The turmoil within the Artisanship Commission subsided, and the shortcuts became unobstructed.
System Notification: Trial Character, Xueyi · Herta, has joined the team.
Current Team Configuration: Xue-ta, Tingyun, Trailblazer (Ryujinmaru), Welt (Senjinmaru).
Do you wish to consume 40 Stamina to enter the instance: Alchemy Commission?
Yes or yes or hai or...
Entering now.
The Six Commissions are all independent Grotto-Heavens. The Alchemy Commission ranks second in area, surpassed only by the Artisanship Commission.
"Looking at it from here, this tree is really huge!"
Even using Ryujinmaru's super vision, Stelle had to crane her neck back to almost ninety degrees, yet she still couldn't see the crown of the Ambrosial Arbor.
Azure haze overflowed the firmament, literally blotting out the sky and sun.
"The Alchemy Commission borders the Ambrosial Arbor. We are now essentially at the foot of the Arbor."
Xue-ta's expression was devoid of emotion.
Since each Herta puppet had its own personality, and each one's personality was randomly generated, her appearance surprisingly felt completely natural and without dissonance.
"Looks like the battle is intense."
Caelus piloted Ryujinmaru forward at high speed, holding Tingyun in his palm while Xue-ta stood on his shoulder.
In front of the group was the East Gate of the Alchemy Commission. Outside the gate, various corpses lay scattered in disorder.
"It seems that while we were at the Artisanship Commission, the Master Diviner had already set out on the campaign."
The fox girl wore a faint smile on her face.
"After all, speed is precious in war. I wonder if the current situation is favorable or not?"
Welt gazed into the distance through Senjinmaru's super vision.
In the residences, apothecaries, alley entrances, and plazas, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus hiding within the Alchemy Commission had all revealed their Forms of the Medicus.
They were leading various ferocious Abundance Spirit Beasts, engaging in bloody battles with the silver-armored Cloud Knights at every checkpoint.
"I think they've been wiped out."
Stelle suddenly put on a miserable expression of compassion for the heavens and pity for mankind, shaking her head and sighing. This caused Xue-ta to tilt her head woodenly and look at Ryujinmaru's face.
Are you really the reinforcements invited by the General?
Xueyi had the illusion that this gray-hair was a clown invited by the enemy.
"I see very few fallen Cloud Knights. The Cloud Knights should be gaining the advantage in this battle; I see their stronghold."
As they approached the gate, Caelus saw the Cloud Knight troops stationed at the rear for support.
"It's the Mashin Mecha! Let them pass!"
March 7th took the lead in piloting Torijinmaru to provide support. Information about the friendly mechas had already been disseminated to the entire army through the command center.
The Cloud Knight commander guarding the East Gate node saw Ryujinmaru and Senjinmaru and immediately opened the encirclement, allowing the powerful reinforcements to enter.
Entering the interior of the Alchemy Commission, Xue-ta stood on Ryujinmaru's shoulder. Her amethyst-like eyes shimmered with faint light as a sophisticated scanning system operated within them.
Xueyi was extremely astonished, finding Caelus's methods inconceivable!
The reason she could temporarily possess an Ingenium after her body was destroyed was that the structure of Ingenium objects was similar to the underlying code of a puppet body.
But the Herta puppet and the Xianzhou system framework were completely different. Yet, Caelus not only successfully transferred her soul but also allowed her to master and use the vast majority of this genius puppet's functions.
The Herta puppet's eyes enhanced Xueyi's observational abilities and dynamic vision, increasing her combat power to a certain extent.
"Everyone, I will go ahead first."
Xueyi jumped off the shoulder, nodded to the group, and then leaped away to support the Cloud Knights.
"The best viewing seat for you."
Caelus held Tingyun in his palm and placed her on his shoulder.
"Benefactor, this isn't good, is it? The battlefield is dangerous, and blades have no eyes. This little woman..."
Phantylia's heart stirred slightly. She really wanted to observe and experience the power of Ryujinmaru up close, but she still had to maintain her Tingyun persona, putting on an act of resistance out of fear of being accidentally injured.
"My great sword is already thirsting!"
Caelus ignored the dedicated acting of Phantylia. Ryujinmaru rubbed the King's Sword on its arm.
Stelle shifted her vision along with Caelus and saw an Abundance Spirit Beast that was difficult to pin down despite being surrounded by over a dozen Cloud Knights.
"Holy crap, Ape!"
"Roar—!"
A deafening roar. Resembling a gray ape, standing eight or nine meters tall, with bulging muscles and sideburns like wings—it was the ancient war beast recreated through the Power of Abundance of the Ambrosial Arbor: Changyou.
Boom!
Using a move of 'Blind Flailing derived from Blind Flailing,' carrying an incomparably rugged aesthetic of violence, it smashed the surrounding Cloud Knight warriors into the air.
If not for the considerable defense of the Cloud Knight armor, this strike would have definitely turned the Cloud Knights into Cloud Knight paste.
"It's the Mashin Mecha!"
"Reinforcements are here!"
The remaining Cloud Knight warriors' expressions sank, but upon seeing the black-and-gold mecha, their worry instantly turned to joy.
"Ape God, prepare to die!"
The eight-or-nine-meter gray ape giant beast was a giant compared to the Cloud Knights, with high attack, high health, and strong regeneration. It was the filthiest of filthy mobs.
But in front of the 37-meter-tall Ryujinmaru, it was just a mini little monkey. With two slashes of the forty-meter King's Sword, it was in four pieces.
The Ape God Changyou could be considered the elite force of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus fighting the Cloud Knights. The Disciples, already in a disadvantageous position, suffered a defeat like a collapsing mountain after Ryujinmaru and Senjinmaru joined the attack team.
"Have the Qingju side pull back. Shift the battlefield toward the Medicine Pavilion or the direction of the Qingnang Pavilion."
Inside the Grotto-Heaven, at the Guanyi Terrace. This was the highest point of the Alchemy Commission's terrain, allowing Dan Shu to take in the entire Alchemy Commission Grotto-Heaven at a glance.
Watching the retreating cultists and the Abundance Spirit Beasts being exterminated, she gritted her teeth in hatred and commanded her subordinates to make a strategic transfer.
The Medicine Pavilion was where the Alchemy Commission stored elixirs and medicinal ingredients; unless absolutely necessary, the Cloud Knights would not use large-scale destruction weapons there.
Numerous buildings stood around the Qingnang Pavilion, forming complex terrain with narrow alley entrances capable of limiting the width of the battle line. Even if the Cloud Knights were numerous, only a few vanguards could fight at a time.
But these layers of countermeasures could only slightly slow down the speed of their defeat; they could not reverse the tide of battle. Dan Shu slammed her fist onto the railing.
"Damn it!"
"Who is it?!"
"Who on earth did it?!"
The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus had been dormant for a thousand years, but wanting to confront the Cloud Knights head-on was still impossible. What evil cult could secretly develop to the level of a national army?
Even with the secretly prepared Abundance Spirit Beasts, it wasn't enough!
The Ascension Elixir Powder accumulated over many years was the true weapon of mass destruction the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus intended to use against the hounds of the Plagues Author.
But most of the Ascension Elixir Powder had been soaked by the water of the Ancient Sea, destroyed, or had its efficacy greatly reduced.
Dan Shu, upon receiving the report from her confidant, had returned to the secret Grotto-Heaven immediately. After inspecting the scene once, she could be certain that it was absolutely not due to the Grotto-Heaven itself.
Someone had punched through the Grotto-Heaven!
Causing the water of the Ancient Sea to pour back in!
When she reached this conclusion, a stormy sea surged within Dan Shu's heart.
As an old Xianzhou native, Dan Shu certainly knew the technical sophistication of Xianzhou Grotto-Heavens. Only a powerful existence approaching the level of an Emanator could destroy a Grotto-Heaven.
And to destroy it was one thing, but to accurately break a specific spot required more than just power!
The reaction speed of the high-ranking Disciples staying behind in the secret Grotto-Heaven was fast; they organized personnel to salvage the Ascension Elixir Powder immediately, but they couldn't stop the water flow at all.
Helplessly, they opened the exits of the secret Grotto-Heaven one by one.
That scene reminded many people of the classic problem in school: If a swimming pool is being filled with water on one side and drained on the other, when will it be full?
In short, at the cost of many brothers' lives, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus barely managed to save a portion of the Ascension Elixir Powder.
But wanting to rely on the remaining small amount of Elixir Powder to confront the Xianzhou Cloud Knights was impossible!
Dan Shu's mental state collapsed along with it!
She even gave birth to the thought of stopping the plan.
But, impossible.
Relying solely on the power of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, they couldn't possibly deceive everyone regarding the handling of the seed's traces.
The identity of the Head Alchemist of the Alchemy Commission wasn't enough. The reason Dan Shu felt victory was within her grasp was that there were traitors within the Luofu as well.
The Vidyadhara Elders who were bent on making the Vidyadhara great again and reclaiming their past glory.
The assistance of the Vidyadhara was Dan Shu's other reliance besides the Lord Ravager.
At that time, only the final step remained before the curtain rose. The seed... the Stellaron had already been handed over to Preceptor Junqi of the Vidyadhara, who would send someone to throw the Stellaron into the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor sealed in the Scalegorge Ancient Sea.
Given the efficiency of communication between the two parties, even if Dan Shu wanted to urgently call off the plan, it was too late.
Even though she had lost her most important killing move, Dan Shu could only brace herself and execute the plan.
Only by burning their bridges could there be a sliver of a chance for survival!
But Dan Shu was still unwilling to accept this!
Why did it turn out like this?
For the first time, she had the support of a Lord Ravager and the Vidyadhara as internal allies.
Two exciting events overlapping, bringing even more opportunities to the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
What she obtained should have been a future as bright as a dream... But, why did it turn out like this!?
The efforts of painstaking planning for hundreds of years were wiped out in an inexplicable manner.
She didn't even know who that mysterious person who broke the Grotto-Heaven was!
The birth of the Abundance Ebon Deer gave Dan Shu some psychological comfort. Things are looking up, things are looking up!
As a result, a 'Cheng Yaojin' suddenly burst out halfway.
The Nameless of the Astral Express summoned strange mechas and actually eradicated both the Ebon Deer and the Ambrosial Arbor branches in the Artisanship Commission together!
"Throw all the remaining Ascension Elixir Powder into the Taizhen Elixir Chamber and the surrounding elixir furnaces."
Dan Shu gritted her teeth. At this moment, she was surrounded by enemies on all sides, with no way out, yet she still fought like a trapped beast.
"Yes!"
With the issuance of the order, those Disciples who had been preparing by the elixir furnaces for a long time threw the medicine in their hands into the furnaces one after another.
Wisps of hazy mist drifted out from the magnificent giant elixir furnaces, curling into clouds.
"This should delay things for some time."
Dan Shu gazed at the spreading smoke.
As long as the elixir furnaces did not go out and the rosy clouds lingered, the Cloud Knights would find it hard to advance a single step.
But what next?
The remaining Elixir Powder was not much and wouldn't last long. Once the clouds and mist dispersed, she feared they would have to face the Cloud Knights' reckoning.
Dan Shu clasped her hands behind her back, frowning as she paced back and forth. Her mind raced rapidly, gradually becoming somewhat anxious.
No, even if I put all my eggs in one basket, I must leave behind a new sprout!
She took out a special communication device and dialed Gin.
At this moment, Dan Shu rejoiced greatly that she had met Gin before the plan began and had even given him the Head's token.
Since they had known each other for a short time, to prevent adding unnecessary variables, Dan Shu had not invited Gin to participate in the planning at the Alchemy Commission.
Judging by the current situation, Gin was perfectly suited to be the backup plan.
The friendship between the two parties wasn't deep, and contact had only just begun; the Cloud Knights couldn't possibly trace the vine to find the melon and reach him.
Moreover, for the other party to have lurked in the Xianzhou for a long time, he must have unique secret methods or channels.
The communicator rang three times, and the other party connected.
"Mr. Gin, I have prepared some core believers. If the plan fails, they will be the root sprouts for the resurgence of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. Could I ask you to..."
Dan Shu began her 'entrusting of the orphan' at the Alchemy Commission.
Entrusting the roots for the regeneration of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus to the senior of the Path of Abundance, Gin.
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