The mechanism that could control such a violent surge of energy was incredibly difficult to construct.
Jiang Yan had been stranded on this tiny island for over a week before Guizhong and Cloud Retainer returned.
The moment he saw the two of them, he nearly burst into tears.
He had never been this bored in his entire life.
After all, this small island formed from Guizhong's rock spear had absolutely nothing—no trees, no beasts, not even grass!
"Here, Jiang Yan, give it a try," Guizhong said as she approached, handing him a box the size of a basketball.
"Since none of us have handled this kind of energy before, this is just an experimental version. Try it first—once we know the results, Liuyun and I can make adjustments."
Jiang Yan nodded.
He had only one thought: Let's get this right on the first try.
He'd already had enough of being stuck in this gods-forsaken place.
Following Guizhong's instructions, Jiang Yan opened the device in his hand.
A faint energy fluctuation rippled from his palm.
The mechanism began to click and clatter—ka... ka...—as if unlocking something.
Then, the energy sphere in his right hand began trembling, as though pulled by some unseen force.
Curious, Jiang Yan observed the changes in the orb, then extended his left hand holding the mechanism toward it.
The mechanism lifted into the air, unfolding piece by piece in front of the orb.
As it fully extended, it began rotating and attempting to close around the sphere.
Guizhong, Liuyun, and Jiang Yan all held their breath, watching intently.
Suddenly, Jiang Yan's expression changed.
He felt the energy inside the orb spiral out of control!
"Get back!" he roared.
He placed his other hand on the sphere, struggling to stabilize it.
Guizhong and Liuyun immediately retreated over the sea, faces tense.
Jiang Yan carefully adjusted the arrows and channels of energy inside the orb, trying to bring it back under control.
Gradually, the violent surges began to calm.
But then—crack!—the mechanism encasing the orb began to fracture under the strain.
Its light dimmed, and it fell to the ground, lifeless.
"...Hah... hah..."
Jiang Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead.
If he'd lost control just now, he would've had to throw the thing into the ocean.
The resulting explosion wouldn't have been a joke.
"Looks like it's still not stable," Guizhong muttered, frowning as she and Liuyun approached.
"Jiang Yan, what happened just now?" she asked.
"When the device tried to channel the orb's energy, the flow became unstable and caused a surge," Jiang Yan explained grimly.
"So it's the act of drawing out the energy that causes the problem..." Liuyun murmured thoughtfully.
"In other words," Guizhong continued, "to keep it stable, we can't manipulate the energy inside it at all?"
"In the short term, that works," Jiang Yan said, shaking his head. "But over time, I can't guarantee what will happen. If I'm not nearby, anything could go wrong."
"I see..."
Guizhong's eyes suddenly lit up. She turned to Liuyun and whispered a few quick words.
"Jiang Yan, stay here a bit longer. Liuyun and I will modify the design again."
Before he could say anything, the two immortals were already gone.
Jiang Yan's mouth twitched.
You've got to be kidding me... I'm stuck here even longer?!
A month passed.
Guizhong and Liuyun visited every few days, refining and testing new versions of the device.
But none of them worked—until finally, on the last test, success.
The new cube—its design faintly resembling the Seal of the Mortal Realm—successfully contained the energy orb without triggering a surge.
"Finally! It worked!" Jiang Yan cheered, nearly jumping up.
A whole month!
An entire month of isolation and frustration!
Only the heavens knew how he survived it!
"Yes... it truly wasn't easy," Guizhong sighed with relief.
Even Liuyun nodded in agreement.
Jiang Yan had endured loneliness and boredom for weeks.
But Guizhong and Liuyun had faced their own torment—repeated failure, and sleepless nights spent racking their brains over the unstable mechanism.
That tiny contraption had drained them all.
Jiang Yan picked up the cube, giving it a few careful shakes.
Even without him controlling the energy inside, the orb remained stable.
He grinned.
"With this, Liyue now possesses a weapon capable of annihilating a god—without relying on other gods or adepti."
"Yes..." Guizhong said softly, her eyes filled with both awe and melancholy.
"It's a pity there's only one," Liuyun remarked, a note of regret in her voice.
"We can make more," Jiang Yan replied.
"The sword scars in Guili Plains still contain the energy and resentment of over ten slain gods—including Chi. Those could work too. Though they won't be as potent as this one born from a god's self-destruction, they'll still be deadly."
Guizhong and Liuyun's eyes brightened.
Of course—they hadn't thought of that!
The reconstruction of Guili Plains had been hindered precisely because of the residual energy within those scars.
Mortals feared that if the seals failed, the unleashed energy would obliterate everything nearby.
But if they could convert that energy into stabilized cores like this...
They'd gain more divine-slaying weapons and turn the scarred plains into a safe site for rebuilding—perhaps even a monument for future generations.
It was the perfect plan.
"When we return, Guizhong and I will craft another one," Liuyun said. "You can test it there."
"But first," Guizhong added, "we'll need to evacuate the locals around Guili Plains."
Jiang Yan nodded.
And with that, the three of them set out back toward Liyue Harbor.
After a whole month, Jiang Yan finally set foot on civilized land again.
He nearly fell to his knees, overwhelmed.
A month... A whole month!
Finally, people! Actual human life!
The suffering he'd endured—only he could understand it.
To read 30+ future chapters, head over to patreon:
patreon.com/ToastWizard