In an instant, the massive, silent furnace seemed to turn into a tentacled monster. Flames shot out, dragging the terrified Horsey inside. The scooter was nowhere to be seen afterward, and all that could be heard from across the furnace was a continuous beeping.

An Ran was also shocked. Instinctively, he wanted to shout, Mr. Ji, this is bad! Master Horsey is being eaten by a furnace monster!

But Ji Jue remained calm. Through the mechanical communion and perception, he could sense and control every operation within the furnace. No, it was almost as if he were controlling it himself.

The furnace had taken the initiative.

This furnace, having endured countless years and forged innumerable blessings and Supreme Benevolence emblems, now, defying the flow of its energy, had pulled Ji Jue into its control.

It was like it was grabbing his hand, pressing his palm onto the controls and the workbench, and guiding him step by step. It was hurried and direct, yet insistent, wanting him to remember.

Ruins, Ascension, Ember...

The spirit matter originating from Ji Jue flowed within the furnace, splitting into nine streams, triggering a chain reaction under the influence of the three Supreme Benevolence emblems. One transformation followed another, and then, according to some inexplicable order, they fused together, producing a silver-white phantasmal light Ji Jue had never seen before, fully merging into the massive body of Horsey.

Then, an unprecedentedly loud trumpet-like sound erupted from the furnace. Though muffled by the heavy barriers, it was still audible.

Yet, in Ji Jue’s perception, Horsey’s form seemed to melt, rapidly losing its original shape. Stunned, he wanted to stop, but the furnace forcibly pulled him along, urging him onward, signaling that the true focus was yet to come.

As if dissolving, the enormous body of Horsey instantly condensed into a single mass. Defying gravity, it floated above the flames. And then... thick black smoke and a huge amount of impurities were violently expelled through the turbulent spirit matter!

In the blink of an eye, the massive clutter and interference that had once baffled even Professor Ye were almost entirely sifted out. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Seven or eight bolts, long broken and rusted, a pile of aged, cracked washers, two bent crankshafts, and even half a hood scraped off some unknown vehicle and two valves—the moment they fell, they were incinerated into smoke and vanished.

Ji Jue was dumbfounded. He inspected Horsey daily, yet he had no idea its belly contained so much chaotic junk.

In the second round of sifting came larger, smoky crystal-like substances, razor-sharp iron shards like bone spurs, and crimson worms that wriggled as if alive. These were the corrupted impurities swallowed along with blessings, and even the dregs of dragon blood!

Like tossing a soaked garment into a spin dryer, irrelevant matter was flung away at incredible speed. Freed from the old physical constraints, the furnace, through operations beyond Ji Jue’s understanding, instantly and completely removed every interference!

Among the four great elements of alchemy, this was the legendary Purification, perfected over four centuries ago.

As the liquefied Horsey expanded and extended, reading its physical properties and past imprints to restore its original form, even Ji Jue, as clueless as he felt, could now guess what the furnace was hand-guiding him to practice and comprehend.

It was the exclusive, secret technique of the sage Mercury, Fluid Alchemy!

Even if Ji Jue could understand only a fraction of it, even if he could master only the basic operations, the furnace still revealed, without reserve, the full inheritance belonging solely to the sage.

He even forgot to breathe. He strained to memorize the sensation and movements, trying to grasp more applications, to retain as much information and feeling as possible. But it was too fast; the remaining energy of the furnace and the time they had left were already scarce.

In just under a dozen seconds, the furnace doors reopened. A scorching wind rushed out, and through the drifting smoke, a pink scooter slowly emerged. The dull headlights flickered, still dazed, not knowing what had just happened. Its body had shrunk slightly compared to before, but the spirit fluctuations coursing around it surged like flames, always on the verge of erupting.

Countless spirit circuits were etched into the mechanical framework beneath its shell. Sixteen Supreme Benevolence emblems were scattered across every key corner, and the runic sequences guiding the blessing’s power spread from the engine throughout the body. It had been essentially completely rebuilt.

Even now, compared to other alchemical constructs, it seemed like an empty shell. Apart from the original dragon blood, it contained nothing, but it still left space for Ji Jue to make future modifications and loadings. Everything had even been inscribed using Fluid Alchemy, so that as he continued his research, he could reverse-engineer it.

If the blessing cages connected to the furnace weren’t already emptied, leaving no blessing at all to use, it probably would have filled all the slots in Horsey’s body with the leftover blessings from Mercury.

Beyond that, what was even more striking was the immense transformation after purification.

Ji Jue blinked, then blinked again, eyes wide. It was simply unbelievable. Before going in, it had two wheels, but now it had three?! From a small scooter with pedals, it had become a tricycle?! Its cargo capacity had increased dramatically!

Wait, just what is your evolution tree?

Horsey seemed completely unaffected, as if it had been born this way. It handled the extra wheel with ease, twisting and turning in front of Ji Jue, excitedly beeping.

Fluid Alchemy was the art of breaking the shackles of matter and form, letting external shapes align more closely with their essence. It tended to prioritize the internal over expansion of physical properties, which can create overly strict requirements on material quality. Yet, by adjusting the exterior based on the internal essence of the result, it ensures an absolute success rate. Its potential in purification alone had been pushed to a terrifying degree.

Horsey’s current transformation was merely the dragon blood, after purification, fully digesting the materials Ji Jue fed it, manifesting change on its own.

A weary sigh came from the furnace.“This is Fluid Alchemy. If even a trace of this legacy can be left behind, perhaps my master can find some comfort.”

“...Thank you.” Sensing the lingering, extraordinary insight, Ji Jue came back to his senses and let out a soft sigh. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

That faint, dim flame flickered, trembling, on the brink of extinction.“I did not expect there would be a chance for me to rekindle before being discarded. I am content, with no further wishes. Only... my master’s actions have grown increasingly extreme. She has strayed from the Ember Path, bringing about this end. As a creation, I cannot bear to see the workshop fall into ruin.”

It hesitated. After a self-mocking laugh, it added, “If there is ever another chance... I ask that you show us mercy once again.”

And just like that, the flame went out silently, and it was gone forever. Only a faint, illusory sigh lingered in the wind.

So many years of bygone days... everyone, farewell.

Right before Ji Jue’s eyes, the furnace gave a faint tremor, then collapsed in the breeze, turning into dust. Specks of light emerged, rising and gathering together before they fell into Ji Jue’s hands.

But having witnessed the furnace’s final sacrifice, Ji Jue no longer felt the joy and elation he had just experienced. He didn’t even have time to mourn.

Ignoring the hunger and urgency conveyed from the soul, Ji Jue had no time to fully absorb it. He could only carefully gather it with spirit matter first, ensuring nothing was lost.

Then he sprang into action, swiftly jumping onto the scooter. After making sure An Ran was seated safely, he sped away!

Because if they didn’t run now, it would truly be too late!

Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!

Intense friction roared from the void, like the outer shell of a submarine fracturing in a bottomless abyss.

The devil's work ball’s countdown was nearing its end, and the ghostly light once sustaining the abandoned workshop was quickly fading.

“11. 10. 9. 8—”

Accompanied by the ball’s countdown, Horsey flew over uneven steps, instantly surpassing two hundred miles per hour, which was even more ridiculous than before. It shot down the interior of the clock tower, circling along the tower shaft. In just a few heartbeats, they were back on the ground, leaving behind only three scorched tire marks .

The devil's work ball reassembled in Ji Jue’s hands. A faint light shot out, landing over the portal they had entered, instantly engulfing them and sealing shut again.

The entire clock tower erupted with an unprecedented roar, and heavenly lightning shook the air!

A bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the sky, piercing straight into the clock tower. The purification commands from the defense sequences had brought punishment fiercer than any fire or lightning.

The square quaked. From the top of the tower, cracks spread outward, and countless bricks shattered and flew in all directions. Under the siege of the Homecoming Knights, the already riddled but still fiercely fighting giant suddenly stalled, half-kneeling on the ground. Its power was cut out completely.

The sudden change made everyone pause for a brief moment. Then they became even more vigilant, scanning their surroundings for any sign of abnormal movement, guarding against ambushes.

And it was in that brief glance that Lou Feng finally saw the figure at the corner of the street that made his face flush red in an instant.

“Ji Jue!!!”

Not far from the square, that damn guy had somehow already made it here! And after being spotted, he even tried to turn and run?!

“Holy shit...” On the back of Horsey, Ji Jue, ready to bolt, froze mid-motion. He turned back with difficulty, forcing out an awkward smile. “Ah, Mr. Lou, isn’t it? What a coincidence.”

All the Homecoming Knights lifted their spears in unison, aiming directly at Ji Jue’s face.

“Looks like you can smell chaos from quite a distance,” Lou Feng said coldly. “Running so recklessly close... you wouldn’t be trying to take advantage of this turmoil, would you?”

“Absolutely not. Not even a chance!” Ji Jue shook his head violently, his voice loud with denial.

How could I possibly try to take advantage? I’ve already finished collecting everything! All thanks to you drawing the aggro, Mr. Lou!

Filled with joy and gratitude, he struggled to keep himself from laughing out loud. The more he looked at Lou Feng, the less awkward he felt compared to before.

In fact, the more he stared, the more satisfied he became, as if he was looking at his godson. He had a kind of unnervingly benevolent gaze that made Lou Feng’s whole body prickle.

He stepped back. “Take him—”

Ji Jue raised his hand and widened his eyes, shouting, “Wait, Mr. Lou! As they say, only those of virtue shall possess rare treasures of heaven and earth as well as the sacred relics! How could humble me, a mere insignificant ant, dare to compete with you? It was my mistake for failing to recognize your true merit. How could I ever make the same mistake twice?”

“Ji Jue...” Bewildered, An Ran reached out to tug his clothes, wanting to say, “You’re stepping on my foot,” but Ji Jue waved him off.

Through clenched teeth, Ji Jue forced out his words, as if restraining emotions that were on the verge of bursting free. “Enough! We’re withdrawing! This workshop... we leave it to you, Mr. Lou!”

Having said that, he gave Horsey a kick.

The scooter rolled back a short distance, then retreated a bit more, and after backing off quite a long way in one burst, it suddenly swung around and sped off wildly into the distance.

And just like that, it vanished from sight.

“They ran off?”

Even Silan could hardly believe it. He looked up at the sky, seeing a shooting star rise. He surveyed more than half the town, confirming that Ji Jue and his teammate had already gotten far away.

They had all been prepared to fight another grueling battle. Yet Ji Jue hadn’t even dared to test the waters or confronted them at all?

“Hmph!” Lou Feng snorted coldly. Several times he had wanted to order the Homecoming Knights to capture Ji Jue immediately. But considering that everyone had just fought a fierce battle, and that Master Ye could still have unknown tricks up his sleeve, he ultimately chose the safer course.

Since Ji Jue was smart enough to leave, there was no reason to pursue relentlessly.

But then, suddenly, as he watched the direction in which Ji Jue had gone, a chill ran down Lou Feng’s spine. Wait... how did he know there was a workshop in there...?

Lou Feng turned around, staring at the cracked clock tower. His eyes went wide.

No longer able to proceed methodically or cautiously, he dashed straight in. And then he saw them: the familiar tire tracks in the ashes, etched as if directly onto his heart, sent a sudden chill through him.

As he gasped up the stairs and finally saw the half-fallen door and the workshop ruins, reduced to ashes and total devastation, he could no longer hold himself together, and his vision went black.

A scream of indescribable fury pierced the sky of the rift realm. The scream was incredibly bitter and heart-wrenching.

“Ji Jueeeeeeee!!!”