Buying the Case and Returning the Pearl

After thoroughly studying the introductory and core theories from beginning to end, Ji Jue finally grasped the essence and defining traits of the Haze legacy. Even as he marveled with sighing admiration, he could not help but feel a twinge of regret. The endless permutations he had witnessed with his own eyes—a single object undergoing wild, rapid transformations, completely plug-and-play—were destined to remain strictly within the confines of the workshop. Once stripped of that specialized environment, they could not be utilized. And the real reason Haze could shift endlessly between 'All' and 'One'—its true forte—lay in Deconstruction! What they excelled at most was breaking down, analyzing, processing, and reconstructing complete structures according to their own objectives. Turning an integrated whole into countless parts with distinct functions. This methodology, even applied to the most commonplace spiritus framework, could impart boundless adaptability. For instance, the Heavenly Circuit framework used by Master Zhou when forging Tong Shan's sword, Huihao, had no fewer than a dozen variations in this legacy. Every single one could be adapted to the local conditions—added to, subtracted from, or replaced at will according to the materials and requirements, or even fused seamlessly with other frameworks. Take the Three-Phase Knot alone, the introductory structure apprentices learned and the very one Ji Jue used when crafting his first Blessed Creation—Haze had taken it to sheer creative excess. From it stemmed three layers, six layers, eight layers, Five-Phenomena Locks, interlocking clasps... Just skimming through them made his vision go dark. It felt like topology, shifting back and forth, twisting this way and that until his head spun and ached. No wonder passing down the legacy was so difficult: the sheer volume of formulas one had to master was absurd! So numerous as to be uncountable, vast as an ocean. On top of that, stacking one formula over another spawned yet more formulas and variants. There was simply no end to learning them! Yet the ultimate realm the Haze legacy sought to attain was having no formulas, possessing no fixed form. Indeed—after studying all these countless formulas, one was meant to discard them all in the end! They were merely crutches meant to help apprentices and craftsmen find their footing... Within the workshop, the endless variations squeezed out of a single structure were, to Berzuna, nothing more than the basics, barely worth mentioning! The true Haze legacy meant adapting to the situation, shifting with the moment, altering according to current circumstances—a targeted synthesis of everything one had learned in the past to produce the optimal, best-fitting solution for a given purpose! Sadly, it was difficult. Far too difficult. The conceptual standard was pitched far too high. So high that even Masters couldn't achieve it; likely only someone at the Grandmaster level could truly pull it off. In a sense, one could say it pointed straight toward the realm of Grandmasters. So long as you had the talent, anything was possible. No wonder they failed at Integration... Not because their grasp of Integration was weak, but because they had pushed it to an extreme, building up a foundation so dense and unwieldy that ordinary people had no hope of mastering it. Too much accumulation, too much research, stacked brick by brick across generation after generation, until it became so convoluted that the craftsmen themselves couldn't untangle it. The sheer number of variations across different plans was staggering. Just look at the permutations branching out from those myriad formulas—you tell me how to integrate all that! Who on earth could pull that off? After sinking so much energy and research into it, being able to barely piece things together into a coherent whole was already a miracle! The essence was inextricably tangled in the dross; there was no way to change it even if one wanted to. Precisely because of this, under these conditions, Haze Workshop's greatest competitive edge over its peers was customization! Any need, any budget, any configuration, any condition... "Just name your requirements; leave the rest to me!" And the final solution was, in the absolute sense, high quality at a low cost. If you could find a quote cheaper than mine for the same specifications and order, I'd concede defeat! "Frugal. It's so cheap, so insanely thrifty." Flipping through Haze's accumulated formulas and the records left behind by the Spirit of Creation, Ji Jue stood dumbfounded, tears of awe practically welling in his eyes. How could such a cost-saving technique exist in this world? It was practically the gospel for scavengers, the savior of broke bastards... This methodology of adapting to local conditions and shifting with circumstances alone made countless inspirations bubble up in his head—ideas on how to cut corners and pinch pennies while still guaranteeing quality and output. In his view, the biggest problem hamstringing Haze's development was also its greatest strength: it was so complex that getting the hang of it was brutally hard! Never mind others; even Ji Jue struggled to grasp the core priorities after looking through it, unable to find anywhere to cut corners, forced to simply grind away the hours. To enter the door, memorize formulas first. Memorize ten thousand, then another ten thousand. And you couldn't just memorize them by rote; you had to know how to apply them and vary them. Yet in the end, once you stepped outside this system, all that memorization and variation were virtually useless. Studying like this, nine out of ten apprentices would go mad, and the tenth wouldn't be far behind. Those capable of getting their foot in the door had to be craftsmen at the very least—but what craftsman would turn back to learn this tedious grind? Unless one was a genius, who could master it in one go? And if someone truly was a one-in-ten-thousand genius, why waste time on such thankless drudgery? It was far too selective with its practitioners. Fortunately, he wasn't the one learning it. Ji Jue set down the records in his hand and turned back to ask, "Isis, how is the research going?" "The project has been initiated. Input and analysis are complete, and brute-force decryption is currently underway—" A projection gleaming like starlight replied, "Initial adaptation and revision of all formulas based on Fluid Alchemy: current progress—six percent." "In just one day?" Ji Jue was stunned for a moment. "That fast?" In a single day, six percent of the sea of formulas in the Haze legacy had been converted? "Unfortunately, sir, the reason it is six percent is because out of all the formulas, only six percent possess the viability for direct adaptation and transplanted utilization." Isis gave a sigh. "According to my analysis, among the remaining ninety-four percent, we might identify around seven percent that can be directly transplanted after preliminary modifications. As for the rest, unless we revise the underlying framework of Fluid Alchemy, further matching will be impossible. "The projected final yield is roughly between twelve and fifteen percent. As for whatever remains, we will likely have to research and develop it ourselves." "That's plenty." Ji Jue took a deep breath and let it out slowly, a heavy weight lifting from his chest. "Even if it were only five percent, that would be more than enough to develop our own formulas on the foundation of Haze's legacy." He could scarcely contain the joy and excitement surging within him. His gamble had paid off! He had won big! He hadn't gambled on Haze's legacy and Fluid Alchemy being a match made in heaven; he had gambled on what this legacy could add to Isis and the Lord of the Flies! Hence, sparing no expense. Hence, buying the case and returning the pearl! The pinnacle of the Haze legacy—discarding all formulas—Ji Jue didn't spare it a glance, never even entertaining the thought. What he wanted were precisely these established formulas that allowed spiritus structures to be pieced together, fused, and still remain functional! The more formulas, the better! The more, the merrier! The more complex, the better! What was considered the greatest flaw and burden within the Haze legacy was, in Isis's hands, a reservoir of infinite potential... To Isis, this was an unprecedented goldmine, worthy of expending every scrap of spiritus and computing power to excavate and tap. In fact, Ji Jue barely needed to lift a finger—under Isis's command, the Lord of the Flies was already standing at the starting line Haze had dreamed of, perhaps even past the finish line! United as one, then divided into parts! Didn't the permutations of Haze lie precisely in this dance of gathering and dispersing? No redundant effort was needed. The Lord of the Flies under Isis's dominion was already complete in itself, born as an integrated whole, naturally a single entity unified from countless spiritualities. All she needed was to find the formulas best suited to them, and countless painstaking steps could be bypassed, unleashing the full potential of the Lord of the Flies in an instant! Just imagine: countless ordinary, scattered mechanical creations combining instantly under Isis's control, transforming according to the needs of the moment into colossal industrial megastructures or war machines... And genuine alchemical creations at that—even Blessed Creations! Different Blessings could even form brand-new chains on the fly to suit any situation! Ji Jue was practically drooling at the thought. He was grinning so wide he couldn't close his mouth! Dammit, this was how the Haze legacy was meant to be used! This was the missing, and most crucial, puzzle piece in the engineering alchemy he envisioned! Even if such a vision was still far off, right now Ji Jue could collaborate with Isis to identify the formulas with the highest versatility for himself, pre-fabricating them as 'components.' When the time came, he could assemble them on the fly based on circumstances, then use Non-Offensive's Barehanded Transmutation to achieve complete integration. Single-use Blessed Creations, dismantled for recycling after use. The scope of threats he could handle and the range of functions he could deploy would leap up several tiers out of nowhere! How could prefabricated creations not count as creations? As for counters from arts like the Dissociation Art... Hahahaha, you mean you want to compete in Dissociation Art against someone hailing from Chaosheng? Then it's a deal: the loser becomes crafting material, and nobody gets to run away! "Now, only one problem remains." Sitting at the pinnacle of the metal tower, Ji Jue looked down upon the bustling sights of Punabantu. "When will we be able to complete the conversion of theory and begin phased implementation?" "Conversion and utilization of the initial theories can be completed within a month. However, for future directions, the Haze legacy will be of limited assistance; we will need to develop them ourselves. The first phase of implementation is estimated to take one to two months..." In the span of a finger-snap, Isis finished her calculations and cast a detached glance toward her creator. "Assuming, that is, that you do not slap your forehead in a sudden burst of inspiration and decide to pursue some new project, sir." As a tool and the spirit of the workshop, Isis had long come to a profound realization: in the absence of trouble, her creator was likely the biggest trouble of all... "Ah, well..." Ji Jue hesitated, words sticking in his throat as he blinked innocently at her. Then, he gave a sheepish grin. "How should I put this... Well, you see... I suddenly feel like Project Juque could maybe, perhaps, possibly... be optimized a bit?" After a small cough, his gaze drifted evasively. "I mean, the scrap-it-all-and-start-from-scratch kind of optimization." "Sir..." "Yes?" "Could I please ask you to drop dead?" "What about Project Juque...?" "It can drop dead too!"