novelraw Chapter 587: Researching Molten Mountain and a Sudden Request
Chapter 587: Researching Molten Mountain and a Sudden Request
Chapter 587: Researching Molten Mountain and a Sudden Request
Jie Ming followed the Black Giant priest out of the laboratory and headed east.
They passed through the Black Giant residential area, crossed several still-smoking volcanoes, and finally arrived at a vast plain.
This place had originally been a lava lake. A few years ago, after the Black Giant population relocated here, it had cooled down.
The solidified lava had formed a layer of black rocky ground, flat as if artificially paved.
At this moment, the black ground was densely covered with intricate runes.
Those runes spread outward from the center, covering an area of dozens of kilometers in every direction.
Every rune glowed faintly, connecting with one another to form a massive formation.
This was the “experiment” Jie Ming had instructed the Black Giant priests to prepare.
It was for examining Molten Mountain. As a seventh-grade elemental creature following the traditional path of an elemental lord, Molten Mountain stood over ten thousand meters tall.
What kind of concept was that?
Standing before it was like standing at the foot of a real mountain range.
The difficulty of conducting a detailed examination on such an existence could easily be imagined.
Just preparing this experiment had taken the Black Giants several months.
Jie Ming walked to the control console at the edge of the formation and looked up into the distance.
There, a massive black figure stood quietly.
It was Molten Mountain.
Its ten-thousand-meter-tall body was like a majestic mountain range stretching across the land.
Its body surface was covered in the signature black liquid metal, gleaming with a dark luster under the gray-red sky.
The liquid metal flowed slowly, like black rivers streaming across a mountain.
Jie Ming knew that the seemingly liquid body surface was only an appearance.
As an elemental creature whose body was filled with liquid metal, Molten Mountain’s actual density and weight were far greater than a mountain range of the same height. If it wished, a single punch could pierce straight through a continental shelf.
Even now, as it simply stood in place, the reason it could remain on the ground was that Molten Mountain had been carefully controlling itself to hover just above the surface.
“Molten Mountain.”
Jie Ming’s voice transmitted over through spiritual power.
The massive figure shifted slightly, then began walking toward the experiment site.
Only after “walking” onto the specially reinforced ground beside the formation did it truly settle down.
With every step, the earth trembled. The dull vibration of the crust sounded like the heartbeat of the entire plane.
Jie Ming stood at the control console, completely unmoved.
Molten Mountain reached the edge of the formation and stopped.
It lowered its head to look at the dense runes on the ground, then glanced at Jie Ming, seemingly waiting for instructions.
“Sit down on the formation,” Jie Ming pointed at the area covered by the formation. “Try to keep your entire body within the range of the formation.”
Molten Mountain nodded.
It cautiously stepped into the formation and sat down.
The scene was somewhat comical.
To ensure it remained completely inside the formation, the ten-thousand-meter-tall giant hugged its knees with both arms and squatted there like a child. Its movements were very gentle and careful, afraid that using too much force would damage the runes on the ground.
But it was simply too large.
Even curled up like this, it still occupied most of the experimental area, leaving only a ring of empty space at the edges.
Jie Ming nodded and began operating the formation on the console.
The runes on the ground lit up instantly.
Beams of light shot out from the runes, intertwining into a massive web of light that enveloped Molten Mountain from head to toe.
The lights flickered continuously. With every flicker, they scanned a different part of Molten Mountain’s body.
On the console, a three-dimensional model was rapidly taking shape.
It was a 3D projection of Molten Mountain’s body. From skin to internal structure, from energy core to soul fluctuations, every detail was clearly marked.
Jie Ming stared at the model, his brows slightly furrowed.
“The body is too thick. Even a detection formation of this power level has trouble penetrating it…”
Molten Mountain’s body thickness had not yet exceeded the detection limit of the formation.
More importantly, as an advanced form of the Black Giants, after advancing to seventh grade, Molten Mountain’s instinct for absorbing energy had become even stronger.
Even though Molten Mountain was trying its best to restrain itself, the energy absorption effect remained formidable.
A large portion of the formation’s energy was unconsciously absorbed by it during the scanning process.
Although the specially designed scanning runes were powerful, when faced with an existence of this level, they could only penetrate the surface layers.
However, even the surface layers alone had already benefited Jie Ming greatly.
He enlarged the model and focused on the epidermal region of Molten Mountain.
The structure of that liquid metal layer was clearly displayed in the three-dimensional model.
Completely different from ordinary Black Giants, the liquid metal layer on Molten Mountain’s epidermis presented an extremely complex construction.
Not only did the elemental composition of the metal particles on the surface differ from those of lower-grade Black Giants, but the metal particles themselves formed countless intricate patterns interwoven together, creating layer upon layer of three-dimensional networks.
Jie Ming narrowed his eyes and activated his All-Purpose Eye, carefully analyzing those structures.
He was no longer the Jie Ming from decades ago, who could only stare blankly at such structures.
After so many years of study, his understanding of biological structures had reached a new height.
“This is…”
He enlarged a certain area and stared at the arrangement of those patterns.
Those patterns were not merely “patterns.” They were an extremely precise set of energy circuits.
Every line was an energy channel. Countless energy channels intertwined to form a three-dimensional energy absorption network.
This was the root of Molten Mountain’s greatly enhanced energy absorption talent.
But that was not all.
Jie Ming continued his in-depth analysis and soon discovered something even more astonishing.
Deep within those energy circuits lay another hidden layer of structure.
Those structures were extremely subtle. If he had not deliberately searched for them, he would never have noticed them.
They were like the “shadows” of the energy circuits, attached to the back of every channel.
“This kind of structure… it can actually stabilize the soul naturally!”
Jie Ming drew in a sharp breath.
For elemental creatures, the soul was the most vulnerable part.
Their bodies could be strengthened indefinitely, but the strength of their souls was limited by their innate nature.
Many elemental creatures were stuck at the threshold between sixth and seventh grade precisely because their souls were not stable enough to bear greater power.
Yet these structures on Molten Mountain’s surface layer solved exactly that problem.
They did not directly strengthen the soul. Instead, they used the “aftershocks” of the energy circuits to nourish the soul, allowing it to become steadily more stable through gradual influence.
“Indeed, the key to seventh grade lies in the soul. It seems the main reason Molten Mountain was able to evolve to seventh grade is that its adaptive evolution compensated for its previous shortcomings in the soul aspect…”
Jie Ming quickly wrote this inference in his logbook.
For Black Giants to advance to seventh grade, the first problem they needed to solve was the soul.
Molten Mountain had been relatively “lucky.” It had encountered multiple attacks targeting the soul in battle, but those attacks had never been strong enough to destroy it completely. Thus, relying on the adaptive evolution of the body-forging method, it had evolved the relevant structures.
If he wanted to mass-produce seventh-grade Black Giants, he would need to find an artificial method to strengthen the soul.
And these structures on Molten Mountain’s surface layer were the best reference.
Jie Ming continued his research, dissecting the structures bit by bit.
Time passed minute by minute.
He was completely immersed in the world of data, forgetting everything outside.
With every structure he deciphered, he gained new insights. With every pattern he discovered, he could deduce new applications.
Until his magic network terminal suddenly vibrated.
Jie Ming paused, coming back to his senses.
He looked down at the terminal on his wrist. A message was flashing.
【Sender: Avery Knight (Dean of Noren Academy No. 147)】
【Content: Jie Ming, there is a sudden vacancy for an Alchemy Technique instructor at the academy. We need someone to fill in temporarily. Do you have time? You only need to teach half a day every ten days, so it won’t affect your research. If it’s convenient, please reply to me.】
Jie Ming looked at the message and frowned slightly.
The message was somewhat abrupt. When he had joined the elite combat unit, one of the terms in the agreement was that he would no longer need to take on various teaching duties. However, Dean Avery Knight had always treated him well and had provided him with quite a few conveniences back then.
Moreover, it only took half a day every ten days, so the impact was indeed minor.
After thinking for a moment, Jie Ming replied:
【I can do it. When does it start?】
The other side replied instantly:
【It starts in five days. The class schedule and teaching content will be sent to you by the academic affairs office. Sorry to trouble you.】
【No problem, it’s just a small favor.】
【Don’t worry, I won’t let you suffer a loss. There will be a surprise for you later.】
Jie Ming didn’t pay it much mind. He closed the terminal and looked up at the ten-thousand-meter-tall giant squatting in the distance.
Molten Mountain was still sitting obediently without moving, waiting for his next instruction.
Jie Ming smiled. “Continue.”