Chapter 1377 - 1042: Destruction and Blessing

Chapter 1377: Chapter 1042: Destruction and Blessing

Thick black smoke rose to the sky.

After countless tall towers shattered, the rusty tower forest did not welcome clear skies but instead was enveloped in even denser darkness.

The scorching wind, mixed with a pungent odor, roared in the sky, billowing smoke spreading in all directions.

Originally, the Death Skull Village had long become a wasteland.

Now, on the scorched ground, a massive furnace was radiating waves of heat, like a black monster crouching on the earth.

The terrifying flames had been burning for two days and nights.

Countless Steel Flying Birds circled in the air, rising and falling in swarms, dragging ropes to toss materials into the furnace in truckloads.

In the factory composed of gigantic machinery, continuous roaring sounded.

Dog-headed Men wearing gas masks had already become blackened from the smoke; they moved within the smoke, transporting uncooling iron ingots from the assembly line and feeding them into processing equipment at the other end. Soon, finished products spewed from the equipment’s other side, sent down the assembly line conveyor belt to the next processing window.

Smelting, forging, stamping, welding... Those colossal and rough old models had long been completely eliminated from the Current Circumstances, but now found new utility in Hell.

At the end of the assembly line, hundreds of Artificial Humans were busily following Beelzebub’s orders, hurriedly assembling those large-scale equipment.

These Artificial Humans, with curly horns that bleat like sheep, were all Gregory’s reserve tool men.

Undergoing composite smelting with the miracles of the Golden Fleece and the Dragon Tooth Soldier, they possessed considerable adaptability.

Their names were etched on the scrolls woven from wool and gold thread, endowed with the Mystic Ritual during their birth.

Their ephemeral forms, living and dying within a day, were merely carriers; through years of usage and maintenance, they had gained the knowledge and abilities to operate Alchemy Instruments and perform precise operations.

Now, under their manipulation, the originally powerful and imposing Sun Boat had become unrecognizable...

Deconstructed again.

The welded outer armor was completely dismantled, re-fabricated and maintained, while the ship’s body was disassembled by large lifting equipment.

Like a whale being dissected.

Deck structures entirely removed, ship hull cut open, deck overturned, ship frame rearranged, equipment instruments, all neatly categorized and spread out around.

Various different cabin structures faced a new round of adjustments, with all main engines, transmission layers, propulsion structures, auxiliary machinery, and so on all exposed.

"This is too much, boo hoo hoo, too much."

Raymond wiped his tears beside: "The Sun Boat, my Sun Boat."

"Alright, alright, that’s enough now."

The figurehead of the Red Dragon sat beside him, squinting at him: "Free modification and upgrade, I didn’t cry, why are you crying? At worst, we can redo it later."

"I’m crying about that, okay!"

Raymond, snot and tears streaming down, grew increasingly sorrowful: "Thinking about having to modify again after returning, how many loan periods will this take to pay off?

Maybe I’ll be a tool man for another ninety years at least!"

Imagining returning to the life of just sitting in a chair getting bombarded, he was already in despair.

At this moment, accompanied by the crane’s high-pitched alarms, a massive shadow slowly glided across the sky.

A huge dragon bone cloaked in iron light descended from the sky under steel cable guidance, triggering a low rumble.

That was the relic bone of the Dwarf King.

Even the Ruins and Alchemy Fire couldn’t treat this sturdy material, it had strong conductive properties for all disasters and miracles as a precious resource.

The temporary furnace didn’t have the temperature to fully smelt them, but that didn’t hinder its reuse after modification.

Especially after Huai Shi perfectly disassembled all bones.

Through continuous re-forging by Anton and Gregory, it was recombined using re-cast iron.

Internally engraved with the Alchemy Matrix for conduction, then coated with six layers of alloy with different properties for protection, finally forming the Sun Boat’s brand new dragon bone!

Additionally, some nerves and blood vessels were retained per Gregory’s suggestion.

Processed through Alchemy, these materials replaced the original composite cabling, reducing their demand for high-precision chips and instruments, even improving conduction efficiency.

After all, it was once the Dwarf King.

Even after rebirth and descent from a Ruler’s position, its remains still possessed many astonishing qualities.

"This whole body is practically treasure!"

Foster gazed at the furnace location, clicking his tongue, "It’s been burning for two days now, still constantly producing, it’s too burn-resistant isn’t it?"

"It’s the Ruler’s remains, along with four Crowned, containing most life force from the Rusty Tower Forest, no wonder."

Gregory smacked his lips, tasting only lemon flavor.

Too sour.

Who would expect, besides good materials, great tools?

With Saint Germain’s pure Alchemy Fire as medium, along with Helios’s Mystic Ritual, it could extract oil from even a stone.

Such great things, even Great Grandmasters would envy.

The outcome, Huai Shi just used them for steelmaking, bomb manufacturing, and Red Bottle production, he was nearly driven crazy.

Recently he thought about tutoring Huai Shi, but unexpectedly, Huai Shi’s foundations were peculiarly solid.

Once out of Metallography and Source Studies, other areas of talent were practically nonexistent, relying on Hand of Confinement and Casting Art, incredibly imbalanced.

Just advanced application of Transformational Chemistry had Gregory near brain hemorrhage.

Ultimately, he gave up.

Such matters can’t be forced...

While the two were chatting leisurely, a scorching wind rose again amidst the distant roaring.

In the foul-smelling wind, dense smoke churned in the sky, combined with water vapor, and rained down gray-black rain, flowing thickly on the ground.

Hissing like asphalt, sizzling away.

Underneath the vast curtain, Foster smoked and gazed out at the smoke and flames still billowing beyond the rain, contemplating everything they have personally created, and couldn’t help but sigh.

"A man-made Hell and a natural Hell, these two things placed together, you can hardly tell which one is more Hellish."

"They are both Hell; there’s no difference."

Gregory thought for a moment, and replied, "However, at least we can choose one from them."

"A choice between curry-flavored dog shit and dog shit-flavored curry doesn’t seem worth it."

Foster leaned back in the deck chair, covering his face with his hat: "I’ll nap for a while, remember to wake me for dinner... By the way, what’s for dinner?"

"Uh, curry?"

"..."

In the silence, snoring sounded from under the hat.

In the dimness, Huai Shi stood in the muggy greenhouse.

Underground at Evergreen Village, the crude walls embedded with brick stones resembling gray scales overlapped with one another, as if this place was already surrounded and enveloped by the Giant Snake.

On the stones, murals from the Abyss are painted, narrating endless wars, the existence of The Eternal Ring, the deeds of the cruel yet merciful Mother, and the great feats of countless Snake-man warriors...

Temperatures too damp and stuffy for humans were quite comfortable and pleasant for the Snake-men. Standing there, you could faintly hear the faint sounds coming from countless eggs on the ground around.

Under the direction of the Shamans, the pregnant female Snake-men, too, held their hatchlings, quietly standing on the periphery without making any noise.

"As per your request, everything is prepared, Mr. Huai Shi." An elder respectfully reported, "If you need anything else, feel free to command."

"No need, this is enough."

Huai Shi looked around, not demanding more assisting rituals or offerings.

Originally, there should have been more blood and more sacrifices, praying to The Eternal Ring, beseeching it to grant blessings, to enhance the vitality of the hatchlings.

But the Soloist’s blessing doesn’t require so much trouble, Huai Shi’s presence is enough. It doesn’t even conflict with the Snake-men’s transformation ritual, and can actually overlap.

What’s more, he also has the Miracle Imprint·Heavenly Questions in hand.

Though not fully operable, as a ritual medium, nothing is more suitable for the divine nature of the Soloist.

And the only requirement is darkness.

Pure darkness.

No light whatsoever.

Only then can the Shadow Source Matter circulate in the smoothest way.

When Huai Shi took out the Jade Crown, the Ruins spontaneously activated, covering the entire greenhouse.

All light extinguished, but within the pitch black, surprisingly it didn’t evoke fear, instead there was an unsolicited tranquility and peace.

Relaxing involuntarily.

Even the elder subconsciously yawned, feeling drowsy, suddenly waking only to realize, all the clansmen had unknowingly lowered their eyes.

Fallen into a light sleep.

Huai Shi strolled in this darkness, taking a deep breath, clasping his hands, and struck down the first note.

In that moment, the ritual had begun.

In the darkness, echoes surged, countless faint sounds overlapped, forming a slowly dwindling tempo. When Huai Shi struck the drum a second time, new power infused into it, transforming the fading echo once more.

Those subtle and deep sounds overlapped with each other.

Ultimately forming a dreamlike sound, as if unseen souls played the melody, amidst drum and flute sounds, distant and murky humming spread vaguely.

In the darkness, Huai Shi closed his eyes.

Opening to chant along with the melody: "Fall lilies grow thick and wild, beneath the hall emerge and boom, leaves of green among white flowers, their fragrance wraps and follows me. You nurture your son with beauty, yet why are you worrying?"

Autumn lilies and fine leaves, spread throughout the courtyard, green leaves mix with white flowers, fragrance lingering. As people rear their children, why do you worry continuously?

From the Nine Songs, the Soloist Chapter sung by Huai Shi at this moment.

In the reverberation of the chant, he sensed the divine nature within his soul operating autonomously, unexpectedly producing signs of division.

But it was not a collapse-like disintegration, rather a phenomenon natural and spontaneous.

Splitting into two.

Freed from his control, operating in this darkness, like converging into a graceful and noble outline. Then, as countless miraculous points like gentle drops of rain fell, a deep and melodious song emerged from the divine operation, harmonizing with Huai Shi’s song.

As if the real Soloist descended.

"Fall lilies, green and lush, green leaves with violet stems, in the hall of beauties, suddenly alone with you gaze... "

Using lilies to symbolize offspring and descendants, like the departed deity softly gazing from the distant past to the present, bestowing blessing.

Under the oversight of that remote gaze, everything is granted the protection from the Soloist. Joyful at encountering, sorrowful at parting.

The divine nature of Great Priestess and Soloist resonating, bestowing mercy upon Hell.

For a long time, after the song’s echo faded, that tranquil darkness gradually dissipated. Under the faint light’s reflection, those blessed in the greenhouse only then discovered the moist stains at the corners of their eyes.

Unknowingly shedding tears.

The sound of cracking eggshells arose, more and more hatchlings emerged, raising their damp noses, sniffing the humid air.

And the gradually fading lily fragrance.

The chirping sounds were faint.

Full of vitality.