Hero Creation

In a secluded corner of the library, a makeshift workbench was cluttered with an array of spirit wood cores, warm jade shards, silver threads as fine as hair, and various shimmering spiritual materials.

Chen Jin was fully focused, his mental energy weaving through the carving knife in his hand as he etched intricate inscription circuits onto exquisitely crafted components.

These circuits served as channels to guide the "essence of the sun and moon," functioning much like the blood vessels of a human body.

He first completed the core "viscera" module to maintain basic physiological equilibrium.

Next came the more complex "respiratory system," ensuring that airflow could pass through smoothly and be converted into the power for vocalization.

Finally, there were the "throat and tongue" and the "resonance chamber."

He used the finest clear-heart jade to carve the vocal cords and constructed the root of the tongue from tough wood.

As the final component was completed under his fingertips, Chen Jin took a deep breath and activated the inscriptions.

"Ah... ah..."

A faint but clear sound emerged from that artificial "throat."

Success! The basic vocalization function was verified as effective!

You have comprehended a new skill; you may name it freely.

The skill has been named: [Hero Creation]

[Hero Creation]: Provided you have sufficient materials, you can craft puppets of any form. The effects and strength of the puppet depend on the materials selected.

Blueprints will be generated after each crafting session; following these blueprints can significantly reduce the mental energy consumed when crafting puppets.

Suppressing the joy in his heart, Chen Jin immediately sent for the Libationer Jiang Yan and Eleven.

When Eleven arrived and saw the delicate components on the workbench, his ghostly blue prosthetic eye lit up instantly, and his body trembled slightly with excitement.

Chen Jin nodded reassuringly at him, then turned to Jiang Yan with a solemn expression: "Libationer, the components are ready. Next, we must replace them for Eleven. This involves connecting meridians with inscription circuits and allows for no errors. I ask that you stand guard nearby and intervene if any abnormalities arise."

Jiang Yan looked at Chen Jin deeply, his astonishment unconcealed, and said slowly: "To have understood the Essential Art of Puppetry to this extent in such a short time—your talent, young friend, is truly breathtaking."

This praise came from the heart. Only then did he look at his foster son, his gaze turning gentle and encouraging: "Eleven, come here. This is your opportunity, as well as the hard work of young friend Chen; it will surely go smoothly."

The replacement process ended quickly.

Throughout the entire procedure, Eleven gritted his teeth, enduring the strange sensation of foreign objects being embedded and energy flowing through him. Fine beads of sweat seeped from his temples, but his eyes were filled with unprecedented anticipation.

Finally, the last component was secured.

Chen Jin stepped back and said softly: "Eleven, try it. Take it slow, no rush."

Eleven swallowed nervously and attempted to engage the throat components.

His lips moved a few times as he struggled to adjust the tension of the "vocal cords" and the flow rate of the "breath."

"I... I..."

"I... can... speak..."

Though slow, the sentence was clear and distinct.

Chen Jin smiled and pointed to a small rune dial nearby used for adjusting tone: "Here, you can adjust the voice. I've preset a few modes; try them and see which one you like."

Eleven curiously touched the rune dial with his mental tentacles.

A crisp, clean, youthful voice rang out: "This one..."

He touched another.

A deep, magnetic, mature male voice rang out: "...doesn't seem bad either?"

He played with it happily, eventually settling on a clear, bright tone that matched his handsome appearance. Although his speech was still a bit staccato and required practice, this was already a miraculous beginning.

Eleven was overcome with emotion. He turned to Chen Jin and Jiang Yan, kowtowed heavily, and said with his new, unpracticed voice: "Eleven... thanks... benefactor! Thanks... foster father!"

After receiving permission, he ran out of the library almost skipping, unable to wait to hear the sound of the wind and greet every blade of grass and tree in the academy.

Watching Eleven's retreating figure, Chen Jin withdrew his gaze and turned to Jiang Yan, who had been smiling silently, and asked the question that had been on his mind: "Libationer, forgive my bluntness. With your cultivation and mastery of the Mechanism Art, repairing Eleven's throat and tongue would not seem to be a difficult task. Why..."

Jiang Yan stroked his long beard, gazing deeply in the direction Eleven had disappeared, and said slowly: "Young friend Chen, giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him how to fish. My initial wish was for him to rely on his own strength to fathom the wonders of this mechanism and personally mend his own flaws. Only then could he truly stand on his own, rather than living forever under my protection. This was also his own 'goal'."

He sighed, his tone tinged with a trace of pity and helplessness: "It is a pity that the child is simple-minded, and his talent for the way of mechanisms... is indeed slow to progress. Now that you have fulfilled this wish for him, it is his destiny and your good karma. To force it upon him would only become an obsession; let nature take its course."

Chen Jin nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this.

At this moment, Jiang Yan changed the subject, a mysterious smile appearing on his face: "Very well, come and see your old friends."

As he spoke, he took a black long case about three feet long, made of neither wood nor metal, from his wide sleeves and handed it to Chen Jin.

"I have finished repairing your 'Resonators.' However, in my opinion, their original design did not perfectly align with your 'Dao.' Therefore, I took the liberty of making some small upgrades and modifications."

Chen Jin's heart stirred. With anticipation and curiosity, he gently opened the lid.

In an instant, a flash of crimson gold and a gleam of moonlight shone forth, reflecting in his eyes.

Lined with dark velvet, two firearms of great aesthetic beauty and power lay quietly inside.

The one on the left was a warm crimson gold, its lines fluid and aggressive, like a golden crow of the sun poised to strike. Faint feather-like patterns were visible on the barrel, radiating a scorching heat.

The one on the right was a cold, lunar silver, its design relatively slender and elegant, like a condensed streak of moonlight. The gun body featured faint cloud and water ripple patterns, exuding a chilling, icy aura.

The two guns lay there quietly, yet they already radiated a heart-palpitating power, as if waiting for a new master to take them into hand and let them bloom with a brilliance surpassing all that came before.

"Young Friend Chen, why don't you name these new Resonators?"

Chen Jin scratched his head; he was truly terrible at coming up with names.

"How about [Symphony of Myriad Phenomena: Modified]?"

Jiang Yan fell silent for a moment before speaking:

"Ancient rites record that when the sun and moon eclipse one another, the heavens and earth fall into disorder, and yin and yang encroach upon each other. When the sun is obscured by the moon during a solar eclipse, one must pierce the encroachment of the Taiyin to summon back the light. When the moon is veiled by the earth's shadow during a lunar eclipse, one must beat drums and strike gold to dispel the shadows and protect the clear radiance."

Jiang Yan looked up at Chen Jin. "This pair of Resonators aligns perfectly with these ancient rites; they carry the imagery of harmonizing yin and yang and rectifying order. Therefore, this old man wishes to name them—[Sun Savior] and [Moon Savior]. What does my young friend think?"

Chen Jin laughed. "The Libationer is much better at naming things than I am. These names sound great."

[Sun Savior / Moon Savior]

Category: Weapon

Quality: Rare

Inherent Attributes:

[Source Remolding]: Discards the original power supply mode; the core drive has been changed to absorb and store solar essence and lunar radiance. Bathing in sunlight or moonlight replenishes energy, with a significant boost in power during the corresponding hours.

[Sun and Moon Radiance]:

Sun Savior: Fires solar flame rounds condensed from True Solar Fire, possessing a devastatingly suppressive effect on yin-evil, ghostly, and cold-attribute targets.

Moon Savior: Fires demon-breaking rounds extracted from the clear radiance of the Taiyin, possessing extremely strong purification and tearing properties against demonic barriers, filth, and chaotic mental energy.

[Sound and Might Combined]: When fired, they not only retain their original sound but also trigger inscribed runes, emitting grand sound waves akin to ancient sacrificial prayers and the simultaneous ringing of bells and drums. These sound waves possess the ability to exorcise evil, shatter illusions, and suppress demons.

The modified dual guns looked even more powerful, and they no longer drained his mental energy.

However, they had also lost the specialized ammunition for various situations, such as armor-piercing rounds.

Next time Chen Jin faced a mecha legion, the weapons in his hands might struggle to exert the same power as before.

For a moment, Chen Jin couldn't say whether this change was good or bad.

After all, he was the one who had commissioned the repairs, so being picky would be impolite. He solemnly closed the wooden box and then bowed deeply to Jiang Yan:

"Many thanks, Libationer. This junior will certainly put this pair of weapons to good use, harmonizing yin and yang and rectifying order."