Chapter 270: A Warm Welcome

The crystalline giant swung its arm back, spraying a blade-like stream of spirit matter and once again knocking aside the greatsword. Out of nowhere, it collapsed, dissolving into an eerie white mist.

Since it was constructed from spirit matter crystals, it could naturally shift freely between solid and intangible states. Physical traps and restraints could not hold it at all.

Ji Jue’s blade came slashing down and struck empty air. His attacks were completely useless. Worse still, the mist formed from that enormous mass of spirit matter writhed as though it were alive. Intense heat and lightning simmered within it until it turned into a storm of pure destruction, hurtling straight at Ji Jue.

There was no helping it. The simulation data and records collected by the Myriad Transformations Tower were simply too comprehensive. Even though this was only a simulated replica, its actions were virtually indistinguishable from Young Master Lou’s. Its reactions and tactics were flawless.

Unfortunately, a replica was still only a replica. There were differences between it and the real person. For example, after witnessing the kind of deranged tricks Ji Jue was capable of, there was absolutely no way Lou Feng would have dared use this move in front of that bastard!

Ji Jue sighed. “You’re too naive.”

BOOM!!!

Another evil creature’s hand emerged from behind Ji Jue, gripping an anchor-style assault gun tightly and pulling the trigger. With a deafening blast, an alloy spike shot from the flames, tore through the air, and plunged into the intangible mist of spirit matter.

Spirit circuits lit up across the spike and spread outward. An eerie glow rippled through the air, causing the dense mist to collapse as the crystalline giant was hurled backward. A massive hole had been punched straight through its chest, and electric arcs and sparks sprayed from the opening. The wound refused to close.

The crystal turned itself into spirit matter when Ji Jue could use Solid Alchemy? How was that any different from stripping naked and climbing onto Ji Jue’s materials processing table of its own accord?!

Well, at least the latter would have gone more peacefully. A momentary mistake had led to an irreversible error, and now it was severely damaged.

Its emergency repair sequence activated. Without hesitation, the crystalline giant tore off a section of its arm and stuffed it into the breach in its chest, using its own body as material to repair the damage. Yet despite such a perfect opportunity, Ji Jue did not rush forward to finish it off. Instead, he shot backward.

[Threat alert!]

The very next moment, a horrifying crater and a web of cracks appeared exactly where he had been standing, as though an invisible hammer weighing ten thousand tons had come crashing down from nowhere.

Was this telekinesis? Or something else?!

As Ji Jue hastily retreated, he suddenly felt his entire body grow heavy, as if some invisible force had bound him in place and was squeezing the breath from his lungs.

It was gravity. The gravity around them had intensified.

Origin!

The ceiling above Ji Jue fell. An immense torrent of earth and stone poured down as a colossal statue forged from shadow descended. Ignoring gravity entirely, it hovered in midair.

In less than half a minute, it had already broken into the workshop. It hadn’t used any passageway at all. Relying entirely on its own mass and control over gravity, it had simply bored its way down from the surface and dropped in from above.

As the shadows shifted, the strange statue revealed its true form. It resembled a figure seated upon a majestic throne, gripping a scepter in one hand, as though it were the center of the earth and the sovereign over all things. Unfortunately, its features were impossible to make out. Only its eyes could be seen, blazing with fierce light as they locked firmly onto the enemy before it.

Simply being watched by those eyes made Ji Jue feel his weight soaring uncontrollably. He could barely keep himself upright. It was as though he were bearing the weight of an entire realm upon his shoulders. Here, before the throne and beneath its shadow, all were subject to its rule!

“Quite the dramatic entrance.” Ji Jue grinned. Between breaths, he said, “Nice chair. Mind leaving it behind so I can have a turn?”

No one answered. The statue raised an arm and pointed the scepter at Ji Jue from across the room.

Alarm bells went off in Ji Jue’s head. His engine roared into overload as he forcibly shifted aside. Less than half a second later, the spot where he had been standing was crushed beneath overwhelming gravity.

It was not difficult to imagine that this thing had probably once served as the core and central control system of some examinee’s workshop. Even after losing all the supporting equipment that should have accompanied it, it still possessed such terrifying power.

The harsh gravity pursued Ji Jue like a shadow before stopping abruptly. Just then, a nearby wall exploded as an artillery shell tore through it.

After punching through several meters of earth, the kinetic armor-piercing shell fired from the other side had already been heated red-hot by friction as it shot straight toward the Throne’s Shadow’s forehead, breaching the warning perimeter.

The statue’s head twisted a full hundred and eighty degrees, and its eyes locked onto the shell as it defied gravity.

The incoming shell suddenly lost its trajectory in midair. It tumbled wildly, spinning out of control before smashing into the ground and embedding itself in the floor. Then it exploded into countless fragments, spreading pale mist everywhere.

The large quantity of mercury packed inside the shell boiled and expanded at Ji Jue’s activation, forming a scorching fog that obscured everything.

From the dense fog and the cacophony of noise, a vicious shadow emerged behind the Throne’s Shadow. Out of nowhere, a scarlet greatsword swept through the air and came crashing down toward that distinctly regal-looking head!

BOOM!

Even though the statue turned around in time, it was too late. Before Ji Jue used an explosive burst from the repulsion field to launch himself out of the crushing gravity, a corner of the crown atop the Throne’s Shadow’s head had already shattered, taking nearly half its skull with it.

A chill prickled his back. The crystalline giant had hurled a spirit matter spear at him. It shot toward Ji Jue in midair, the sections along its rear coming apart to help it reach the ultimate speed. Like a meteor, it came flying at his head.

The armor-piercing inscription on the spearhead blazed brilliantly. Even the broad spine of Ji Jue’s greatsword, raised like a shield, was pierced straight through as the spear drove toward his head. But before it could strike, Ji Jue swung the greatsword to the side, and the spear only managed to carve a deep gash across his faceplate.

With that, Ji Jue crashed back to the ground. Thanks to the support of the evil creature’s arms, he quickly regained his balance.

However, the moment he steadied himself, the sharp thunder of galloping hooves came racing toward him.

Valhalla!

Like a storm charging forward, frost spread wherever Valhall passed. With the call of a war horn, the invader emerged from thin air like a ghost, already almost upon Ji Jue. A blood-wreathed lance thrust forward!

Ji Jue did not even have time to trigger the repulsion field. The bizarre lance was forged from some unknown material. Before it, the hardened corpse-bone steel might as well not have existed at all. The lance pierced straight through with ease. In an instant, the lance punched into the armor and burst out the other side, and blood sprayed out.

After forcing their way through the workshop’s many defensive systems and layers of firepower, the original sixteen Soul-Hunting Knights had been reduced to only seven, yet as the other units were damaged and “killed,” the spirit matter fluctuations emanating from the remaining Valhalla units only grew stronger.

These Soul-Hunting Knights were constructs centered around runes and soulstones, formed by absorbing the savage, ravenous souls of large numbers of aberrants. At their core, they were simply tools designed to guard workshops and protect craftsmen. Aside from the soulstones hidden beneath their armor, they had no real vital points to speak of.

Even if they were damaged beyond repair, the other Soul-Hunting Knights could simply absorb and assimilate them. The more of them that died, the more savage and crazed the survivors became.

Ji Jue glanced back coldly. Savage? You think you’re more fucking savage than me?!

An agonized shriek cut through the air. The layered armor across his back opened like an enormous maw, revealing the living, flesh-like structure beneath. Scarlet mercury gushed out like a waterfall, engulfing Valhalla, rider and mount alike.

A cacophony of grinding noises followed, similar to chewing. Beneath the writhing crimson mass, shattered blades and twisted pieces of armor were casually spat out like gnawed bones. When they hit the ground, they broke.

In the distance, another spear hurled by the crystalline giant was intercepted and shattered by a sword wielded in one of the evil creature’s hands. The anchor-style assault gun resumed its suppressive fire as shot after shot thundered without pause.

Around the Throne’s Shadow, the surrounding vortex expanded. Its scepter pointed forward, unleashing the gravitational torrent it had been gathering for some time.

Even while surrounded by the Valhallas, Ji Jue couldn’t be bothered to look back. One of the evil creature’s hands moved casually, wrenching a box-like metallic structure free from his armor, then hurling it through the air.

With a loud crack, the metal box collided head-on with the invisible torrent of gravity and crumpled, compressing almost flatly. It was one of the spirit matter batteries Ji Jue had nearly squeezed completely dry! Now, it received its final command. Self-destruct!

Thick, blood-red fluid burst from the collapsing battery, followed by aberrant soul crystals so dense they were almost solid. A black-and-crimson shockwave swept like a raging storm.

Through the corrosive contamination, Ji Jue charged forward. He caught the fresh battery pack tossed over by a mercury hand, slotted it into place, and restored his power supply. At the same time, he also seized another Valhalla that had charged to the front and smashed it into the ground, stomping it with his foot.

The metal shrieked as it twisted. The armor cracked and collapsed in on itself, while the rune-covered soulstone hidden beneath its layers of protection was crushed to pieces with overwhelming force.

Savage spirit matter streamed out like a tide of blood. Before the other Valhalla units could absorb it, the ravenous armor devoured every last trace.

“Whew! Now that was exhilarating.”

In the brief silence that followed, Ji Jue looked around. The crystalline giant had already reconstructed itself, the Throne’s Shadow hovered high above, and the Soul-Hunting Knights had completely surrounded him.

He couldn’t help but chuckle. As he felt that long-forgotten pain once more, an indescribable thrill and exhilaration rose within him.

“May I ask if everyone has arrived?” he asked softly, but no one answered.

After the brief sluggishness caused by aberration contamination wore off, the crystalline giant, the Throne’s Shadow, and the berserk Valhalla units launched another ferocious assault, their attacks even fiercer than before.

Unfortunately, there was no time for a warm and cheerful opening speech to welcome the guests who had come from afar, but that was fine. Since everyone was here, it was time to get ready.

Mm. It seems like everyone is very enthusiastic. May the feast begin!

Ji Jue raised his hand and clenched his fingers into a fist, releasing the final restraint.

BOOM!

At his command, the ceilings above the corridors, halls, and even the entire floor shattered at once. Every light went out as an endless torrent of crimson poured from the massive pipes overhead.

A deluge of blood rained from above, swallowing everything whole.