Deep within the pitch-black underground city, Anbaixiu was casting World Weaving.
Only this time, there was no wealthy dupe to supply him with vast reserves of magic power, leaving Anbaixiu no choice but to burn through the gold within the Golden Throne.
He truly spared no expense, but to remodel this underground city as swiftly as possible, he had no other option.
The world turned into a canvas upon which Anbaixiu could daub at will, reshaping reality into whatever he desired.
"First, let's dig this entire city out."
Anbaixiu's fingers traced patterns in midair. Sand and stone that had rested undisturbed for untold ages began to loosen. Where dozens of pickaxe swings would normally have chipped away mere scraps, the rock now slipped away like flowing water, funneled into the vacant buildings.
As Anbaixiu spread his senses, the buried city began to reveal its original form.
Just as he had previously assessed, it was a colossal metropolis laid out in the shape of a five-pointed star. Its total area roughly matched that of the main city of the City of Alchemy, ample enough to house over a hundred thousand people... though considering that the original inhabitants were giants, it likely accommodated fewer than ten thousand.
To Anbaixiu's delight, gold was abundant throughout the uncovered districts.
The giants truly had a passion for gold. At the city's very center stood a statue cast entirely of solid gold.
Unfortunately, after being crushed under sand and stone for centuries, its original features were worn beyond recognition, leaving behind only a rough humanoid outline.
By Anbaixiu's rough estimation, the gold uncovered here was worth well over a hundred million gold coins.
"No wonder dwarves strike it rich by digging up tombs. If any random subterranean city holds this much gold, how much have they amassed after all these centuries of digging?"
Anbaixiu suddenly felt an urge to stroll through the dwarven royal vaults. Perhaps that would bring him true fulfillment in life.
Excavating the sand was only the first step. Next, he needed to breathe life back into the city.
"First, it needs a proper ventilation system."
Under Anbaixiu's direction, two ceaseless currents of air stirred in the skies above the city, rapidly purifying the stagnant air.
"Next, I need a source of clean water."
Clear water welled up from the central square, swelling into a magnificent fountain. Pristine water cascaded outwards, washing away the dust and grime until the city seemed reborn.
Standing beside Anbaixiu, Harvey looked upon the scene in awe. "This is like creating a world. Teacher, is this the power of a god?"
He had never even heard of World Weaving. Seeing such a spectacle with his own eyes, how was this any different from divine power?
Could a mere legend wield power like this?
Anbaixiu shook his head. "Far from it compared to a true deity. Did you think this water came from nothing? This spell simply followed my intent, tapping into an underground water source and channeling it into the city. The currents of wind are the same. Haven't you noticed the shift in temperature? Underground magma flows in a clever course along the city's outer perimeter, creating a temperature differential in the southwest corner that generates this draft.
"World Weaving cannot create something from nothing; it can only reshape the environment. But a true deity can alter the very laws of the world."
The Golden Desert had been shaped the same way—merely tweaking the atmosphere to alter the refraction of sunlight. The Orc Mountains were no different; the eternal storm clouds had merely taken potential thunderstorms and made them perpetual.
Speaking of which, Anbaixiu recalled the blessing Catherine had received—complete immunity to harm under the moonlight. That sort of conceptual invincibility was what it truly meant to rewrite the laws of the world.
Harvey understood Anbaixiu's words, yet he still muttered, "Even so, it still looks like divine power to me."
No matter how talented Harvey was, he had spent his years wandering among the lowest rungs of society, unable even to withstand Hastings's fists.
Anbaixiu said to his sheltered apprentice, "As my student, you need to broaden your horizons. With your talent, reaching the realm of legends won't be difficult. Wait until then before judging what makes a god."
Harvey looked forward to such a future, but having died once already, he didn't leap with childish joy.
"Teacher, why are you remodeling the underground city like this? The undead don't need air, nor do they need water."
Harvey didn't ask whether Anbaixiu was remodeling it for his living student's sake. He knew very well that if he merely needed water, Anbaixiu would make him dig his own well rather than burn so much gold to conjure a pristine fountain.
Anbaixiu explained, "Because I plan to convert this place into an alchemy factory. Ventilation and clean water are absolute necessities."
"An alchemy factory?"
"Yes. I need to make money—not petty sums like winning a few tens of thousands of gold coins in a casino, but hundreds of millions. With the destruction of the City of Alchemy, alchemy products across the entire continent have taken a massive hit. Even if everyone now claims alchemy leads to ruin, they cannot live without alchemical potions. Demand will outstrip supply in no time. This is a prime opportunity to make a fortune."
It was easy to move from thrift to extravagance, but hard to turn back. Alchemy was already inextricably woven into the fabric of the world. Now, the fall of the City of Alchemy had wiped out the vast majority of high-ranking alchemists, while the survivors were hunted like rats in the street. Virtually no one else possessed an entire underground city ready to be repurposed into an alchemy factory.
Profits were guaranteed, but Anbaixiu kept another motive to himself.
He wanted to revitalize alchemy so his teacher could recover some of his power.
As more deities became entangled in mortal affairs, the future grew increasingly turbulent. The only true trump card Anbaixiu could put forward was that unreliable teacher of his.
Unfortunately, the God of Alchemy had dwindled into a lesser deity. When the time came, he might not even be able to shield Anbaixiu from a blade.
With no alternatives, Anbaixiu had to find a way to make alchemy an indispensable, absolute productive force once again.
It was no simple task, but he already had a few ideas.
Yet to realize this plan, he first had to finish building his alchemy factory.
He needed labor—not the low-tier undead that constantly leaked dark energy and corroded everything they touched. Those creatures could only brew reagents for necromancy, not potions meant for living consumers. When set to farming, the undead produced nothing but rotting trash.
At present, he had only three hands available:
The brothers Hastings and Hares, plus Harvey.
For now, that would suffice, as the initial work required little technical skill.
Anbaixiu pulled out a scroll of blueprints and handed it to Harvey.
"These are the most advanced alchemy factory designs retrieved from the archives of the City of Alchemy. Study them carefully, then adapt them to this city. I don't expect you to grasp everything, but at the very least, rezone every district according to these specifications."
Harvey took the scroll and unrolled it, only to find dense clusters of esoteric symbols and a dizzying web of drafting lines. He had never seen anything so complex in his life.
"Teacher, I've never touched alchemy before," Harvey said sheepishly.
"Use your head. You're a wizard who lives by his wits, and a divination wizard at that. Trust your intuition; give it a little time and you'll figure it out. When I first studied alchemy, I couldn't even read, yet I still learned it."
Remembering his early days after crossing over, Anbaixiu had been far worse off than Harvey, without any of these advantages.
"Then what will you be doing, Teacher?" Harvey asked.
"Procurement, of course," Anbaixiu replied. "Do you think the few of us could craft all the alchemical machinery by hand? Forging a single mana refining furnace would take years. Naturally, we have to go buy them."
Harvey thought to himself that 'buying' might very well mean not paying a single copper.
When it came to money, his teacher was capable of anything.
"Keep an eye on things while I'm away. Hastings and Hares love to slack off, so watch them closely."
Having given his instructions, Anbaixiu shifted into the guise of a black-haired youth and flew out of his underground city.
Harvey could only look down helplessly at the blueprints in his hands and attempt to decipher their contents.
Leaving the underground city behind, Anbaixiu did not head toward the surface. Instead, he took a turn through a narrow subterranean tunnel, arriving inside a different underground city.
As he neared the towering gates, the eyes of two gargoyles perched in the corners flared with red light. The massive stone beasts spread their wings, baring fangs and claws at him.
Then, a pale-faced dwarf emerged from the shadows.
"Young man, this is no place for you. But you've lost your way at the perfect time. It's been quite a while since I last tasted the blood of youth. Allow me to—"
Before the dwarven vampire could finish, a beam of red light struck him, freezing him in place.
A few minutes later, Heji Stone appeared at the gate.
He still possessed the same blocky, square build, floating half a foot off the ground to present himself half a head taller than Anbaixiu.
"Heh, my old friend! What brings you here so suddenly without letting me know in advance?" Heji Stone waved his hand, dispelling the Hold Person spell on his subordinate.
Lacking all tact, the vampire scurried back into the shadows, not daring to cast another glance at Anbaixiu.
"Your lackey is rather insolent. He wounded my pride, old friend," Anbaixiu said with utter gravity.
Seeing that no outsiders remained, Heji Stone dropped his smile and said coolly, "Is your pride made of tissue paper? Ripped the moment it's touched? Enough with the act—there's no one else here. What did you come for?!"
"Fine. Since you don't care for pleasantries, I won't waste words. I need to order a batch of specialized alchemy equipment. Do you have the connections?" Anbaixiu asked.
Heji Stone frowned with curiosity. "Specialized alchemy equipment? How specialized?"
"Here's the list." Anbaixiu handed over a lengthy parchment.
After reading it through, Heji Stone shook his head. "My friend, these items are extraordinarily rare. At best, I could track down half of them, and they'll cost a fortune."
Anbaixiu sneered. "I'm a lich, not a vampire. Who are you trying to fool? The City of Alchemy is gone, leaving scores of alchemy workshops bankrupt. There should be heaps of equipment waiting for a buyer, and you're telling me it's expensive?"
Heji Stone grimaced. This lich was sharper than a vampire; swindling him was practically impossible.
Left with no choice, Heji Stone said, "Seventy percent of market value. But as for the mana refining furnace, I really can't get that. You should know those things can't easily be moved. Dismantling one takes trained specialists, and those bankrupt factories couldn't afford the labor. Most of them are simply left behind until the furnace cracks and goes to scrap."
Anbaixiu chuckled. "Seventy percent? If it's a copper over fifty percent, forget it. As for the furnace, I'll find my own way."
Heji Stone's face darkened even further. The lich's counteroffer cut dangerously close to his bottom line; at that rate, there was barely any profit to be made.
Just as he was about to refuse, Anbaixiu added, "I intend to build a new City of Alchemy. When the time comes, I'll grant you priority on distribution rights. What do you say?"
Chapter 233