Chapter 241.2: Craftsman, Craftsman, and Craftsman Part 2

Light surged across the Pacifier matrix as endless possibilities unfolded within it! All things that flourished were shaped by these hands, and everything in the world was wrought by ten fingers.

Pacifier was limited to whatever was within Ji Jue’s reach, but within that range, its possibilities were endless. Used properly, it was capable of almost anything. And now, after Pacifier had been elevated far beyond its former limits and combined with Skyrail’s Total Network Control, that terrifying effect could be extended to everything Ji Jue was capable of perceiving.

The authority granted by Total Network Control was vast to a terrifying degree. In theory, every movement and change within its domain fell under Ji Jue’s control.

With his limited skills, there was no way he could wield its full power, but if all he wanted to do was use it on a small scale, say, redirect the damage and injuries somewhere else, that was ridiculously easy.

Sorry, you might not have turned on any cheats, but I certainly had!

Right before Jian Yuan’s eyes, Ji Jue slowly raised his outstretched hands. Under Pacifier’s glow, his fingers curled then straightened, and even that simple gesture seemed to carry a wondrous power.

Reflected in Jian Yuan’s jade-green eyes were two perfectly straight middle fingers. Ji Jue smiled, bowed slightly, and bade him a “courteous” farewell. “Goodbye, motherfucker!”

As plumes of smoke rose behind him, the savage outline of a colossal structure emerged. Like an enormous beast of steel, it opened its jaws wide, seemingly swallowing Ji Jue whole.

Then, it unleashed a storm. A distant, whale-like song resounded throughout the deathly silent world, reaching every corner. As the tempest surged, the colossal machine once known as the Doomsday Express soared into the sky.

For a moment, the entire world seemed to stop. It looked as if a star forged from iron had defied gravity and soared into the heavens.The moment it rose, even the axis of the world seemed to shift with it.

The clouds overhead burned crimson under the flames, then split down the middle as something smashed a hole straight through them, shattering the dark canopy above. The endless black rain scattered before vanishing in the vast blaze, unable to come anywhere near it.

Brilliant light broke through the gloom of the mortal world, spilling down in a dreamlike glow as massive as a building and as imposing as a temple.

Like a great ship setting sail, a divine being charged through every obstacle in its path. The moment It[1] rose, everything below was swallowed by Its radiance. Invisible wings seemed to spread wide, casting their shadow over all things beneath It.

For one brief instance, It seemed almost weightless. It broke free from the mortal world, gravity, and every other insignificant restraint, rising high above the heavens and climbing higher and higher.

At last, Its new form was revealed. Surrounded by eternal flames was a solemn, menacing airship, its dazzling brilliance searing the eyes of countless observers.

Far away in the darkness, after a brief silence, someone sighed in wonder. “It’s been more than two hundred years... Been a long time, Skyrail.”

No answer came. Only a relentless series of sharp snaps and fractures could be heard in the world. Dragged and wrenched by the engine, the artificial Skyrail nodes spread throughout Spring City and across Haizhou, shattering and tearing free from their original positions.

As the Doomsday Express rose into the air, the originally invisible network seemed to be pulled taut by an unseen hand. It was yanked hard, as though the engine meant to rip every node out by the roots. The connections that had bound those nodes so tightly together in the first place had been put there by Jian Yuan himself.

With deafening crashes, cracks spread across the projection of the Maelstrom high in the sky. The massive wounds crisscrossing it could no longer be sustained and slowly began to close.

Deep, irreparable cracks spread across the pillars formed by the many Upper Abominations. Everything that had once seemed as solid as a mountain was now collapsing without hope for recovery.

The unfamiliar cockpit was riddled with fractures and damage, and sparks flew from its shattered panels. Ji Jue stood before the enormous window and looked down upon the world below, extending his hand once more. Completely ignoring how furious Jian Yuan was, he began tearing apart everything the Master Craftsman had rebuilt.

Killing Jian Yuan would be difficult. Even with Skyrail’s Total Network Control, Ji Jue still couldn’t prevent the old man from escaping. If he dragged the fight out, he would most likely accomplish nothing but waste precious time.

But making Jian Yuan lose? That was far too easy. All he had to do was smash everything before him to pieces!

Destruction, ruin, despair, and death—aren’t these the exact things you want me to embrace and accept? Now, I’ll give them all to you. I can’t wait to see how delighted you’ll be!

The roar of machinery resembled an enraged beast. On the ground below, the enormous workshop that towered like a Celestial Pillar shook violently as it underwent changes. Numerous black chains rose into the air like a reverse torrential downpour and swept toward Skyrail. In a flash, they coiled around it in layers, briefly halting its ascent.

“Dream on!”

Jian Yuan remained impassive. As countless spirit circuits shifted and rearranged themselves, the workshop gradually transformed, sinking its roots deeper into the network beneath Spring City and stabilizing everything that was coming apart. He would not allow reality to slip out of his control.

If some fool believed he could contend with Jian Yuan merely by relying on Skyrail, a two-hundred-year-old piece of machinery, then it was time for that fool to learn his lesson!

Pillars of blazing light shot from beyond Spring City. From every direction, towers appeared out of nowhere, rising until they completely surrounded the city. Their reach extended upward to the Laws of Origin and downward into the darkness of Ninefold Earth. And with them came a surge of force that crashed head-on into Jian Yuan’s defenses.

But that wasn’t all. Using the same specifications and frequency, they connected directly to the massive structure Jian Yuan had built and began working backward through it, infiltrating and analyzing it from within.

“We finally made it.” Kong Qingyan collapsed onto the ground, drenched in sweat and barely able to stand up again.

After days of work and the Association’s all-out support, the containment measures were finally in place. In addition to every master present, more than ten other masters from across the land were providing remote support through the Association’s relay network, helping to share the burden.

The fight between the Association and the Depths was on.

Even Jian Yuan showed a trace of surprise. Those useless fools had actually found the courage to show up now?

Of all times...

A reflective voice came from behind him, offering both mockery and advice. “Human strength has its limits. Sometimes, you can’t keep trying to have the best of both worlds. You have to learn when to let go. Otherwise, you’ll end up with neither.”

A perfectly straight fissure that resembled a sword wound suddenly spread through the air. Through some unknown method, it bypassed the workshop’s outer defenses, opened a passage, and reached Jian Yuan directly. As the fissure parted to either side, it revealed a thin figure standing with his hands clasped behind his back.

Jian Yuan slowly turned around and stared expressionlessly at the unfamiliar face. There wasn’t the slightest trace of warmth or gentleness in his gaze. He seemed perpetually indifferent, as though he were constantly judging the worth of whatever stood before him. His contempt was clear and straightforward, perfectly embodying the nature of a craftsman without the slightest hint of pretense.

It was strangely refreshing to behold.

The newcomer waved a hand and closed the fissure behind her before approaching. “Being freed from a burden may not necessarily be a bad thing. Now that you finally have your hands free, Master Craftsman, perhaps you could offer a few pointers to a junior?”

“Ye Xian?” Though Jian Yuan had never met her before, the moment she arrived—more precisely, the moment he saw that gaze—realization dawned on him. Who else but that damned woman could have taught someone so uncompromising?

Ye Xian nodded. “I haven’t had the chance to thank you. You’ve taken such good care of my student.”

Jian Yuan remained impassive. “You don’t have to thank me. He’s a rare talent, a truly exceptional one. I, too, would hate to see such potential wasted.”

Even if he was hopelessly unteachable.

“And that is precisely the problem, Master Craftsman.” Ye Xian sighed. “He’s certainly a rare talent, but he’s my talent. What does he have to do with you?”

Sparks flew through the air as blades crossed. There had been no warning, yet both had moved in perfect accord. In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged a move!

Three sword blades materialized from thin air, crossing one another. One was heavy and imposing, very much like a mountain. This one belonged to Jian Yuan, while the other two belonged to Ye Xian. One was black as ink and seemed to extend without end, while the other was clear as light, its form almost illusory. Black and white intertwined and flowed, their forms flickering between solidity and illusion.

Flames smoldered in Jian Yuan’s eyes. “A sword? You’re showing me a sword?”

“I heard that even now, throughout the Thousand Islands, the name Jian Yuan still represents the pinnacle of swordcraft.” Ye Xian casually flicked her fingers. The two sword blades that had materialized spun around her, revealing their deadly edges. “But in my opinion, having too much miscellaneous clutter only gets troublesome. Two swords are more than enough. If you disagree, Master Craftsman, perhaps you could show me what you’re capable of.”

With a casual sweep of her hand, Ye Xian tossed out the Devil’s Work Ball. It hovered in midair as it split apart layer by layer. A vast quantity of spirit matter structures unfolded from their compressed state, extending outward. They reached all the way back into Jian Yuan’s workshop, establishing a connection with it.

Radiant light surged forth, forming a vast, translucent sanctuary around them. A temporary workshop unlike anything Ji Jue had ever seen took shape before his eyes!

Sequence Override had been activated!

Ye Xian unscrewed the lid of the thermos in her hand and poured out some tea. Once the last of the bitter, richly brewed tea had poured out, what spilled instead was an endless stream of dreamlike mist and flickering light. The Omen Beasts broke free from their cages, while shadows and flashes of light spread like viscous fluid, taking the shape of grotesque silhouettes.

Then, as the workshop’s outer shell fell away, a Celestial Being matrix rose from the black blade. The sacred artifact matrix, Gan Jiang, had manifested!

And from the pure-white blade flowing beside her, a second Celestial Being matrix emerged. It was the other sacred artifact matrix, Mo Ye!

The two intricate and magnificent matrices extended before overlapping with one another. Instead of clashing, they burst with a majestic radiance far beyond anything an ordinary person could imagine, embodying both separation and fusion, both repulsion and attraction.

Gan Jiang and Mo Ye had always been one. It was simply that few opponents had ever been worthy of seeing their true forms. Never before had there been a craftsman worthy of Ye Xian going to such lengths.

The craftsman drew her swords and offered her enemy one final greeting. “I’m Ye Xian of Tidesound Workshop! Master Craftsman, please enlighten me!”

1. Please note that the divine pronoun 祂 is used here. ☜