Deep Sea Hunter, but Deep Sea Titan

The plan to replace the Year Beast was proposed by Wang when he was mentally unstable due to a blow, so it's not a problem for Luo Ting to say that he was confused.

"What if the imperial court offers an even higher price?"

"What can a chess novice like me possibly offer you, sir?"

"Unfortunately, those cowards in the court who bully the weak and fear the strong still yielded to you, even though they were so arrogant and domineering towards us brothers and sisters."

The down-on-his-luck chess player smiled bitterly, a mixture of resentment, jealousy, and a touch of exasperation.

"I would never break a promise I have made for the sake of a higher reward."

“If you stop now, I might let your older brother handle you.”

"In my eyes, your self-proclaimed chess game, which you set up with heaven and earth as the chessboard, is no different from children playing. I was just taking the opportunity to expose a wicked prank while on official business."

As soon as Luo Ting finished speaking, the chess player suddenly stood up and disappeared into the shadows, leaving behind a murmur: "I have strayed into a sea of ​​suffering, and there is no shore to turn back to."

"Ha, this lousy chess player has never seen the sea before, yet he dares to say there's no shore to return to."

The bronze colossus crushed the chessboard and pieces he left behind and departed from this fortified city that stood firm in the desert.

Once he had completed the fortifications built outside the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, thus stabilizing the Yan Kingdom's defenses against the demons, it would be time for him to leave the Yan Kingdom to face his old adversary.

Chapter 208: A Towering Building Rises from the Ground

Strange, truly strange. Despite being on the edge of civilization, in a desolate land teeming with unspeakable evil, the rice paddies grow wildly, standing straight and tall like the fur of a wild animal after autumn. A gust of wind or the heat of the sun sends waves of heat surging through them.

In the more remote area north of these rice paddies, construction began on the Twelve Towers and Five Cities.

So Luo Ting naturally entered the Scroll of Mountains and Seas and dragged Nian out to make her work obediently.

"Don't think that I've just been thinking about having fun in the Scroll of Mountains and Seas these past few days."

"To have an extra layer of insurance when the old guy falls, and to prevent us ethereal beings from simply vanishing into thin air, I've come up with many ideas. I'm thinking, could we also anchor ourselves within these Twelve Towers and Five Cities?"

With a little reminder from Lotin, W no longer bothered Nian as much as before, and at least the daily teaching time and time slots were arranged relatively steadily.

The Mountain and Sea Scroll's nourishment and restraint of the giant beasts provided Nian with excellent experimental conditions, especially the remnant soul state of Ya, which allowed Nian to conduct on-site investigations into how the giant beast's agents independently maintained their existence after the giant beast's main body dissipated.

"Oh, so you're trying to find a vessel that can replace the original form of the Year Beast."

"Why go through all that trouble? If you're really afraid that the old man will vanish into thin air after he dies, why not just anchor yourself in the Scroll of Mountains and Seas?"

Luo Ting could certainly understand this fear of death, because he himself was someone who cherished his life quite a bit, and most of the time he would wrap his true self in a shell that served as a template, as if he had paranoia.

Although Lotin's true form now possesses considerable combat power, he still dislikes casually removing his outer shell.

"That makes sense, but it's really not right to trouble you with something like this."

Although he was somewhat reckless that year, he was not so careless as to hand over the very lifeline that sustained his existence to someone else.

For her, Luo Ting might be considered an old acquaintance, and now he is indeed a friend, but it is still somewhat unreasonable for her to hand over the lifeline that sustains her existence to Luo Ting.

"I understand, I understand, but I hope that Miss Nian's research will not interfere with important matters."

"You may study the remnant soul of Ya if you wish, but do not treat it with disrespect."

Luo Ting harbored no ill will towards these friendly Sui family members, and they would stand with him in the fight against the demons. Therefore, Luo Ting would not hesitate to use the Mountain and Sea Scroll to alleviate their worries.

Moreover, since the residual influence of the Year Beast can hinder evil spirits, the replicas from that year might also have similar theoretical expectations.

Even if Luo Ting could exert a stronger restraint than Yan Guo when the Sui family anchored themselves in the Mountain and Sea Scroll, he had no reason to do so.

However, this is, after all, a matter of its own survival, a very vulnerable point, and Luo Ting can completely understand why Nian wants to treat it independently and cautiously.

"Then let's start construction. I see that the people from the Ministry of Works have arrived."

In 2010, he left the Mountain and Sea Scroll with Luo Ting, and the Minister of Works, Shang Shu, handed over the design drawings to Luo Ting in the most accessible and easy-to-understand way possible.

At this point, some of the system's clever little tools that Lodin would normally never need come in handy.

The holographic blueprint projection function, originally used for organizing and simulating system space, can now also help Loting accurately shape the construction area based on the drawings submitted by the Ministry of Works.

Of course, the ability to reshape the landform when applied to this massive project goes beyond simply saving time on foundation treatment.

The mineral veins that did not exist before were enriched and shaped, so that the Yan people did not have to spend a lot of manpower and resources to transport the raw materials needed for building the city from the interior or the corresponding production areas.

Using local materials further shortened the project timeline and significantly reduced project costs.

Those civil engineers could not explain Lothing's manipulation of the surrounding landscape using Terra's scientific theories—even though the principles of Originium Arts were part of Terra's science and technology.

"The heart of a behemoth, is this your solution?"

To the gigantic Lotin, the construction of the Twelve Towers and Five Cities was no different from building a block castle. However, the technical means that Nian came up with to insure his family members did catch Lotin's eye.

In the original work, the heart of the giant beast created by Nian was quite unstable. It was a replica of the giant beast body created by Nian and her sisters using their combined strength.

However, the existence of Ya in its remnant soul state clearly gave Nian a deeper understanding of the essence of the giant beast and the means of separating the giant beast's powers.

"The behemoth's heart... is more like a blood vessel."

"I spent a lot of effort persuading my sister to push this plan forward."

This thing was essentially a replica pieced together by the four disabled individuals present using a portion of their power. Although it was more detailed and successful than the original, it still couldn't compare to the Year Beast.

Using a mobile city to simulate a behemoth, she was in charge of the form, and Xi was in charge of the meaning.

“It’s more than just an anchor point. The lingering influence of the Year Beast is still blocking that troublesome evil spirit to this day. I hope this thing can have a similar effect…”

The year she explained her theoretical expectations, and the theoretical verification in the Mountain and Sea Scroll, or more precisely, on Ya, had given her some confidence.

Lotin was certainly willing to support such an attempt to improve the fortress's performance.

"Sis? Sis!"

As the ninth child, Nian naturally had several older sisters. Obviously, although the great poet who drank and composed poems spared some of his efforts to support his younger sister, it was unlikely that he would directly participate in this work.

Emerging from the heart of the behemoth was her other sister.

She had long gray hair interspersed with gradient golden yellow and indigo ends, wore a white robe and black boots, and had a slender and thin figure, yet exuded incomparable kindness and solemnity.

Even though she is called "Old Sister" by the old man, she is one of the elderly, has a passionate love for agriculture, and has unique insights into the essence of life and causal prediction.

"Well, I'm here."

The millet, emerging from the heart of the giant beast, looked tired, but still carefully concealed it, not wanting to let its fatigue affect its energetic younger sister.

"How's it going? From the outside, this 'big guy' doesn't seem to be very obedient."

Although preliminary verification was achieved with the help of Ya, there was still no 100% certainty that the actual construction and operation would be completed in 2018.

"At least they don't seem as mischievous as my younger sisters."

Shu's answer was very interesting, and Luo Ting was certain that the plan would be much more effective than in the original storyline.

"Your Excellency Gonggong, is it really alright to let my sisters learn such a secret technique for nothing?"

"It's not like we learned it for nothing. These twelve towers and five cities are the first line of defense against evil spirits."

Unlike the imperial court, Luo Ting did not try to gain two benefits. In order to use the Twelve Towers and Five Cities as a means of defense, he had to turn his own home into another class to resist evil spirits.

"You really do have a very clear understanding of the accounts."

Another family member made this assessment of Loting.

"Only by clarifying the accounts can we cooperate openly and efficiently."

The project's progress can no longer be described merely as efficient; it's downright miraculous. A true skyscraper has risen from the ground, and in just over two months, the massive mobile fortress city cluster has already taken shape.

The phrase "beyond human capability" probably refers to something like this.

Chapter 209: Pulling Up Seedlings to Help Them Grow

As an agricultural master, Shu had complex feelings toward Luo Ting, or Gonggong, the god of mountains and rivers, whose powers even overlapped in some respects.

On the one hand, she simply hoped for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest, while on the other hand, she was perplexed by Lottin's ability to disrupt the seasons and shape the landscape.

She feared that in the future everyone would only ask Gonggong for favorable weather and abundant harvests, neglecting their own development and learning of agricultural technology.

She worries that people will become so reliant on so-called miracles that they lose their ability to be self-reliant.

With her power, she could have easily solved some of the difficult problems that had plagued agriculture for years, but she stubbornly insisted on using the means within human reach to solve these problems.

Just like her elder brother sealed his own powers and instead relied on the martial arts skills of others.

However, Lotin had no such concerns, nor did he need to consider whether it would have the opposite effect of forcing a civilization to grow too fast.

After all, Lottin only paid a tithe to do his bidding, and whether or not to ask for his power was his own decision, and he would bear the consequences himself.

As long as you don't ruin yourself, don't touch things you shouldn't, and don't cause trouble, he has never had the obligation to guide a civilization onto the right path.

"Oh, right. Speaking of people who are good at accounting."

"What about the other one? I haven't heard from him in a while. Isn't he the one who's closest to you, sister? Did you two have a fight?"

When it comes to being skilled at calculation and obsessed with gains and losses, one naturally thinks of that brocade weaver.

"He hasn't been back for a long time."

Shu simply presented a cold, hard fact, looking aggrieved but remaining silent, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to.

Her exhaustion wasn't caused by helping to examine the giant beast's heart.

The corruption of evil spirits, these indescribable evils are gnawing at her consciousness. Compared to her brothers and sisters, Shu needs to recuperate more.

"You've been carrying this on your own for too long."

"Aging shouldn't happen to you, but it still happens."

"It's time to take a break and recharge."

With the reconstructed physical form of [Doomsday Winter] to support him, and the magic resistance increased by [Jash the Thousand Shapeshifter] and [Iron Sun], as well as the additional mental resistance calculated per person through [Imperial Orders], it is indeed very unlikely that the evil forces could corrupt Loting's cognition.

Those who are valued by Loting will also receive the protection of the [Iron Sun] shield.

In contrast, the millet was unusually exhausted, filled with the aftereffects of tireless farming and the wear and tear from purifying evil spirits day and night.

Luo Ting realized these things from this agricultural master who was beloved by the people of the Great Wilderness City; a thousand years was indeed too long.

A single potion of mana or life is clearly insufficient to truly repair this damage. To mend it, one must, like Ya when his life was nearing its end, slowly nourish it using the Scroll of Mountains and Seas.

“I appreciate your kindness, but farming is a busy time. Although you are not a person who eats food, all living beings still need to eat.”

Shu rejected Luo Ting's suggestion, saying that Luo Ting's "out of touch with reality" was not sarcasm, but simply a statement of objective fact.

She viewed herself and Lotin more as a relationship between a human and a giant beast.

Actually, there's nothing wrong with her perspective. As a "human" existing in this world, Loting's existence ceased the moment the cable was cut.

The current Loting is some kind of being who has returned from the abyss because of his obsession.

"It's getting late, I need to get back to work."

"You've all worked hard lately. When you have some free time, come to my place for a meal, and I'll cook some nice dishes to treat you."

The desolate and lonely figure disappeared into the fields.

"How much longer will this act of pretending not to be different continue?"

Luo Ting learned from Chong Yue about the plight of the disabled people trying to "become human," which was, to some extent, a means of maintaining their independent self-awareness.

But over the long years, some of them seemed to have been playing in the human world for too long and wanted to have some fun.

The same words were murmured by a well-dressed wealthy merchant in a guild hall within the Great Wilderness City.

However, the former is the sentiment of an outsider, while the latter is the reflection of someone involved.

Among the family members, there was one who wanted to settle accounts with Yan.

"Sigh, my older sister's face is even more terrifying than my older brother's."

How could Xi not worry about her older sister?

The responsibilities she took on herself were no less than those her elder brother had.

"Are our family relationships really that heavy...?"

I didn't realize it when I met my elder brother in Yumen, but now that I'm in Dahuang City with my elder sister, the distance that has grown over the years has become real.

"After all, it's a reunion of sisters that only happens once every few centuries."

Xi shook her head and turned to look at Nian's creation.

The plans of He Wang and He Wang have almost the same goal, but their methods are completely different.