Chapter 00208: A Turn of Fortune
# A Turn of Fortune
Chapter 208
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 208: A Turn of Fortune
The battle in the mall was raging fiercely.
With the little ox-horse acting as a tank, Ji Liu's attacks grew increasingly ferocious.
The sound of horns and laughter filled the air, but on the other end of the radio, Ji Jue hesitated several times, wanting to speak but holding back...
How did you guys become friends so quickly?
It’s just that life is truly unpredictable.
You never know when you’ll make the most unlikely of friends.
If it weren’t for the inappropriate timing and the urgency of the situation, Ji Liu would have already been arm-in-arm with the little ox-horse, chatting about when they could go for a health treatment together.
Wait, hold on, little ox-horse, he’s talking about a health treatment, not an engine cleaning package...
There’s no engine maintenance here! And no oil changes either!
Ji Jue sighed, feeling the urge to facepalm.
How did this kid, who used to dream about white-cut chicken every day, fall so quickly into the clutches of society? The big group is truly corrupting people!
He reached out and took another bullet from Lou Feng, loading it into the chamber.
The pitch-black bullet emitted an eerie chill.
Just holding it sent a cold shiver through his hand.
In just a few seconds, the bullet, infused with spiritual essence, was transformed into a terrifying weapon of destruction.
"How did you do that?" Ji Jue asked curiously.
"Workshop secret. Can’t tell you," Lou Feng replied with his usual stern expression, guarding the secret tightly.
"Hmm?"
Ji Jue’s movements paused slightly as Non-Aggression activated.
The spiritual essence of Disintegration spread out, reading the traces left behind.
His eyes lit up.
Ah, so it’s based on Good Craftsmanship, harmonizing material properties and spiritual essence, merging Lou Feng’s spiritual essence with the material itself.
The transformation brought about by spiritual shaping overwrites the properties of the mercury, achieving an exaggerated effect akin to enchantment.
It’s like turning stone into gold.
Truly an outstanding example of Ascension!
This really is a workshop secret.
The principle is clear, but the execution relies entirely on the user’s ability to manipulate their own spiritual essence and Good Craftsmanship.
Such a convenient technique seems impossible to replicate.
But if there were other spiritually transformed materials as a base, Non-Aggression might still find a way to imitate it...
"What are you doing?!"
Lou Feng’s eye twitched violently, his expression contorting.
His fists clenched tighter than Jiang Xuan’s—you’re analyzing and reverse-engineering right in front of me, not even trying to hide it!
"Sorry, occupational habit, it’s acting up..."
Ji Jue awkwardly smiled, swiftly loading the bullet into the chamber.
He could still feel the resentful gaze from behind, prickling his back like needles.
He couldn’t help but sigh silently.
Without comparison, there’s no harm.
Xiao An is so much better!
Her sword energy attaches quickly and cleanly, and she’s always ready to help.
She smiles sweetly and even protects Brother Ji Jue.
Unlike Lou Feng, who always has a sour face and seems to be plotting to stab him in the back at any moment...
It’s been who-knows-how-many days since leaving Cliff City, and he misses him.
"Fine, a substitute is a substitute. At least it fills the hunger," Ji Jue muttered wistfully.
For some reason, even though Lou Feng didn’t understand what Ji Jue was saying, he still felt an instinctive surge of anger.
This dog-like guy always looks like he’s up to no good!
If this keeps up, he’s afraid he’ll blow Ji Jue’s head off before the Heretic Cult even arrives.
"Alright, stop glaring. I’m not freeloading off you."
Ji Jue pulled the bolt of the gun and said, "Let me show you something—"
In that instant, his hand swept over the gun’s body.
Strands of spiritual essence shimmered between his fingers, intertwining like tiny neon lights and auroras, merging into the gun.
Silently, yet chillingly.
It was as if a sleeping beast’s body had been given a soul.
The engine of slaughter had been activated.
From the silent gun, a fleeting aura passed by, like a cold gaze from the shadows of distant mountains, piercing the soul.
Spiritual Intelligence Imbuement, complete.
The heavy sniper rifle remained as silent as stone.
A familiar voice echoed in his perception, clear as day: [At your service, sir.]
[Adjusting parameters and wind speed—]
Ji Jue glanced at the calculations Xu Guan had sent over, the scope of the gun silently adjusting.
The unfamiliar body was instantly integrated, the adjustments complete.
Finally, he told it, [Eliminate all.
Leave no survivors.]
[Understood.]
In that moment, the gun trembled, stirring up a cloud of dust.
A thunderous roar erupted beneath the night sky, but before it could spread, it dissipated into the air under the control of telekinesis.
Only a blazing streak of light flew out from the barrel.
The evaporating mercury left behind a trail of scorching light, like a sword thrust, effortlessly piercing through the mall’s wall hundreds of meters away.
Bang!
A hole appeared in the wall out of thin air.
Right in front of Jiang Xuan, the opponent who had been fiercely grappling with him suddenly burst into a spray of crimson.
Under the impact of the armor-piercing round, the upper half of his body exploded into a pulp.
But then, the chilling cold from the bullet spread, freezing the splattered blood into flying shards of ice.
The frozen lower half of the body fell to the ground like a stone, cracking and splitting.
Click!
As the bolt was pulled back, the hot shell casing ejected, falling to the ground.
Reloaded and aimed, a second silver streak shot out, piercing through four floors before turning the figure hiding behind a pillar into a cloud of icy dust.
Click!
When the second shell casing hit the ground, Lou Feng’s expression twitched involuntarily.
Then came the third, fourth, fifth...
A roar of fury erupted from within the mall.
A giant, rising like molten lava, seemed to be struck by an invisible hammer, staggering backward.
Every time a silver flash passed, a deep hole appeared on its face, covered in layers of molten rock, the cold spreading.
It struggled fiercely, attacking wildly, trying to break free from Ji Xue’s entanglement.
But it couldn’t shake off the impossibly fast, ghostly figure, nor could it avoid the sniper fire coming from who-knows-where.
The defenses of the Ruin Defiler at the peak of the Transformation Tier were fully deployed.
Molten rock and stone shattered and reformed, spewing fire and sticky lava like cannonballs, but it was no match for its opponent.
Nor could it protect itself.
In panic, it raised its arm to shield its face, but then felt the bone-chilling cold...
Boom!
A deafening explosion sounded as its left arm, thick as a pillar, was severed at the root and fell to the ground.
The flames and heat quickly dissipated, replaced by frost, shattering into pieces.
Then came the right arm, which hadn’t even had time to swing before it was severed in two.
Molten rock, like blood, gushed out endlessly.
Boom!
A mercury bullet shot through the air, striking its face head-on, piercing through iron and stone, forcing it to stagger back, its head tilting upward.
Then came the second shot, third, fourth...
Ji Jue read the real-time map updates from Xu Guan, relaying information, subtly adjusting the gun’s aim.
His hands, enhanced by Divine Skill, were as steady as a tripod, without the slightest tremor.
And so, the devastation within the mall began.
It was as if an invisible giant wielded an unseen hammer, brutally smashing the enemy’s face, drilling into iron and stone amidst screams and wails, the cold spreading.
Even when it was backed against the wall, the assault didn’t stop!
With each roar, the wall behind it cracked under the impact, the crumbling ceiling raining down like a storm.
Finally, amidst faint, sobbing whimpers, the flames died out.
The Ruin Defiler’s body stiffened in place, and its head exploded under the impact of the final bullet.
The remains scattered like shards from a shattered furnace, coal and embers strewn everywhere.
"Thanks, Sister Xue," Ji Jue’s voice came through the walkie-talkie.
"Great teamwork~"
Teamwork?
Ji Xue looked down at the rapidly cooling remains, feeling a barrage of question marks popping up in her mind: What teamwork?! I was just being chased around the whole time, I didn’t even get to attack!
But for some reason, as she looked at the bullet holes riddling the walls, she suddenly felt a flutter in her heart—like watching a live streamer test a whitening product, their skin smooth and flawless, every pore as delicate as a work of art—is it really that effective? I should get one too...
Wait, you dog, where’s the shopping cart link?!
Boom!
Above the collapsed ceiling of the mall, rapidly gathering thunder was dispersed once more by the gunfire.
Amidst the thunder and the piercing sound of electricity, an angry roar could be faintly heard, a cry of helpless rage.
The destructive currents of lightning, like furious dragons, repeatedly crashed against Tong Shan, accompanied by bursts of electric arcs, but they couldn’t break through the barrier of telekinesis.
Instead, it was like a mad bull slowly losing blood, being played with effortlessly, with no hope in sight.
In this sudden ambush, being caught off guard by Tian Yuan and falling into such a miserable state was hardly surprising.
In fact, once Tian Yuan took control of the battlefield, the fight was already half lost.
It was like jumping into the ocean to fight a shark.
You’re not just facing sharp teeth and claws from afar, but also the omnipresent pressure, the suffocating lack of oxygen, the endless undercurrents...
And the overwhelming sense of loneliness and helplessness, as if the entire world is against you!
Even the universally feared destructive power of Entropy couldn’t stir a ripple under Tong Shan’s masterful control—effortlessly manipulating air pressure, creating invisible vacuums, countless specks of dust and iron filings guided to disperse the lightning...
Ten percent of its destructive power couldn’t even reach three percent, and even that three percent was blocked by the rubble Tong Shan casually pulled over, leaving not a single scratch.
The vast amount of lightning was offset, dispersed, and erased by an equally vast amount of telekinesis.
Trying to enhance the lightning’s properties through blessings to overpower Tong Shan was nothing but a pipe dream!
In just a few seconds, his heart had completely chilled, seeing no possibility of victory.
But he also didn’t dare to turn and flee, not even leaving the slightest gap or opening.
He could feel the terrifying aura surging within Tong Shan’s body.
If he relaxed even a little, giving Tong Shan the chance to charge up, he would be crushed to pieces before he could break through the outer barrier.
All he could do was attack futilely, like a frog slowly boiling in water, gradually losing the strength to resist...
Wait, he wants to capture me alive!
In a moment of sudden realization, the lightning-transformed Defiler felt an illusory chill.
Then, a face formed of countless electric arcs twisted into a snarl:
"I’ll fight you to the death!!!"
In an instant, disregarding all consequences, he made a desperate decision.
The lightning in the sky condensed, gathered, and finally turned into a blindingly bright streak of light, so intense it burned the eyes.
Even if it meant overloading himself, even if it meant burning his soul, he wouldn’t hesitate.
In that moment, behind Tong Shan, the image of a burning star reappeared!
Impact—
No sound could be heard.
Even the roar was completely silenced by the erupting telekinesis.
Only the shockwave swept outward, a thin strand of residual electricity shattering two floors as it passed, everything in its path melting and cracking, a torrent of muddy liquid from dissolved sand and stone raining down.
When the light faded, amidst the pungent stench, the entire mall was in ruins, rubble flying everywhere.
And in mid-air, Tong Shan held a shriveled, emaciated man in his hand, blood slowly trickling from his nose and mouth, barely alive.
Even more gruesome was Tong Shan’s right arm.
It was like charcoal.
His fingers were shattered, only two remaining, gripping the man’s neck tightly.
Invasive telekinesis seeped in, controlling his life and soul.
With a wave of his hand, Tong Shan brutally slammed him to the ground.
Amidst hoarse groans, Tong Shan descended from the sky, stepping on the man’s ribs, crushing them mercilessly: "Give me the path, and I’ll spare your life."
"Spit—"
The man grinned, spitting a mouthful of bloody phlegm at Tong Shan without hesitation.
But before it could even leave his mouth, it was deflected.
Then, countless strands of telekinesis, sharp as blades, acted on every nerve in his body, inflicting excruciating pain, making the defiant man scream, roll, and his eyes turn white.
A few short seconds felt like an eternity.
But when the pain stopped, forcing him back to consciousness, his tear-streaked,狼狈 face twitched, revealing a mocking smile.
Gasping weakly, he spat out a curse.
Then came the endless screams and wails, convulsions and spasms as he rolled on the ground, clawing at his flesh in vain.
Even as his wounds reached the bone, he couldn’t alleviate the pain Tong Shan inflicted.
The scene was so brutal, it almost made one question if the roles had been reversed.
Even Ji Jue, who had just entered, couldn’t help but lower his footsteps, quietly sucking in a cold breath, not daring to speak.
Compared to Yan Chong, who would sell out his teammates faster than selling his own backside, this guy’s backbone was truly unyielding!
No matter how much he was tortured, he still clenched his teeth tightly.
"Give me the path, and I’ll spare your life," Tong Shan repeated expressionlessly, unwavering.
"... Heh, hehehe... I don’t know, I don’t understand, what’s that?" the Defiler coughed weakly, "I’ll never... betray the祭... AAAAAHHHH!!!"
The screams were endless.
In just a few minutes, the Defiler was completely broken, but even as his sanity crumbled, he still didn’t speak, only mumbling incoherently.
Finally, amidst the oppressive silence of everyone present, his voice ceased.
Tong Shan raised his hand, instinctively wanting to check the time, but all he saw was a lump of metal burned to garbage by the lightning, completely useless.
"Two and a half minutes," Xu Guan said.
"Thirty seconds left."
"Search it."
Tong Shan said expressionlessly, "Look again. Take all relevant records and files. Ji Jue, you search the electronic devices."
"Got it."
Ji Jue nodded, heading into the mall first.
Unfortunately, Mechanical Divinity wasn’t omnipotent in situations like this.
Aside from a few light bulbs and two or three phones, there was nothing else of use in the mall.
The phones were full of pornographic images, with no important messages or intelligence to be found.
The only thing of value was some information about who fought with the Shepherd of the Dragon Sacrifice Society and how...
In one of the rooms, Ji Xue found a communication device with strict verification.
Ji Jue didn’t dare to call out, only reading the message log.
The last command had arrived when they were fleeing the ruined base, ordering everyone here to guard the mall and stay on high alert.
Other than that, nothing.
A wasted trip.
Ji Jue sighed, about to speak, when he noticed Lou Feng’s expression.
He seemed to be in a daze.
Lou Feng was looking down, tracing the patterns on the floor with his eyes, until they landed on a storefront in the center of the mall’s first floor, miraculously untouched by the collapsing debris.
Footprints still marked the entrance and exit.
But inside was empty.
"Something’s off..."
Lou Feng reached out, brushing the dust on the floor.
His Good Craftsmanship matrix敏锐地察觉到了不正常的加工痕迹—看上去好像原装的废墟残骸，明明浑然一体，可却有一种刻意做旧的感觉。
专门故意的将这里弄成和其他地方一样。
但却在接缝处，留下了抹不掉的痕迹。
"确实有问题。"
季觉伸手，摸了摸地面，屈起指节，叩击，清脆的空空声扩散开来，可指节打入楼板的灵质波动却在扩散之中，出现了诡异的迟滞。
物性参差，就像是声呐感应之中水里忽然出现了其他的物体一样。
那些散乱的信号和反馈对于其他人来说可能毫无意义，可解离术最需要的就是通过灵质波动的反馈读取对象内部的状况和信息。
"夹层？"季觉问。
"空间不够，况且夹层骗不过以太。"楼封说，"有点像是镜的拟真幻影，覆写现实……但又不够。"
用脚后跟想都知道不是，但凡这里蹲一个能以幻影覆写现实的大佬，那他们这一群人就等着被玩出十万个花样来吧。
季觉不怕尘埃和泥污，趴下来，双手的灵质波动扩散，千丝万缕，自地板之上扩散开来，无数杂音里，真正有用的回馈却根本没多少。
只是感觉，好像有什么东西在这里，反应虽然微弱却带着隐约的强韧感，自成体系，完整度很高。
感觉就好像……
季觉和楼封抬起头来，彼此对视，瞬间恍然：
"——工坊？！"
.
"咕咚……"
那一瞬间，幻象伪装之后，有吞口水的干涩声音响起。
在封闭的空间中，如此清晰。
(本章完)