Five days later…

“The finest ingredients often require only the simplest methods of preparation. At three in the morning, after a long day’s work, Chef Ji began preparing his latest dish…”

As Ji Jue narrated to himself, the shrieking evil creature on the workbench was pinned down by dozens of mercury hands. Thick metal spikes were driven through its limbs, and once Solid Alchemy froze the flow of spirit matter within it, out came the chainsaw, hammer, and vibrating cutting wheel.

The entire process was smooth, seamless, and oddly satisfying to watch.

Under the work of an ever-changing array of tools, the creature was quickly dismantled from head to toe, hide, shell, and all. Every part was sorted and stored in its proper place before it was time to welcome the next one.

Throughout the entire process, Ji Jue did not even need to lift a finger. He simply sat in his chair while flowing mercury formed dozens of limbs, each handling its own task in perfect coordination and at astonishing speed.

Everything was back to the way it used to be. There was a reason rehiring veteran employees made onboarding so much faster!

After all the time they had spent together in Spring City breaking laws and getting up to no good, their teamwork had become practically flawless. There was not the slightest hitch in using the mercury limbs. If a leg needed pinning, they pinned the leg; if an arm needed holding, they held the arm. If one of the materials started screaming a little too loudly, Ji Jue did not even have to say anything before a hand clamped over its mouth. They had perfect coordination...