Survival on the Internet: A Bizarre Start at Sea

Su Zhisu placed Thorne's pocket watch close to the sea iguana egg.

The pocket watch case was scorching hot and opened automatically, releasing a wisp of warm, longing, and faint spiritual light carrying the scent of the sea. Guided by Su Zhisu's spirit, it flowed towards the dark blue eggshell.

Just as the light of her soul was about to touch the eggshell, Liliana moved.

She extended her arms, which also had a translucent crystal-like texture, and formed an incredibly complex alchemical hand seal with her hands in front of her chest.

A silvery-white light surged from her body, transforming into countless fine rune chains that wrapped around the wisp of soul light, beginning an incredibly precise process of "harmonizing" and "stabilizing".

"The third and final step... the creation of a life form."

Liliana's voice trembled slightly, clearly indicating that this step had put a tremendous strain on her.

"Using my body as the furnace, my soul as the fuel, and the talent of 'Harmony' as the catalyst, I activate the final alchemy array!"

Inside the furnace, the alchemical runes that had been slowly flowing suddenly lit up with a dazzling light!

The entire spherical space began to tremble violently, with countless pipes, veins, and runes frantically drawing energy from the space and channeling it into the furnace.

The pale flames transformed into blazing white alchemical fire, enveloping both the marine iguana egg and Liliana.

The life force within the egg and the light of Edgar's soul began to slowly and steadily merge and intertwine in the alchemical fire.

A blurry, curled-up silhouette, somewhere between a lizard and a human, began to gradually become clearer inside the egg.

Su Zhisu could feel that the connection between himself and the pocket watch, and between himself and the sea iguana egg, was being deepened and strengthened through this ritual.

He is not only a bridge, but also an "anchor point," a "symbiotic participant" in a ritual.

"Finally... a trace of external, pure, high-level order or life force is needed as a 'catalyst' to stabilize the final form and resist the potential erosion of strange forces..."

Liliana's voice had become extremely weak.

"The 'moon' energy you've stirred up... is just right..."

Su Zhisu immediately understood.

He endured the throbbing pain in his soul caused by maintaining the connection, and focused his mind once more, trying to maintain and guide that trace of the "moon's" power into the alchemical fire of the furnace.

The cool, ethereal moonlight descended in wisps, merging with the blazing white flames.

The color of the flames suddenly changed subtly, taking on a faint silvery sheen.

The condensation speed of the outline inside the egg increased significantly, and its shape became more stable and coordinated.

"It's a success... The ceremony is progressing smoothly..."

A surge of immense joy and relief welled up in Liliana's silvery eyes.

But at that moment—

Su Zhisu trembled all over.

The aura of the "Moon" power in his mind vanished suddenly, like a severed thread!

The borrowed thirty minutes are up!

Almost simultaneously, a chilling, vast, and terrifying mental shock, as if it would freeze and tear the soul apart, crashed into the depths of Su Zhisu's consciousness like a bursting dam, along the passage left by the Moon's affinity!

[Network Notice]: The power of the "Moon" you borrowed has dissipated.

[Network Notice]: You are suffering from the backlash of a higher-ranking individual, experiencing a mental shock. Difficulty of resistance: 90.

[Resistance Judgment]: 1d100 + 30 (Talent: Yearning for True Freedom) = 99. Resistance Result: Great Success!

[Resistance Reward]: You successfully withstood this mental shock and benefited from it. Your mental attribute is permanently increased by 3, and your lunar affinity is increased by 1.

"Well!"

Su Zhisu let out a muffled groan, his face instantly turning ashen, blood seeping from his nostrils and ears.

But the expected excruciating pain of a shattered soul did not come.

The innate talent, "Yearning for True Freedom," provided crucial support in critical moments!

That astonishing 99-point judgment not only perfectly offset the impact, but also brought a refreshing energy that soothed the trauma and even made his spirit more refined and powerful.

He swayed, then knelt on one knee, using his scimitar to support his body, and suddenly looked up at the furnace.

The ritual did not stop because of his misfortune, but without the catalysis of the "moon" aura, the silver glow of the alchemical fire quickly faded, and an ominous dark red seemed to seep out from the blazing white flames.

The formed outline inside the egg also rippled slightly.

"The catalyst... has been interrupted..."

Liliana's voice was filled with panic.

"The erosion by the strange power is retaliating... If this continues... the newly formed 'vessel' will be corrupted... Edgar's soul imprint will be distorted..."

"We must replenish it immediately... but..."

Her gaze swept over Su Zhisu, then looked at the furnace, and finally settled on Thorne's pocket watch in Su Zhisu's hand.

A crazy and desperate thought flashed through her eyes.

Su Zhisu instantly understood her thoughts.

Edgar's soul obsession was too weak to resist the erosion alone; he needed a stronger, more "intimate" soul power to guide and cover it.

And here, closely connected to Edgar's soul's obsession through the pocket watch, yet possessing an even stronger soul essence...

He was alone.

"Use a portion of my soul essence, mixed with Edgar's soul obsession, to form the 'core'?"

"No... I would lose a part of myself, and might even be assimilated by Edgar's obsession..."

"But if we fail, Edgar's soul will completely dissipate, Liliana may collapse, the marine iguana egg will be corrupted, and I will not be able to obtain the complete inheritance..."

In a flash, Su Zhisu made a decision.

He did not intend to sacrifice himself.

He recalled Thorne's pocket watch, which he had transformed through alchemy; he recalled how he had nourished the sea iguana's eggs daily with the Night Watch Heart Flame and his own blood; and he recalled the profound connection he had long established between himself and these two things.

"Ownership...connection...substitution..."

An even bolder plan emerged.

He struggled to his feet, pressing both hands simultaneously onto the scalding hot pocket watch and the marine iguana egg.

The Night Watcher's Heart Flame, the strange power, and the pure spiritual energy that had just been tempered in the mental shock all poured into the two without reservation.

"Liliana! Keep mixing! Don't stop!"

"I'm still here!"

"In my name, Su Zhisu, and with the inheritors as my witness!"

"My blood will be the catalyst!"

He bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the pocket watch and the egg.

"My soul bears witness!"

He forcefully inserted his spirit and soul into Edgar's already fragile and broken soul obsession, following the pre-existing connection, not by devouring, but by enveloping, merging, and dominating.

"My connection with this body is stronger than Edgar's lingering obsession!"

"This body belongs to me!"

"At this moment, I am Edgar Thorne's continuation in this world!"