With an empire of wealth and deep pockets, the Federation was hardly going to keep a shabby garrison base. If there were that many dining halls, biological and chemical laboratories were certainly not lacking either.
As for what they were really here to do…
Naturally, to perform deeds of virtue and bring blessings to Mid-Continent! After all, everyone knew the Federation had showered Mid-Continent with so many blessings over the years that its people overflowed with tearful gratitude, eager to repay the favor by slaving away like beasts of burden.
The sprawling facility had been cleared well in advance, ringed three layers deep inside and out by dense security cordons. Tailing Aignu, Ji Jue pinned his visitor's badge to his chest and strode straight in.
The makeshift conference room was already packed to bursting. Not only were the Federation's top minds present, but a fair number of Imperial figures were there as well. Unlike the relaxed demeanor of the Federation faction, however, every one of them wore a sour scowl, their expressions kaleidoscopic in their displeasure.
Having missed their initial chance, heaven only knew what astronomical price they had paid just to squeeze themselves onto this bus.
Nearby, the An family brothers yawned while cracking melon seeds and dried fruits. Murmuring in hushed tones with faint smirks, they gossiped right to the face of the Dragon Tongue hunter seated across the table, pointing and snickering.
*Look, such a great prize, and didn't our darling girl snatch it up anyway?*
*What does that prove?*
*Dragon Tongue just doesn't have what it takes!*
The Dragon Tongue hunter remained impassive, not even lifting an eyelid, head down, sharpening arrows with rhythmic scraping sounds that echoed through the room. The rasping was enough to make anyone's scalp prickle, sparking the uneasy suspicion that a moment's inattention might leave them with a fresh hole in their hide.
At the head of the table, Fan Yun and Doledonville cradled their teacups like elderly retirees nursing their health, holding their peace after exchanging a mere couple of remarks.
On the other side of the room, the experts from both factions maintained an air of genial harmony. In academia, life-and-death rivalries were settled through papers and achievements; even if they ground their teeth in private hatred, there was no need to make things awkward face-to-face.
When Aignu pushed the door open and stepped in, every eye in the room snapped in their direction.
Aignu paused slightly.
This kind of reception was a first for him.
Not that he was unaccustomed to being stared at—in truth, he was far too accustomed to it. So much so that he hadn't expected everyone's gaze to bypass him entirely and lock onto the little "plus-one" trailing behind him.
"You little rascal, what took you so long? Making everyone wait for you?"
Lin Shouyi cracked a melon seed, teasing him with a half-smile. "You didn't clean out my warehouse, did you?"
"Elder Lin, you think so highly of me—how could I be such a spoil-sport?" Ji Jue stopped in his tracks, answering with a grin. "I still left you a few scraps."
"Ha! That shameless mug of yours has got quite a bit of my old style."
Lin Shouyi roared with laughter and pointed at Ji Jue. "Allow me to introduce everyone: this is the representative of Tides Ordnance, the one who provided the leads and discovered our anomalous specimen, an Artisan of Heavenly Craft from the Association, and the kid trained by Little Lü."
"A promising young talent."
Doledonville looked up with a fleeting glance. "Indeed, quite distinguished."
With him presiding, his subordinates naturally knew better than to act out of line, though the looks they directed at Ji Jue took on a far more nuanced edge.
"Well, well. So you came running to the Association just to borrow a sturdy umbrella?"
Aignu gave a breezy chuckle and took his seat, paying the remarks no mind. Ji Jue fell in line behind him, eyes lowered and countenance serene, blending seamlessly into the background as if devoid of presence.
Just like that, as a quiet nobody, he naturally stepped into the highest decision-making circle of the White Nation's theater.
Even if his voice carried little weight and he was here strictly as a tagalong.
He had still, after all, made it inside.
Out in the world, Ji Jue was the current valedictorian of the Association, an Artisan of Heavenly Craft. But in here? Who did Ji Jue think he was? Even if you caught the wolf, so what?
Everyone else was driving the Federation, the Empire, Tianyuan, or White Stag. What kind of vehicle were you driving? If you drove a Little Niuma, you didn't even have the credentials to pull up to this table.
Even giants like Huanyu Heavy Industries and Grand Creation couldn't reach this inner sanctum, left only to crouch outside waiting until the big players finished their talks, only then coming out to ask whether you agreed or objected.
To say nothing of laying hands directly on the trophy Mr. Shehri had hidden away.
Everyone was accounted for.
Time to get to work.
They hadn't gathered for tea and dried fruit. Even Tianyuan's customary protocol was tossed out the window.
To avoid complications from undue delay, they needed to unpack the parcel immediately.
This mess had escalated to the point where both Midtown and the Metropolis were watching closely.
One couldn't blame them for the fuss; the stunt pulled by the Restoration Front was terrifyingly vicious. The relevant incident records and occurrences had already been verified repeatedly by both sides, and they even had the endorsement of a White Stag Hunter.
An ordinary corrupted individual had suddenly leapfrogged straight into a wolf.
And it possessed every single defining trait.
Outstanding malice-perception capable of dodging the An family's pitch-pot throws; spiritus reflexes swift enough to break through a two-pronged encirclement; vitality resilient enough to cling to life even after taking direct hits from two Exaltation-stage masters; toxic contamination lingering in the soil capable of poisoning all living matter… Barring its utter lack of intellect, it practically lacked any flaw.
In fact, even the lack of a brain could be considered an advantage!
Crucially, An Ning had proven in person that slaying it allowed it to be offered as a hunt trophy to the White Stag!
Which meant that aside from not having been a wolf beforehand, it was completely, undeniably a wolf!
And that was the most terrifying part.
If he could transform, could others transform too? How many could they turn?
And how else could they transform?!
They had to figure it out. They had to know the truth. Otherwise, no one would be getting any sleep—except perhaps the White Stag Hunters.
And honestly, even the White Stag Hunters were sweating cold bullets!
Throughout history, instances of wolves massing were rare, but whenever it happened, did it ever end without spiraling into disaster? Did it ever fail to leave everyone bruised and battered?
By comparison, the incident where the White Nation's Priest King led his entire priesthood into a collective wolf-transformation was relatively benign—at least it had been suppressed in time.
The time before that had erupted into a full-scale clash between Tianyuan and White Stag, a worldwide catastrophe known as the Turmoil of Tianyuan and White Stag… And what came of it?
They had fought tooth and nail, leaving behind a shambles that no one could clean up.
Back then, the completion rates of both the Unborn Wolf and the Uncreated Tower had shot through the roof! Even now, those lurking old wolves still poked their snouts out from the Vortex every now and then!
If not for the latent perils left by the Turmoil of Tianyuan and White Stag, how could the Priest King of the White Nation have pulled off a wolf transformation so effortlessly?
It was like a rusted-shut valve: every time it was forced open, it loosened a fraction more. Even when closed now, water was steadily seeping out. Who knew how many more turns it would take before the valve blew completely?
By Ji Jue's reckoning, the only reason Supreme Good could still suppress the Great Sins was the asymmetry in scale—the Tower and the Wolf remained incomplete, the Shadow Sun had fallen under seal, and the Vortex was bound to the mortal realm.
If a chain reaction were triggered, ripping the Lock asunder and allowing the Vortex to surface entirely, what kind of hellscape would the world become?
Ji Jue remained silent, trailing behind Aignu.
He concentrated, fixing his focus entirely on the task at hand.
In the prepped laboratory, Ji Jue changed into a fresh protective suit. Vortex-attuned scholars and artisans from both the Federation and the Empire already flanked the dissection table, six people crowding the perimeter so tightly that not even water could seep through.
Beyond the massive observation window, silhouettes gathered in tight rows, while high-definition cameras tracked every angle to relay results outward.
On the dissection table lay the lifelike silver statue of the ram-headed monster.
"Still not undone?" Aignu frowned slightly. The prep work was sloppy.
"The seal is too stable," the assisting artisan reported with lowered head. "We aren't familiar with this technique. Forcing it open might compromise the specimen's integrity." As he spoke, he threw a helpless glance toward Ji Jue, letting out a soft sigh.
Translated into plain speech: his skill fell short.
He couldn't take it apart.
"Oh? Quite an ingenious method."
Aignu tapped the statue before him, his eyes lighting up. "This goes beyond standard Fluid Alchemy, doesn't it? An innovative spin—very well done. It shuts out all external interference while locking down the interior entirely… Have you written a paper on it? I'd gladly serve as your recommender."
"It's merely an experimental technique," Ji Jue answered. "Still in the exploratory phase. I don't plan on publishing just yet."
"Ah, fair enough. A bit too early for you." Aignu glanced at the Golden Ribbon artisan nearby and let out an understanding sigh. "Taking it a step further—very impressive."
"Could you back me up when I release it? I'm worried it might thrash around too much," Ji Jue warned.
"No problem. Go right ahead." Behind his protective visor, Aignu seemed to smile, his voice slightly muffled. "When it comes to materials, the fresher, the better, isn't it?"
*Snap!*
Ji Jue snapped his fingers. With a crisp pop, silver light burst, swirled, and converged neatly into his palm, coalescing into a thumb-sized bead of quicksilver.
Instantly, the heavily wounded, dying wolf sprang up in a frenzied leap.
Then, mid-air, it stumbled, wobbled, and crashed flat onto the dissection table, sprawling out in a helpless star shape.
In the empty air, something flickered into view for an instant—an immense silhouette looming over the entire laboratory.
Beneath an eerie maiden's mask, a sweeping cloak draped over the entire table, and slender appendages silently penetrated the werewolf's flesh.
Severing nerves, paralyzing muscles, softening bones—like an invisible suite of medical apparatuses, it quietly seized absolute control.
Aignu glanced at Ji Jue. "Open the cavity—"
Passing over the instruments on the tray, Ji Jue drew his bone blade of Mercy. With one clean, practiced slice downward along the mutated, warped torso, he deftly set the retractors and drew the chest cavity wide open.
Aignu's eyes shone at the sight.
It wasn't merely the blade in Ji Jue's hand, but his effortless poise and seamless execution. The genial gaze of a senior encouraging a junior subtly morphed into the greedy, eager admiration of an appraiser who had just spotted uncut jade. "Remarkable dissection technique. Have an interest in the biological sciences?"
"You flatter me, Grandmaster. What little skill I have was picked up from others."
Ji Jue took a step back, dutifully fulfilling his role as an assistant and yielding the lead. There wasn't much room for him to show off anyway; he didn't even need to mop anyone's brow. Everyone in this room was an expert among experts; he was just here to fill out the headcount. His job was to stick to his station, then sit back and watch the show.
"Standard corrupted organism, akin to a ghoul."
"Not quite identical to earlier variants."
"Still a mutation. Nothing unprecedented. The internal organs are ordinary, showing signs of excessive catalysis."
"Heavy stimulants were applied, but fully metabolized. Hard to identify."
"Preserve a specimen first."
"Cerebral structure is pure mush. Numerous secondary growths."
"Look here."
"Hm, I see… Take a slice."
In the quiet chamber, only murmurs circled the dissection table. Artisans and scholars exchanged observations and shared findings, methodically dismantling the wolf piece by piece, scrutinizing every anomaly.
"The spiritus circulation is odd. Clear signs of artificial tampering." Aignu's hand paused momentarily as he muttered to record his voice note. "Where did this framework come from? Flagged as pending inquiry."
Ji Jue leaned in for a look and offered a quiet prompt: "I saw something like this in a Profound workshop once. It looks like an application of a variant branch."
"Oh? An innovative twist?" Aignu didn't mind the interruption; his eyes narrowed slightly. "Indeed. The spiritus circuit on this side must be the residue left behind after sacrificing abominations… So not just the White Pavilion, but the Profound has a hand in this too."
"Small-time hacks with mediocre skill," Ji Jue remarked casually. "The execution is far too rigid. Look right here—basic entry-level theory could have resolved this cleanly, yet they forced an awkward construct onto it and made it needlessly convoluted. Clearly, they know what to do without understanding why it works."
"Indeed!"
Aignu nodded in enthusiastic agreement. Feeling the thrill of an intellectual match, he gestured with his hands. "Look, if we were to treat this section like so…"
Ji Jue couldn't help shaking his head, reaching out to tap a crucial junction. "In my view, optimizing this spot would yield better results."
"And that's where your gap lies." Aignu smiled knowingly, offering guidance. "In biological engineering, mimetic structures can absorb the buffering strain. The intervention point needs to land on blood compatibility—take this junction, for instance… How about that?"
A master was truly a master. His instruction was succinct and struck straight to the heart of the matter, instantly clearing the fog in Ji Jue's mind. Ji Jue couldn't resist asking, "I see! Then what if I were to excise this segment entirely? Wouldn't that bypass part of the consumption?"
"True, it simplifies things, but it would compromise subsequent scalability and compatibility…"
"Right, right! And also… no, wait, it should go like this…"
"And like this…"
"Oh! Exactly!"
"Right? Heh, is this theoretical Fluid Alchemy?"
"No, it's derived from Vortex Planting—consider it a supplement to the Sages' legacy. I've actually drafted an outline dissertation on it; I'd be honored if you could look it over and offer your critiques when time permits."
"Then I won't be modest! When it comes to flesh engineering, our Hundred-Eyed Giant order holds the crown, but you aren't half-bad yourself, kid…"
"Though regarding this part, the convergence between spiritus and physical matter still puzzles me a bit."
"Minor detail, let me break it down for you…"
Beside the dissection table, the two went back and forth, turning the specimen into the centerpiece of an academic symposium, entirely oblivious to their surroundings.
The other artisans stood by dazed, completely unable to follow their tempo or the speed at which topics leapt from one to the next.
There was no helping it—the synergy was simply too seamless!
Ji Jue might not know biological engineering, but he understood corruption alchemy inside out…
Besides, it wasn't that Aignu didn't want to hold back; he simply couldn't help himself. The rare pleasure of someone understanding your point the moment you opened your mouth, grasping the crux from a few words, taking in profound subtleties without loss, drawing instant inferences, and cross-verifying each other's theories… It was pure bliss! Absolute ecstasy!
Did Ye Xian get to live like this every single day?!
How had a gem like this not ended up in their Hundred-Eyed Giant faction?
No, he had to find a chance to snatch this kid away, and then…
"*Cough, cough, cough! Hack, cough, cough!*"
The nearby Vortex scholar coughed so violently it sounded like he might hack up a lung, finally jerking Aignu back to reality and prompting him to focus on the work at hand.
Aignu cast a reluctant glance at Ji Jue, signaling for him to take mental notes so they could open a bottle of red wine and talk through it in private later.
By now, the superficial layers had been stripped away completely.
What lay revealed was the true core.
The seat of the soul.
Yet the soul was already battered and unrecognizable, fractured beyond repair. Had it not been for the binding suppression of the Law of Tianyuan, it likely would have dissolved into spiritus and slag long ago.
More critically, sharp thorns of vivid crimson—resembling parasitic tendrils—snaked through and dominated the bulk of the soul.
At the very front of the observation window, three figures materialized out of thin air.
The An family duo and the Dragon Tongue hunter stepped closer, eyes wide as they scrutinized the sight.
Staring hard at those crimson strands, comprehension dawned on them.
"As expected. Everything else was merely secondary trimming. Here lies the true crux."
Aignu sighed softly and set down his instruments.
"The Oath of Wolf Blood."
In that split second, beneath the heavy suppression, the Oath of Wolf Blood entwined around the soul suddenly flared into violent motion, shooting outward like a living serpent.
Aignu snorted coldly. The bizarre entity draped over the table manifested once more, countless limbs shooting out to bind and cage it, yet each strike was dodged by a hair's breadth.
Defying the constraints of the Law of Tianyuan, the crimson light darted across the chamber, instantly latching onto the weakest point in the containment perimeter—
Regrettably for it, standing in that very spot was Ji Jue.
In that hairbreadth instant, the Non-Offensive hand snapped up. Two fingers snapped shut, pinching the tail end of the crimson streak.
The incorporeal spiritus was actually pinned for an imperceptible fraction of a second upon falling between those fingers—and immediately afterward, everyone's combined strength slammed down to shackle it once more.
Escape was impossible.
As if recognizing this reality, the crimson bramble shuddered violently, snapping inch by inch and withering away to nothing.
It had self-destructed, leaving behind only the faintest, negligible trace.
Aignu gave a dark snort, his expression grim.
No one could pin the blame on him. The spiritus architecture of that wisp of wolf blood oath had been so bizarre, its qualitative purity so refined, that even Tianyuan's suppression had proven futile. What else could he have done?
The fact that any sample remained at all was something the Federation ought to thank him for.
After securing the final residue, Aignu turned to look at the stunned Ji Jue, patting him on the shoulder. "You did your best. No need to blame yourself."
"Ah? Oh, right. Understood."
The dazed Ji Jue snapped out of it, wiping away sweat as if still rattled by lingering fear.
Yet as he skillfully wrapped up the procedure, he couldn't help letting his thoughts drift.
Just moments ago, the instant he pinched that wisp of crimson, he had felt Chunjun vibrate faintly. A reflection surfaced within his soul, darting forward with lightning speed to take a quick sip.
A sliver so minuscule it was virtually undetectable.
Yet through that thread of resonance with the wolf blood, he had felt countless wails, curses, and roars, plunging him into the depths of purgatory.
In that fleeting trance, countless visions rushed over him.
Fleeting shadows, impossible to distinguish.
Yet through that resonance and perception, the final image that emerged was a grotesque, monstrous wolf that seemed to fill heaven and earth, sprawling across the vast expanse of Mid-Continent!
Like a rotting carcass, it blanketed the White Nation. Bleached bones jutted upward to form mountain ranges; foul-smelling blood seeped and meandered into rivers; putrid flesh rained down upon the earth…
Vacant pupils reflected a vision of hell.
And then, faintly, they shifted.
Filled with bone-deep malice.
Chapter 614