This matter was both his greatest achievement and his deepest taboo. Flesh-and-Blood Mechanicals were far more nimble and responsive than Mechanicals of the same rank. It could be said that he had advanced the art of Mohist mechanism by a significant leap.

Yet, precisely because of this, he was not recognized by the orthodox Mohist school, leading to his eventual departure from the sect.

Even while affecting an air of indifference, a deep-seated resentment remained in Mo Zhongxiao's heart.

Feng Zikang gave a slight smile.

"If my junior's conjecture is correct, Senior Mo's Flesh-and-Blood Mechanicals were not actually refined directly from living flesh and blood, but rather through some secret method that allows bone to sprout flesh. Essentially, they are still Mechanicals fashioned primarily from bone!"

"How did you know?"

Mo Zhongxiao exclaimed, his expression changing drastically.

He glared coldly at Feng Zikang, who merely smiled faintly. "Senior Mo need not be agitated. I am merely speculating."

Upon careful observation of those entities resembling Golden Armored Zombies, the flesh and blood did not perfectly merge with the skeletal structure. Although the traces of subsequent growth were not overly obvious, Feng Zikang’s meticulous observation revealed several anomalies.

His curiosity was piqued, entirely because this method of growing flesh might also be useful for Long Que. If so, Long Que's strength could be elevated yet another tier.

"Good eyes!"

Mo Zhongxiao regained his composure, dusting off his robes.

"This method is actually one I comprehended on my own. It is no harm to pass it to you, but you are not a member of the Mohist school, nor do you possess any Mechanicals. What use is learning this technique?"

Mo Zhongxiao had conceived the method for refining Flesh-and-Blood Mechanicals and had intended to find an heir. However, those within the Mohist school looked upon him with disdain, even actively rejecting him. Finding an heir capable of building Mechanicals now was incredibly difficult.

"If you were one of us, Young Man, you likely wouldn't be interested in my methods either!"

Feng Zikang smiled again. "Senior Mo, although I cannot fabricate Mechanicals myself, if I possessed a Mechanical body to utilize, combined with the flesh-and-blood technique, would learning it not be advantageous?"

"You possess a Bone Mechanical?"

Mo Zhongxiao was startled. The method for creating Bone Mechanicals had been sealed by the Mohist school a thousand years ago. Who among them, save for a few old relics, could even fabricate such a thing?

A Bone Mechanical from a millennium past would be incredibly difficult to maintain until this day. If this youth possessed one, did that mean some of the old Mohist masters had made it for him? Mo Zhongxiao felt deeply suspicious.

Feng Zikang laughed heartily. "Senior Mo, why concern yourself with this? Whether I possess a Bone Mechanical or not has nothing to do with you. In any case, as long as you guard this Water Calamity, your merit will be complete. Why cling so tightly to this single line of inheritance?"

Mo Zhongxiao reflected that this was true. He had been stationed on this island for years. Whether this military strategist's disciple had acquired a Bone Mechanical, or what his relationship was with those old Mohist figures, was irrelevant to him.

All he needed to worry about was whether he could contain the impending eruption of the Myriad Transformation Yin Water. With that settled, he could depart.

"Fine! If you help me suppress this Myriad Transformation Yin Water Calamity, I will pass the Flesh-and-Blood Regeneration Method to you! In fact, this method is applicable not only to Bone Mechanicals but also to those crafted from bronze, stone, or wood, allowing them to sprout flesh and become more robust!"

"Oh?"

Feng Zikang had not expected to underestimate this old man so profoundly. He hadn't realized his secret technique could be applied to all manner of Mechanicals. If the Mohist school were willing to adopt this method, their overall combat power would likely rise immediately.

However, the Mohist people were obstinate; they would absolutely refuse to use it.

Feng Zikang chuckled slyly. "Senior Mo, why wait until after the calamity? There is still time now. Why not quietly impart this method to me? When the Myriad Transformation Yin Water Calamity strikes later, I will naturally assist Senior Mo."

Mo Zhongxiao bitterly smiled, never expecting the boy to be so persistent and cheeky. He had intended to dangle the secret to ensure the boy exerted himself during the Water Calamity. But now, that strategy clearly wouldn't work; Feng Zikang's implication was that if he wasn't taught this divine ability, he might not help suppress the calamity at all.

"Alright! You are quite formidable, boy. I shall teach you this Flesh-and-Blood Rebirth Method!"

Mo Zhongxiao made up his mind, preparing to transmit this entire set of techniques to Feng Zikang.

"In the end, someone still appreciates this divine craft."

Even though he was the one teaching the divine art, Mo Zhongxiao felt rather pleased and vindicated. Having been so thoroughly ostracized by the Mohists, it was understandable he felt this way.

This Flesh-and-Blood Regeneration Method was profoundly mysterious and miraculous. It involved adhering fresh flesh and blood to the Mechanical, fixing it with incantations to stimulate vitality, allowing it to grow slowly without decaying.

Mo Zhongxiao refined all the skeletal corpses in his possession into Bone Mechanicals, then used this method to transform them into Flesh-and-Blood Mechanicals.

Feng Zikang marveled greatly.

"That this method was independently conceived by Senior is truly breathtaking."

Mo Zhongxiao waved his hand. "Then stop flattering me. Ancient people knew this method as well. I merely corrected the minute details through repeated experimentation to arrive at this version. Since you have received the transmission, just do not reveal it. If fate allows in the future, please return this Flesh-and-Blood Regeneration Method to the Mohist school."

He still harbored lingering feelings about being cast out of the Mohist sect. Though destined to guard the Water Eye in this life and never return, he wouldn't mind if Feng Zikang transmitted the method to the Mohists later, should they ever accept Flesh-and-Blood Mechanicals.

"No problem!" Feng Zikang agreed instantly.

They had waited long enough in the cave. Taking advantage of this pause, the Ghost King Tu and Qin Yin'er had gathered a considerable amount of Ten Days Loess, though Ghost Kui Tu dared not collect too much, fearing a repeat of the disaster in Xie Continent.

Seeing her restraint, Mo Zhongxiao’s expression softened somewhat toward her.

"I have calculated for a long time; this Myriad Transformation Yin Water Calamity should strike tonight. Those fools are still running around the island—they are simply courting death!" Mo Zhongxiao shook his head in disdain.

Feng Zikang suddenly remembered their companions who had come ashore. He smiled and inquired, "How are they faring?"

Mo Zhongxiao sneered. "The three groups are still trapped in the illusionary array I laid." As a master of formations, he was supremely confident in his mechanisms and deployment.

Feng Zikang frowned slightly. "Senior Mo, the people who came this time are not trivial. Among them is the Eastern Sea tyrant, Ancestor Duo Xin, who is already at the late stage of Core Condensation. He might be difficult to handle!"

From his observations, Mo Zhongxiao seemed only at Core Condensation, but he possessed countless magical artifacts and divine abilities, marking him as no easy opponent. Furthermore, since Mo Zhongxiao was the guardian of the Water Eye, responsible for the Water Repelling Pearl, he must possess ultimate trump cards, similar to the Arhat-incarnate Monk Huiji. Feng Zikang deliberately mentioned the enemy's strength to provoke him, hoping to extract more information.

"Core Condensation! Hmph!"

Mo Zhongxiao snorted coldly. If his strength had not declined, he wouldn't fear even a Soul Transformation master, let alone one at Core Condensation. However, living in the mortal realm for several centuries had caused his cultivation to regress rather than advance. With his current ability, winning decisively against a mid-stage Core Condensation expert was uncertain.

Hearing his tone, which still suggested contempt for mid-stage Core Condensation cultivators, Feng Zikang realized these figures were deeply mysterious and he shouldn't press further.

Just then, he felt the ground beneath him tremble—the earth shook!

"It's here!"

Mo Zhongxiao snorted, then clapped his hands together. From beneath the earth's crust, an object shot out, shimmering brightly, and was flung toward Feng Zikang's hand.

"Take the Water Repelling Pearl! Follow me to suppress the great explosion of this Myriad Transformation Yin Water Calamity!"

Ancestor Duo Xin was profoundly vexed today.

He had long ago anticipated treasure on the island, calculating that the formation would be weakest at the midnight hour of the full moon. To be safe, he had brought a group of cannon fodder ahead of him. He hadn't expected that even at the weakest moment, the island's mechanisms were so numerous. While he didn't fear these mere mechanisms—they couldn't cause him much harm—they were linked one after another, leaving him dizzy and unsure if he was getting closer to or further from the treasure's location!

"Ancestor, where are we going?"

After breaking through more than a dozen mechanisms, the two cultivators accompanying Ancestor Duo Xin also became confused. They saw Duo Xin single-mindedly pushing forward; based on the distance traveled, they should have long since traversed this small, isolated island. Yet, inexplicably, they kept circling within it, breaking one mechanism only to encounter another.

This was the true genius of Mo Zhongxiao. He was originally a grandmaster of Mohist formations and mechanisms. In the Mo Xuan Realm, he had devoted himself to researching the Hundred Changes, Thousand Illusions, Interlocking Heart Array Mechanism Grand Diagram. The mechanisms on this island arose contextually, interlinked in a chain. Theoretically, they were endless; unless by sheer chance, after breaking ten thousand mechanisms, there would still be a hundred thousand awaiting them!

Ancestor Duo Xin, despite his power, was no master of mechanisms and couldn't discern the pattern. As he traveled, irritation mounted. He unleashed his divine abilities, emitting vast rays of dark light that destroyed any mechanism upon sight. Yet, even so, he couldn't escape the fate of being trapped in endless circles on the island.

As his rage burned, the ground beneath his feet suddenly softened, and a torrent rushed up. Ancestor Duo Xin couldn't evade in time; he was struck by turbid water, which dissolved a section of his arm!

"Not good!"

Ancestor Duo Xin roared, reaching out to snatch the two stunned figures standing nearby and flying into the air.

"Myriad Transformation Yin Water! It's the Myriad Transformation Yin Water!"

Ancestor Duo Xin possessed some knowledge. Recognizing the lethality of the water immediately, he knew its origin. Though he had lost nearly half an arm, his face showed no pain. He released dark light that enveloped the three of them, resisting the impact of the Myriad Transformation Yin Water!

"This—what exactly is this thing?"

The other two cultivators had never witnessed such a terrifying spectacle. Their faces changed drastically, and they cried out in alarm.

Ancestor Duo Xin coldly snorted, "Be quiet. This is a natural disaster, not the island's mechanisms." He twisted slightly, and the dissolved section of his arm regenerated, though his expression grew heavy. "I never expected such a large volume of Myriad Transformation Yin Water to be hidden beneath this desolate island. It's a pity this water cannot be collected; otherwise, carrying it and refining it into an artifact would be incredibly potent."

Because the Myriad Transformation Yin Water dissolved everything, it would be devastating as a weapon, but since no vessel could contain it, it could only be left to dissipate.

Ancestor Duo Xin explained the Myriad Transformation Yin Water to the two cultivators. They listened, dumbfounded, realizing such a marvel existed in the world.

"Since there is so much Myriad Transformation Yin Water beneath this island, the flashing treasure light must be the artifact capable of suppressing it!" One quick-witted cultivator instantly understood the logic.

Ancestor Duo Xin laughed heartily, praising him. "Not bad, you figured it out quickly. Your Ancestor hadn't considered that!"

If such vast quantities of Myriad Transformation Yin Water existed beneath the island, and there wasn't an artifact to subdue it, the disaster would have already spread, becoming a major scourge upon the world. Since this island remained obscure, it was evident something must be suppressing it.

The cultivator was overjoyed by the Ancestor's praise, but his expression immediately shifted.

"Ancestor, now that the Myriad Transformation Yin Water is erupting, could it be that the other three—"

"Damn dogs!"

Ancestor Duo Xin realized the possibility as well and erupted in fury!

"They dared to tamper with the treasure! When I find them, they will pay dearly!" He believed himself the strongest and the first to seek treasure here. If someone managed to get lucky and precede him, they were clearly defying Ancestor Duo Xin!

"Let's hurry up and find them!" Ancestor Duo Xin gritted his teeth, forcing his way forward!

"Ancestor!"

The other cultivator, sharp-eyed, spotted a shimmer of treasure light flashing to the front left and quickly pointed, shouting.

"Is that the artifact?"

Ancestor Duo Xin focused his gaze, then laughed loudly. "Good heavens, it is indeed that object! Looking at this, it must be the miraculous Water Repelling Pearl. Hurry and follow me; we must seize it!"

It was Feng Zikang who activated the Water Repelling Pearl!

Following the thunderous rumbling, the ground cracked open, and a cavern appeared. From it shot a water column several zhang high. Feng Zikang knew this column was formed from the Myriad Transformation Yin Water and was already prepared. He activated the Water Repelling Pearl, pulling Ghost King Tu and Qin Li'er into the air. At that moment, Mo Zhongxiao roared, summoning a monstrous beast whose body radiated five colors of light, suppressing the turbulent Myriad Transformation Yin Water!

This beast was entirely jade-green, yet it possessed several tufts of golden fur on its forehead, and its eyes were also golden, shining like lightbulbs with intense luminescence.

"This, this is—"

Feng Zikang gasped. The beast’s form was bizarre; it was clearly an ancient, rare Water Repelling Creature—a Golden-Eyed Water Repelling Beast! This species hadn't been seen for ages, not even mentioned by older cultivators spanning a millennium. He never expected to see one here!

This group guarding the calamity eye was truly formidable! Monk Huiji could manifest an Arhat Golden Body, and Mo Zhongxiao could summon an ancient marvel like the Golden-Eyed Water Repelling Beast. They were incredible.

Then Mo Zhongxiao laughed heartily. "Boy, you misjudged! Look closely, is this truly a Golden-Eyed Water Repelling Beast?"

Feng Zikang paused. The creature looked identical to the legendary beast, but Mo Zhongxiao’s tone suggested otherwise. If it wasn't the real thing, what was it?

A thought struck Feng Zikang, and he suddenly understood.

"This... this is a Mechanism Beast?"

Feng Zikang’s voice was filled with surprise and joy. He hadn't expected a Mechanism Beast could achieve such realism! Indeed, upon closer inspection, this Golden-Eyed Water Repelling Beast was not a true living being but an exceptionally powerful Mechanism Beast. Since it was also manufactured using the Flesh-and-Blood Regeneration Method, its grade was obscured. However, given its ability to suppress such a violent eruption of the Myriad Transformation Yin Water, it could not be a low-grade Mechanism Beast!

"It can actually reach this level!"

Feng Zikang was ecstatic. If the Golden-Eyed Water Repelling Beast could achieve this level of power, then if his Long Que could undergo Dragon Flesh and Blood Regeneration, wouldn't it become indistinguishable from an ancient Five-Clawed Divine Dragon? Its power at that time would certainly and stably suppress this Golden-Eyed Water Repelling Beast!

"You figured it out?"

Mo Zhongxiao laughed heartily. "Correct. This is a Mechanism Beast I fashioned from the bones of an ancient Golden-Eyed Water Repelling Beast, then restored its form using the Flesh-and-Blood Rebirth Method. Through this complex process, the strength of this Mechanism Beast is no less than the true creature's. Furthermore, it is fiercely loyal, which is far more effective than the nurturing methods of the Peasant School!"

The Peasant School could communicate with divine or demonic beasts and take them as subordinates. However, these beasts were inherently arrogant and untamable. Even when subdued by the Peasant School's secret nurturing methods, they were never as fully obedient in battle as a Mechanism Beast controlled by the Mohist school. If Mechanism Beasts could be refined using the Flesh-and-Blood Regeneration Method to match the strength of their original divine or demonic counterparts, the Mohist school's mechanical arts would gain far greater prestige than they currently held!

"Hmph! Too bad those old fools!"

Mo Zhongxiao harbored deep dissatisfaction with the elders, unable to comprehend why his practice of refining Mechanicals and Beasts from bone and then growing flesh was denounced as heretical and rejected by the orthodox Mohist school.

Feng Zikang, meanwhile, was overjoyed internally. If he could truly attain the power of the original Bone Mechanism Beast using this method, Long Que's ascent would be imminent! How could a Five-Clawed Divine Dragon, such a mighty divine beast, compare to a mere Golden-Eyed Water Repelling Beast? If it weren't for the fact that higher-grade Mechanism Beasts required increasingly rare materials for the Flesh-and-Blood Regeneration Method, Long Que could recover soon, and relying solely on this Five-Clawed Divine Dragon, he could become unrivaled in the current cultivation world! He calculated inwardly how to acquire those rare materials to grant Long Que a complete transformation!

"Hey, hey! Stop daydreaming!"

Mo Zhongxiao laughed loudly. "Although my Golden-Eyed Water Repelling Beast is mighty, you don't need to stare blankly at it!"

"In the future, find a way yourself to source the bones of some fearsome monster, and I can help you make one, so you can experience the thrill of commanding an ancient divine beast." Mo Zhongxiao was completely unaware that Feng Zikang possessed a Five-Clawed Divine Dragon and was bragging with great self-satisfaction.

"But for now..."

He pointed to the Myriad Transformation Yin Water erupting everywhere like fountains.

"Hurry up and use the Water Repelling Pearl to help me suppress it!"

Mo Zhongxiao’s words hadn't finished when a 'poof' sounded, and a torrent shot up from directly beneath him, striking the belly of the Golden-Eyed Water Repelling Beast, blasting the Mechanism Beast flying amidst a great crash!