Chapter 687 - 586: Researching Melt Mountain and the Sudden Request
Chapter 687: Chapter 586: Researching Melt Mountain and the Sudden Request
Jeming followed the Black Giant Priest out of the laboratory, heading east.
They passed through the Black Giant settlement, crossed several still-smoking volcanoes, and finally arrived at a vast plain.
This used to be a Magma Lake, but it cooled down a few years ago when the Black Giants relocated here.
The solidified lava formed a layer of black rock ground, as flat as if it had been paved artificially.
At this moment, the black ground was covered with dense Runes.
These Runes spread out from the center, covering an area of several tens of kilometers.
Each Rune glowed faintly, connecting with each other to form a giant Array.
This was the "experimental platform" that Jeming had the Black Giant Priests prepare.
To study Melt Mountain.
As a Seventh Level Elemental Creature walking the traditional Elemental Lord path, Melt Mountain stands over ten thousand meters tall.
What kind of concept is that?
Standing before it would be like standing at the foot of a real mountain range.
Conducting detailed studies on such an existence is a formidable challenge.
Just preparing this experimental platform took the Black Giants several months.
Jeming walked to the control platform at the edge of the Array and looked into the distance.
There, a black figure stood silently.
It was Melt Mountain.
A body over ten thousand meters tall stood like a towering mountain spanning across the land.
Its surface was covered with a signature layer of black liquid metal, glimmering with a dim sheen under the grey-red sky.
That liquid metal flowed slowly, like black rivers running down a mountain.
Jeming knew that the seemingly liquid surface was just a façade.
As an Elemental Creature filled with liquid metal, Melt Mountain’s actual density and weight far exceed a mountain of the same height.
If it wanted, just a casual punch could penetrate the continental shelf.
Even though it appeared to be just standing still now.
But given its mass and density, the reason it could stand on the ground was that Melt Mountain was cautiously controlling itself in a state of touch-and-go flight at all times.
"Melt Mountain."
Jeming conveyed his voice through Spiritual Power.
The huge figure moved slightly and then began walking towards the experimental platform.
Once it "walked" onto the specially reinforced ground by the platform, it fully settled down.
Each step caused the earth to tremble, the deep vibrations resembled the heartbeat of the entire Plane.
Jeming stood before the control platform, unmoving.
Melt Mountain reached the edge of the experimental platform and stopped.
It looked down at the densely packed Runes on the ground, then glanced at Jeming, seemingly waiting for instructions.
"Sit down on the experimental platform," Jeming indicated the area covered by the Array, "try to keep your whole body within the Array’s range."
Melt Mountain nodded.
It cautiously stepped into the Array and then sat down.
The scene was somewhat amusing.
To ensure it was entirely within the Array, a giant over ten thousand meters tall sat on the ground with legs wrapped in its arms, like a child.
Its movements were light and careful, fearing to damage the Runes on the ground with a misstep.
But it was simply too large.
Even curled up, it occupied most of the experimental platform, only leaving a rim space at the edges.
Jeming nodded and began operating the Array on the control platform.
The Runes on the ground instantly lit up.
Beams of light shot from the Runes, weaving into a giant net of light, enveloping Melt Mountain from head to toe.
These lights kept flashing, and with every flash, they scanned a part of Melt Mountain’s body.
A three-dimensional model was rapidly forming on the control platform.
It was a stereoscopic projection of Melt Mountain’s body, with every detail clearly marked from the skin to the interior, from the Energy Core to the Soul Fluctuation.
Jeming stared at the model, slightly frowning.
"The body is too thick. Even with this Array’s power, it’s hard to penetrate..."
The thickness of Melt Mountain’s body had not exceeded the Array’s detection limits.
More importantly, as the upgraded form of a Black Giant, after Melt Mountain ascended to the Seventh Level, its innate energy absorption became even more powerful.
Even though Melt Mountain had tried its best to restrain, the energy absorption remained formidable.
A large portion of the energy from these Arrays got unconsciously absorbed during the scans.
These specially-made scanning Runes were powerful, but against such an entity, they could only penetrate the surface.
However, just the surface provided Jeming with substantial insights.
He zoomed in on the model, focusing on Melt Mountain’s epidermal area.
The structure of that layer of liquid metal was clearly displayed in the three-dimensional model.
Entirely different from other Black Giants, the liquid metal layer on Melt Mountain’s epidermis exhibited a highly complex structure.
It’s not just that the metal particle elements of the epidermis differ from lower-level Black Giants; the particles themselves formed intricate patterns, intertwining into three-dimensional networks.
Jeming squinted, using the All-Purpose Eye to analyze those structures meticulously.
He was no longer the Jeming of decades ago, who could only stare blankly at such structures.
Through years of study, his understanding of biological structures had reached new heights.
"This is..."
He magnified a specific area, scrutinizing the arrangement of those patterns.
Those patterns were more than just "patterns"; they constituted a set of extremely precise energy circuits.
Each pattern was an energy channel, intricately forming a three-dimensional energy absorption network.
This was the source of Melt Mountain’s greatly enhanced energy absorption ability.
But there was more to discover.
As Jeming continued to analyze, he soon found something even more astounding.
Hidden deep within those energy circuits was another layer of structure.
This structure was so subtle that he would not have noticed it without intentionally searching.
They resembled "shadows" of the energy circuits, adhering to the back of each channel.
"This structure... this thing can inherently stabilize the Soul!"
Jeming gasped.
For Elemental Creatures, the Soul is the most fragile aspect.
Their bodies can be fortified indefinitely, but the strength of the Soul is inherently limited.
Many Elemental Creatures are stuck at the threshold of ascending from the Sixth Level to the Seventh Level because their Souls are not stable enough to bear greater power.
However, the structures on Melt Mountain’s surface precisely addressed this issue.
Instead of directly strengthening the Soul, they used the "aftershocks" of the energy circuits to nurture it, allowing the Soul to become stable over time.
"Indeed, the key to reaching the Seventh Level is the Soul. It seems that Melt Mountain’s ability to evolve to the Seventh Level mainly lies in its Adaptive Evolution compensating for its previous Soul deficiencies..."
Jeming quickly wrote down this hypothesis in his notes.
For a Black Giant to ascend to the Seventh Level, addressing the Soul issue is the primary hurdle.
Melt Mountain was "lucky," having encountered Soul-targeting attacks multiple times, but those attacks weren’t strong enough to wipe it out.
Thus, through its Body Refining Technique’s Adaptive Evolution, it developed the relevant structures.
If he wanted to mass-produce Seventh Level Black Giants, finding a method to artificially fortify the Soul was necessary.
The structures on Melt Mountain’s surface were the best reference point.
Jeming continued his research, dissecting those constructs bit by bit.
Time ticked away minute by minute.
He was immersed in the world of data, completely oblivious to his surroundings.
Every breakthrough in deciphering a structure offered new insights; each discovery of a pattern unveiled new applications.
Until the Magic Network Terminal suddenly vibrated.
Jeming froze for a moment, snapping back to reality.
He looked down at the terminal on his wrist, where a message was flashing.
[Sender: Avery Knight (Dean of Nolun No.147 Academy)]
[Content: Jeming, there is a sudden vacancy for an Alchemy teacher at the academy that needs temporary filling. Do you have the time? It requires only half a day every ten days, not impacting your research. If available, please respond.]
Jeming frowned slightly at the unexpected message.
When he joined the Elite Combat Unit, the agreement included not having to fulfill any teaching duties.
However, Dean Avery Knight had always been good to him and had provided many conveniences in the past.
Moreover, half a day every ten days wasn’t much of an interruption.
Jeming thought for a moment and replied:
[I can do it. When does it start?]
The response was instant:
[In five days. I’ll have the office send you the schedule and teaching materials. Thank you for your help.]
[It’s nothing, just a small favor.]
[Rest assured, you won’t regret it. I’ll have a surprise for you later.]
Jeming didn’t pay much attention to it, turned off the terminal, and looked at the gigantic figure squatting in the distance.
Melt Mountain still sat there obediently, completely motionless, awaiting his next command.
Jeming smiled, "Let’s continue."