Jitianqing walked up to the dismantled engine, placed her hand on it, and turned back to say, “Just so you know, I’m putting in a lot of effort here. Whatever benefits come from this, I deserve a share.”
“Of course,” Song Zining replied, then glanced at Li Kuanglan beside him and added, “Young Master Kuanglan also deserves a share.”
Li Kuanglan’s previously furrowed brows finally relaxed.
Jitianqing closed her eyes, focused, placed her hand on the cover, and with a sharp exclamation, tried to lift it—only to find she couldn’t!
This shocked everyone in the courtyard, and Qian Ye was even more surprised. He knew Jitianqing’s strength well, and for her to be unable to lift a mere object was simply unacceptable. Frustrated and angry, her face darkened, and her hand moved rapidly, changing frequencies and techniques in an instant, displaying several extremely profound secret arts that left the craftsmen awestruck. They could only marvel at the techniques’ power, but they couldn’t understand where the power came from.
Finally, with a light clack, the cover popped up slightly. Everyone let out a sigh of relief, and some young craftsmen cheered.
Jitianqing continued to exert force, lifting the cover inch by inch. Even with her strength, it seemed strenuous, showing just how powerful the suction beneath the cover was.
When the cover finally detached completely, the suction vanished abruptly, and Jitianqing released all her force, keeping the cover in a half-open state. This sudden transition from immense force to gentle handling was done with ease, inadvertently revealing another secret technique.
Jitianqing did not rush to open the cover. She waited until Qian Ye, Song Zining, and Li Kuanglan surrounded the engine and the craftsmen were kept behind, before slowly lifting the cover, revealing the interior of the tube.
“What is this?!” Even the usually composed Jitianqing gasped when she saw what was beneath the cover.
To their surprise, instead of various metal parts, there were tissues resembling biological organs.
At first glance, it appeared to be a mass of unknown biological tissue. However, Song Zining and Li Kuanglan had keen eyes, and Qian Ye, with his True Sight, saw even more. In their eyes, the tissue magnified, revealing its details.
The tissue contained crisscrossing muscle fibers, interspersed with red and yellow bubbles, and a dense network of fine blood vessels connecting everything. The thickest muscle fibers were finer than hair, and the bubbles and tiny blood vessels were invisible to the naked eye.
In Qian Ye’s vision, deeper layers of the tissue structure gradually revealed themselves. The blood vessels and muscle fibers formed a three-dimensional grid, protecting countless tiny bubbles. Upon closer inspection, one could see minute crystals embedded in the walls of the blood vessels and muscle fibers. These crystals were about the same size as those in Qian Ye’s own Burning Blood, too small for even a regular warlord to see, but clearly visible to Qian Ye with his True Sight.
With these crystals, the tiny blood vessels and muscle fibers were extremely resilient and incredibly sharp. If a typical strongman touched them, their fingers would break, not the blood vessels.
Inside the tiny bubbles, there were also floating crystals. Qian Ye had sensed the presence of the void beast when he first saw the engine, and it seemed to originate from this tissue.
Jitianqing suddenly said, “It’s still alive!”
Everyone except Qian Ye was startled and observed carefully. The craftsmen looked bewildered, seeing nothing. But Song Zining and Li Kuanglan noticed the tissue moving very slowly, like breathing. It was so slow and subtle that it took about a week to complete one cycle. Only someone of Li Kuanglan’s caliber could detect the movement.
Song Zining turned and asked, “Master Hu, what do you think?”
Master Hu, instead of answering immediately, took out tools and fiddled with the area outside the cover for a while, then pulled out a needle as thin as a mosquito’s leg, and said, “Please look, this needle penetrates the tissue, and by inputting primordial force through it, we can cause the tissue to respond. There are hundreds of such needles. If my guess is correct, these needles control the tissue. The removed tubes were mostly supplying primordial force to these control mechanisms.”
Song Zining then asked, “What do you think this tissue is for?”
Master Hu replied, “I can’t see its internal structure clearly. Perhaps one of the young masters or ladies can point it out to me.”
All eyes turned to Qian Ye. He felt a bit flustered and said, “Why are you looking at me?”
Song Zining cleared his throat and said, “Qian Ye, now isn’t the time to hide your skills. Tell us what you see, and let’s discuss it.”
Unable to refuse, Qian Ye thought for a moment and said, “From what I see, this tissue is composed of three main structures: one resembles muscle, forming the framework; the second is a network of blood vessels; and the third is countless tiny bubbles…”
As he spoke, Li Kuanglan frowned and asked, “You saw tiny bubbles?”
“Many, but they’re encased in the network of blood vessels within the framework,” Qian Ye replied honestly.
Li Kuanglan’s expression changed, and he stared at Qian Ye for a long time before saying, “I really want to pluck out your eyes and see what they’re made of. Jitianqing, did you see these too?”
Jitianqing laughed lightly, “With my keen eyes, how could I miss them?”
Li Kuanglan, admitting his limitations, said, “I can only see the muscle structure and the blood vessel network. I didn’t notice the bubbles. Qian Ye, continue.”
“Continue?” Qian Ye hesitated, then said, “In these structures, there are tiny crystals. I’m not sure what their function is.”
“Crystals?!” Jitianqing’s expression changed. Without a word, she pulled out a sharp needle, pricked the tissue, examined the needle tip with a special pair of glasses, and then said, “There really are crystals. Qian Ye, how exactly are your eyes made?”
Under the intense gazes of Jitianqing and Li Kuanglan, Qian Ye felt uneasy. Song Zining then walked over, whispered in his ear, “Why did you say so much? Well, for the sake of our friendship, I’ll help you. Otherwise, they’ll dissect you on the spot.”
Before Qian Ye could protest, Song Zining patted his shoulder and said loudly, “Qian Ye, I never expected you to have such keen eyesight! So, it seems you can see through armor and even primordial force protection with no problem!”
Qian Ye hadn’t quite understood the implications, but Jitianqing and Li Kuanglan’s faces darkened, and they looked at him with a new ferocity.
Qian Ye, bewildered, said, “How could I possibly see through armor and protective primordial force?”
Song Zining said, “Don’t be modest. You definitely can if you try! Practice more, and no enemy will be able to hide from you!”
Instantly, Qian Ye felt a murderous aura around him.
At that moment, Master Hu slapped his thigh and exclaimed, “I know!”
Everyone’s attention returned to him. Master Hu pointed at the tissue and said, “I believe this tissue is actually a fully functional organ, likely used for respiration in a void beast. I once studied some information about void beasts and know they breathe, but what they inhale and exhale is primordial force from the void.”
He paused and continued, “This organ breathes, drawing primordial force directly from the void and converting it into regular primordial force to propel the ship. So, it is indeed an engine, but the concept is truly extraordinary!”
Master Hu then pointed to the probes lining the interior and said, “These probes control the organ, adjusting the frequency and force of its breathing to change the thrust.”
Song Zining picked up a part and mused, “Are these parts truly from hundreds of years ago?”
Master Hu replied, “We’ll need to wait for the lab to confirm that.”
Song Zining sighed, “If they are from hundreds of years ago, the person who created this must have been remarkable!”
Jitianqing nodded, “This doesn’t seem to be from the Evernight.”
The Empire and the Evernight had been at war for years, and each side was very familiar with the other. The designs of the Evernight’s warships had never featured such a structure. So, either this engine was the whimsical creation of a peerless master, like the prototype of the Valhalla, or it might be the work of an unknown, powerful race.
The former was understandable, but the latter was truly shocking.
Song Zining asked, “Master Hu, can this engine still be used?”
Master Hu replied, “Most of the parts are intact, and the damaged ones should be repairable. Once repaired, the engine should function normally, though it will need a complete control and fuel supply system.”
Li Kuanglan asked, puzzled, “Isn’t it a respiratory organ? Does it need fuel?”
Master Hu stroked his beard and said, “For it, the fuel is nutrients. These dozen or so tubes supply the nutrients. We need to study further to determine exactly what it absorbs.”
“Is the analysis going smoothly?” Song Zining asked.
Master Hu replied, “Once we understand the principle, the so-called engine isn’t so mysterious. The real core is this tissue—where it came from, how it was shaped, and its function are the key. The external machinery is just the detail. Sadly, I am almost completely ignorant of this tissue.”
“Let’s start the repairs and see how it performs.”
Next, Song Zining cleared the courtyard for Master Hu’s research and repair work. Qian Ye returned to his quarters, packed his gear, and went to the armory to replenish his ammunition, preparing for battle. Jitianqing and Li Kuanglan left, each going about their own business.
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