Destiny in Cinders

The Skyrise Timber was one of the mythical trees of legend. An Jing had even heard about it in Void Embrace. ”It’s the giver of life that nurtures sacred grotto worlds and creates countless beings... If evergreen wood really comes from a divine tree like that, it’s no wonder it can be used for so much!”

Evergreen wood, just like the earth-wood automata, were legacies of the Dao Sect. It was said that even more powerful landscape titans and heaven-earth giants existed in the distant past, which the Dao Sect used to completely transform the world the way they saw fit.

”Well, those massive things have been lost to time,” Huo Qing said after expounding on ancient lore. ”The earth-wood automata that Sky Workshop managed to reverse engineer hundreds of years ago have been improved. They built whole new versions that only require black iron and evergreen wood as materials.

”Thanks to the development of many related technologies, automata are now incredibly commonplace. They can even be used in tandem with formations and talismans! Much of the garrison’s firepower in the city comprises automata. I wonder if you’ve seen the Skywatch Bureau’s massive mechanized automata? They’re as large as huge builder automata!”

”Now that you mention it, I have indeed.” An Jing recalled seeing massive automata when he passed through the ghetto. Its sheer size exuded a domineering pressure. He had a hunch that it could destroy vilespawn fiends with ease.

What really moved him was the mere existence of earth-wood automata. According to Huo Qing, each one was as physically capable as a Fortification martialist. Even though they couldn’t be used for combat, they didn’t need to rest and could do the work of tens of normal people at a time. They were also as cheap as eight hundred merits each!

The only weakness was that they required lots of spirit qi to operate, so they could only be used above spirit veins. While a spirit stone could indeed be used to power them, spirit stones were exceedingly rare in Skysource and wouldn’t be used as a mere power source. Instead, they would simply use spirit-qi crucibles which could be recharged at spirit veins. Then again, spirit-qi crucibles exploded after repeated recharge cycles, which was yet another cost to factor in. Basically, automata were only useful in stable areas with terrestrial veins and were rarely used to reclaim the wilderness.

Those restrictions, however, didn’t quite apply to An Jing. Even though spirit stones were uncommon, low-grade ones were available in large amounts. Not to mention, Void Embrace’s environment was far less damaged than Skysource’s, with most towns and cities having spirit and terrestrial veins. Automaton technology was what Shouyang Mountain excelled at. Apart from using them for construction, they could also be used for mining.

My time is rather precious, so I would rather cultivate than be out collecting resources. Once You Ruhui finds a good location for me, I’ll be able to cultivate in seclusion and use automata to help me with foraging. I’d be able to do both things at once without sacrificing one or the other. Since the spirit power from terrestrial veins is sufficient to power them, I wouldn’t have to waste spirit stones either. This is an amazing deal. I have to make note of it.

He filed that mental note away and realized that there were many things he wanted. First, he needed automata for mining ore and collecting spirit ingredients. They were flexible enough that there were even agricultural models that could be used for farming. These things were far more efficient than massive mechanical field tillers and could be used on even more complex terrain.

After that was evergreen wood. Though An Jing wasn’t sure whether he would be able to buy seedlings for them, he had a feeling that they would grow much better in Void Embrace if he could get his hands on some.

Then, there was the matter of mass-produced talismans from Skysource. Low-tier talismans could already be made in bulk with the right production lines and molds. As long as he had the materials for it, he’d have an infinite supply of well-made talismans! If An Jing could assemble all of the things mentioned above, he would be able to establish his own faction even if he was isolated in the deep mountains!

”You want to buy automata?” Huo Qing wasn’t surprised by his intentions. ”Well, I bet all badlanders would love to get their hands on them. But how would you operate it without spirit veins? I’m sure getting one or two would help, but there’s no point in getting too many.”

”Then I’ll start testing out one or two of them first.” An Jing wasn’t planning on going all out from the start lest people started to wonder how he would be able to carry all of them with him without using a void artifact. ”I don’t need the latest ones either. Simple used ones would do. Keep an eye out for some and buy them if you see them.”

”No problem.” Huo Qing showed him a look of confidence. ”We often get quite a few abandoned automata at the recycling house. Occasionally, some are still perfectly in order save for some faulty formation circuits that stop them from operating. I can also use those damaged puppets to practice my skills. If I manage to fix any, you can keep them! They won’t cost much at all.”

”Sounds good.” An Jing had almost forgotten that Huo Qing and Metalhand worked at a recycling house and were adept at reusing scraps. They were far more resourceful than he had imagined.

Time passed quickly as they talked. Soon, they reached a hilly area to the northwest of Mortality Plains. The area around Hilltwixt was no longer considered part of Mortality Plains geographically speaking, but it was still considered part of the Deepnight City safe zone due to being linked along a large terrestrial vein.

That didn’t change how rural it was. An Jing could imagine just how tough it was to get goods to flow. As the mining company mostly used automata for the actual work, the employees of the company were mostly just managers. As such, the human population of the town was rather low, leading to cheap property prices. In fact, the small population was a plus for An Jing. He wasn’t keen on interacting with the locals in the first place, but then, he came to realize that the small population also meant a higher density of fey!

”Wait a second, there’s a situation...” An Jing said, calling for Huo Qing to stop right as they were coming down from a hill. You Ruhui also asked to stop.

Huo Qing immediately hit the brakes. ”What’s going on?”

An Jing shook his head and took out his telescope. ”Let’s get off and head to the top of the hill. Take a look ahead.”

They disembarked from the car and immediately noticed something was off. The temperature of Mortality Plains was typically on the lower side, but it still felt like the weather near the end of spring. Yet, they could feel an odd heat wave coming from up ahead.

It was clear when they finally reached the peak. At the edge of the horizon were intersecting mountain ranges that reached for the sky. There was a rather sparse town surrounded by a tall stone wall that enclosed the hills around it. There were also massive clouds of black red approaching the town from a distance. Ink and blood rained down on the clouds nearby, converting them into mottled dark clouds, within which flashes of ember could be seen. The clouds and fire were all signs of fey.