Find a Troubled Girl after leaving the Guild-Chapter 380 - 214: Refining the Shell (Part 2)

Apart from the high-quality feed meat she just complained about, there were fresh fruits and vegetables transported via the fastest route from the Flos Sky Realm, and ice-fish and shrimp from the Gorasis Sky Realm, all cooked using various high-quality spices refined from different islands of the Salem Sky Realm.

"We still have work to do today, so I asked the kitchen to prepare something simple and brought it in the form of a boxed meal," Cassandra said.

"You guys are really extravagant, using ingredients of this level to make a boxed meal. Meals like this would bankrupt us mere salary earners if we ate them a few times a month," Lisya said with a tearful expression as she accepted the meal.

"Try to be more ambitious, will you?" Aira also took a portion. The ingredients ALulu had eaten up on her ship were even better than these, so she remained calm.

However, as Li Ang understood her, although she occasionally showed the temperament of a spoiled young lady, she never cared about living or dietary conditions in times of emergency.

Order Knights indeed receive fixed salaries, but the intangible status they enjoy is very high.

After dinner, the task of casting the Steel Guard still needed to be completed.

Though the artisans all showed signs of fatigue, they understood the urgency of the situation. Preventing the army from the Creation Cauldron from finding this place and destroying the Steel Giant was of utmost importance.

The three Hammers of the Source allocated tasks to others, then Cassandra manipulated the Mountain Copper Furnace as Gaelin maintained the stability of energy transmission, and Hephaestus controlled the temporary furnace built around the Steel Guard.

The flames of the Mountain Copper Furnace shot high, following the temporarily constructed engraved conduits to the energy-conducting pillar. Under Hephaestus’ control, they filled the space between the pillars, completely enveloping the Steel Giant in heat.

Once Hephaestus stabilized the furnace, the other artisans also channeled Magic Power into the refining process.

"How long will it take?" Lisya asked.

The roaring flames filled the underground cavity, forcing her to raise her voice to make herself heard.

Aira’s Flying Blade was much higher than usual, so she didn’t have to tilt her head to observe the smelting process of the Steel Guard.

"Not long."

She pointed to the spot where she had broken the Concept Rune: "It has already started to deform."

The Secondary Source Armor of the Furnace Guard slowly lost its original shape in the hands of artisans skilled in smelting various materials. Starting from its left arm, the entire body’s blue-silver runes began to disintegrate.

Blue sparks shot out, the runes collapsing inwards, directly triggering the collapse of the Secondary Source structure. Soon, the armor that was perplexing in direct combat contracted, twisted, and slowly dissolved.

"Is it done? If there are others, can we find a way to trap and smelt them?"

Lisya seemed deeply concerned about the possibility of fighting it.

Gaelin replied to her, "This requires further discussion..."

"It’s not over yet."

Hephaestus interrupted, saying, "The key to this thing is its contents. The armor is just a vessel."

The "contents" pointed out by the red-haired artisan were the guardian core, repeatedly echoing "sinner."

It seemed to be a kind of Spiritual Body, but its thinking was straightforward—almost like a program. Yet it had some temper, reacting to taunts, a peculiarity that puzzled the Dome Furnace Association artisans, including Li Ang.

The armor created with Secondary Source Material slowly dissolved. As the connectors of large components softened, it soon dismantled with intense friction and sound, and the chains it shot to connect mountain rocks also melted.

Inside the temporary furnace, a spherical, porous orb rose from the armor, emitting a black mist with twinkling light spots above it.

The porous orb, with its glow speckled black mist, spun around and hit an invisible membrane in the air, sparking lightning flashes.

"It’s tearing the dimension. Its internal existence is trying to escape!" Cassandra shouted.

The ox race craftswoman immediately wanted to do something as Hephaestus extinguished the flames.

Various magic radiances lit up as all the casters present tried to use their spells to bind the porous orb or that black substance with light dots; its rapid plunging into the Magic Power Dimension seemed unstoppable.

Even Lisya drew her sword, whipping up a whirlwind to try to hold them.

But neither the porous orb nor those black substances could be touched, as if not existing in this world.

Li Ang also attempted, raising his Magic Staff and employing the knowledge given by the Material Magic Scripture to construct chains with various Magic Powers, but none could contact the porous orb.

"Forget it," Hephaestus shook his head, "We haven’t yet understood the abilities of the Primordial Being’s relic. Fortunately, it won’t be able to locate us once it escapes."

Upon hearing this judgment from the leader, some artisans decided to stop their attempts.

Aira glanced at Li Ang who was frowning and softly asked, "Do you have a plan?"

Li Ang pressed his left elbow: "Perhaps."

"Has the situation over there worsened?" The blonde young girl looked concerned.

"Not at the moment, but if I act, it’s possible."

He quickly added, "Concerning the Creation Cauldron, I believe some cost is worth it, but I’m afraid of provoking some anomaly."

"Then I’ll cover for you."

"Alright, then I’ll give it a try."

With Aifei around, Li Ang found secure solace in having someone back him up in every aspect.

He switched to the Spiritual Horizon, quickly capturing the special spirituality within the porous orb and the black mist with light spots.

Relying on his own Spiritual Manipulation Ability, he couldn’t remotely capture such powerful spirituality. However, after exceeding Li Ang’s expectations time and time again, his left arm, now evolved, could definitely affect spirituality.

He raised his left palm, drawing spirituality.

The porous orb slowed its momentum of slipping into the dimensional gap.

Can I really catch it?

Unconsciously pressing on the hard thorns born from his left arm with his right hand, Li Ang squeezed his left palm. The black mist with light spots was immediately squeezed back into the porous orb, which then activated its internal mechanism, instantly sealing its openings.

Similar to yanking a yo-yo, Li Ang flicked his wrist, bringing the porous orb distantly to his palm via the Spiritual Line.

Everyone watched this scene in silence.

Lisya’s eyes sparkled, nodding repeatedly.

"How did you do it?"

Though Hephaestus had a lame leg, he moved faster than others, rushing to Li Ang and gripping his shoulders.

"By Spiritual Manipulation."

"Spirituality? Ah, I indeed realized in many drafts that perhaps we should learn about spirituality-related knowledge, but I didn’t expect it could be used so marvelously."

Li Ang’s words sent the red-haired artisan into deep thought again, prompting him to release his grip on Li Ang’s hand.

Li Ang opened his palm to show everyone who gathered around the core of the Guard of the Creation Cauldron.

The orb was also crafted from Source Material, and a closer inspection revealed a sophisticated mechanical structure inside, preventing the black starlight mist from escaping once the holes were sealed.

"I can adjust its spirituality, forcing it to incorporate the connected spirit body completely," Li Ang explained.

Switching to the Spiritual Horizon, he observed that the black mist released from the sphere was indeed a special type of Spiritual Body.

In Nebis, all things have spirits. Common things live out their existence as mere beings, eventually becoming ghosts upon completion of their life cycle.

But evidently, the Spiritual Body within the core of thought was not a naturally occurring ghost.

"A Spiritual Body? Given its ability to construct a body from Secondary Source, it’s certainly not a simple phenomenon. What principle drives it?"

"Since it’s a Guard of the Creation Cauldron, it must have been implanted by the cauldron creators, right?" Gaelin speculated.

"A Spiritual Body driving a Source Material body with such capability is entirely beyond our comprehension," Hephaestus said as he stretched out his hand and, with Li Ang’s consent, took the spirit orb, examining it intently.

Nebis has some Necromancers researching spirits, too, but they are far less knowledgeable about Spirits and Spiritual Bodies compared to Li Ang.

"This orb, something seems a little off about it," Gaelin suddenly said.