This specialty remains highly valuable, particularly in the fields of pharmaceuticals and machinery, offering significant assistance against the white epidemic.
In practical terms, a 30% affinity translates to approximately a 10% increase in manufacturing speed and a 10% boost in success rate.
For alchemists, this enhancement is not negligible.
Bai Yu closed his eyes, sensing his surroundings. After three years without rest, it was time to take a break.
As his consciousness sank, he felt something soft in his arms, the familiar aroma bringing him comfort.
Upon completing a stage of cultivation, Bai Yi was surprised to find himself in Dongwu City. Dai An, eager to share her joy, was momentarily taken aback.
Nestled against his chest, she listened to his heartbeat, whispering softly, "Rest when you're tired."
"Hmm."
Diane fell silent, glancing up at Bai Wei, her eyes reflecting complex thoughts. The lord of the city must be weary, right?
As her thoughts flowed, a gentle coolness radiated from her, as if the ballad of the dead resonated in another dimension, enveloping them both.
The requiem soothed their weary souls.
Gradually, Diane sensed the onset of a dream. She smiled, reaching out to smooth Bai Yi's slightly wrinkled brow. "Good night, love you."
After her whispered words, she closed her eyes, savoring the tranquility.
Bai Ping entered a dream, revisiting long-forgotten memories of his past life—though these memories were tinged with negativity, such as failed exams and job disappointments.
Before these troubling thoughts could fully surface, he felt an itch in his nose.
Opening his eyes, he was greeted by Diane's displeased expression.
"What's wrong?" Bai Yi's voice was initially hoarse but quickly regained its strength.
"A force is trying to manipulate your dream, but I couldn't isolate it completely. I had to wake you up," Diane said, concern etched on her face.
Bai Yi focused, sensing something unsettling.
He gently touched Diane's head and reassured her, "Don't worry, it's manageable."
Diane curled into his embrace, her mood dampened. "What is that thing? It makes me uneasy."
"Just a dimension. It recognizes me as its master, but the natives are not very welcoming. I need to confront it."
Bai Yi held numerous titles now, switching between [Alchemy Master] and [Future Star] during study sessions, while typically wearing the [Soul Master] title. Although [Future Star] enhances the birth rates of geniuses in Towu City, [Soul Master] nurtures the soul.
However, the active skill [Abandoned Dimension · Soul] that accompanies this title has side effects. The natives of the realm are skeptical of his mastery.
Thus, obtaining this title means he will eventually venture into the [Abandoned Dimension · Soul], restart the dimension, and earn the natives' recognition.
If he refuses to go, they will come for him.
The title of master is not one everyone can bear.
Diane's eyes brightened slightly. "Then I can assist you! I'm ready for battle. Do you have any coordinates? Let's take them down!"
Bai Yi replied, "Not yet."
"Don't underestimate me! I'm powerful now! I can summon nearly 100 million skeletons and even sign temporary contracts with legends from the plane of the dead. I could wage war alone!"
Bai Yi smiled, "So, has our powerful queen of the dead thought about the kind of wedding she wants?"
"Eh?" Diane looked stunned. Was this topic so significant?
After processing Bai Yi's words, her face flushed, and she began to wander mentally. "In Dawn, we don't have wedding customs, right?"
"But you know this means you've secretly looked for information! Whenever you want, we can have the grandest wedding in the world."
Meanwhile, in Weihai
A young man with a cat perched on his shoulder walked along the shore.
"Meow~"
The cat yawned, seemingly bored.
Ignoring its complaints, Pusheng said calmly, "The difficult foe has left. Charles gave us some gifts, and I'm heading to see if I can open them early."
"Meow~"
"This area? The abyssal corruption is contained by Shia; we aren't needed here for now. The Scarlet God is handling it well."
"Meow~"
"We're getting closer to the realms of gods and dimensions. We must accelerate."
"Meow?"
"Yes, I need to grow stronger quickly, or we won't keep pace with those two powerhouses. Let's bring You Ming into play early."
Pusheng approached an area that seemed unproblematic, less than 3,000 kilometers from Weihai, amidst a reef jungle.
In the past, this used to be part of the sea before the Sea God fell, causing the water to recede significantly.
That war was catastrophic.
However, amidst the reefs, a faint green light flickered.
Invisible to most, these lights were clear to the evil cat.
"Underworld. What is Charles planning?"
"Meow."
"Everyone seeks power, but what to do with that power is the goal. Our purpose is clear, yet I can't grasp Charles's intent."
"He aims to harness the ancient god's power, dismantling the small world and integrating its rules with Xia's. Now, he's letting the underworld stir things up, which I find perplexing."
"Meow~"
"Since our goals align, we needn't worry. Perhaps the sea clan can emerge sooner."
"Meow~"
"Dongwu City is doing well! We can't let our friend be the only one occupied while he's comfortably the city lord."
After a moment of thought, Pusheng's eyes brightened. "Exactly."
The cat on his shoulder watched curiously.
Pusheng continued, "It doesn't matter if we can't engage in war. We can summon the nightmare world. Even if we can't defeat him, it will keep him busy. And who knows what might happen to him inside?"
A glint of mischief sparkled in his eyes. "Not only the nightmare world, but perhaps we can also summon some dangerous wonders to assist him. After all, if that annoying dwarf is meddling with us, we should respond in kind!"
"Meow?"
"Charles is becoming increasingly twisted. I wasn't keen on facing the Sun Federation until the sea clan appears."
"It's not cowardice. The pervert has become a demigod. While his strength may not have improved, he's nearing the ancient god's rules. We don't have to fear him. Let me ponder this."
"Yes, indeed."
"It's better to stay busy. When we're preoccupied, no one will target me."
Outside Tobu City
"Where to next?" Diane asked, gazing at the scenery below.
"Looking for a mutation area. I have some experiments to conduct," Bai Pei replied with a smile.
Three days had passed since Diane finished her retreat, and their wedding plans were temporarily stalled. Diane was slightly displeased, using the need for practice as an excuse to avoid the topic.
The white epidemic used his last special skill point the next day, gradually improving the transformation of the silkworm's life based on panel inferences.
Now, version 2.0's potential closely resembled version 1.0, with added features.
For instance, the white plague's initial specialty could now influence silkworm life to some degree.
Previously, the initial silkworm life created by Bai Yi was incomplete, merely a creature formed from various high-order materials.
Now, it was whole, leaning more towards transforming living beings rather than mere natural creatures.
Of course, panel deductions promote knowledge. For alchemists, controlled transformations are good, unlike those driven by evil thoughts—powerful but uncontrollable, resulting in failure.
However, the white epidemic's skills are fundamentally knowledge. After improvement, the silkworm's life allows him to remain calm without sacrificing potential.
After all, Bai Yi never intended to control the transformation of silkworms; they only needed to thrive within their own realms.
"What kind of experiment? Do you need my help?" Diane inquired eagerly.
"Yes!" Bai Yi nodded, but added, "But not just yet."
The necromancer's plane isn't particularly troublesome for other invading planes.
But if prepared, throwing a silkworm's life into it could be advantageous.
Diane felt a bit speechless. "So, what did you expect? I'm looking forward to it."
"Isn't that what you asked? I planned to ask for your help when the time comes," Bai Yi shrugged.
"Alright, but is this really safe for me? It's about to become your symbol," Diane asked, her eyes sparkling.
She had long desired Boton, a mechanical dragon she had envisioned. Bai Yi had yet to find the time to help her create one, even after capturing a silver dragon, just one step away.
"Lord Jiansheng and your brother shared some spatial knowledge with me, which I found useless. Why not accompany you and see if I can grow?"
As Bai Yi slowed, he detected a mutant area within his range.
Chaos reigned in this area, with fierce combat erupting. It seemed the abyss lord was about to manifest.
"Bones are hard to evolve. The witch demon dragon is a better choice. Even if it can grow, there's no upper limit."
As Diane spoke, Bolton trembled beneath her, the fire of his soul flickering. Did he hear that correctly? Can bone dragons grow?
He wanted to ask but sensed her gaze and fell silent.
"Not to worry. Bolton's transformation is powerful and can protect you well." Bai Yi observed for a moment and commanded, "Eliminate everything; this mutated area is still forming."
Bolton nodded, accelerating. After a spin, his scales opened, releasing a green smoke.
He dove into the metamorphic area, swiftly traversing the edge, then soared away.
Before escaping far, fog surrounded the mutant area, silencing the creatures previously engaged in battle.
With Bai Yi's level of alchemy, Bolton's poison was lethal upon contact, offering no chance of salvation.
Moreover, this gas could replenish itself, saving numerous resources despite a lengthy cooldown.
Watching this unfold, Diane's eyes sparkled with excitement as she expressed her admiration for the mechanical dragon. "Next time, let's try a different function."
"Of course, my lady," Bolton replied. After Bai Yi indicated he wished to gift him to Diane, the undead mage held him in high regard.
Mechanical transformation is impressive, but in the heart of the extraordinary, strength remains paramount.
While seeking the mutation area, Bai Yi paused, his attention drawn to a new announcement on the player forum.
The dawn server had issued an apology statement.
In essence, the initial three regions planned an April Fool's Day preview, but the other two servers revealed the actual preview, prompting an update in the dawn area.
Bai Yi fell silent. Although Blue Star's date was indeed April 1, this game company had never engaged in pranks.
In neither his past nor present life had such a precedent occurred—did this imply the cancellation of the hell invasion?
Where was Fiya?
He clicked on the new trailer and remained quiet.
The preview had indeed changed.
This time, it resembled the Star Federation's, with only minor differences—essentially a plagiarism of his idea.
Players were tasked with purging the continent, establishing teleportation arrays, and dismantling countries and mutation areas, enabling Shia to restore a god-like order.
Players engaged in discussions, most expressing frustration over the update timing, while others debated the trailer.
Opinions varied, with some reveling in the chaos while others compared rankings, believing the strong federal government would counterattack while the weak would falter, garnering praise for the game company.
After all, North America may bully others in reality, but it isn't always victorious in-game.
"Stop."
Diane's voice interrupted, and she turned to Bai Ping, asking, "This area has formed, but the lord hasn't matured yet. Should we change course?"
Bai Ping returned to focus. "Let's proceed directly. No need to waste resources."
Bolton glanced back, awaiting Diane's command.
Bai Yi...
Pop~ang!
After gently reprimanding him with mental strength, the dragon, eager to please, quickly complied.
They approached the abnormal area at high speed.
End of Chapter