898: Completing the clone potion and Brandy publishing in a second district journal (Requesting monthly votes at the beginning of the month ~)
In the public laboratory of the True Knowledge Institute, Locke had long maintained a private workstation here.
At this moment, he sat at his workstation, using the spirit macro of one Two-Chirp Cicada to strike against the spirit macro of another. The two collided and became embedded together.
The two spirit macros began to spin in his hands. At the moment they reached their peak, they suddenly separated, turning into a pile of fragments.
"With my current Spiritual Cognition, I am still lacking a bit."
Locke brushed away the spirit macro fragments with his palm, searching through them to find a half-piece of a Two-Chirp Cicada spirit macro that was barely intact and usable.
"But as long as I collect two more such spirit macros, I can perform synthesis to create a truly complete and usable Two-Chirp Cicada fragment. Then, I can attempt to convert it into a ritual action to brew the clone potion."
"My current talent in Potionology is not as good as it is in Archaeology and Breeding Science."
His Archaeology, having obtained the potion key to the fake tomb and acquired twenty Historical Spiritual Agility, was no longer what it used to be.
"But as long as I spend some time continuously creating spirit macro fragments, I should be able to produce the two Two-Chirp Cicada spliced spirit macros that meet the requirements based on my current Spiritual Cognition."
Locke pondered, "This requires a bit of patience, as well as gradually improving my own spirit macros during this process."
Locke did not perform this operation immediately; after all, his Spiritual Cognition had been almost exhausted for the day.
If he consumed too much and his main body encountered an emergency, that would be bad.
He needed to sit in place to recover his state and drink some potions to accelerate his energy recovery before he could continue with the next step.
Locke calculated the time. If he used the Horadric Cube in conjunction with his current Spiritual Cognition, he would only need half a year to synthesize the Two-Chirp Cicada spirit macro required for brewing the clone potion by relying on his gradually improving Spiritual Cognition.
This timeline undoubtedly did not meet his requirements, nor did it meet the expectations of the Sea Queen Throne.
However, it did not matter; he had a good method to complete this spirit macro within this day. He could borrow Spiritual Cognition!
Ever since Hussein took a risky attempt and used the Death-Link Blood Curse to connect Locke and Old Henry to share Spiritual Cognition, and succeeded, Locke had remembered this.
At this moment, both of them were still on the exploration vanguard.
Spiritual Cognition could be slowly improved later; it was more reasonable to brew a bottle of clone potion first.
Moreover, every successful brewing of a Second-Ring Potion could significantly increase his Spiritual Cognition.
This thing called Spiritual Cognition could be forcibly increased by successfully brewing Second-Ring Potions. To a certain extent, it was similar to an experience bar.
This might have something to do with the characteristics of Spiritual Cognition itself. For some things, just by knowing them, one could obtain a certain improvement from that knowledge.
On the exploration vanguard, Locke's main body contacted the two and had Hussein cast the Death-Link Blood Curse on him and Old Henry again.
Immediately after, Locke, who was at his workstation in the public laboratory of the True Knowledge Institute on Golden Crown Mountain, felt his Spiritual Cognition almost double.
"With this level of Spiritual Cognition, I can even directly create the Two-Chirp Cicada spirit macro. Within today, I can complete the clone potion. This meets the requirements of the Sea Queen Throne as well as my own needs."
Locke stood up. At this moment, he was preparing to press on. There were not many people at the workstations inside this public laboratory, and there was special protection from a wizard formation, so it was a quiet place he had specifically chosen.
But he did not expect that in this place, he would accidentally run into Droma.
Droma was stunned for a moment after seeing Locke. He hurriedly walked over and looked at Locke, saying, "Locke, I didn't expect to meet you here. Do you know? That guy Brandy actually managed to get a second district article by relying on Magic Plant Crystallization Technology."
Locke blinked. "That guy Brandy didn't have any second district articles before, did he?"
Droma's heart was instantly filled with jealousy. "Who is to say otherwise? He didn't even have a tier 1 article before! He just spent a week or so, and he published a second district article; it's simply unbelievable. I was originally hesitant about the research on Magic Plant Crystallization Technology, but now it seems that it was my lack of wisdom not to follow up immediately."
"Regardless of what the future holds for this technical route, it can be said to be red-hot right now."
A flash of envy and jealousy crossed Droma's eyes. "Even that narrow-minded idiot Brandy can get a second district article. If I were to do it, wouldn't I be able to publish a second district article immediately, or even publish a tier 1 article like you?"
"Brandy only took a week to publish a second district article, so if he continues, wouldn't he be able to publish a tier 1 article?"
Droma shuddered. "Locke, Wizard Brandy's second district article was published in the sub-journal [Fragrant Cloud Marsh] of [Cloud Marsh], and the title of the article is [On the Magic Plant Crystallization Technology of Streaming Purple Bamboo]."
Droma whispered, "It is said that those who are a step slower now are the ones who suffer. As long as you are a step faster than others, you can gain more benefits than them."
"That guy Brandy really got lucky. With his own abilities, who knows how long it would have taken him to publish a second district article."
"Locke, are you going to join too? I heard that Zeno has recently abandoned his own research and switched to studying Magic Plant Crystallization Technology."
Locke frowned and whispered, "I have my own research right now."
Droma said, "How can your own research direction compare to this Magic Plant Crystallization Technology route? The academy even wants to specifically establish a support fund for research into this technical route. I heard that this will be a big trend in the Cloud Marsh for the next ten years."
"If you get in now, the difficulty will be lower. After a while, it will be time for a cleanup. Who knows how many of these wizards who are rushing to join the research direction of this technical route will end up as cannon fodder."
Locke nodded. He had long since lost patience with Droma. If it weren't for the fact that there was no one else here, he actually wouldn't want to talk to him much.
Seeing that Locke lacked interest in him, Droma immediately looked listless. After all, everyone's attention was currently on Magic Plant Crystallization Technology.
All his energy was also currently focused on that technology.
This made Locke and Zeno, whom he and Wizard Brandy had originally cared about, seem less important, especially since Locke clearly did not want to enter into Magic Plant Crystallization Technology research.
Seeing that Locke did not respond, Droma thought to himself, 'If this Wizard Augustine does not enter into the research of Magic Plant Crystallization Technology, then he will surely become a marginalized person in the time to come.'
'It seems he no longer needs attention. On the contrary, Brandy has gained more benefits than me because he was a step faster than him. Sigh, I must speed up. I must find a way to get the data for this technology, preferably some equipment that can be used directly for experiments.'
Droma hurried away, while Locke frowned, "Zeno has also entered this technical research route? Then it seems that this year, all the special grant applications within the institute, except for mine, will be about Magic Plant Crystallization Technology."
Locke blinked. Would he feel lonely? Probably not.
The path to pursuing truth inherently requires independence, and on this path, one must be mentally prepared that no one can help oneself.
Locke continued to settle his mind, simultaneously activating a sound-isolating wizard formation at his workstation, as well as one to conceal his figure.
Today, he would be completely immersed in obtaining the spirit macros for the clone potion.
One day later. Locke looked at the two Two-Chirp Cicada spirit macros on his workstation, a smile appearing on his face.
At this moment, the two spirit macros were presented completely on his desk.
Locke actively used his Magic Dragon Bloodline to change his bloodline and sever the Death-Link Blood Curse.
On the exploration vanguard, Hussein crossed his arms and looked at Locke in surprise, "You can actually actively undo this Death-Link Blood Curse."
"I previously thought that you actively accepting my Blood Curse twice meant you absolutely trusted me."
Locke smiled, "Mutual, mutual. Your High Dryad transformation Blood Curse is not bad either."
Hussein said, "Well, about that. I can explain; that was mainly prepared for another friend of mine who is neither a wizard nor a human."
Hussein looked at Locke and said, "If I told you that I only have about three years left to live, would you believe me?"
Locke looked at him in surprise and did not respond.
Isn't the Progenitor Wizard not supposed to enter the awakening period and start moving about in this world for another hundred years?
At that time, Old Henry the pirate beside them was sweating profusely, his body leaning against the wall.
"Can you two pay attention to me? Damn it, my Spiritual Cognition has been consumed too much. I have never consumed so much Spiritual Cognition; I am not quite used to it."
Locke was surprised this time and asked Old Henry, "Is the treatment on the Pirate Mothership that good? You have never been this tired?"
Old Henry said, "No. It's mainly because I have exhausted my Spiritual Cognition several times in a short period."
"Usually, whenever I exhaust my Spiritual Cognition, I wait until it is fully restored."
Locke was speechless. After all, he had long discovered that the involution of wizards in the Cloud Marsh was relatively prominent in the entire Wizarding World.
On Golden Crown Mountain, inside the public laboratory, Locke stood up and left, then boarded the Rainbow Sparrow to return to his dormitory.
In the corridor, as Locke passed by Wizard Daniel, he suddenly turned his head to look at Daniel and said, "Daniel, have you entered the soul decline period?"
Daniel nodded and smiled at Locke, "Yes. I entered it three days ago. I forgot to tell you. But it's not too late to say it now."
Locke said, "Congratulations."
Daniel rubbed his brows wearily, feeling his state deteriorating day by day.
"My state is really getting worse and worse. I really don't know how you managed to hold on when you were in this state more than a year ago."
"It is really uncomfortable. It is as if... my body is stuck in a quagmire; I clearly have strength, but I have nowhere to exert it."
Locke said, "Let nature take its course. My experience is that the more you resist this feeling, the more uncomfortable it becomes. Once you enter the soul decline period, you can only move forward; there is no possibility of retreating."
"You either break through to become a Second Ring Wizard and get rid of this state, or you will completely decline."
Wizard Daniel nodded. "That's true. Look at me, I'm tired after just saying a few words. Locke, I'll go first."
Wizard Daniel yawned.
Locke turned to look at Wizard Daniel, thinking, 'Daniel is walking the path I walked over the past year. If my special grant application is not approved this time, I fear that next year, Daniel will also join the competition for the special grant, and then he and I will be rivals.'
Competition is this intense, and it can be said to be cruel. As long as you are one step slower, countless new rivals will appear, and past friends will also become enemies because you were one step slower.
Only by constantly moving forward can one go all the way up. This is the pressure one must face if one wants to walk the path of a top genius in the Wizard Civilization.
Locke raised his hand, and his room door automatically opened. The elf maids inside had already cleaned the rooms for him and had prepared meals.
Locke walked into the simple potion room, set up a cauldron, and simultaneously activated the simple wizard formation within this simple potion room, then the Primordial Fire rose up inside the cauldron.
Locke threw the two Two-Chirp Cicada spirit macros he had obtained into the flames.
Magic fire extraction method. He needed to use magic fire to refine the corresponding ritual action from the spirit macros.
Rays of light and shadow appeared on the surface of the two spirit macros that had fallen into the flames. These golden lights and shadows shot up into the sky and darted around everywhere.
Immediately after, these golden lights and shadows passed through his brain, then went through his forehead, and then memories flashed into his mind one after another.
Half an hour later, Locke opened his eyes, and some residual golden lights and shadows suddenly emerged from his eyes.
A phantom action appeared before his eyes: clenching both hands into fists, interlocking the fingers, and then bowing two and a half times to the cauldron.
He had successfully extracted the ritual action for the clone potion! As long as he had obtained this ritual action, he could use it to brew the clone potion in the future!
Locke immediately took out the potion materials he had prepared earlier. He had tried to brew the clone potion several times before and only failed, but he still had one portion of materials left on hand.
Locke followed the steps and placed these materials into the cauldron without any error. Finally, he circled the air above the cauldron with a burning pine resin wood, letting its smoke drift into the cauldron and enter the potion.
Then Locke threw away the pine resin wood. Then he clasped his hands together and bowed two and a half times to the cauldron.
The next moment, the liquid that was originally boiling in the cauldron suddenly cooled down completely, and the Primordial Fire also extinguished instantly.
Locke walked over to take a look and saw that the magic pressure liquid in the cauldron was as clear as spring water. It was a success!
He had learned how to brew the clone potion. This was the sign that the clone potion was completed.
This cauldron of potion liquid was like a mirror, and at this moment, it reflected his facial features clearly, and could even reflect the sweat beads on his hair.
Locke immediately poured it into a Time Crystal potion bottle. He held it under his nose and sniffed it, then observed the spirit macro of this bottle of potion through his Spiritual Cognition, which was its hidden true form.
He determined that this bottle of potion had indeed been successfully brewed.
Then Locke tilted his head back and drank the bottle of potion. The next moment, countless spirit macros drifted from his body toward his shadow, and the golden spirit macros entered that shadow.
Then, the shadow actually stood up from the ground. Locke's shadow on the ground disappeared for a moment, but shadows are things that can regenerate, and soon the shadow appeared again. And that shadow that stood up quickly turned into a real person.