A chime rang out.
In an instant, this deserted coastal industrial zone seemed to turn into the Netherworld.
The drizzling rain, the surging white mist, and even those blurred, fragmented silhouettes... Stirred by countless remnants of souls, the bleak world transformed into a realm of terror where the living dared not tread.
Then, from Professor Ye's hand, a second chime echoed outward.
It was ever more mournful, shrill, and bloodcurdling.
Frenzied shrieks erupted in its wake as the cries bursting from the remnants turned into an undulating wave of spiritus, rippling through the air.
Individually, it was negligible.
Yet what if there were hundreds, thousands of them?
When endless shrieks and howls overlapped into one, what fell upon Ji Jue's ears was a terrifying lament that shook the soul and tore at consciousness itself.
Black spots danced before his eyes.
How was this mere howling? It was clearly the trademark skill of the Ascension lineage—a soul shockwave that transmuted one's own spiritus before hurling it like cannon fire into an opponent!
If struck, the mildest consequence was vertigo and a daze; at worst, one would plunge into madness amid the erosion and shock of spiritus, or simply be reduced to an idiot.
Once Professor Ye took the initiative to lift the workshop's perimeter lock, remnants from outside flooded in. Flecks of sickly green phosphor flickered within the rainy mist, gathering like a jade-green tide.
After two chimes, every single remnant was plunged into a frenzy.
Finally came the third chime.
Great sound is silent.
Apart from a subtle sensation produced at close range, Ji Jue could not even tell whether it was a trick of his own hearing.
Then, amidst the mist and drizzle, a vortex emerged.
Beneath the dark canopy of the sky, infinite phosphor converged once again at the sound of the bell. The crazed remnants devoured one another in the vortex, seemingly dissolving and merging into a single entity.
Then, just outside the wide-open doors, countless points of phosphor vanished as if burned to ash.
Ultimately, what strode out from the vortex and rain was a skeletal giant blazing with eerie green flames. Standing several stories tall, its visage was savage and ferocious.
Yet the moment it laid eyes on Professor Ye, as though sensing something, its towering fury vanished without a trace.
The giant bent low, dropping to one knee to kowtow with devout reverence.
It offered its loyalty to its shaper.
"Did you see that, Ji Jue?"
Professor Ye tossed the bell aside without the slightest interest, telling him, "This is an alchemical construct of pure spiritus built on a foundation of soul remnants. Though it's merely a rushed, temporary composition that cannot endure for long, reaching this level would barely earn one a master's title."
In a flash, like a fortress sculpted from sand, the giant collapsed and dissolved in the scouring rain and mist, vanishing completely.
Only a dumbfounded Ji Jue stood frozen where he was.
He felt the biting wind and damp moisture sweeping in through the open doorway.
*Clack.*
The door swung shut, and warmth returned.
"The Soul-Calling Bell," Professor Ye introduced. "After one chime, it awakens all soul remnants within your sensory domain. After two chimes, it forcefully stimulates their spirituality, throwing them into a berserk state.
"After three chimes, it smelts and shapes all the remnants into a brand-new form. That form varies according to the artisan's ability and needs, but it serves quite well as an aid in battle. It is suitable for use in areas dense with remnants.
"The downside is the excessive consumption of spiritus. If the result forged is too savage and you exhaust too much spiritus to maintain control, the remnants will immediately turn on you in backlash.
"For the weak, it is a luxury; for the strong, it is more like a toy.
"The only people it truly suits are those high-ranking Celestial Chosen who possess spiritus and rank in name only, yet are neither adept at combat nor know how to wield their power. It was likely crafted as an aid for the artisans of Embers and the scribes of Aether.
"All in all, it's a decent piece, though incomplete."
"This isn't even complete?" Ji Jue's hands trembled as he held the bell. "Then what does its complete form look like?"
"Who knows? I didn't make it. I merely sense that its functionality and application are somewhat lacking. Given the creator's caliber, he wouldn't make such an amateurish blunder.
"If it were me, there would be complementary tools—either an Eternal Gate sealing jar to preserve the forged remnants, or an Ascension soul book, an Aether record tome, or something similar to shape the remnants into a specific form and save trouble.
"Even if such things exist, that fellow probably hid them away and would never tell a soul."
Professor Ye sneered. "After all, given his perverse sense of humor, he'd love nothing more than for others to run into trouble while using his creations."
"Do you know him?" Ji Jue grew increasingly curious.
Professor Ye calmly flipped the bell over, showing him a mark etched on the inside. It looked like graffiti—at first glance, a smirking face with a twisted sneer.
"If I recall correctly, this mark belongs to a master who appeared during the Era of Kings' Chaos, named Gaogong, I believe. Even in the history of modern alchemy, he was considered an oddball."
Professor Ye said, "According to later researchers, he suffered severe abuse and setbacks during his childhood, which left his psychological scars rather more pronounced than those of other masters.
"Of the works he left behind that can still be found today, the vast majority are specially treated flash stones. Though cheap, anyone who sees their light has their greed and desire stoked by the blessing of the Heart Pivot, making them unable to resist wanting it."
"Uh..."
Ji Jue blinked in bewilderment.
It sounded a bit bizarre, but considering the average baseline character of artisans, it almost seemed normal?
"He typically placed those stones in traps, cages, monster nests, and other forbidden spots," Professor Ye calmly added the second half. "Every Border Realm and dangerous zone he visited was littered with those things, all to 'benefit future generations.'"
*Damn, what kind of living King of Hell was this guy?!*
"Aside from that, he had a particular fondness for a creation called the Vile Water Bottle. The palm-sized vial looked ordinary enough, but once smashed, the solution inside would rapidly expand—foul-smelling, viscous, and venomous.
"Anyone tainted by it would be poisoned, left wishing for death yet unable to die..."
Professor Ye continued, "Practically every ruin he explored had this substance splashed around. And right in the center of the foul water, he would leave a few flash stones.
"After ruining all the spoils, he'd leave a mysterious surprise for those who came after."
Veins throbbed violently on Ji Jue's forehead.
Desecrating ancient ruins was bad enough, but tricking people into diving headfirst into a cesspool?!
"Still, his most widespread creation today is a door that cannot be opened from the outside. Its defensive capability is formidable, and it cannot be picked; unless destroyed, it can only be opened from within. It's often used as security doors for critical departments with great success. The only downside is that even authorized personnel sometimes have to take a massive detour just to unlock it," Professor Ye said slowly. "Rumor has it that he conceived the idea when he couldn't find a restroom..."
*Stop, just stop.*
Ji Jue clenched his fists. *Just because you got soaked in the rain, you have to kick everyone else into the ditch?!*
He could barely resist the urge to dig up this old fossil and scatter his ashes.
It was precisely because of people like this that the reputation of artisans was so deplorable!
"Well, looks like there's no need to mention his other innovations..."
Professor Ye finally picked up the bell. "I've already inspected it for you. Aside from the obvious drawbacks on the surface, he didn't leave any backdoors behind.
"Still, it is a blessed creation meant for the Regeneration rank and above. For you, the burden is simply too great.
"I tweaked it a bit and added a limiter. You shouldn't have any trouble using it now, though its effectiveness is merely passable."
With that, she rang the bell once more.
This time, when the faint chime sounded, it produced no terrifying spectacle. Only a few scattered specks of residual light gathered between the two of them, turning into a spectral bird that looked identical to Gloria.
Gloria pecked at it twice out of curiosity, and it immediately shattered into pieces.
"It serves quite nicely as a scout, and you can occasionally use it to trigger traps and scout ahead," Professor Ye said, handing the bell over. "It's also a good way to practice your spiritus shaping skills."
"Let me try, let me try!"
Ji Jue's eyes shone with excitement. Taking the bell, he began shaking it vigorously. Instantly, amidst the flow of spiritus, flecks of shattered light began to converge.
The consumption was remarkably low, and the result was equally negligible.
Before long, a writhing, sludgy monstrosity appeared on the table, churning indescribably while emitting sharp, shrieking pops.
Finally, it blew itself up.
"..."
Professor Ye fell silent for a long moment before nodding in assessment. "If used to draw an enemy's attention, it might prove surprisingly effective."
Ji Jue wiped away his sweat with a dry laugh.
He didn't dare confess that he had originally tried to mold a little rabbit.
The principles and manipulation of spiritus shaping and material shaping were completely different. He needed some time to adapt, but after two or three attempts, he caught the hang of it.
Soon, a remarkably lifelike spiritus creature appeared on the table.
Sixteen slender legs gleamed with a metallic silver sheen, while a cluster of eyes of varying sizes on its head sent a chill down the spine. Under Ji Jue's 'exquisite' mastery of bionics and biology, a spider-like thing scuttled across the tabletop before climbing up the wall to chase Gloria around the ceiling under his control.
After waiting all this time only to see Ji Jue produce such a monstrosity, Professor Ye looked faintly at a loss for words. Meeting Ji Jue's expectant gaze, she sighed slowly after a long pause. "From an engineering perspective, an insectoid design is indeed the optimal solution."
"Right, right! That's exactly what I thought!"
Ji Jue grinned foolishly and brazened it out, only to hear Ye Chun sigh.
"What my aunt means is that your sense of aesthetics is a lost cause for the rest of your life.
"Can't our workshop offer a course in art and aesthetics? Otherwise, this guy is bound to become a permanent stain on your teaching career!"
"What kind of talk is that?!"
Ji Jue flared up in embarrassment. "How could you possibly grasp my peerless, breathtaking genius?"
Ye Chun sighed without a word. She patted her chest as if dusting off lint and raised her chin, displaying a badge that she wasn't even wearing. The gesture instantly caused Ji Jue's spine, which had been straight for less than a week, to slump right back down.
Bow before Senior Sister.
"Go, slice some fruit for me!"
Ye Chun gave a cold huff and sat down with her legs apart like a warlord. "Stir-fry a couple more dishes later, and you're not allowed at the table today!"
Ji Jue rose meekly, wiping away imaginary tears as he turned toward the kitchen, only to hear Professor Ye's voice behind him.
"No need for that today."
"Huh?" Ji Jue poked his head out. "Are we eating out?"
"No, you don't need to cook today."
Professor Ye waved her hand. "I've adjusted the schedule. Things in the workshop are winding down for now, and the next few days will be uncharacteristically quiet.
"Why don't I just give you some time off?"
"Huh?" Ji Jue froze.
"Considering how busy you'll be in the coming period—busy enough to risk a brain hemorrhage—go get some proper rest before then," Professor Ye said, picking up the newspaper without looking up. "You're on vacation."
*Right now? Vacation? Rest?*
*No, wait!*
Ji Jue stared in disbelief. He had only just begun to grasp the hang of spiritus manipulation, right when he was ready to pour his all into the grind. Why take time off?!
*Are you serious?*
Yet knowing that Professor Ye's decisions were never open to negotiation, he didn't try to loiter. In the end, he braced himself and asked, "For... how long?"
"Hard to say."
Professor Ye pondered for a moment before finally replying, "In my estimation, two or three days at the shortest, a week at the longest.
"There are preparations I need to make for certain work during this period.
"If there's nothing else, stop being an eyesore and get out."
"Ah, well..."
Before Ji Jue could object, his vision blurred. He landed squarely on the seat of Little Niuma in the garage. An instant later, his pocket watch, the bell, and his toolbox tumbled from the ceiling, landing right into his arms.
He had been kicked out of the workshop.
Even after walking onto the road, he still hadn't fully processed it.
Vacation?
What was a vacation?
Only people useless to Embers took vacations!
When had a pillar of alchemy and prime talent of Embers like him ever taken time off?
Yet now that he was on break... what was he supposed to do?
Amidst the drizzling rain, he drifted into a momentary daze. It had been a very long time since he had known the concept of a holiday.
In the past, holidays were consumed by working odd jobs to save money or grinding to outcompete his classmates; lately, he spent day and night in the workshop grinding against his senior sister.
To suddenly be told he had time off left him completely at a loss.
He scratched his head. *Should I go to Beishan District to hang out with Xiao An?*
Yet the moment he recalled the shadow cast by Xiao An's older sister, he hesitated. Besides, the entire Security Bureau seemed swamped beyond belief these past two days; showing up would only get in their way.
By the time he came back to his senses, he realized he had subconsciously wandered over to the wet market near Mother Lu's home.
The drizzle fell steadily, yet the bustling clamor remained.
Beneath the massive rain awning, aunties clad in raincoats bustled back and forth, expertly navigating the narrow aisles, squatting occasionally to pick through vegetables and meat while haggling with stall owners.
The layout was so familiar.
In the past, whenever Ji Jue had saved up a little cash and had some spare time, he would come here, buy a whole haul of groceries, and lug them over to Mother Lu's place to mooch a meal.
Mother Lu never cared whether he showed up empty-handed. As long as he arrived, there was always a bowl of rice waiting for him, piled high with the most meat and the freshest fish.
Then, while Mother Lu wasn't looking, he would secretly slip the meat into the bowls of Erniu, Lao San, and Lao Yao, before raiding Lu Feng's bowl for a bite.
The dining table would instantly come alive.
Unlike his perpetually cold, desolate home, that place was always bathed in a warm yellow glow, steam rising from a simmering soup pot.
It was as wonderful as a dream.
After all this time, the moment a vacation was mentioned, Ji Jue had subconsciously returned here once more.
Shaking off his nostalgia and sentiment, Ji Jue hesitated no longer. He hopped off the vehicle and rolled up his sleeves.
It had been so long since his last visit; how could he not bring something good?
Lao San had just entered middle school, and Lao Yao was still in elementary school—both were at an age where they were growing like weeds. Moreover, the second sister, Lu Ling, had just started college and was as skinny as a reed. They all needed some nourishing.
In one breath, Ji Jue bought five jin of pork ribs, followed by several jin of cauliflower, winged beans, tofu, and romaine lettuce—vegetables they often ate. Just as he was squatting by a fishmonger's stall, carefully inspecting the selection, he heard a voice of disbelief behind him.
"Second Brother?"
Wearing an old raincoat, Lao Yao poked his head out from the crowd, tugging at the person behind him. "Look, I told you it was Second Brother! You said I saw wrong!"
Ji Jue turned around, only to see Lu Ling pulling off her hood to reveal damp hair, alongside the incessantly fidgeting Lao Yao.
"Buying groceries?" Ji Jue asked, mildly startled. "What a coincidence."
"What coincidence? This is the only wet market near the house." Lu Ling sighed, expertly taking the bags of purchased goods from Ji Jue's hands. "Every time you buy groceries, the family ends up eating the same thing for days... Cauliflower again? Big Brother bought several jin of it a couple of days ago; Lao San is practically crying from eating it. Why didn't you buy potatoes?"
"We need potatoes?" Ji Jue looked blank.
"How are you going to stew ribs without potatoes?"
Lu Ling sighed helplessly, gesturing for her second brother to move aside. "Let me handle it. It's not the season for sea bass right now anyway. Big sister, don't weigh it, we don't want it—that fish is practically drawing its last breath... Brother, let's get crab instead."
"Ah? Oh, sure, okay."
Ji Jue obediently stepped aside, watching Lu Ling hustle about, gathering all the groceries. Then came her instruction: "We're out of star anise and Sichuan peppercorns at home. Go over to the southeast corner and weigh some out. Don't buy too much. Get some vinegar and salt as well."
"I want meat, meat!" Lao Yao clamored excitedly.
"Eat, eat, eat! Food is all you ever think about. Look how chubby you've gotten!"
Lu Ling pinched Lao Yao's cheek affectionately before scolding, "Go along with Second Brother to buy things. Remember to go to Aunt Cheng's stall, understand? As for soy sauce, get extra; we've been going through it fast lately."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Lao Yao threw his chest out, readily agreeing to her face. But the moment he climbed into Ji Jue's arms, he expertly wrapped his hands around his neck. "Second Brother, I want a popsicle!"
"In this weather? A popsicle?"
Ji Jue hesitated. "How about ham sausages instead? I'll buy a bunch, and Lao San can have some too."
Lao Yao's eyes instantly lit up. "Third Sister doesn't eat ham sausage! Just give them all to me!"
"Then we'll buy two more workbooks as well," Ji Jue said with a smile. "Erniu already told me you only scored in the sixties on your math test this week. Brother Feng was about to have a breakdown trying to tutor you. If you're bad at it, you just need more practice!"
Lao Yao froze on the spot, his eyes rolling before he burst into tears without any wind-up. Unfortunately, he was too young to understand that whether he cried or not had zero bearing on the amount of homework assigned.
Crying only made the grindset enthusiast even more excited.
While he was at it, Ji Jue bought him an entire quarter's worth of math courses on the Study King app.
No matter how poor one was, one could never scrimp on education—let alone when they had money now.
Who else was going to handle the endless practice problems and test papers for this big family if not him?
As he pondered whether to buy a few courses for Erniu as well, Ji Jue returned laden with bags. The three of them had all six hands stuffed full.
Rain was still falling from the sky. Lu Ling was just about to suggest taking the bus back when Ji Jue led them straight to Little Niuma.
For a moment, both of them stared at the once-again unrecognizable Little Niuma, falling into silence.
"Brother... did our family's motorbike... change shape again?" Lu Ling asked tentatively.
"What's wrong?" Ji Jue turned back, baffled. "It's still the same one!"
For a split second, Lu Ling felt an overwhelming urge to spit a mouthful of blood into his face to wash his eyes clean.
*Are you serious?!*
Back when it only had an extra wheel, she could barely recognize it—at least it was still a motorbike. But now... what kind of ungodly monstrosity had it become?!
Little Niuma wriggled its body excitedly, beeping and honking.
Four wheels twisted back and forth on the ground, flinging up arcs of water droplets.
That's right—four wheels.
If the original Little Niuma was an ordinary agricultural tricycle with a cargo bed seen everywhere on the streets, then after the battle at the villa and stuffing itself on heaps of supplements, the current Little Niuma had evolved into a PLUS version.
Not only had its cargo bed expanded drastically, but a whole row of seats had appeared behind the driver's seat, complete with an enclosed cabin... In the blink of an eye, the little tricycle had turned into a pickup truck.
Yet the transformation wasn't quite complete; at first glance, it looked like an illegal unlicensed taxi cobbled together from a modified tricycle to haul cargo and passengers.
The kind of bootleg vehicle capable of cramming an entire kindergarten class inside...
It didn't even have a license plate!
Her worldview shattered, Lu Ling stood dazed for a long while before looking back. "Won't the traffic police fine us if they catch us?"
"Don't worry, they won't."
Ji Jue patted her shoulder with a mysterious smile.
He told her, "The traffic police can't catch up."
Chapter 148