thefictionvixens Chapter 1460 737: Regardless of Success or Failure, Regardless of Consequences
Chapter 1460 737: Regardless of Success or Failure, Regardless of Consequences
As it turns out, Ji Jue's calculations were correct.
Just at dawn, the fish was hoisted up, and by nightfall, the fish was dead!
It was just today.
On the dissection table, it was taken apart from head to tail, various reactions tested, data collected over nine hours of torment without even a needle of anesthesia for the mermaid, finally took its last breath…
Yet after Ji Jue set down the dissection knife, he still wiped the sweat from his forehead with satisfaction, as if he had just fought a thoroughly satisfying battle.
If this mermaid could speak, it would probably have cursed before dying, what a despicable Nidie!
How can there be someone so shameless in this world?
A Rebirth Rank coming to kill an adult mermaid, unwilling to take any risk, and still tormenting it for so long, setting traps and administering drugs... Is it because doing too many immoral things made him afraid of slipping and hitting his head if he took a few extra steps?
Not even granting a quick death, being cut into a thousand pieces before its demise, an entire sequence of Ember combos executed without a hitch.
Even the White Hall would shed a couple of tears at this sight.
The death was too tragic.
And too unjust...
There was no choice.
Everyone has things they are not skilled at.
While the Vortex System is not exactly a blind spot for Ji Jue, his research in Life Science is still too shallow, even assisting Master Aignu with dissecting a wolf was considered a jump up in rank.
Now dissecting an entire mermaid, intact from head to tail, made him sweat all over.
Apart from the most basic data and organ functions, not much was understood about things like endocrinology, genetics, recessive and dominant traits. As for tracing ancestry, genetic differentiation, mutant identification, and various potentials and possibilities, forget it.
The only conclusion he could draw was — this is indeed a mermaid.
The achievements derived from this could really become the laughing stock of the Association if published.
The time was too short, and the foundation too inadequate.
A different field indeed feels like a mountain; sometimes, even among peers, the barriers between different domains are insurmountable.
Spiritual Quality Science and Life Science are different branches of the Ember series, their differences akin to the Vortex System and Ascension: shared basics but diverging further upwards.
All of Ji Jue's learned skills are primarily against inanimate objects, very few of them applicable to living ones, but it doesn't matter…
People are adaptable beings.
Just turn the living into the non-living!
Throughout the entire day, Ji Jue disassembled and reassembled the mermaid over and over, repeating processes unknown over the years.
Even though he didn't understand much beyond basic blood circulation and organ functions, he now knew all about muscles, nerves, lymphs, skeletons, and organs.
That's enough!
Dead or alive, it doesn't matter, as long as it's usable!
"Recording and deduction completed, sir."
Isis's voice echoed from the cabin, miles away in Punabantu, the Spirit of the Workshop had faithfully completed its task — observation, recording, analysis, deduction.
"Your hypothesis is indeed correct, it is feasible."
"What are we waiting for, let's start directly!"
After resting for a few minutes, Ji Jue rolled up his sleeves once more and walked toward the elongated dissection table with its enormous corpse.
The mermaid's remains.
Then, he extended his hand, Non-Attack appeared, and in the void, silver matrices flickered, enveloping the entire mermaid.
And so, in the temporary workshop within the cabin, the gigantic mermaid levitated, its scales, flesh, bones, and organs peeling off one after another from the body.
As if disassembled by countless invisible hands, meticulously crafted, transformed.
In the torrent of the Spiritual Flame, Three-phase Alchemy manifested, beginning to refine!
This time, Ji Jue completely abandoned the rules of Life Science, overlooking the essence of life, treating the mermaid purely as dead material, initiating creation anew on this basis!
It wasn't Life Science, it was Engineering, not live reconstruction, but dead matter conversion!
Biology is an enormously complex system; every visible life form can be seen as a precision engineering project.
Disregard the differences between flesh and steel, how many similarities are there between organisms and machinery?
Perhaps some, but negligible!
What Ji Jue aimed to do was not to exhaust and control or enhance a species' potential like Master Aignu, but to view the mermaid mechanically, using an engineering perspective to evaluate, measure, design, and upgrade.
To make it more pure!
Boom!
In that instant, replacement began.
Endless Invisible Hands appeared from the void, commencing their predetermined work — replacing calcium with metal, nerves with Spiritual Circuits, blood with Mercury, reinforcing functions with the formulae of Dust, original spirit covered by the Fly King's Spirit.
The heart was too feeble; it became an engine. The functionality of scales was too singular; they can also serve for cooling. Eating and digestion were too inefficient, replaced with sacrifice and Three-phase Transition.
The main structure was too fragile, so it was reinforced with metal!
Ascension, Purification, extraction —
Finally, an array of tiny parts emerged, reflecting iron light, bloodless and as if stars rose and fell, only needing final Integration.
So then…
Ji Jue finally pointed a finger:
——[Mechanical Descent]!
In the dead silence, the clang of steel resounded, like a hum, overlapping together, transforming into an eternal, mighty resonance.
Countless floating parts once again began to reassemble and piece together, as if they were one, thoroughly integrating into a singularity under Non-Attack's refine.
In an instant, the mermaid emerged from the reconstruction, yet it was entirely different from before. The scale remained, but its weight had increased several times over, and more importantly, streaks of iron light emerged from beneath the scales.
At this moment, inanimate objects were granted life, and the mermaid, who should have died, opened its eyes once more.
In its hollow gaze, a glimmer of radiance appeared.
When Ji Jue, unguarded, reached out his palm and placed it in front of its mouth, that once fierce face was no longer violent and venomous.
It obediently bowed its head towards Ji Jue, respectfully waiting for orders.
The great work is complete!
If it didn't "meow" like a cat while lying on the ground, it would have been even better.
Ji Jue's expression twitched slightly, letting out a helpless sigh.
Alright, let it meow then, at least it can meow...
In the following time, Ji Jue commanded the Steel Mermaid to perform various actions and tests in the cabin. Performance enhancement was as expected, but stability compared to the past was significantly improved as well.
There were no symptoms of delirium or madness, no impulses for self-destruction or violent tendencies.
Even if Ji Jue released all control, giving commands like spinning, rolling, standing up, and jumping through a ring of fire, everything was carried out methodically, with no discounts.
In contrast, during the crude transformation in the Venom Fleet, those crazed Puppets were too uncontrollable, exhibiting a seemingly instinctive urge for destruction, going berserk and committing suicide once control was released.
Completely unusable for any substantial purpose, they could only be used for practice and experience accumulation.
Just as Ji Jue said - not only is it troublesome for inanimate objects to become living beings, but the process of transforming living beings into inanimate objects is also fraught with difficulties.
But unlike the previous conversion of a bunch of rubbish, this transformation of the mermaid went smoothly.
After evaluation, the continuity and stability of the creation improved significantly, with a completion level reaching from below the ground to above the sky.
The difference was even greater than between humans and dogs.
While there were accumulated factors involved, more importantly, it was probably due to the essential differences between the chosen materials... Not the species difference between pirates and mermaids, but the essential difference between humans and beasts!
That is to say...
"The existence of the self?"
Ji Jue contemplated, focusing on the most critical foundation of the Ascension Series - [Essence]!
All changes and developments in the Ascension Series are built upon this self and essence. For Ascension, once self and essence are lost, it is no different from death.
For example, Wulou Temple, once one converts, the essence blends into the Righteous Law, becoming Puppet and tool. From then on, no matter how much more progress is made, it is merely an enhancement of the Righteous Law.
I am no longer I.
In this sense, what Ji Jue is doing now is actually no different from the Absolute Abyss.
Using the Spirit of Creation to replace the fishman's self, cultivating the so-called 'Righteous Law' and integrating into the Fly King's system is pretty much the same.
In comparison to the excessive self-awareness of humans, the self of beasts seems muddled and vague, and even if it exists, it is not much. Especially for mermaids, who have strong group consciousness and clear division of labor, their structure aligns with the Fly King's system. Once converted, the work remains the same, just changing companies.
"Is this considered a success, sir?" asked Isis.
"It's only the beginning, still far from it..."
Ji Jue shook his head, stroking the tamed steel creation in his hand, suddenly asking, "Isis, would you say this is the All Things Self-transform?"
Isis indifferently replied, "If your previous insight was correct, the essence of All Things Self-transform is spontaneity. Then, where is your so-called 'nature' at this moment?"
"Yes, where is it?"
Ji Jue raised his hand, tapping on the steel mermaid's head.
The transformation of Mechanical Descent, the alteration of alchemy, using engineering to forcibly deconstruct and overlay Life Science... in this process, if we draw parallels to phenomena that occurred in the real world, where is the nature in it?
It's completely alienation and mutation!
But since alienation and mutation exist, why aren't they also part of nature?
Alienation is also change, and mutation is also transformation.
Since it is an inherent part of the real world, why should it be excluded?
Life is like a furnace, all things self-transform.
If all change is natural, why am I not also a part of nature?
"Three-phase Alchemy comes from me, Mechanical Descent originates from me, since the heavens gave birth to me, why wouldn't my actions also be part of nature?"
Ji Jue laughed, lifted his head, and countered, "Why is my creation not considered part of nature?
If that's the case, then why not use my nature to renew the world's nature?"
For a moment, he seemed to grasp a glimpse of the shadow of All Things Self-transform, yet could not distinguish whether this was enlightenment or an illusion, and it's difficult to differentiate whether it's a sudden inspiration or a delusion.
And at this moment, is the path he treading the right one or a dead end?
He didn't care.
Only, he finally empathized with his teacher's arrogance, Jian Yuan's pride, and even the determination of countless craftsmen to embrace Zhi Fu.
This obsession rooted in the craftsman's nature is the source of Ember and Zhi Fu.
Even if it's the wrong path, so what? Even if it's a dead end, what does it matter?
Whether it's success or failure, only trying will reveal it!
In this uncharted territory that no one has ever ventured before, Ji Jue embarked on his chosen path, without hesitation, and definitely no looking back.
And so, with great enthusiasm, Ji Jue rolled up his sleeves, once again picking up the fishing rod!
Since he's here, might as well catch another fish!
Just one more!