Crystal Fusion

The next morning, Su Ming went to visit Zijin as soon as he woke up.

After a night's rest, the girl's condition had stabilized considerably. She was dressed neatly and sitting by the window, sipping her hot breakfast soup. The morning light streamed through the porthole, casting a soft golden glow on Zijin's slightly pale face.

However, the other person seemed to be in very poor condition. Stacy, with dark circles under her eyes, was lying on the bed on the other side of the room, fast asleep.

"Don't be so nervous." Zijin put down her spoon, looking at the lingering seriousness between Su Ming's brows, and instead showed a relieved smile, "As long as I don't forcibly increase my strength in the short term, there won't be any more problems."

"The life force fluctuations within you have been becoming increasingly apparent," Su Ming said. "Don't forget, I am also a master of Concept Element; I can judge certain things."

"Well, there's still plenty of time," Zijin said, turning her head away.

Su Ming sighed, but ultimately, even if the worst-case scenario occurred, it would only mean abandoning the White Bone Fortress. He shook his head and went to his workspace to handle some matters.

After a night's voyage, the Pansy has returned to the waters belonging to Dragon Valley and entered the coverage area of Dandelion backbone communication network. Although the effective coverage radius of a communication base station for personal devices is only three to fifty kilometers, it is easy to establish a stable connection between base stations across hundreds of kilometers in the absence of obstructions.

Su Ming pulled out his tablet and began to review the messages coming back from all fronts.

Yesterday, at the same time as the landing force launched a surprise attack on Goldglint Fortress, Katharine was also busy. Taking advantage of the goblin rear command center being out of contact and morale being in a state of panic, she tore off her own android camouflage, which had lasted for less than a day, and launched a full-scale attack without reservation!

The few remaining goblin strongholds in the East of the Ridge region crumbled rapidly under the overwhelming offensive.

At this point, nearly 200,000 square kilometers of territory in the East of the Ridge of Gray Ridge was under their control. It was separated from the remaining goblin territory by a natural barrier consisting of a river and a canyon.

Everything is going smoothly at Jinshan Fortress.

The negotiator left behind by Su Ming showed a look of astonishment at the superior performance of the "No. 45 steel" sample presented by the goblins—although he quickly put on a stern face and adopted a disdainful expression.

But the representative ultimately "reluctantly" agreed to the goblins' proposal for a temporary truce and to resume trade.

The goblins were masters of reading between the lines, and they knew perfectly well that the miraculous steel had brought them a new lease on life. Overjoyed, they began to devote all their energy to the frantic preparations for the production of this life-saving "divine steel."

The majestic yet compassionate glory of "Ultraman God" began to be deeply engraved in the "devout" hearts of the goblin nobles, like a red-hot branding iron.

****

With the concerted efforts of all parties, mining operations have been restored in the Red Ridge mining area. Miners move back and forth in the tunnels, lights pierce the darkness deep underground, and the roar of machinery intertwines with the sound of picks striking.

The newly discovered molybdenum-gold mine has also successfully commenced production.

Although the gold that is present in the otherworldly gold coins is the main component and can bring considerable profits, what Su Ming really values is only the molybdenum element contained within them.

The reason why Kong Ruifeng almost ruined his mission by using pearlitic heat-resistant alloy when he landed in the Northern Lands was due to a lack of molybdenum. This forced Su Ming to dismantle the power system of the White Triangle to build the steam locomotive of the Youth Civilization.

With the supply of molybdenum stabilizing, a number of chemical catalyst pathways have been unlocked, including molybdenum carbide.

Using this new catalyst, nitrogen, which is ubiquitous in the air but is extremely inert, can be directly converted into ammonia by water under mild conditions of only 30 atmospheres of pressure and 320 degrees Celsius!

Simplified process and improved energy efficiency are only part of the benefits. More importantly, compared to the mainstream Haber-Bosch process (nitrogen and hydrogen synthesis under high pressure and high temperature), this new process reduces the reaction pressure by 80%-90% and the temperature by more than 100 degrees Celsius.

The chemical industry has always been known for its high risks. Su Ming has never dared to easily introduce many processes and production chains into the other world, for fear that a single oversight could blow the entire factory area to smithereens.

"If we switch to this, ammonia production capacity can jump by an order of magnitude in a short period of time!" Beianqi carefully reviewed the key data of the new process, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "This is fantastic!"

Ammonia is the source of explosives and related products, directly determining the amount of explosives Su Ming's forces can use in combat.

"The electrosmelting of several other metals also needs to be put on the agenda; procurement alone is no longer sufficient to meet our needs," Su Ming continued, "You get things ready here; I'll return to base this afternoon."

"No problem!" Beianqi replied energetically, "I guarantee I'll have a thick list of requirements ready for you!"

"If you keep saying that, I won't dare to come back," Su Ming said helplessly.

The dispatch center's communication system connected. "Chairman, we have arrived near the designated coastline."

Su Ming nodded and got up to pack his things. According to the plan, he would ride with Elder Mo Yuan from here and fly directly back to the Ruby Base by land. This would be much faster than continuing to ride the Pansy along the sea route.

He carried his luggage onto the deck, only to find that Zijin and Stacy had also packed and were sitting upright on Elder Gold Dragon Can Xin's broad back, waving to him.

"Don't you need to rest a bit more?" Su Ming, quite surprised.

"It's just power overload, not some terminal illness," Zijin said calmly. "There's a mountain of official business waiting to be dealt with at the Dragon Court."

Su silently gazed at the girl's slightly pale profile, but ultimately swallowed back her words of advice. "Take care of yourself and get plenty of rest."

"I will!" Zijin said.

****

Thousand-Blade Ice Cliff, the ruins of the Rift Tribe.

After several days of meticulous analysis of the massive remains of the Crystal Dragon, everyone's attention finally focused on the clusters of crystals on its back that stood out like spikes and reflected a dim light.

"It's an implant." Chloe brushed the dust off her gloves and concluded with certainty. Through the study of the microstructure at the junction of the crystal and bone, it could be confirmed that these crystal clusters were not something that the dragon was born with.

They were implanted into the back of this ancient dragon through some kind of technology and fused with its spinal cord.

This is intriguing, as connecting to the spinal cord is a complicated and dangerous undertaking. Generally, there's a need for control when it's necessary to do so.

"Many of the internal structures of these crystals certainly don't resemble simple Magic Power storage units." Lanmo's massive head approached, casting an amplification spell that enveloped a strange crystal microstructure in a pale blue halo. "We may have initially misunderstood the function of these crystals!"

Chloe didn't respond immediately. The implantation of crystals into a living body, likely for manipulation purposes—she instantly thought of a remarkably similar entity. She turned and quickly walked towards the communication array inside the cave, sending a message to Su Ming.

About fifteen minutes later, the core of the magic circle lit up. Chloe received and decoded the message, then copied a detailed reply into her notebook.

She returned to the giant skeleton of the Crystal Dragon and unfolded a diagram of the crystal core structure depicted on the parchment before everyone.

Everyone immediately noticed a striking resemblance between the drawing Chloe had just received and the internal structure of the crystal clusters on the dragon's skeleton!

"This is the Nirvana technology of the Temple of Light," Chloe revealed without keeping everyone in suspense, "A crystal core structure used to encapsulate and store souls."

"The crystal cluster structure of the Crystal Dragon is similar to that of the Nirvana Crystal Core?" Wu Ling frowned in thought, then a light suddenly flashed in his eyes. "No, it's the opposite! The Nirvana Crystal Core imitated the Crystal Dragon!"

This world may not have only one instance of such crystalline remains. The Temple of Light may have obtained them from elsewhere and then replicated them.

"The Nirvana Crystal Core is for encapsulating the souls of the dead, allowing them to control new bodies and be resurrected." Lanmo's enormous head slowly swayed, emitting a deep, thoughtful voice. "Then what is the purpose of this thing on the Crystal Dragon?"

"According to Master Heron's theory, a colossal creature driven by a single soul, limited by the capacity of its soul, would inevitably be intellectually deficient and slow-witted," Chloe murmured, gazing at the skeleton. "But judging from the brutal battles depicted in the murals, this creature was incomparably powerful; even on its deathbed, it slaughtered countless Rift Tribe warriors."

"Then the Crystal Dragon must be a species that emerged through a combination of natural evolution and artificial modification!" Lanmo made a guess.

He took a few steps back; the dragon's body appeared tiny against the backdrop of the Crystal Dragon skeleton.

Lanmo became increasingly certain of his guess. "Yes, this is a complex aggregate creature implanted with multiple souls!" He scanned the Crystal Dragon's pale white skeleton. "This must be the reason why the Crystal Dragon was able to break through the Cang Lu Soul Capacity Limit!"

The Crystal Dragon, in the high-magic environment of Eden, evolved into an enormous size, but this also caused it to develop defects such as decreased intelligence, dullness, and sluggishness.

Therefore, either the Crystal Dragon Race developed crystal cluster technology to improve the situation, or another race intervened and carried out biological modification to create this intelligent "super-giant" creature.

"No wonder some of the legendary giant creatures have multiple heads," Chloe agreed. "Legends really do have some basis!"

As the puzzle pieces came together, Wu Ling raised a new question, "These crystal clusters can hold souls and connect with existing souls to share the burden. The technology it uses might help Bay Owl and Bone King resolve their predicament."

He pointed to the clusters of crystals on the skeleton, long since dulled, cracked, and decayed. "But can these things still work?"

Chloe smiled. "Of course, it was replicated using a common archaeological spell, ' Reverse Object Reversion '!"

She raised her hand, palm facing a crystal. Magic Power enveloped it, and the crystal instantly shattered into fragments.

Where it vanished, a complete phantom of a dazzling crystal cluster appeared! It shone with the brilliance of its prime, and its crystal-clear surface was clearly engraved with a set of intricate runes!

"Teacher," Wu Ling said, imprinting the image onto her screen, "You've been corrupted by the Scholar Bay Owl!"

****

When Stacy found Su Ming and Zijin, the two were dealing with the chaos in "Dragon Rampage City".

Although building a city belonging to dragons had long been included in the development plan, Su Ming was not in a hurry to push it forward.

The influx of players from Chicken Dinner Internet Cafe, along with the construction of the Red Ridge Mine and the Celestite Hydropower Station during this period, has led to a large number of settlements. As a result, the formation of these settlements is happening faster than anyone expected.

Unfortunately, it was the dragons' breeding season.

Dragon Race are a race with fixed mating seasons. According to ancient customs, during this period, young dragons will flock to the places where dragon herds are most concentrated.

This has resulted in all of these testosterone-fueled behemoths now gathering around Su Ming's base!

The settlement expanded rapidly without any planning, and every day young dragons would cause trouble everywhere to show off their power and vie for favor, staging all sorts of fights over love.

So much so that even before the official name was finalized, everyone was already literally calling this area "Dragon Rampage City".

"The most urgent task is to restore order." Su Ming sighed, pressing his temples. "The medical center's business demands have surged by 300%!"

Unfortunately, due to the war, most of the medical resources were deployed to the front lines.

"The medical team is already on its way back," Zijin replied. "As for security—fighting is common during this season in Dragon Race customs. As long as things don't go too far, no dragon will pursue the matter afterward."

"How do we solve the problem of the severe shortage of dragons at the construction site?" Su Ming asked.

This was actually the most troublesome thing for him. The war had already drawn away a lot of strong, adult dragons, and now the young dragons were all busy courting, leaving construction sites experiencing an unprecedented "dragon labor shortage."

"I have issued an executive order," Zijin replied, "Prohibiting the unauthorized construction of nests in this area. Violators will be required to pay a 100-gold-coin occupancy fee."

Su Ming immediately understood her intention, "In this way, those dragons that have successfully found mates and need to settle down will have to work to earn money to buy land in order to build their nests." He was somewhat amused and exasperated, "How did you learn our real estate business methods?"

"As long as it works, that's fine." Zijin said matter-of-factly, "Any problems?"

"I suspect we'll both end up being targeted by streetlights sooner or later," Su Ming sighed.

****

Before the two dragons, a young dragon presented a large basket of cleaned tubers to the dragon he admired, only to be met with a blunt rejection. The rejection seemed too harsh, and the two dragons immediately began arguing.

Immediately afterwards, the two roared and distanced themselves, their scales rubbing together with a piercing sound, as they began a fierce one-on-one duel.

The scene instantly became extremely jubilant, with a large group of dragons gathering around, watching the spectacle and cheering.

"----How can they fight over this?" Su Ming couldn't understand this kind of behavior at all.

"That's the custom of the Dragon Race," Zijin said with a casual, habitual tone. "If a suitor displays overwhelming power and wins the battle, there's a chance to change the other's mind."

"I can't believe it's possible to do that----"

"Battle, after all, is the most direct way to demonstrate strength, courage, and wisdom." Before Zijin could finish speaking, her figure had already shot out like lightning!

"Hey, take it easy!" Su Ming shouted.

Although Zijin's power has stabilized in the past few days and her condition has improved a lot, there's still a lingering worry that something might suddenly cause her condition to deteriorate again.

Zijin accurately gripped the base of the wings of the two red-eyed giant dragons, and with a powerful press, she forced the two behemoths into the ground with two loud booms, leaving only their struggling tails and hind legs exposed.

She landed lightly, brushed off non-existent dust from her hands, and glanced up at Mo Yuan and Can Xin, who were patrolling low in the air maintaining order. "The other elders are on their way back too. Things will be back in order soon."

Su Ming walked around the two giant dragons whose heads were still buried in the ground and were kicking their legs in vain, and walked to Zijin's side.

"I want to know something. You were a dragon before." He unfolded a detailed map of "Dragon Rampage City." "So, you were..."

Zijin abruptly turned her head, glaring fiercely at Su Ming, and threatened menacingly, "If you dare ask that question, I'll shove you into the ground too!"

Su Ming instantly realized that Zijin had misunderstood, "Wait! I didn't mean to ask about your heat cycle!"

Zijin stared intently at Su Ming for a long time.

"----I wasn't an adult when I was a dragon, so I never had that experience," she suddenly whispered, quickly turning her head to the side.

[Yes, be gentle like that!] Stacy's voice came through the mental link, encouraging.

Don't use a fierce tone just because you're shy!

She had overheard their conversation from a distance and hurriedly tried to persuade Zijin.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment, and Su Ming didn't know how to respond, because he really couldn't figure out whether Zi Jin's emotional fluctuations just now stemmed from her concerns about her Dragon Race identity or her struggles with her human identity.

He carefully reviewed the conversation again, but still couldn't figure out the reason for Zijin's behavior.

Seeing the awkward silence, Zijin broke it first, "Excuse me, what was you originally going to ask?"

"I want to plan several basic urban roads and integrate them with our transportation network," Su Ming said, pointing to the map. "But I'm not sure how to design them to better suit the dragons' living habits and activity space."

Zijin reached out and took the terrain map from Su Ming's hand. "This is simple, leave it to me."

Behind them, Stacy, who had witnessed everything, sighed and rubbed her forehead in exasperation. These two were both such blockheads!

Even a fight would be better than this!

Stacy had no choice but to step forward, only to hear the two begin discussing the city's official name.

"Since it's a city of Dragon Race, it's more appropriate to let them name it themselves," Zijin said earnestly. "I will have the Dragon Council propose a solution as soon as possible."

Su Ming nodded.

Then, the two of them turned around at the same time and looked at Stacy who was approaching, their eyes filled with questions.

Su Ming asked, "Is there something you need?"

Zijin's response was. "Look, I did as you said, but it still didn't work!"

Stacy has given up.

"Chloe has made a major discovery," she said, waving the communication log in her hand. "Let's find a quiet place to discuss this in detail."

****

The three quickly returned to their office at the Ruby Base.

"Crystal Fusion" rune? Zijin picked up the complex rune formula diagram that Chloe had sent her, which she had named "Crystal Fusion," and examined it carefully, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Connecting two independent souls to share the burden?"

"Yes," Stacy nodded. "In that case, you will each bear your own power. But the burdens of the White Bone Fortress and the Bone Dragon will be shared by both of you through this rune."

"So how exactly are Su Ming and I going to combine?" Zijin, somewhat puzzled. "Are we going to become a giant, combined monster?"

"No!" Stacy placed a structural diagram on the table. "This is the plan Chloe and I came up with: the existing contract and connection between you and Su Ming will remain unchanged. The White Bone Mark needs adjustment; we'll add the ' Crystal Fusion ' rune to it, and directly connect the Bone Dragon and White Bone Fortress to the White Bone Mark."

(Image attached)

Following the diagram, Zijin finally understood. "In other words, by modifying the White Bone Mark, we can turn the bone dragon and the White Bone Fortress into summonables that Su Ming and I both own. This way, we can share the burden of our souls without any loss, and we can both freely use their power."

"Chloe pointed out that this four-corner connection method has an additional advantage," Stacy said, "Su Ming will also be able to utilize the dark power contained within the White Bone Mark."

Su Ming's eyes lit up. "Does this mean I can truly cast shadow elemental spells?"

"While the effect may not be as good as your current Space Element," Zijin said, "It's equivalent to adding an extra pool of dark Magic Power to your existing foundation, which you'll share with me."

"That's pretty good!" Su Ming nodded. His Magic Power always ran out very easily, and he could never have too much no matter how much he expanded it.

"However, this ' Crystal Fusion ' rune—" He carefully examined the strange rune on the drawing and noticed something, "It was designed for the Crystal Dragon; we can't just apply it directly."

"Of course, modifications are needed. The core runes of the White Bone Mark also need to be adjusted, and the connection method of the tentacles needs to be reorganized." Zijin estimated the workload, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Let's split up," Stacy suggested. "The compatibility modifications for the ' Crystal Fusion Fusion' rune will be handled by Chloe and me. Thanks to the Fate Manipulator, the Temple of Light has clearly done a lot of work in this area. Because of the information he provided, we can now directly use many of the results."

"I will deduce and design the core structure of that new White Bone Mark," Zijin continued.

She turned to Su Ming, "The connection between the new core and the surrounding energy harvesting tentacles network, and the reintegration of the energy cycle, will require you to use a supercomputer to accomplish."

"No problem!" Su Ming said confidently, "Let's get started!"