My health recovery is incredibly fast.

After comparing the research results of the three groups, the most suitable one is definitely the Whale Zero bionic lung.

The jury held a secret discussion for about half an hour before Adanavados dispelled the privacy barrier.

"The jury has made its final decision..." He extended his right hand to Hillenburg's team, "The 'Demon Whale Zero' bionic lung has been selected for this bionic body development project."

Great! I've got over 30 citizen points! Xia Zuo smiled and clapped with Hillenburg to congratulate him.

Although the other two groups were feeling down, they still clapped a few times out of courtesy.

The scattered applause quickly subsided, since the assessment was not conducted in a public setting and there were no spectators around.

After Adanavardos announced the end of the event, the unsuccessful teams took their research results and returned to their respective cities via the teleportation room.

Hillenburg's group remained temporarily and were taken to a separate meeting room.

When the alchemists published the bionic human model, they only listed the approximate parameters of each bionic organ, such as the range of length, width, height, and weight.

After the research results were selected, the research team will further cooperate with the alchemy school to tailor-make the bionic organs that the fallen shaman master desires.

This step involves many intricate parameters, requiring the research and development team to continuously adjust variables according to the shaman's needs while refining the bionic lung, ultimately creating a bionic organ that satisfies the shaman.

Because Nyxat's current status was rather sensitive and he did not have the right to act freely, the task of conveying his needs was entrusted to the alchemy school's specialists.

Xia and Zuo sat in the small conference room for a few minutes when an alchemist wearing a hood walked in. After closing the door, he lifted the brim of his hood, revealing a shiny bald head.

"Uh... Master Rexor?" Shazor stared blankly at the bald man dressed as an alchemist.

“Yes, it’s me, but my name is Ashkin now, an alchemist from the field of mineral alchemy.” Rexor tugged at his slightly scratched collar and sat down across from Shazor and Rexor at the round table.

Hillenburg adjusted his glasses and asked curiously, "Master, why are you the one liaising with us?"

Rexor set up a soundproof barrier in the room, rolled up his sleeves, and said:

"The Temple has a special task for you, and no one is more suitable than you. When I learned that your bionic lungs had been selected, I specifically asked Adanavardos to serve as your liaison with Neoxsat."

Xia Zuo scratched his head. He didn't mind what kind of work came up, as long as it didn't delay him from receiving his research and development payment...

Rexor placed his arms on the table and said:

"The matter of Nyoksat was deliberately restricted from being spread by the Temple. Only the members of the Inquisition who participated in the Inquisition meetings in the Inner and Outer Temples knew who the so-called fallen shaman master was and what had happened to him."

Rexol shrugged. "Nyxat was sentenced to life imprisonment, but this verdict was not accepted by all members. Aside from the Shamanic Society's opposition to imprisonment, many members within the four schools believed that the consciousness within the deep-sea turtle should be directly erased, because there was no concrete evidence to prove it was Nyxat..."

“There is no evidence…” Xia Zuo was a little confused when he heard this. It was clearly the rescue target that he, Hillenberg and the two Demon Hunters brought back by themselves. How could it not be Nyxath?

Although Hillenburg had doubts, the thought that Nexus had been captured by the Church of the Otherworld and that his consciousness had left the temple territory and stayed in the Church of the Otherworld's territory for a long time eased his worries.

Rexor explained to the bewildered Shazo the fact that consciousness, memories, and other things could be faked.

Xia Zuo then realized that in a world with alchemy, magic, and otherworldly beings, proving someone's identity was indeed extremely difficult...

No wonder the Demon Hunter School has such an extreme, almost neurotic, level of caution towards anomalous phenomena.

“Didn’t Nyoksat undergo a ceremony of loyalty?” Shazo asked.

“No,” Rexol shook his head and said.

"This is a historical issue. When shamans pledged allegiance to the Temple, a large portion of them swore an oath based on their faith. You may not know this, but for shamans, their spellcasting ability comes from the gift of faith, not from the elements. By swearing an oath based on their faith, they were essentially accepting a ceremony of loyalty from the Temple."

"However, all new members of the Shamanic Society after this will be required to undergo a rite of allegiance to the Temple."

Xia Zuo recalled seeing those burly men with camouflage painted on their faces during his loyalty ceremony, nodded, and then asked:

"What about Devantana's shrine? Isn't it on Nyxat?"

“Hmm… The consciousness within the deep-sea turtle said that the shrine is in his spiritual ocean, but he has a condition.”

Rexor crossed his arms and pondered for a moment. "Nyxat demanded that the Temple first create a bionic human body for him—the one you're currently working on—before he would hand over the shrine. The Temple agreed."

Hillenburg looked enlightened and continued the conversation:

"So, the inner palace wants Xia Zuo and me to implement some measures on the bionic lungs to prevent the consciousness from rebelling?"

“That’s right.” Rexor nodded. “That’s why I came to find you. You rescued Ner'Xart together with me, and you’ve all undergone the loyalty ritual, so you’re trustworthy. Besides, the bionic lungs, as one of the most important alchemical organs on the bionic body, are enough to restrain the abnormal Ner'Xart.”

Xia Zuo finally understood what the bald guy was trying to do... It's just leaving a backdoor, easy~

Hillenburg adjusted his glasses. "Any specific requirements for the inner sanctum? Do you want to incapacitate Ner'xath, or..."

Rexor lifted his robe, reached into his leather armor, and pulled out a parchment scroll about the length of a finger, handing it over.

Hillenburg spread the parchment on the table and read it with Chazor.

There was a line of text on the scroll, and a tiny crystal was embedded in the blank space below the text.

[Place this tracking crystal carefully into the bionic lung.]

Hillenburg glanced at the crystal, then looked up and asked, "Is tracking all you need?"

“Yes, we absolutely cannot expose the methods used to install the bionic lungs. Anything other than the tracking crystal could be detected by detection spells. You just need to put the tracking crystal inside,” Rexor said.

Hillenburg and Shazo discussed the placement of the tracking crystal, and they initially decided to put it in the ductal interlayer of the bionic lung, that is, in the gap between the trachea and cricoid cartilage of a human lung.

This part is located in the very center of the Zero Bionic Lung of the Demon Whale, making it safe, concealed, and extremely difficult to damage or detect.

Hillenburg took the Demon Whale Zero out of his alchemy pocket and described his and Shazo's plan to Rexor.

Rexor nodded in agreement after hearing this, "Very good, just leave it there."

He pulled out a notebook and handed it to Hillenburg. "This contains Neoxat's specific requirements for the bionic lungs. You can study it yourselves. I'm not an expert in this area, so I won't get involved."

Hillenburg took the notebook and discussed it with Shazo, while Rexol idly entered into deep meditation…

...

Later that day.

Shazo and Hillenburg headed toward the fountain plaza in the teaching area, intending to use the teleportation room there to go home.

Although Anruer is currently studying in the outer teaching area, Xia Zuo cannot go to see her.

There are rules in the outer sanctuary that each person may only appear in designated areas, and those who illegally enter unauthorized areas will be investigated or detained by the guards.

He could only obediently wait for the teleportation at the entrance of the teleportation room.

"Shazo, you should head straight back to Poseidon later. Get some rest tonight, and we'll discuss the improvement plan for the bionic lungs tomorrow," Hillenburg said, patting Shazo on the shoulder.

"Okay, team leader."

The stone bricks moved, and the stone door to the teleportation chamber in front of the two opened.

"I'll be going now, see you tomorrow." Hillenburg waved and stepped inside.

"Goodbye, team leader." Xia Zuo watched as the other person's back was obscured by the stone door. After a short while, the stone door opened again, and he stepped inside.

The light of teleportation rose from the teleportation crystal and instantly engulfed his figure.

Xia Zuo instinctively closed his eyes in the bright light, and when he opened them again, he found himself in a familiar office.

The layout here is compact, only about 20 square meters. Slender blood-red crystals float in the air, and the wall clock is frozen in place, with the second hand moving at an extremely slow speed.

“Lady Christo?” Shazo quickly regained his composure, glancing around the empty office. “What brings you here?”

After a few seconds of silence in the office, crimson ripples appeared in the air directly in front of Xia Zuo, and Christo appeared out of thin air from the ripples.

“Let’s sit down and talk.” Christo summoned a red armchair and sat down opposite Shazo.

"Rexor should have told you about tracking the crystal, right? I have a similar task for you."

"Uh..." Xia Zuo was stunned. Was it another back door approach?

Christo waved her slender hand, outlining a blood-red pattern with her white fingertips.

Xia Zuo discovered the writing on the pattern, written in the language of blood patterns.

"This is a bloodline bond, and the bloodline detection spell only works on specific targets."

"It can temporarily disable the recipient's disguise when they receive my or your bloodline detection spell, revealing their true information without any concealment."

Christo placed the completed drawing in front of Shazo, leaned back in her chair, and said, resting her chin on her hand:

“I need you to inscribe this Blood Pattern Contract onto the bionic lungs of the Demon Whale Zero. This way, even if that consciousness escapes the tracking crystal, it won't be able to evade the Blood Pattern detection spell. And this Blood Pattern Contract itself is my reward to you.”

Xia Zuo carefully examined the structure of the Blood Pattern Secret Contract. It was a flat sphere, and the internal patterns were not particularly complex, but for those who did not understand the Blood Pattern language, it was an extremely difficult and profound object to decipher, making its secrecy virtually perfect.

But the problem is...

"Sir, how can I inscribe it onto the Demon Whale Zero?"

“Hmm~ That’s the issue I wanted to discuss with you.” Christo brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. “Normally, inscribing a secret code or magic circle requires a solid base. The base must be in a stable environment, preferably away from fluctuations in magical energy and anything else that could damage the base.”

Christo asked, "Do you think there are any parts on the Whale Zero that meet the criteria?"

While pondering, Xia Zuo said, "Then... that leaves only the inner wall of the conduit interlayer... But, a tracking crystal will be placed in this location. Will the energy fluctuations of the crystal affect the Bloodline Contract?"

"It's alright, it won't have any effect. The tracking crystal itself is a resonant crystal that is almost 100% pure, with no energy fluctuations."

Krestor snapped her fingers lightly. "Then the problem of the base is solved. The engraving process can be compared to painting, using ink that cannot be erased or washed away to draw the pattern of the magic circle or sutra in the designated position."

The ink mentioned here is not the black liquid used in fountain pens, but a figurative metaphor.

“Choosing the right ink is complicated…” Xia Zuo said, frowning.

"If we want to inscribe seals on the inner wall of the tube bundle, we need to find an ink material that will not react with any oil aerosols."

"There are about 87 types of oil mists used for the maintenance and upkeep of the alchemical bionic system, but these are not all the oil mists we need to prevent."

“Nexus may inhale oil aerosols that are not on this list. The properties and materials of these aerosols are unknown, making it difficult to design ink materials for them.”

"We don't need to consider factors other than the 87 types of oil-based aerosols for now," Christo stated confidently.

“Nyxat didn’t come into contact with them, believe me. Every second he was imprisoned in Altorgard was under the watchful eyes of the Temple.”

Ettogard... This is where the Alchemy School imprisons serious criminals. Its exact location and the number of criminals imprisoned are unknown. It is a forbidden area within the Silvermoon Federation.

So it seems that the alchemists acquired the power to imprison Nyxath.

Xia Zuo thought for a moment, then nodded and said:

"If that's the case, then I'm confident I can develop the ink material, but it will take time, at least hundreds of hours, before I can produce research results. But where can I conduct the experiments?"

Krestor rubbed her fingers together, and the surrounding space doubled in size, with the advanced alchemy table and observation chair coalescing in a cloud of blood mist.

"I'll conduct the experiment here. From now on, every time you return to Poseidon City via the teleportation crystal, I'll transfer you here first. When you're ready to rest, I'll send you back."

When Xia Zuo and Hillenburg were developing the Demon Whale Zero, they worked more than 10 hours a day.

Now, to make matters worse, after getting off work at night, I have to find another place to continue working overtime...