Moon Palace

The laboratory was very quiet.

What was spread out on the table looked like the scene after a small explosion.

A core, metal fragments, blueprints, carving knives, conductive wires, all piled up messily.

But upon closer inspection, each item was exactly where it should be.

The core was in the center, its silver-white Soul-Forged Mithril casing gleaming coldly under the fluorescent lights.

Beside it lay several pieces of metal: Sinking Silver, Magic Silver, Star Steel, Tungsten Steel, and that piece of Lunar Divine Metal, thumb-sized, resting quietly at the corner of the table.

The blueprints covered half the table, filled with circuits and formulas. Some parts were crossed out and redrawn, others stopped halfway, as if the artist had thought of something new and flipped to the next page before finishing.

Yun Jingheng sat before the table, motionless for a long time.

He was pondering a question: how to create something of a higher tier using a level 4 Soul Tool formation.

His Soul Power was only level 34; a level 4 Soul Tool was his limit, and he couldn't activate a level 5 formation even if he carved it.

But the core before him was level 7, and the metals were Soul-Forged, Spirit-Forged.

The energy contained within these materials far surpassed his current Soul Power level.

What he needed wasn't to activate it with his own Soul Power for now, but to use the materials' inherent energy.

He just needed to create a trigger, to ignite them.

He picked up a pen and drew a circle on the paper.

The circle represented the core, a level 7 core with enough energy reserve to power a level 6 Soul Tool for a long time.

Outside the core, he drew three small circles: formation nodes.

Each node was an independent level 4 Soul Tool formation. The three level 4 formations, connected through the core, would work in synergy, theoretically producing an effect close to level 5.

But it wasn't enough.

He drew two more nodes, making it five level 4 formations arranged in a circle.

Energy would circulate between the five nodes, its intensity stacking with each loop.

Ten loops would approximate level 5.

A hundred loops would approximate level 6.

But the problem was, the energy circulation of five level 4 formations required extremely precise control.

The slightest fluctuation in any node would disrupt the entire loop, causing an energy surge.

He needed something to stabilize these nodes, to keep them synchronized during the circulation.

His gaze fell upon the silver-white metal at the corner of the table.

He had a rough idea of what it was; only metals above Soul-Forged would develop sentience.

And he had already tested it: this metal was extremely compatible with him, his Soul Power flowing through it unimpeded.

Theoretically, if he carved his self-researched gravity Soul Tool formation onto this metal, he could absolutely create tidal gravity.

Moreover, it would adjust itself, correct itself, and bring everything back into balance. It was quite obedient in Yun Jingheng's hands.

He placed the silver-white metal next to the core and redrew on the blueprint.

The core was the heart, the Lunar Divine Metal the brain.

The five level 4 formations were the limbs, the core providing energy, the Lunar Divine Metal controlling the rhythm, and the limbs operating according to that rhythm.

This was not the traditional design philosophy for Soul Tools.

He was creating five interconnected formations, one core, one controller, all combined into one.

No one had ever done this, because no one would think of using such a precious metal as a controller.

Lunar Divine Metal was too valuable; using it as a controller was like using a diamond as a table leg.

But Yun Jingheng didn't have that concept.

He picked up his carving knife and began to engrave the formations.

Each formation was level 4; none were remarkable on their own.

But he carved them onto the same metal base, connecting them, sharing the same core.

It was like tying five completely different people together, making them breathe, their hearts beat, and their steps move in unison.

If any one of them lagged even half a beat, the entire system would collapse.

He finished carving the last circuit and put down his knife.

Then he picked up the Lunar Divine Metal and embedded it into the groove in the center of the base.

The Lunar Divine Metal flickered, very lightly, like a breath.

Then the five formations lit up simultaneously. Silver-white light emanated from the base, steady, pulsing like a heartbeat.

He didn't stop.

He began to assemble the casing.

The shell was forged from Crystal Silver and Star Steel, and it took him three hours to hammer out the shape.

It was very small, only palm-sized.

The eaves curved upwards, like the arc of the moon.

The palace walls were thin sheets of Crystal Silver carved out, pieced together one by one, each sheet etched with fine patterns.

Moon phases, head to tail, circled the palace walls.

The base was an alloy of Star Steel and Tungsten Steel, polished countless times by machine until it was as smooth as a mirror.

He fitted the base into the shell, a perfect match.

Then he closed the shell, connecting the moon phase patterns on the shell to the five internal formations with conductive wires.

He placed the object on the table and stepped back two paces.

It hovered three inches above the tabletop, without a stand or support, floating on its own.

Very small, only palm-sized, like a miniature palace.

The eaves curved upwards, like the arc of the moon.

The palace walls were silvery-white, covered with moon phase patterns.

The base was deep blue, the luster of Star Steel flowing under the fluorescent lights, like the night sky.

Yun Jingheng looked at it and gave it a name.

Moon Palace.

The Moon Palace, the legendary dwelling of Chang'e, vast and cold, so high it was unbearable.

He placed his palm above the Moon Palace and injected a trace of soul power.

The palace lit up.

Silvery-white light ignited from the eaves, flowing along the moon phase patterns on the palace walls, circle by circle, like the ebb and flow of tides.

Five light bands spread from the base, silvery-white, very thin, very bright, circling the palace.

These were gravity light bands, the five formation nodes operating in sync under the control of Lunar Divine Metal, energy circulating within the light bands.

He closed his eyes and sensed the gravitational field emitted by the Moon Palace.

It covered the entire laboratory, ten meters in diameter.

Everything within the domain was within his perception—the weight of the table, the center of gravity of the chair, the density of the air, every painting hanging on the wall.

With a thought, he activated Tide Pull.

The gravity within the domain began to fluctuate, like waves on the sea, rising and falling, the blueprints on the table floated up slightly, then fell.

With another thought, he activated Tide Gather.

The waves converged towards the center, all gravity directed towards the Moon Palace itself, the blueprints on the table were pulled towards the palace, hovering in mid-air as if held by an invisible hand.

Tide Rise.

The gravity began to strengthen, growing stronger and stronger, so strong that the metal parts on the table began to roll towards the Moon Palace, so strong that he himself felt his body grow heavier, each step requiring effort.

Tide Fall.

The gravity suddenly weakened, so weak that the blueprints and parts that had been pulled over began to drift outwards, as if floating in water, weightless.

His body also became lighter, so light that a gentle push of his toes could make him float.

Tide Lock.

The gravitational field stabilized, and everything within the domain was fixed in its current position.

The blueprints floating in mid-air stopped, the partially rolled parts stopped, even the dust in the air was still.

The entire laboratory was like a paused scene.

He opened his eyes and looked at it all. Then he took a deep breath.

Tide Collapse.

All the gravity within the domain collapsed in an instant, converging towards a single point in the center.

That point was directly above the Moon Palace, too small to be seen, but the gravity was unimaginably immense.

Everything on the table was pulled towards that point—blueprints, parts, metal fragments, even that carving knife.

They spun around that point, faster and faster, closer and closer, as if being sucked into an invisible vortex.

Yun Jingheng withdrew his soul power.

The gravity dissipated, the blueprints and parts fell back onto the table, the carving knife dropped to the floor with a crisp sound.

The light of the Moon Palace slowly faded, its hovering height lowered slightly, and it became quiet again.

He stood there, looking at it for a long time.

Then he softly said, "Am I a genius?"

Feng Wuyu was idly humming a tune with his eyes closed when he was suddenly slapped.

He opened his eyes in surprise.

Who? Who the hell dares to slap me?!

Cai Yue'er: Stare~

"..."

"Why are you back again?"

Cai Yue'er looked at the door. "Still not out?"

Feng Wuyu shook his head. "No..."

"Hiss... He couldn't have held it in until his bladder exploded, could he?"

"Thump--!"

"If you can't say anything nice, shut up!"

The door opened.

Yun Jingheng stood at the entrance, dark circles under his eyes, his hair a mess, and his clothes stained with metal shavings.

But his eyes were bright, as bright as the flying eaves of the small palace in his hand.

Cai Yue'er and Feng Wuyu both stepped forward simultaneously.

Cai Yue'er was faster. She shoved Feng Wuyu aside, who stumbled and hit his head against the wall with a dull thud.

"You--" He clutched his head, eyes wide, but Cai Yue'er was already gone.

"Let me see."

Cai Yue'er's voice was very low, but every word seemed to be squeezed from between her teeth.

She stared at the Moon Palace in Yun Jingheng's hand. The small palace hovered three inches above his palm, its flying eaves curved like the arc of the moon. The moon phase patterns on its walls shimmered faintly under the fluorescent lights.

Five silver-white light ribbons spun around it, thin and bright.

Cai Yue'er raised her hand, hovering in mid-air, not touching.

Her fingers were trembling.

She recognized the core: Soul-Forged Mithril, level 7. She had studied it for three years, tracing every circuit by hand, repeatedly deducing every layer of its structure.

Now it was embedded in a small palace, surrounded by five level 4 formations, controlled by a piece of Lunar Divine Metal, and it was operating.

A level 7 core, five level 4 formations, a piece of heavenly forged metal – these things put together, and they were operating?!

How in the world could this possibly work?!