77: Shock! Number 7 changes gender to become a girl!

You uprooted the Arcane Association in Reed City with the force of a sweeping autumn wind, executing all those who pledged allegiance to the Demon Seed. Your bloody methods struck fear into the hearts of many.

You grandly announced to the world the return of the Iron-Blooded Father Eastern Abyss.

Many cities, including Saintess City, Reed City, and Pava City, gradually fell under the Saintess Church's control. Your reputation spread, and your rule became as solid as a rock.

In Saintess City, the headquarters of the Saintess Church, a statue of you was erected right next to the statue of Holy Maiden Vivian.

Time passed bit by bit. Under the dual enhancement of painful tempering and the devouring Hellfire, your strength steadily increased.

Vivian's spiritual sensing ability further strengthened. She could enhance her own strength by relying on the prayers of her believers. With the further expansion of the Saintess Church, she might one day reach the God Art Master realm.

The leaderless Arcane Association was fully absorbed by Statham. The Mysterious Foundation prepared for battle, maintaining a clear distinction from the Saintess Church, and restraining each other.

Life began to become uneventful, but you knew this was merely the calm before the storm.

Several months passed, and Meng Yun had thoroughly stabilized his mid-stage Arcane Envoy realm.

On this day, he brought several pieces of excellent wood and a pile of Number Seven fragments, preparing to reshape Number One's body and attempt to revive Number Seven.

The improvement in his strength should allow his Life Alchemy to advance another level.

He was confident he could help Number One break through to the peak.

As for reviving Number Seven…

He would leave it to fate.

"Master, I was too useless…" Number One still said this on the forging platform.

"Alright, you've said it so much my ears are going to callus over." Meng Yun looked at Number One's tattered body, a hint of nostalgia on his face:

"Strength is not the only factor for power, Number One, you have the heart of a strong person."

Number One and Luo Mian were truly very similar.

Perhaps at the moment he inherited his appearance, he also awakened his spirit.

"The heart of a strong person… huh."

At this moment, Number One didn't quite understand.

But he believed that one day, he would understand.

"Get ready, it might hurt a little."

As Meng Yun's words fell, a ball of Hellfire, controlled by Life Alchemy, slowly enveloped Number One.

This was Meng Yun's first time performing a second tempering on a living body.

In a sense, Number One was also serving as a test subject for Vivian.

Meng Yun's gaze was sharp, his mind fully immersed in Alchemy.

Number One's broken body slowly melted, but his life aura was firmly enveloped by Alchemy, not a single bit overflowing.

There was certainly pain, but Alchemy was not torture after all. Compared to simply being burned alive, it was undoubtedly much easier.

In the flames, Number One closed his eyes tightly, not allowing his will to waver in the slightest.

Outside the defensive Arcane formations, Ru Yi and several Luo Mian curiously peered in, their eyes filled with undisguised admiration for Number One.

It looked painful.

"Meow?" Ru Yi stared with wide eyes, meowing.

Is that how I came to be?

It's too scary for a cat.

"Shh—! Dead cat, don't make a sound and disturb Master."

Upon hearing this, Ru Yi looked left and right, but the several Luo Mian looked as usual, making it unable to distinguish who had spoken rudely to it just now!

Bullying a cat too much!

Meng Yun finally moved.

He threw several pieces of excellent lightning-struck wood into the fire, and the Hellfire instantly enveloped them.

Under Meng Yun's mental control, the limbs rapidly took shape.

Fine threads of energy surged at the joints. Meng Yun carefully connected them precisely to the corresponding positions on Number One's torso.

He couldn't be careless here; if he accidentally made one leg shorter than the other, he'd have to burn Number One again!

In the flames, the limbs were reassembled.

Buzz~

A faint fluctuation emanated from Number One's body, indicating his steadily rising aura.

Mid-stage Arcane Master.

Peak Arcane Master!

He was just one step away from breaking through to Arcane Envoy!

The ability to increase strength through Life Alchemy refining was a rare opportunity.

Meng Yun almost didn't hesitate, decisively cutting off a portion of his own lifespan and injecting it into Number One again.

One year of lifespan from a mid-stage Arcane Envoy.

Boom!

A terrifying wave of energy surged out from Number One's body.

This aura was clearly at the Arcane Envoy level!

"Heh." With a faint weakness, Meng Yun withdrew the flames.

Number One slowly opened his eyes on the forging platform.

A gleam of light flashed through his pupils, his body's muscles twitched for a moment, and he sat up with fluid movement.

"Number One… thanks Master!"

Number One flipped off the platform, knelt on one knee, and swore allegiance.

"Put on some clothes first before you speak." Meng Yun casually tossed a piece of cloth, covering Number One's head.

The cloth was too small.

It only covered his head, not his backside.

Number One's old face flushed, but it was hidden under the cloth, unseen by anyone.

"Next, it's time to revive Number Seven…"

Meng Yun looked at the pile of shattered stones and rubble, feeling a headache coming on.

The life aura was almost completely drawn out, leaving only faint specks embedded within the rubble.

In this situation, even if the revival succeeded, it would likely result in a 'Tang Ren' (a person with intellectual disabilities).

"Let's try."

Casually placing the fragments on the forging platform, Meng Yun also mixed in a pile of brand new diamond dust to fill in the missing parts.

You began the repair of Number Seven.

An unexpected situation seemed to have occurred during the repair process.

You discovered that you could only choose between retaining gender identity and retaining personality.

You chose to retain personality.

To match Number Seven's gender identity, you reshaped a captivating body and a pure appearance for her, including sexual organs.

"Ta-da!"

Number Seven, completely naked and still wreathed in flames, leaped off the forging platform, her melodious voice like a nightingale: "Sisters, isn't my new body beautiful?"

Meng Yun: "…"

Damn it.

He forgot that this one was his Number Seven, the most foul-mouthed and boisterous of his artificial human troops.

Now that she was a woman, he truly didn't know what kind of trouble she would cause in the future.

As long as she didn't do anything that wouldn't pass censorship, it would be fine.

"Put on your clothes!"

Meng Yun casually refined a piece of cloth into a real-life tank top and hot pants, and threw them to Number Seven.

This was the difference in how he treated boys and girls.

Number Seven, without being taught, quickly dressed herself. Her captivating figure made Meng Yun admire her greatly.

It was still his, Meng's, aesthetic taste.

"Greetings, Master!" Number Seven smiled, her pure face carrying a faint allure.

"Alright, go play."

Meng Yun removed the defensive Arcane formation, allowing her to join the group of artificial humans peeking from outside.

"F*ck you, Number Five, where are you touching!"

"Hehe, don't you want to let your brothers have some fun after your gender swap?"

"Fun my ass!"

As soon as Little Seven went out, Meng Yun heard her foul-mouthed voice.

However, her voice was so sweet and ethereal that her swearing, to Number Five, became a kind of enjoyment.

With another matter resolved, before Meng Yun could rest for a moment, Layla, who had been on patrol, hurried back.

Number One saw her solemn expression and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, Layla?"

Layla's gaze turned to him, her brow suddenly filled with shock: "Number One, you're fixed?"

For some reason, Number One's brow furrowed slightly when he heard the word "fixed."

Perhaps, subconsciously, he didn't want to feel any different from Layla.

Layla then left Number One aside and anxiously looked at Meng Yun: "Statham has surrounded several cities with his army. Without a doubt, it seems like an all-out war is about to begin."

"Where's Vivian?"

"To avoid disturbing your Alchemy, she already left ahead of time."

This Alchemy session lasted an entire day, which meant that Vivian had already reached the front lines.

Suppressing the faint unease in his heart, Meng Yun's expression remained normal as he gave orders:

"Layla, you're tired from your journey. Stay and guard Reed City. Ru Yi, Number One to Number Seven, follow me!"

After a few more orders were given in an orderly fashion, Meng Yun rose into the air.

Ru Yi, with a long face, grudgingly flew into the sky.

Number One looked back at Layla, then followed closely with his younger brothers and sisters.