Wizard: Starting With Synthesized Gems

Locke raised his palm, and a ball of Primordial Fire appeared within it. He paused to think for a moment, then let the Primordial Fire extinguish in an instant.

At the same time, he pressed his palm against the wooden puppet. In that moment, the puppet's spirituality flew out along with the Bronze Cauldron in Locke's hand, dissolving into a rushing torrent.

Locke recited an incantation, and the Bronze Cauldron expanded from small to large, settling onto the ground. At the same time, a "person" composed entirely of spirituality appeared inside the cauldron.

Locke conjured a wood-element magical flame beneath the Bronze Cauldron. The spirituality inside the cauldron began to boil, and within that boiling spirituality, the "person" composed of spirituality churned along with it.

"The Bronze Cauldron gifted to me by King Otto has the ability to forcibly drive the flow of a substance's spirituality and compel it out. The Reverse Refinement Method ought to be a Second Circle ability, since it normally requires Second Circle magic pressure to employ. But right now I am simply using it as a core framework and applying this refining method, so it should not pose much of a problem."

Locke looked at the wooden puppet before him. "What makes this perfect is that this person is a lifeless wooden puppet, replicated by the Third Circle magical instrument, the Heavenly Light Divine Mirror. I don't have to worry about killing anyone."

At that moment, the "person" composed of spirituality gradually took shape, and within its body, three forces clashed against one another, namely the spirituality tainted by abyssal energy, the spirituality tainted by necromantic energy, and the spirituality tainted by transformation energy.

Inside the cauldron of the spirituality "person," three streams of spirituality intertwined in complex conflict, each one battling the others.

Locke said, "No wonder that wizard from the Southern Wizard Capital ultimately died from the conflict between abyssal energy, necromantic magic, and transformation magic. If it had only been necromantic magic and transformation magic, from a spirituality standpoint, the two could coexist without issue."

"But the abyssal energy had become too deeply entangled with the transformation magic, likely because the person frequently transformed into some form of abyssal creature. And that abyssal energy then combined with the necromantic magic, causing both magical forces to mutate, and then..."

Locke watched as the spirituality "person" inside the Bronze Cauldron exploded outward like a boiling ball of water.

"The most troublesome thing about abyssal energy is that it abyssalizes all forces it touches, and once a force has been abyssalized, it loses its capacity for tolerance and relentlessly attacks everything around it."

Locke looked at the collapsed spirituality cauldron and thought, "If this were a pure abyssal life form, existing as an energy-based being where energy is life, two mutually invading and colliding energies would, upon reaching some stable state of energy flow, naturally be reborn again."

"But ordinary life forms are different from abyssal creatures. Their physical forms do not possess that degree of regenerative plasticity. Once the body shatters, death is final."

"That wizard from the Southern Wizard Capital died precisely from the corruption wrought by abyssal energy. Once a force is eroded by abyssal energy, it loses its tolerance."

Locke thought, "That is also one of the reasons abyssal creatures are so inherently aggressive."

Locke noticed that by using the Reverse Refinement Method to draw out a person's spirituality, one could view the internal physical state of that being at the level of spirituality.

In essence, this could serve as a diagnostic method.

The Reverse Refinement Method that King Otto had taught him was truly remarkable.

'Using the Reverse Refinement Method can enhance my ability to diagnose the physical condition of others. And once the problem has been confirmed at the spirituality level, it becomes far easier for me, as a potion master, to formulate a potion capable of resolving the issue.'

Locke thought, "Since the problem stems from abyssal energy eroding the other two forms of magic, all that is needed is to prevent the abyssal energy from eroding them. If I use the Zero Potion to add a layer of blank spirituality separately onto the transformation magic and the necromantic magic, I can naturally use the splitting of that blank spirituality to isolate the abyssal energy's erosion."

Locke fell into deep thought.

He found that King Otto's Zero Potion and the Reverse Refinement Method were truly versatile beyond measure. As long as he made good use of the Zero Potion in conjunction with his own Moon of Evolution, he could use abyssal energy without any side effects.

'Although given enough time I could design a complete potion formula to resolve his situation, I don't have that time or energy.' Locke thought, "And based on my observations using the Reverse Refinement Method, this person's condition is completely different from my own."

"The reference value for me personally is not very significant."

"I can fully resolve this problem by using Full Moon Growth together with the small amount of spirituality remaining from the Stone Spirit, borrowing the mounting property of blank spirituality, and mounting it onto the two forms of magical force within this wooden puppet."

Although both he and the other wizard were users of abyssal energy, Locke had never intended to let the Beholder's energy merge with any other magical energy of his own.

Looking at the spirituality model of the "person" created by the Reverse Refinement Method, it seemed as though the other wizard had, in an attempt to strengthen the fusion between transformation magic and abyssal energy, allowed the abyssal force to penetrate the most critical position of the transformation magic, the chi.

This was akin to allowing abyssal energy to fuse with one's own Forest Sanctuary.

It was no accident that the other wizard had met such a miserable end. This was simply far too reckless.

Even Locke, who already considered himself quite daring, had never imagined that someone could do something this suicidal.

Locke blinked his right eye, and immediately a thin stream of Stone Spirit spirituality surged forth. Through the Reverse Refinement Method, it entered the reconstituted cauldron of the person's spirituality, and within that spirituality cauldron, under the action of the magical flame, it gradually moved toward one stream of transformation magic energy and one stream of necromantic magic energy.

Without any change in expression, Locke adjusted the elemental attribute of the magical flame, cycling through eleven consecutive changes, while also controlling the intensity of the flame throughout. He then placed a White Poplar leaf into the Bronze Cauldron.

Rather than refining the leaf, the cauldron extracted the spirituality from within it and blended it into the cauldron of the person's spirituality.

Illuminated by this Full Moon Growth, the surface of the White Poplar leaf developed a Crescent Mark as well, with a serrated pattern appearing along the edges of the leaf, while the leaf as a whole shifted to a silver-blue gradient color.

Once this stream of spirituality fell into the cauldron of the person's spirituality, it acted as a harmonizing agent, stabilizing the combination of the special spirituality with the two streams of magical energy.

The abyssal energy, necromantic magic, and transformation energy, all three now harmonized, each kept clearly separate from the others.

Locke waved his palm, and the cauldron of the person's spirituality flew back automatically onto the wooden puppet. An energy pulse of a specific pattern then appeared across the puppet's surface.

What had just occurred inside the cauldron of the person's spirituality was nothing more than a potion he had refined using the various spiritualities as raw materials.

Therefore, everything that had taken place inside the cauldron of the person's spirituality, including the states of those spiritualities and the manner in which they flowed, was the result of a single potion refinement.

It was also the second potion produced through the Reverse Refinement Method.

Strictly speaking, this too was a potion.

There was something of a shortcut involved on Locke's part, since his special spirituality could not be used on the soul of an ordinary person. And while the wooden puppet simulated the physical state of a human body, it possessed no true soul.

That was precisely why it had been possible to produce results here.

At that moment, after the wooden puppet received the spirituality potion that Locke had specially formulated for it, three lines of different colors appeared across its surface.

The abyssal energy was a black-violet line, the transformation energy was a white line, and the necromantic energy was a black line.

The three lines appeared on its surface. Where they had previously been endlessly tangled together, they now ran perfectly separate, not encroaching on one another in the slightest.

Locke raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect to succeed on the very first attempt using the Reverse Refinement Method."

A wave of dizziness washed over Locke, and his magic pressure was nearly depleted.

The Reverse Refinement Method consumed an extraordinary amount of a potion master's magic pressure. Without the aid of a Second Circle magical instrument, he could never have successfully employed it.

"Using the Stone Spirit's special spirituality as the primary material, the two streams of magical energy within the puppet as secondary materials, the spirituality of the White Poplar leaf as a supplementary material, and my own Full Moon Growth magical energy as a peripheral material."

"On the body of the person simulated by the Heavenly Light Divine Mirror, I have completed my first potion refined as a potion master using the Reverse Refinement Method."

Locke thought for a moment, then said, "I'll call it Spirituality Potion No. 1."

After all, the spirituality potions produced through this line of thinking were essentially custom-tailored to the soul and spirituality of each individual person.

Since they held no universal applicability, he saw no point in coming up with a proper name. A number would do just fine.

The wooden puppet waited in place for a moment, then turned and walked toward the Heavenly Light Divine Mirror, stepping into it. As it entered, it quickly became a reflection within the oval magic mirror. The reflection was then bathed in various magical lights, seemingly undergoing an examination, and before long it disappeared entirely.

Watching this, Locke guessed that the magic mirror had indeed determined he had passed the fourth round of the Ladder.

'The Reverse Refinement Method is essentially an entirely new system of potion refinement.' Locke lowered his head in thought. 'No wonder King Otto saw fit to span seventy thousand years, with the help of the archaeological wizard's founding ancestor and the princess, to pass this refinement method down to me.'

'This is absolutely more than just a single Zero Potion.'

'Using this as a foundation, an entirely new system of potion science could be developed. But King Otto, as an ancient, naturally cannot publish it, while I, as the person who excavated it...' Locke's expression grew peculiar. "Well, I, I can publish it."

"What a treat. I went and did a bit of archaeology, and somehow managed to unearth a great invention from seventy thousand years ago that some ancient figure had hidden away in his private notebook. I didn't have to rack my brain at all, and I don't have to worry about anyone popping up to fight me over authorship. I can just publish a series of high-quality articles."

Locke nodded. "Archaeology truly enriches a person. The wealth left behind by the ancients is beyond imagination."

"Whenever the opportunity arises, I'll have to do more archaeology."

The Reverse Refinement Method seemed capable of crafting the most suitable potion for any given wizard, drawing out the full potential of a potion's effects, while also providing a clearer view of that wizard's current physical condition.

It could be said that with the Reverse Refinement Method, Locke had for the first time truly set himself apart from other potion masters.

He could say that he now had his own secret lineage in the art of potion science.

By the same token, the Zero Potion had helped him greatly as well, beginning from the very start with his fusion with the Stone Spirit, which had refined and completed the Lunar Cultivation Method.

And now, Locke had discovered that if he used the method of spirituality mounting, he could allow animals and plants to safely utilize abyssal energy.

Locke snapped his fingers, and a moon disappeared behind him.

"At present, my future Grand Magic possesses the ability to accelerate the evolution of plants, as well as various other capabilities. It can also allow animals to safely use multiple forms of energy, including abyssal energy. Of course, this function cannot be extended to people. The 'humanity' within a person's soul conflicts with the Stone Spirit's special spirituality."

"The two are like 'yes' and 'no,' representing two opposing concepts. Only one of these states can exist within a single person at any given time."

Locke thought of Witch Camilla's sister.

Even now, he found himself wondering just what exactly Witch Camilla's sister was. Ever since her sister's spirituality had fused with that of the Stone Spirit, Locke had suspected she was not a normal person.

By "person" here, he did not mean specifically a human, but rather any intelligent being similar to humans, whether possessing relatively lower intelligence, higher intelligence, or intelligence equivalent to that of humans.

And Witch Camilla's sister, after fusing with the special spirituality Locke had given her, produced in him a sense of deep unease born from sheer strangeness.

Had he not needed the natal witch porcelain from the Demon Hub City, he would not have wanted to create such a peculiar existence in the first place.

"No matter. The Grand Magic still needs to be refined further. There is no need to fully understand everything I don't yet comprehend right now."

Locke said, "Chasing perfection, or insisting on getting to the bottom of every question, would only reduce my efficiency."

"I'll build this Grand Magic first, and then explore what the Stone Spirit actually is."

Locke waited for a little while. The door to the private room then opened.

The half-dragon store owner walked in, visibly surprised. "Esteemed guest, you passed the fourth round of the Ladder test this quickly?"

He looked toward the Heavenly Light Divine Mirror in astonishment.

He had just gone downstairs and was about to rest for a while when a message arrived through the light communication device from senior figures at the Feathered Serpent Pavilion, informing him that Locke Augustine had already passed the fourth round of the Ladder test.

The half-dragon store owner sniffed the air, then looked curiously at the crucibles inside the room, which had clearly not been used at all.

The entire room carried not even a trace of the distinctive smell produced by refining potions or extracting potion juices.

If that was the case, how had Locke passed the fourth round of the Ladder just now?

No recording equipment had been installed inside this room.

Therefore, the entire refinement process was known to no one except for the senior figures at the headquarters of the Feathered Serpent Pavilion, the organization connected to the Heavenly Light Divine Mirror from behind the scenes.

But since Locke's passing of the fourth round of the Ladder had been confirmed by the senior figures of the Feathered Serpent Pavilion, a hint of joy now showed on the half-dragon store owner's face.

Even a half-dragon, whose temperament was generally cold and detached, was genuinely pleased at this moment, for he was about to be promoted.

"Esteemed guest, congratulations on passing the fourth round of the Ladder test."

"Furthermore, you have been upgraded to B-Rank membership ahead of schedule. This is the B-Rank member badge of the Feathered Serpent Pavilion. You are now recognized as a B-Rank talent of the Feathered Serpent Pavilion. In addition to the benefits you previously enjoyed, you may also gain access to the Feathered Serpent Pavilion's secretly held special formulas."

"Beyond that, you may come to our Feathered Serpent Pavilion to study potion science. Each month, you are entitled to one hour of study time. That amounts to twelve hours a year. During those hours, you may learn from any potion master at the sun ring wizard level or above that we have available, and you may also freely access lecture recordings made by wizards below the sun ring wizard level."

"The Feathered Serpent Pavilion once commissioned a group of potion masters to produce a series of instructional recordings, and we also regularly hire Second Circle potion masters to serve as mentors for the cultivation of new potion masters."

Locke had not expected that after passing the fourth round of the Ladder test, he would receive so many benefits. "How many rounds of the Ladder test would I normally need to pass before being granted B-Rank talent treatment?"

The half-dragon store owner said, "You would need to pass the sixth round of the Ladder test. The difficulty of the fifth round corresponds to that of a Second Circle potion master. Therefore, you will not be eligible to apply to immediately attempt the fifth round of the Ladder until you have become a Second Circle potion master."

Locke raised an eyebrow.

The fifth round was already at the level of a Second Circle potion master, and he had previously only been a C-Rank talent.

As far as the Feathered Serpent Pavilion was concerned, even an ordinary Second Circle potion master did not qualify as B-Rank talent, yet he was now receiving B-Rank talent treatment ahead of schedule.

Was it because of the Reverse Refinement Method he had used just now?

Still, Locke was not particularly concerned that his Reverse Refinement Method had appeared before other people's eyes.

First, this refinement method was something he had always intended to put into use.

Second, the Reverse Refinement Method was extraordinarily complex and far beyond anything that could be learned simply by observation. Without King Otto's spiritual inheritance, he himself would not have been able to learn and apply the Reverse Refinement Method in such a short time.

Even if someone became aware of King Otto's approach and wished to research it independently, they would not be able to do so in time.

As long as he became a Second Circle wizard, he could simply write it up as an article and publish it directly.

Third, the Feathered Serpent Pavilion was far too mysterious. But judging from its conduct alone, it was extravagantly generous to a degree that bordered on absurd toward the wizard organizations of the Cloud Marsh Wetlands.

He still could not figure out how the Feathered Serpent Pavilion made its money.

Therefore, there was no need for him to take any particular precautions regarding secrecy within the Feathered Serpent Pavilion.

The half-dragon store owner placed a magic key and a magic box in front of Locke. "I have already applied for a reward direction lock on your behalf. This is an exclusive magic box containing a batch of magical resources beneficial to your Grand Magic."

"As for what specifically you'll be able to open, that will depend on your fortune."

Locke nodded, took the magic box from his hands, inserted the magic key into the keyhole, and gave it a light turn.

...

In a mysterious place that resembled the deep heart of the earth where magma flows, from within the depths of a lava river, a voice spoke to a Third Circle half-dragon wizard standing on the bank of the lava river, "Quinn."

Quinn, the half-dragon, bowed respectfully toward the lava river. "Master. You have been appearing more and more frequently lately."

"Heh heh..." An ancient voice sounded. "I want more and more outstanding potion masters. More and more... The refinement method that young man used just now was quite unusual."

Quinn, the half-dragon, said, "Yes, I noticed as well, Master. Just now, while I was conducting an inspection through the Heavenly Light Divine Mirror of fourth-round-and-above Ladder tests at Feathered Serpent Pavilions across various locations, I discovered he had used a completely new method of potion refinement."

"That was Branch No. 1 of the Cloud Marsh Wetlands, Golden Crown Mountain district. Master, what are your instructions? Do you wish me to send someone to invite that potion master here?"

From within the flow of the lava river, that imposing and ancient voice spoke once more. "Anything below the Third Circle is no more than an ant."

"There is no need for him to see me."

Quinn, the half-dragon, accepted this as a matter of course, and said, "Master, he likely will not be able to hold onto that special potion refinement method for long. The Cloud Marsh Wetlands is a place where money flows in freely but goes out just as fast, and the temptations are great, and those who would move against others are ruthless."

"Should I dispatch one of the Twelve Feathered Serpents to make contact with him?"

From beneath the lava flow, that voice spoke once again. "Quinn, we are not of this era."

"There is no need to make contact with him for now."

Quinn, the half-dragon, sensed that his master's power had already departed. He said quietly, "Is it because that wizard is not the creator of that special potion refinement method, so no matter who develops it further, it will be to the Master's benefit?"

"If that is the case, then I will simply act in accordance with the Master's wishes."

...

Inside the Feathered Serpent Pavilion, Locke turned the magic key, opening the magic box. In an instant, both the key and the box disappeared, leaving only a "door" in their place.

Locke looked at the "door" radiating powerful magical light, frowned, and said, "This is... an energy source with an independent magic pressure?"

The half-dragon store owner said, "This is a Comet Gate. It is a special magical instrument refined from the planar core of the Comet Plane, a Second Circle magical instrument. If placed within a Grand Magic, it can serve as an independent source of power, reducing the difficulty of the Grand Magic's energy circulation."

"That said, it is also an excellent functional magical instrument in its own right. Here is the instruction manual. According to the terms, this magical instrument now belongs to you."

Locke blinked, feeling it was all rather outrageous.

He had gained quite a lot from the Feathered Serpent Pavilion, and when he thought it over carefully, the total value of the materials he had accessed here was probably close to two million magic stones.

And now, even more outrageously, they had simply handed him a Second Circle magical instrument outright.

Locke had no reason to refuse. He placed the Comet Gate into his astral ring and said, "I truly cannot figure out what your Feathered Serpent Pavilion is trying to accomplish."

Locke was just about to walk out of the Feathered Serpent Pavilion when he caught sight of several wizards from the Storm Tower hurrying inside.

Wizard Smith was being escorted in by others. His complexion was extremely poor, and his expression was listless and dejected.

When Wizard Smith caught sight of Locke, he froze for a moment, then turned and made to walk back out of the Feathered Serpent Pavilion.

Locke looked at Wizard Smith with curiosity, surprised. "Smith, you're still here at Golden Crown Mountain?"

As a participant in the Grand Magic modeling competition representing the Storm Tower, Wizard Smith should by all reasoning have already returned to the Storm Tower by now and begun preparing for the competition. So why was he still at Golden Crown Mountain, and why had he come into the Feathered Serpent Pavilion of all places?

Most importantly, his condition seemed very poor.