our Hell."

Hell right before us.

Like Heaven.

Crack!

Crack, crack...

In a series of tremors, a crack suddenly appeared from the top of the dome.

Dust fell like rain.

Earthquake.

"Get ready, Mr. Ji Jue."

The Prophet finally said, "I can only help so far. If you still wish to fulfill your desires, what awaits you might be a fierce battle..."

Ding—

As if a crisp sound resonated from the void.

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