Chapter 00215: Beloved Kin, Comrades in Arms
# Beloved Kin, Comrades in Arms
Chapter 215
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 215 – Beloved Kin, Comrades in Arms
In an instant, the sound of people gasping for breath echoed all around.
Yet in the stifling underground space, there was no cool refuge to be found; all they could draw into their lungs was nothing but that sharp, searing wind…
It had only been a fleeting moment—a single thread, so fine that the naked eye could barely detect it—when it effortlessly sliced through Lou Feng’s hair.
Not even a stray hair was left intact.
Most of those present could easily achieve the same effect, yet to do it so surreptitiously was simply impossible.
Moreover, what had just emerged from the furnace was not a mere single strand.
Who would have thought that after spending an entire night crouched by the furnace, Ji Jue would come up with such an outrageous little secret gadget for a massacre in a hidden chamber? In an instant, the looks everyone cast at Lou Feng turned to one of profound admiration—who would have thought that you, a craftsman of the Embers, who always appear so prim and proper, would have such a deadly trick hidden in your pocket!
What other wondrous marvel of ingenious craft are you about to show off?!
With an almost unrealistic expectation, Lou Feng’s eyes twitched repeatedly.
His gaze flitted over the stubs of hair on his forehead as he glared at Ji Jue.
That damn dog—he must have done it on purpose!
Ji Jue simply offered an innocent smile, feigning ignorance about what had just occurred.
After a brief period of practice, his operations grew increasingly skillful.
The liquid mercury flowed and changed between the opening and closing of his ten fingers, stretching like dough.
Each time he closed and reopened his hands, not only did the number of mercury strands multiply, but each strand grew even finer.
Eventually, it appeared as if thousands upon thousands of silver threads hung suspended between his hands.
As these countless fine strands draped down and fell to the ground, the light shimmering along them resembled rippling water, swaying beautifully in a mesmerizing dance.
“It’s done.”
Ji Jue brought his thumb and forefinger together, delicately plucking one of the strands to feel its silky texture and thickness, estimating its diameter.
After years of painstaking refinement, his masterful blessed creation had been honed to the point where a mere pinch in his fingers could yield detailed data through feel—down to three decimal places accuracy, not inferior to any specialized equipment.
0.012 millimeters, nearly one-thousandth of a millimeter.
If he desired even finer control, he could deliberately lower it further.
Under perfect operation and control conditions, he could compress it to about 0.3 of that measure, though there was no real need to go that far.
Bringing his hands together, the myriad streams of mercury merged once more—intertwining, or perhaps interlacing—and with the gentle interlacing of his fingers, they melded without any resistance into a single, radiant, silver scarf.
As he raised his hand and let it fly, the scarf began an unending expansion.
With just over twenty grams expended, it enveloped the entire shelter.
No matter how much force Ji Jue applied—whether pulling, slicing, stretching, or deforming—it never shattered or broke.
All the strength came from the blessing imbued within.
Within the array of blessings for the Ruins, there was, counter to the nearly antithetical blessing of the “Nature of Golden-Iron,” another blessing called the “Form of Supreme Toughness.” While the Nature of Golden-Iron serves to harden the object and boost its rigidity, the Form of Supreme Toughness works in exactly the opposite manner—softening the material to its limits so that it gains an extraordinary level of ductility and malleability.
Once these two blessings merge, the inherent flaw of Golden-Iron—its extreme brittleness—is remedied.
Under the cushioning of toughness when struck, the overall structural stability undergoes a qualitative transformation.
It is a perfect balance of soft and hard.
Thus the strength of Ji Jue’s mercury creation saw a tremendous leap, and its versatility expanded even further.
With the addition of the Form of Supreme Toughness, Ji Jue finally broke free from the previous limitation where cable-like materials couldn’t be replicated using mercury.
To put it in human terms, if the Nature of Golden-Iron is like the skeletal structure that provides a frame, then the Form of Supreme Toughness is undoubtedly akin to muscles, fully capable of meeting the demands for transmission and movement.
When skillfully combined and employed, the possibilities become endless!
“Truly, a master craftsman indeed!”
Ji Jue couldn’t help but praise, “Even in that chaotic environment earlier, you managed to maintain precision and meticulously peel away a complete blessing. Many thanks to you, Young Master Lou!” This blessing had been urgently extracted during that earlier raid on a branch of the Cult of Transforming Evil, pried from a Ruins Chosen one.
Such opportunities were rare.
While the Nature of Golden-Iron is fairly common among the Ruins, it was exceedingly rare for a Chosen one to possess the rather obscure blessing of the Form of Supreme Toughness.
For that reason, Ji Jue voluntarily used up most of the materials in his workshop that he could spare as production cost.
After all, it was grabbed just like that; nothing to lose.
But what a useful masterwork this was…
Seriously, who invented such a matrix of ingenuity?
At that moment, noticing the eager and intense look in Ji Jue’s eyes, Lou Feng snorted coldly. “You’d better stop thinking about me—you’re better than that!” What the hell is that dog thinking? Is he plotting again to hijack my matrix?!
“Ah, no, not at all!” Ji Jue shook his head with a sigh. “Really, would you believe me? I’m not that kind of person!”
“Don’t you know your own mind?!” Lou Feng nearly burst into angry laughter. “If your filthy eyes spent even two seconds away from my matrix, maybe I’d believe you!” After all, you Embers are no secret; everyone knows what you’re scheming.
“If you’re so grateful, then don’t keep things a secret.”
Lou Feng lowered his gaze to the ever-changing mercury creation in Ji Jue’s hands, which shifted between softness and hardness at will. “A blessing composed solely of the Nature of Golden-Iron is one thing—it can only be considered a semi-finished product. But how the hell did you combine in that Form of Supreme Toughness?”
As a material, mercury is no stranger to Lou Feng—it has many applications.
Whether used as an additive in neutralizing reactions or as a means to filter and extract impurities, it’s quite common.
Yet very few use mercury as the primary carrier for a blessing, because inevitably it has its own shortcomings.
Even purified mercury that’s undergone transformative extraction still struggles to carry blessings as a regular metal would.
Bound by its liquid nature, even a few intricate spirit circuits have difficulty being inscribed upon or borne within it.
Even a simple Nature of Golden-Iron might be understood—fluid alchemy excels in processing such materials, and it can even elevate the material’s inherent properties and defects.
Through a boost in spiritual essence, Ji Jue managed to effectively raise the carrying capacity of mercury!
But even so, there was an upper limit—and once that limit had been enhanced, any further enhancement would only become increasingly difficult, complicated, and extravagant.
Were there no limits, then why learn modern alchemy at all? Everyone would just kow-tow to mercury! It’s laughable to think that the disciples of fluid alchemy would risk everything like that; how could we ever allow ourselves to lapse into obsolescence until all hope is lost?
After all, having multiple blessings stably coexist is a project that, even for a craftsman, requires careful thought, caution, and walking on thin ice.
Especially when these blessings, though originating from the same source, repel each other—coexisting stably within a volatile carrier like mercury—it’s comparable to trying to run two high-end gaming systems on a microwave oven’s motherboard simultaneously!
To this, Ji Jue merely smiled mysteriously, “Do you really want to know?”
Lou Feng rolled his eyes. “If it’s a secret, I won’t pry. But if you’re planning to tell me, I’ll—”
“No need.”
Ji Jue was unconcerned with the tricks behind the magic. “It’s very simple. I never really fixed it. Don’t say fixed—I never even truly attempted to fix it.” As he spoke, he spread his hands apart.
Instantly, the mercury under his feet split from the center, splitting into two portions—one as hard as steel, the other as soft as water, completely distinct from each other, leaving Lou Feng dumbfounded.
“Have you forgotten that mercury is, after all, a liquid?” Ji Jue laughed. “In other words, it doesn’t need to be so complicated. I just need to mix the two portions together and call it a day!”
How can a semi-finished product accommodate two complete blessings? It’s simple—if one semi-finished product won’t do, use two! Then blend the two together until, well, it’s close enough to a finished product.
Aren’t they effectively the same!
What more do you need, a bicycle?
Lou Feng was stunned into silence, nearly cracking from disbelief.
What the hell is this?! As someone formally trained as a craftsman’s apprentice, he always sought logical and theoretical solutions.
Yet he never expected to encounter Ji Jue’s wildly crude method.
It was so crudely done that it was almost laughable, yet it was ruthlessly effective.
With this emergency measure of enhancement, from an extreme cost-performance perspective and the cheapest and simplest method available—adding water to flour and flour to water—why complicate things? If you want to know whether there is electricity in a high-voltage cable, just give it a tap!
According to Ji Jue, Young Master Lou was clearly spoiled by a life of luxury! Always wanting everything to be flawless.
If someone spent another two years on their vehicle, they’d learn all sorts of hacky methods—if the A-pillars break, just twist them back with pliers and weld them so the car runs.
Who cares what the chassis or suspension really looks like? Just ask if the car will start! All that chatter—are you trying to avoid paying? Look at that black leather-bound brute on the recliner, digging his feet… Think twice before you speak!
If it were high-precision theories, even Ji Jue might show some hesitation.
But when it came to making do with what’s possible to the limit, he was extremely familiar with the way of it!
“…No, that won’t do!”
After all, it was Young Master Lou—well-traveled and experienced—who, after recovering from the initial shock, immediately perceived the hidden trick: “Merging multiple different blessed creations to operate simultaneously—and doing so stably—what refined skill is this? Is it the Clustered Knot technique of the White Dynasty workshop? Or the twin-stream parallel method of the Imperial faction? Doesn’t look like it either. Is it the style of Thousand Isles?”
Bending down, he reached out to gently touch the two portions.
In just a couple of moments, he had a rough idea of the situation. “When did you… ahem, learn the Chengchuan Convergence Technique from the Southern Clouds?”
“Hmm? Is that really what it’s called?” Ji Jue replied with a note of surprise. “I didn’t even know.”
Lou Feng’s eye twitched furiously in anger, his gaze fixed like a dog’s accusing stare.
Just then, he heard Ji Jue’s voice: “Wanna learn it? I can teach you.”
For a moment, Lou Feng was left speechless.
But Ji Jue, not one to beat around the bush, rolled up his sleeves and began to explain—using his own two semi-finished products to illustrate the interconnection, linkage, and combination of different spirit circuits and the methods and precautions in assembling them.
In truth, these were results he had scavenged from the Duden Workshop.
Before leaving, true to his resourceful nature, Ji Jue had disassembled all the large facilities that couldn’t be moved! Not a single piece was left behind.
Even the furnace that Duden had painstakingly assembled over years of effort and countless trial adjustments—he had completely stripped away every bit of its gimmick.
Though the refined techniques were somewhat mundane and the operations were hardly appetizing in their simplicity, he had nonetheless learned a wealth of scattered, unstructured skills—and within that was the most complete instance of the Chengchuan Convergence Technique.
Moreover, Ji Jue felt that if Duden had continued researching, he might have eventually managed to gather all his fragmented and chaotic techniques into one grand, orthodox method.
Master Changyuan had indeed pointed him in the right direction, revealing everything without holding back.
What a pity that some people are simply hopeless cases.
No wonder those from the Decaying Faction looked down on him.
After their lengthy exchange, Young Master Lou took his filled notebook to ponder alone, occasionally asking a question.
But it wasn’t long before he had completely absorbed the theory, leaving even Ji Jue impressed.
Darn it—Young Master Lou’s speed and efficiency had really picked up.
A sudden sense of urgency struck.
He couldn’t sleep anymore, so he propped himself on a mercury-made recliner and resumed scribbling on the half-finished paper, frequently experimenting on the spot with Young Master Lou’s furnace and the non-aggression technique.
Time passed, minute by minute, in a blur of trivial sounds, until suddenly, crisp tapping sounds rang out.
Accompanied by a rhythmic knocking, a gap slowly appeared in the wall.
But no one could see anyone emerging.
Two seconds later, the figure of Tong Shan abruptly reappeared.
Dressed in the same heavy clothing as when he departed, he removed his respirator and snuffed out the fiercely burning candle in his hand.
The moment the flame died, the figure—which until then had been impossible to recognize or detect—stood before everyone.
Upon closer inspection, the remaining half of the candle on the candlestick was unmistakably shaped like a finger.
With the phalange as its core and layers of flesh and fat as the wax, it was unmistakably a “candle” fashioned from a human finger.
Just as its shape suggested – though formally a consumable item – the inner parts had been refined with a mirror-line blessing called “Dazzling Sight and Bewildering Ears.” Once ignited by the flame of spiritual essence, it could not be blown out by the wind.
Anyone within its candlelight range would be completely obscured from detection—whether by vision, sound, or any other sensory clues, all disturbances would be completely concealed.
When burning, the “Dazzling Sight and Bewildering Ears” blessing activates, forcibly twisting all related perceptions—a phenomenon known as “Delusion.” The more frequent and numerous the delusions, the faster the consumption.
To Ji Jue’s mortal eyes, it might last for half an hour, but for a celestial being of the Taiyi lineage, even a mere glance would cause this thing to instantly shatter, revealing its true nature.
Tong Shan, having been out for so long, must have consumed more than one of these.
And on his usually expressionless face, for the first time a rare trace of gloom and sorrow appeared.
“Things are in a very bad state,” he said bluntly. “The Cult of Transforming Evil is now in direct conflict with the Security Bureau. Both sides are still probing each other, but many places have already erupted into fierce fighting. Unlike before when things were scattered and chaotic, this time several groups are cooperating in unexpectedly close quarters. All the accumulated corruption throughout Quancheng has been unleashed, forming layer upon layer of impregnable defenses—as if it were a steel drum. I took a risk venturing a little further forward and almost got spotted. I had to circle around a long way before coming back. If we continue to hide like this, it’s only a matter of time before we are discovered…”
For a moment, everyone’s expressions grew grave.
Especially when Tong Shan unfolded the portable Taiyi record book, revealing an automatically updated map that still showed vast swathes of darkness.
Yet every part that had been probed was marked with overlapping crimson regions, laden with residual corrupt contamination and sealed by mystic rituals.
Various danger symbols rained down like a storm, covering every blank space.
It was nothing short of a minefield!
Moreover, their current location was well beyond the range of the forward outpost—in fact, it was practically right under the Cult of Transforming Evil’s nose!
In that moment, everyone looked around in disbelief, as if to ask, “Where the hell have you dragged us?” This was supposed to be Haizhou!
“Things might not be as terrible as they seem,” after a brief contemplation, Xu Guan coughed twice to lift everyone’s spirits. “Our enemies are exposed while we remain hidden—there’s still room to maneuver. Even if the blockade is as tight as it is, it’s mostly meant for outsiders; internally, it might not be that strict. Look, no matter how closely they cooperate, they’re not really one family. If we can disguise ourselves as one of them, we might be able to slip out quietly without sparking chaos. As long as we steer clear of the forward outpost, we could make a circle around and return later.”
No sooner had he spoken than everyone’s eyes shifted almost subconsciously toward Tong Shan.
In that moment, Tong Shan’s authority and the trust among the members shone through.
In this critical time of life and death, everyone instinctively placed their trust in him.
Tong Shan nodded slightly without saying more. “Let’s hold an internal meeting. Everyone speak now—voice your own opinions, take responsibility for your decisions, and for our team. Who’s first?”
Everyone hesitated for a moment.
Meanwhile, in the outer circle, seated on a high chair made of mercury, Ji Jue couldn’t help but look up at Tong Shan.
The fingers draped over his knees tapped twice almost unconsciously as he pondered.
Tong Shan hadn’t volunteered first? Well, regardless, his prestige allowed him to influence the majority’s decision.
If he really wanted to collect opinions, he would wait for everyone else to speak.
But… was it truly necessary to gather everyone’s ideas? If the plan was to retreat, he could just make the call.
The direction was already decided—the finer details could be adjusted later.
Why make it so complicated? Or perhaps…
Ji Jue understood fully in his heart.
His eyes met Tong Shan’s for a brief moment—they exchanged a silent look, parting as quickly as they had met.
Both already knew what lay on the other’s mind.
At that moment, it was Lou Feng who was the first to stand up. “I’m sorry…” His expression twitched as he gripped in his hand a still-intact spirit essence crystal. “I—I haven’t found my aunt yet. I…I must stay behind.” As he spoke, another crystal formed in his palm, sealed in place by spiritual essence. “Here’s a letter. Just deliver it to the teacher, Team Leader Tong. You all have saved me more than once in the past. This was my own stubborn act and has nothing to do with the rest.”
Team Leader Tong accepted the spirit crystal without a word.
“I’m not really sure… Everything’s dangerous.” Jiang Xuan scratched his chin. “Since Xu Guan has a way, why don’t we give it a try? Worst case scenario—we die. At least if we gamble on one, or even two, there’s nothing to lose.”
“Hey, it seems like I’m the one who should be in charge here!” Ji Liu smiled.
After a long pause, he sighed, “Xiao Xue and I will follow orders. It’s up to Team Leader Tong to make the final decision.”
“I haven’t even had my say yet—how can you speak for me?” Ji Xue glared in anger.
Ji Liu shot him a glance and shrugged. “Then you say—”
“…” After stuttering in protest for a long while, Ji Xue growled at his elder brother, “I feel the same way!”
Xu Guan, with a complex expression on his face—after all, they had known each other for many years—finally understood his meaning. “Have you really thought this through?” he asked solemnly.
“Not really. I’m utterly confused and tangled up. I don’t feel certain at all.” Tong Shan replied bluntly. “Given the circumstances, I won’t force anyone. As your superior, I must consider the opinions of those under me. This time, I’ll make myself absolutely clear.” With his arms folded, Tong Shan looked around at everyone. “The situation is as dire as it is, and the future is uncertain. Hesitating will only lead to our demise. We either take a gamble and try to escape, or we stay behind and become a thorn in the side of the Cult of Transforming Evil!”
“All in favor!”
Ji Liu raised his hand without hesitation.
Ji Xue, after a brief pause, suddenly growled and gave his brother a fierce kick. “I’m in, too!”
“Ah? Is that so?” Jiang Xuan suddenly brightened. “You should have said so earlier. After all, won’t we just be sent back to the frontlines? In that case, there’s really no need for this.”
“…” Xu Guan hesitated for a long time and then sighed, “I have no objections.” For a moment, in the silence that followed—while Lou Feng was still in a state of shocked wonder—Team Leader Tong’s gaze finally rested on Ji Jue.
“Everyone’s made up their minds.”
Ji Jue, confused, asked, “Why ask me?”
“You and Mr. Lou are not like the others.” Tong Shan sighed. “You’re not Security Bureau types. You never even received a single penny from Tianyuan… You’re the ones I dragged into this mess. I know all too well what Cliff City is like, and there’s no reason to expect you to stand up for the greater good. Craftsmen are by no means obligated to sacrifice their lives.”
He hesitated for a moment, then promised, “If you don’t agree, I’ll prioritize a retreat.”
“…You said it yourself. I’m not a Security Bureau person, and I’m under no obligation to throw my life away for this shambles.” Ji Jue sighed.
Tong Shan fell silent.
“But I’m still, at least, half a person of Cliff City, aren’t I?” Ji Jue said with a heavy heart.
With a self-deprecating smile, he continued, “I’ve grown quite accustomed to living here. If possible, I’d like to stay another ten years or so. At a time like this, I can’t just stand by and run away with my family.”
He had long experienced the severity of natural disasters firsthand.
And the terror wrought by man-made calamities? That was even worse.
Once Quancheng exploded, it was likely that half of Haizhou would be sucked into the contamination and descend into such a demonic domain.
For so many years, Quancheng had sunk deeper and deeper into darkness.
Even while hiding underground, he could still hear, from deep in the earth, the illusory and endlessly echoing sounds of faint cries and sorrowful lamentations.
Too much blood, too many tears.
Death and despair…
But in a hell like this, how much more has to be created before it’s enough?
How much more must cause such nausea before it stops?
I may not be friends with the Security Bureau, yet I have long been an enemy of the Cult of Transforming Evil!
Ever since those dogs sent the drifting Time Ruins to Cliff City… even if only a city was lost, it was simply not enough!
Even if I can’t be a good doctor, I can at least be a good craftsman.
People with holes in their heads always say, “What others call garbage is nothing but misplaced treasure.” But some garbage is just garbage—a hopeless case from the very start.
If there remains even a shred of true value in it… then all I can do is gather those fine and beautiful materials that have been misplaced and return them to where they belong!
In the dead silence, Ji Jue reached out and lightly flicked the blade of his bone knife, listening to its subtle ringing sound that rang out with a resonant and distant echo.
Looking up, he met the serious expression of Tong Zhiwu.
Then, with a sudden, benevolent smile, he said, “At this point… can we even ask for more money?”
(End of Chapter)