Chapter 160: Section 161: Production Workshop


    Bang!


    The giant bone hammer viciously struck the front of the abandoned golem.


    The abandoned golem could no longer hold up, as its already cracked upper body shattered into pieces. Yet, its lower body still remained, rooted in place, with every breath causing the Black Iron-made legs to twitch, accompanied by sparks.


    “We’ve finally crushed it!” Moments later, Zong Ge confirmed that the abandoned golem no longer posed a threat and then he exhaled deeply.


    “Was it really just a transport golem, and it was this formidable?”


    “The main reason is that we’re unable to use our Fighting Energy. If we could, even just Lord Zong Ge alone would have been enough to handle it.”


    ...


    “Next time, be more careful when using explosive arrowheads, and don’t use them in narrow places. I almost couldn’t breathe just now.”


    The group gazed at the remains of the golem, discussing among themselves with grave expressions.


    Jia Sha was only a priest, not skilled in melee combat.


    Even though he also cast shields for the warriors at the front, it wasn’t as solid as Fighting Energy.


    Five Black Iron Level Guardian Knights had joined hands but still couldn’t withstand the charge of the abandoned golem. Sёarch* The n?vel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the end, it was Zhenjin and Zong Ge who forcibly held it off, due to their greater strength.


    Though victorious, a shadow nonetheless hung over everyone’s hearts.


    According to the Tower Spirit, which they all heard clearly just before, this golem was merely used for transport, and even after being abandoned and hastily repaired, it was still so powerful that it drove everyone back to the shipping warehouse.


    What would have happened if it was a defensive golem, or other standard defensive forces?


    “Continue onwards!”


    “Other than moving forward, we are already out of options.”


    “And the fact that the enemy can’t even dispatch a regular golem indicates that this place is indeed quite vacant.”


    “The Tower Spirit seems to have suffered heavy damage, with its wits scattered. When we first came in, it didn’t even react when all the alchemy munitions were activated.”


    “It was even rambling just now, letting us know that no defensive golems were left, only a repaired abandoned golem.”


    “I have already seen the light of victory! My Lord is the God of Light, the God of Victory, and He will definitely guide us to victory!”


    Jia Sha shouted loudly.


    The morale of the people stabilized, keeping it from falling further.


    Without the abandoned golem’s hindrance, the passage ahead was clear.


    Following Sanda’s suggestion, everyone entered into wooden boxes. These boxes were forcibly pushed by Big Guy, Zong Ge, and others, ferrying those lighter across the corridor.


    Each box carried members, cleverly evading the traps.


    “The Tower Spirit is malfunctioning. This Alchemy Factory shouldn’t allow us to exploit such a loophole so easily.”


    “Speed up a little more, we need to save time!”


    “Dad, don’t leave me behind.” Big Guy grimaced, edging closer to Zhenjin as he saw fewer people around him, his face full of worry and fear.


    The height of the passage was suitable for ordinary people, but for Big Guy, it was quite low, and he had to stoop and bend over.


    Zhenjin patted Big Guy’s thigh: “Don’t worry, I won’t leave you. We’ll go through this together at the end!”


    Big Guy still seemed uneasy and stayed close to Zhenjin.


    Eventually, even the Alchemy Cannon was dragged over, and Zhenjin and Big Guy entered the ironwood box together.


    On the other side, with Zong Ge, the five Guardian Knights, and everyone pulling forcefully at the hemp rope, the ironwood box carrying both Zhenjin and Big Guy was gradually pulled through the corridor.


    After this corridor, three forks appeared in front of them.


    “Don’t rush, let me scout a bit.” Jia Sha started to use his Divine Arts Extreme Vision.


    He led the five Guardian Knights, choosing the leftmost corridor first where the Extreme Vision showed a blood-red color.


    “This path will severely injure me,” Jia Sha realized suddenly.


    He then moved with the Guardian Knights towards the middle corridor, where under the Extreme Vision, the view turned from gray to total darkness.


    Jia Sha’s heart skipped: “If we take this route, I will die!”


    Following the same method, Jia Sha checked the third corridor.


    “It seems there will be a fierce battle, but I and the Guardian Knights will be unharmed.”


    Without hesitation, Jia Sha chose the third path.


    Even if the War Merchants were in disarray and the Tower Spirit was also problematic, this Legendary Level Alchemy Factory was still a dangerous place. Extreme Vision became extremely crucial. Without Jia Sha’s guidance, if Zhenjin and the others stumbled about chaotically, the entire force could easily be wiped out.


    Thus, the group gradually moved deeper into the Alchemy Factory.


    At times, a fierce battle occurred, at times, traps or mechanisms cost them two or three men.


    As the survivors moved closer to the core of the Alchemy Factory, the difficulty of the battles increased.


    The Guardian Knights all sustained injuries, and the members brought by Zhenjin had reduced by more than a dozen.


    If it were not for Jia Sha’s Divine Arts to heal, those who would have died from injuries could account for half of the number. And those who survived injuries would greatly hinder their companions.


    Two days, three days…


    Although they saw no daylight, Jia Sha could estimate time with his Divine Arts.


    Zhenjin’s worries grew increasingly heavy.


    Several times, he nearly underwent Mutation, pushed to the brink to trigger his Blood Core.


    Zhenjin fell into hesitation.


    His mutation might be concealed from others, but it would be difficult to hide the mutated form from Priest Jia Sha.


    “If I use the opportunity of confession to be honest in advance, then when it comes to battle, I won’t be restrained.”


    “However, will Jia Sha understand me? Will he forgive me?”


    “Should I trust him?”


    “But if things continue this way, it will truly be dangerous.”


    “Being overly cautious and not using the Heart Core, resulting in losses that I cannot accept, would be too pedantic and foolish.”


    Several times, Zhenjin wanted to confess to Jia Sha, to explain the origins and consequences of the Heart Core.


    But in the end, he gave up.


    Just as he never gathered the courage to speak to Zi Di.


    “So, I am still fearful, there’s a big part of me that is cowardly,” Zhenjin bitterly smiled.


    Ahead was another fork, but this time there were five passages.


    After using Extreme Vision eight times, Jia Sha clenched his teeth and pointed down the middle passage, “Let’s go this way!”


    As the days passed, he grew increasingly haggard.


    The closer they got to the center of the Alchemy Factory, the pressure swelled like a boulder, heavily weighing down on Jia Sha’s heart.


    He could clearly feel the effectiveness of the Extreme Vision being suppressed. The closer they got to the core, the more evident the suppression. The less he could foresee, forcing him to use this Divine Art more frequently. This greatly added to his burden, forcing him to rest more frequently.


    “Perhaps, this decision was wrong.”


    “No matter how skilled, a War Merchant is not someone I can handle.”


    Jia Sha felt like he was walking on a cliff’s edge, where a slight misstep would send him plunging into the Abyss.


    But this uncertainty vanished in an instant, his eyes soon filled with a burning resolve again.


    “No!”


    “Such opportunities are rare in a lifetime, if I give it up, if I hold back, I would regret it forever!”


    “Riches… are hidden amidst infinite risks.”


    “If I can overcome the War Merchant this time, the merits I gain could lead to my promotion to bishop. No, even a red cardinal is possible!”


    “Then, I will receive the infusion of Divine Power, I will ascend to the Golden Level or even the Holy Domain Level. I will master even more powerful Divine Arts, I will return and stand before Bishop Ping, watching him bow to me voluntarily. Then I will smile and ask him, ‘Now, do you think you were right, or was I?''”


    “Gentlemen, I have an astonishing discovery!” As a Scout, Sanda’s return from scouting interrupted Jia Sha’s thoughts.


    Due to the limitations on Extreme Vision, the survivors had started deploying elite teams yesterday to scout and explore paths.


    Moments later, the group arrived at a destroyed gate through the passage.


    “This place has already been breached!”


    “They forcefully broke through. Such fierce Fighting energy!”


    “But Fighting energy and Magic are forbidden here.”


    “At most, it’s only low-level prohibition. Looking at these marks, the Fighting energy is at least at the Golden Level.”


    “It’s Holy Domain!” Jia Sha opened his eyes, having procured the answer through Divine Art, “At least three from the Holy Domain, forcefully breached this place.”


    Clearly, these Holy Domain figures were the enemies of the War Merchant.


    Who exactly were they? From which faction did they come? Why were they enemies with the War Merchant?


    The answers to these questions remained unknown.


    Beyond the gate was a production workshop.


    “It seems to be a place producing Alchemy Arrows,” Sanda speculated, “Be careful, there are still defensive forces inside.”


    The group stood at the broken gate, and following Sanda’s guidance, they saw several small Crossbow Carts stationed in the workshop’s corners. These Crossbow Carts were mounted on bases, seemingly capable of quick rotations.


    In the severely damaged production workshop were heaps of Alchemy machinery wreckage, some were worker golems, others defensive golems, shattered into pieces.


    Amid the ruins of the battlefield, if one looked closely, they could even see tiny fragments of Alchemy Arrows.


    Everyone immediately formed a conclusion.


    At least three enemies from the Holy Domain forcefully breached the gate. Inside the workshop, they engaged in fierce battles with numerous defensive golems and worker golems, the Crossbow Carts continuously firing.


    But in the end, the Holy Domain squad nearly wiped out all the defensive forces here and left triumphantly. The reason they left these few Crossbow Carts untouched was simply because they didn’t care!


    “Did you go in?” Jia Sha asked Sanda.


    Sanda shook his head outright, “No. I can’t activate Fighting energy to protect myself, facing those Alchemy Arrows is too dangerous!”


    “A prudent choice,” Jia Sha nodded, “I will cast a Shield for you…”


    “I refuse.” Sanda interrupted Jia Sha before he could finish.


    Jia Sha was taken aback.


    “I’m injured.” Sanda lifted his shirt, revealing a wound on his abdomen, “The wound hasn’t healed, it’s slowed me down, these Crossbow Carts might not trouble a Holy Domain mighty one, but I’m not confident I can escape unscathed.”


    Jia Sha smiled faintly, “I was negligent, I will heal you now. Alas, I am but a priest, not a bishop, consuming Divine Power too intensely, limits the Divine Arts I can use each day.”


    Sanda also smiled, “I completely understand, Reverend. So, you see, these five Guardian Knights have been in very good condition. They also have Black Iron cultivation, sending them is most suitable.”


    “I agree,” Zong Ge added.


    Jia Sha’s smile gradually faded.