Translator: AnubisTL
In the laboratory, alchemical equipment and rune-carving tools were neatly arranged.
"I can't completely copy the runes from the wizard system..." Jieming picked up an energy-absorbing mineral and then retrieved a crystal sensitive to life fluctuations.
"Then I'll have to reference the methods used in the cultivation system for connecting cultivators with external entities..."
He carved a rune sensitive to life fluctuations onto the crystal and a modified connection rune from the cultivation system onto the mineral. Then, he linked them with a conductive rune.
On the first attempt, the crystal cracked.
On the second attempt, the mineral emitted a powerful energy surge, even more conspicuous than the life fluctuations it was supposed to detect.
"The approach seems off," Jieming muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Although he had successfully established a connection with the crystal, the mineral itself had no concept of "life." Even with the life fluctuation detection rune carved into it, it was merely emitting a generic detection wave.
To continue his research, Jieming needed to find a more efficient method of differentiation.
He reviewed his materials again and stumbled upon a theory called "Planar Resonance" on the magic network. Though obscure and difficult to understand, it proposed that any substance, within the deep structural layers of a plane, would generate faint resonances with other substances, allowing them to perceive each other.
A spark of inspiration ignited in Jieming's mind.
Resonance!
What if, instead of actively emitting detection waves, he could harness this passive resonance?
"Resonance..." he murmured to himself.
Perhaps he could combine the concept of "perception" with a material capable of resonating with specific wave patterns. Then, using runes, he could capture and amplify this resonance, and through another set of runes, store the amplified "information" within a spell artifact or transmit it covertly.
He began redesigning the runes, focusing on "passive resonance" and "perception capture" as core principles.
Time flew by as Jieming immersed himself in his research.
One quiet night, deep into the night...
In his laboratory, Jieming carefully embedded a complex array of over a dozen tiny runes into a transparent crystal the size of a fingernail.
This crystal was a special material he had refined using the Great Dao Library Pavilion's refinement techniques, consuming various materials in the process. It possessed a partial "perception" concept and was exceptionally sensitive to energy fluctuations.
He activated the talisman seal. No sound was emitted, and there was no energy fluctuation; the crystal merely trembled slightly.
Jieming closed his eyes and focused his mental power to perceive.
At first, there was nothing.
But he didn't give up. Drawing on his accumulated knowledge, he established a deeper "resonance"-style connection between his soul and the crystal.
Then, he felt it.
A faint, indistinct fluctuation emanated from the crystal—the life qi of several plants stored in the laboratory's storage room!
Success!
Though extremely weak, blurry, and limited in range, he had successfully refined a prototype rune-imbued magical artifact capable of passively sensing through a soul connection!
The prototype spell artifact resembled a small, transparent eyeball. It could float in the air, sense life and energy fluctuations within a limited range, and transmit this vague information to Jieming through resonance.
"Let's call it the Scouting Eye," Jieming said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "It's crude, but the direction is right."
In the following days, Jieming began optimizing the Scouting Eye.
He experimented with different materials, refined the rune structure, and added concealment runes, striving to enhance its sensing range and clarity while minimizing its own energy fluctuations to make it more difficult to detect.
Through repeated trials and failures, his understanding of runes and energy deepened.
This intensive research inadvertently led him to the bottleneck of his qi refining cultivation.
"Perfect timing," Jieming thought. "My current cultivation is starting to feel inadequate."
He felt his mind brimming with ideas, but his limited cultivation prevented him from realizing them.
Due to the contract, breaking through to become a formal wizard in the wizard system was temporarily unfeasible, but the cultivation system had no such restrictions.
Now was the time to attempt a breakthrough.
Reaching the seventh layer of qi refining marked entry into the late stage of qi refining, signifying not only a significant increase in true essence reserves but also a leap in the strength and range of one's divine sense.
Jieming felt his cultivation had reached its natural culmination. His years of relentless refinement of his true essence and soul now felt like a fully drawn bowstring, ready to be released.
Entering the training room, he used the control terminal to maximize the concentration of elemental particles within. He then sat cross-legged, preparing for his breakthrough.
Closing his eyes, Jieming focused entirely on guiding his true essence and divine sense.
The true essence within him, once as still as a placid lake, now stirred under an invisible force, beginning to surge.
Following the instructions of his cultivation technique, he gathered and compressed the vast reservoir of true essence, preparing to strike at a higher realm of energy.
This was no easy task.
Each compression brought a faint stinging sensation in his meridians, and each strike tested the resilience of his will.
Each compression wasn't always effective. Occasionally, the true essence within his body would surge back like a raging tide, causing his meridians to emit a deep, rumbling roar.
Fine beads of sweat dotted Jieming's forehead, but his will remained unwavering. His mental power, like a powerful compressor, relentlessly persisted in its attempts.
He lost track of time. Perhaps a day had passed, or perhaps longer.
Crack!
A faint, glass-shattering sound echoed in Jieming's perception.
The true essence within his body was no longer restrained. As if discovering a new world, it surged joyfully into the expanded meridians.
The total amount of true essence instantly surged, becoming denser and flowing like liquid mercury.
Even more astonishing to Jieming was the explosive increase in his mental power.
His mental power, which had previously covered a range of less than a hundred meters, now effortlessly extended several hundred meters!
Everything around him appeared with unprecedented clarity in his perception.
The faint hum of energy in the laboratory, the crisp crackle of minerals fracturing, even the subtle rustling of plant roots winding beneath the ground—every minute detail seemed magnified, flooding his mind with crystal clarity.
The world, in that moment, felt more vibrant than ever before, teeming with countless perceptible "lines" and "veins."
His explosively expanded mental power had sharpened his perception of the surrounding elements. He could effortlessly distinguish their types and concentrations, even sense their faint "emotions"—active, dormant, agitated...
He had successfully advanced to the seventh layer of qi refining, officially entering the late stage of qi refining!
Feeling the surging true essence within him and the mental power radiating outward, Jieming wore a satisfied smile.
This surge of power was far more pronounced than any previous advancement.
Immediately after his breakthrough, Jieming thought of his research on scouting eye rune-imbued magical artifacts.
With his current cultivation level, he should be able to create a significantly improved prototype.
(End of the Chapter)
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