Chapter 00254: Running, Jumping, Mastering, Eliminate Him.
# Running, Jumping, Mastering, Eliminate Him.
Chapter 254
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 254: Running, Jumping, Mastering, Eliminate Him.
"What?"
Ji Jue blurted out, his voice choked with disbelief.
It was as if he had been mortally ill and suddenly shot upright.
He looked at Professor Ye in shock, needing confirmation that she was not joking.
Still in a daze, he pointed to his own face, "Me?! I’m going to deal with Su Nuo? Are you serious?"
"Yes, you."
Professor Ye nodded, calm and composed as always, leaving no room for negotiation or hesitation.
"You are to eliminate that monk, along with his pet monkey and pig, and the one carrying the bag. I have a route in Thailand, the risk is high, but we will depart today. The trip will take six hours, leaving you two more hours for meals and rest. Bring me back the craftsman’s license."
"Isn't that a bit... too fast?"
Ji Jue wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
"I've only been in the door for four months, Teacher."
In reality, it hadn’t even been four months.
During this period, he had spent at least two and a half months messing around outside, at most he could be seen as having a correspondence course.
The remaining one and a half months included half a month spent in the hospital.
The true time he had spent in the workshop, earnestly learning, was barely over a month.
And that included the initial period of getting started.
Moreover, even if he had spent every day and night in the workshop learning the craft, that was still too brief! It was simply outrageous.
Conventionally, in the lineage of the Embers, from apprentice to craftsman, if one spent six to ten years, one could be considered a talented artisan with exceptional gifts.
Over hundreds of years, modern alchemy gradually evolved, and the internal programs of the Taichi Ring changed.
The strife among the craftsmen and the power interests deliberately set restrictions to maintain their privileges resulted in the difficulty of the craftsman examination increasing several times over the original difficulty.
Consequently, more than eighty years ago, amidst protests and denunciations from numerous craftsmen, the difficulty was somewhat stabilized.
Yet it was still ridiculously hard.
The four stages of the examination — written test, creative proposition, self-evaluation, and individual review — had caused countless brilliant apprentices to fail, responsible for the thinning of many lush locks.
Even so, an endless stream of chosen ones from the Embers were fiercely competing to get in.
There was no room for hesitation.
Unlike the Eternal Gate Association, where as long as you were a chosen one, you were always welcome; or like the Wild Collection where everything relied on luck; or even like the Celestial Origin, which had the freedom to open up a system whenever needed...
The internal ecology of the Embers was exceedingly harsh and cruel, dividing people into two categories:
— Craftsmen and non-craftsmen, the latter being useless brutes.
Not only for the sake of rising up and living without worry, but merely to obtain basic human rights, countless chosen ones toiled day and night, striving to climb up another step in the pyramid-like system.
There were thresholds one after another; if they could step over them, it meant 'the Embers are generous, and fortune is infinite'.
But if they couldn’t, then 'the Embers are merciless and care not for the mediocre.'
Compared with those full-time undergraduates with master’s and doctoral degrees, Ji Jue, this dog of a person, could, at best, be regarded as a night school student.
How could he compete on the same stage?
"..."
After listening to Ji Jue's complaints, Professor Ye fell silent for a long time.
She seemed puzzled, after quite some time, she helplessly raised her hand and pinched her brow.
"Do you take yourself too seriously?"
"Huh?"
Ji Jue was bewildered.
Ye Xian asked, "When I say 'craftsman', who do you compare yourself to?"
"Of course..."
Ji Jue’s answer caught in his throat, abruptly stopping, staring wide-eyed.
Who else could it be? It surely had to be the teacher in front of him, the sage of the cracked realm, a scholar from centuries ago, the masters in the conference room, and even the profound craftsman in the shadows of Spring City!
In contrast, even Ji Jue was still as insignificant as dust, humble as an ant.
But what about anyone else?
Perhaps there were even smaller specks of dust and more humble ants, but he had never even considered that.
For a moment, he was left speechless.
"The arrogance of the Embers."
Ye Xian sighed softly, suddenly sneering, "Do you deserve it?"
Ji Jue had nothing to retort.
"I often advise people to look at the big picture, but is your vision not a bit too over-estimating yourself?"
Ye Xian's fingers tapped on the table, "As your teacher, I can confirm that your abilities are more than enough to meet the requirements of the craftsman examination. Your talent exceeds that of your peers, and your practical skills and creativity are hard to rival among ordinary craftsmen. The only thing missing is some theoretical knowledge that needs memorization and long-term accumulated experience. A slight bias in some subjects does not really hinder you. For you, obtaining a craftsman’s license, while it poses certain difficulties, is not impossible. But why are you dragging your feet?"
"Do you want to remain a mere apprentice for life, never surpassing me, the masters, or the profound?"
"... It's just... a little sudden."
Ji Jue felt embarrassed.
"It's a bit short on time, isn't it?"
"You brought this upon yourself."
Ye Xian's expression remained unchanged as she regarded him.
"Do you know what Lu Yingyue came to me for today? Apart from the other assorted matters, before she left she suddenly asked me: — Is your student Ji Jue the one who appeared at Yacheng a few months ago as the chosen one?"
Ji Jue grew anxious.
"She knows I hate lies, so she didn't even bother to hint or probe."
Ye Xian sighed self-deprecatingly, "I told her, you are not."
"..."
In the silence, Ji Jue wanted to say something multiple times but could find no words.
Ye Xian was too lazy to listen, just waved her hand.
"Does she believe me? I don't care. As your teacher, I've already made my stance clear. She won't set her sights on you anymore. But what about others? Do you think she's the only intelligent person in the world?"
Just as Ye Xian had said, this was all brought upon Ji Jue.
The situation in Spring City was too significant and disordered.
Even if no one knew who was in the Special Train of the Apocalypse when it ascended, Ji Jue’s background was still too brilliant and frightening.
Professor Ye’s student, the only inheritor of fluid alchemy in the present day, a recipient of the Supreme Good Medal from the Church of Radiance, and a genius apprentice of the Embers.
As an apprentice, he had joined the Yacheng exploration team, delving deep into Spring City alongside Tong Shan, even hiding his identity to perform tricks right under the nose of Jiang Yuan, managing to rescue Lou Yanyue and come out intact.
This was still due to Jiang Yuan's loss; he didn’t publicize it, and nobody dared to make inquiries.
And he had Tong Shan ahead of him, who stepped forward and took all the limelight, obscuring many records related to Ji Jue in his report.
He might have guessed something, but he would never speak of it.
Regardless of whether Ji Jue was or was not, he was a friend of Tong Zhiwu and Tong Hanhai, a friend of the Tong family.
That was enough.
But what about everyone else? Even if there was some suspicion, would no one take action?
You must know, even if one was a chosen one, even if one's future looked bright, they were still not beyond worldly mortals.
Apart from their potentia and talents that had yet to be realized, they had nothing different from anyone else.
Perhaps a madman might think, wow, a chosen one, how awesome, let's come and test it!
The Transcendence might want to extract his soul, the Heart Core lineage sought to control his will, the Celestial Origin wanted to use him as a tool, while the Embers... his entire being could be tossed into the furnace for playful burning... all features of a fine jade among ordinary stones.
Of course, Ji Jue was no longer the same as he used to be.
He had already acquired a capability to barely protect himself.
He could stand out and actively embrace his own glory and heat, plunging headfirst into the vortex of the storm, becoming a dazzling trendsetter.
But at what cost?
What would the price be?
Everything he had now, all his vulnerabilities, could they withstand the ravages of the storm? Could his abilities deter the schemers lurking about?
Of course, he could also bow his head and act like an ostrich, refusing to get involved, never exposing himself, living a slow and idle life...
But if Ji Jue still wished to achieve anything in the future, still wanted to move forward, he would inevitably attract increasingly more gazes, provoke more enemies and rivals, and draw more suspicions.
Ye Xian’s registration form could no longer guarantee Ji Jue’s stable life.
Unless...
He could find a sufficiently large organization willing to vouch for Ji Jue’s background, certifying that he had become a chosen one a year prior!
For instance, the world's largest alchemical research, development, and management institution, the union of all craftsmen, the behemoth of authority within the Embers.
— The Taichi Ring!
So how could he make the Taichi Ring willingly certify Ji Jue?
"I do not like to tell lies, especially to lie for others; it's dull and uninteresting, unless— the lie holds a value I find satisfactory."
Ye Xian enjoyed his troubled expression, and after a good long look, slowly said: "My apprentice Ji Jue can be recognized as a senior apprentice who independently awakened a year ago and began studying alchemy in my workshop; I have no objections, and you do not need others to believe it. As long as... those lofty fools of the Taichi Ring believe it."
As she spoke, her palm pressed down on a piece of paper and slowly pushed it toward him.
It was right in front of Ji Jue.
"The Taichi Ring Alchemical Technique Practitioner Qualification Examination Registration Form."
"Craftsman examinations are held every three years. The deadline for this registration is this Friday, and the examination will begin next week. Before this, the recognized record for the fastest time from apprentice to obtaining a practice qualification is five months, and no one has yet succeeded in breaking this record. This means that as long as you can pass the qualification examination, then on my registration form your nearly one year of experience as an apprentice will also be recognized. By then, how would the one-year-prior self-awakened you have any relation to the chosen one summoned six months later?"
"What the hell?"
Ji Jue stared in astonishment, finally dawning on him, yet still in disbelief, "Is it really possible like this?"
"Of course, why not?"
"No, Teacher!"
Ji Jue suddenly sensed a flaw in this idea, "You just said the fastest record is five months! I haven’t even been in for four!"
In a moment of brief silence, Ye Xian’s expression shifted to a complex one, and after a long pause, she let out a soft sigh: "In fact, the fastest record is one month."
"What?!"
"One month."
Ye Xian stated, "Because the person who holds the record, after becoming an apprentice, took leave to take the Imperial Civil Servant Examination, and after spending over three months failing to pass, he remembered his vacation had ended and returned to study alchemy... According to him, the craftsman examination is much simpler than the absurdities of the civil service examination; as long as one has a brain, one can pass it in one go."
Ji Jue fell silent and had no words.
A prickling sensation ran through him from head to toe.
After a long while, he hoarsely asked:
"... Who on earth is so ridiculous?"
"Just a hypocritical old fool full of absurd ideas who likes to put on airs."
Ye Xian scoffed coldly, "Others think he has extraordinary talent and can do anything, calling that guy the foremost among the three great masters of the era. Hmm, you should have heard of his name for supreme goodness... called [Heavenly Furnace]."
Heavenly Furnace.
Just those two words would be unfamiliar to the ordinary person, but if one were a craftsman, who could not stand upon hearing those two words?
The three great masters of the age.
The Devourer, the Plowsmith, and the Heavenly Furnace.
Their titles varied, drawn from their own styles and characteristics, not given by man but conferred by the Embers when they reached the pinnacle of their craft.
Throughout the millennia, the masters of each generation achieved their status not through disciples or public opinion but rather based on the recognition of the Embers.
But among them, there was only one exception.
Only the name Heavenly Furnace for supreme goodness had been passed down through generations.
It represents a very straightforward, simple manifestation —
— The strongest of the Embers.
In the world of Embers, the creator fated by destiny, standing above all craftsmen.
Undoubtedly, the first of the world!
In the silence, Ji Jue could not utter a word, even the sound of his breaths went mute.
It was as if he had shattered quietly...
For the first time in his life, he finally experienced the feeling of being compared to ‘someone else’s child’… no, that was someone else’s ancestral ruler!
Raising children is one thing, but you can't compare me to such a freak of a standard, Teacher!
Are you serious?
Besides crushing me to death, it doesn’t serve any motivational purpose at all, right?!
"Don’t worry, Ji Jue, I believe in you,"
Professor Ye reached out, patting his shoulder seriously, "I especially believe in your capacity for wrongdoing, for doing things contrary to the way, for attracting disasters. You’ve made it this far; there must be some potential within you. It’s just a license; it’s nothing to fret about."
"I will look forward to that day."
Rarely, she revealed a smile, warm and gentle, "If in the future I learn that your record was broken in such a way, the expression on that old fool’s face will surely be amusing, right?"
"..."
Ji Jue trembled and dared not speak further.
Thus, things were settled.
Like a walking corpse, he floated out of the study and lay on the sofa, crying and lamenting for a long while.
Then, very reluctantly, under Ye Chun's urging, he got up to wipe away the little pearls, dragging his feet slowly out the door to submit his registration form at the Yacheng association office.
Twenty minutes later, he sat in a luxuriously decorated, elegant office, awaiting feedback.
Behind the desk, the responsible person, wearing glasses, held the registration form, pondering for a long while before shaking her head regretfully.
"Sorry, according to the regulations."
She said, "It can’t be done."
(End of Chapter)