Translator: AnubisTL
After gathering the five conceptual materials of light, Jieming promptly returned to his private laboratory at Noren Academy.
Through extensive research, he had a clear understanding of the next steps.
In essence, the process involved refining the Light-Imbued Spirit Dew and Light-Condensed Crystal Sand, which contained pure conceptual essence, into the magic artifact's instrument embryo.
Before that, however, he first needed to condense the foundation of the artifact—the instrument embryo itself.
The instrument embryo was not a physical entity that existed from the beginning.
Instead, it was a phantom-like projection of light and shadow, condensed within a cultivator's mental sea using their refined true essence and a trace of their divine soul's origin.
This embryonic form served as the prototype for the magic artifact, the vessel for conceptual essence, and was intimately connected to the cultivator's mind and spirit. It represented the crucial transformation from the "formless and immaterial" to the "formed and material."
According to records on artifact forging in the Great Dao Library Pavilion, under normal circumstances, condensing such a phantom-like spiritual entity into a sufficiently stable, semi-physical instrument embryo capable of bearing conceptual essence within the upper dantian—what wizards referred to as the mental sea—was exceedingly difficult for cultivators in the late stage of qi refining.
For a mere late qi refining realm cultivator to condense an instrument embryo alone, they would typically need to rely on special formation arts to gather mental power or consume expensive secret elixirs to aid concentration.
Alternatively, they could spend years, even decades, meditating day and night on specific cultivation manual diagrams. Through prolonged refinement, they could gradually transform the ethereal concepts within their mental sea from illusory to tangible, from false to true.
This was an arduous process that severely tested one's innate talent, patience, and resources.
Jieming had prepared for a protracted battle, initially aiming to complete the magic artifact before heading to the frontline.
...That was the plan, at least.
He sat cross-legged in the cultivation chamber, withdrawing his consciousness inward to enter his mental sea.
A vast and familiar chaotic space unfolded before him. His divine soul, like an anchor grounding this world, sat at its center, surrounded by nine colossal truth runes.
These runes voraciously absorbed elemental power from the outside world, their excessive energy concentration creating swirling, multicolored vortices around them.
Ignoring the majestic imagery he had grown accustomed to, Jieming projected his consciousness into his divine soul.
Following the method described in the Great Dao Library Pavilion, he began to guide the power within his mental sea, attempting to condense a phantom projection of the "Heart Mirror."
This process involved precise control and shaping of his divine soul's power, demanding an extraordinary level of mental focus.
Yet, as he began, he unexpectedly found that the process... wasn't as difficult as he had imagined.
...In fact, it felt almost too familiar.
At the center of his mental sea, his divine soul opened its eyes, its face filled with bewilderment.
After a moment of contemplation, Jieming beckoned, and two golden orbs that had been hovering "above" his mental sea swiftly descended before him.
He realized that the principle behind condensing an instrument embryo within the mental sea bore a striking resemblance to the process of constructing "truth runes" or "Witchcraft Models" in the wizard system.
Whether truth runes or Witchcraft Models, both essentially involved constructing stable, functional mental structures within the mental sea by embodying abstract theories, concepts, and rules.
The truth rune was the most exquisite creation among them. It required a wizard to condense their understanding of the world's rules into a powerful runic structure, drawing upon their immense mental power. This process strikingly mirrored the "concept embodiment" required by cultivators when forging magic artifact embryos.
While the truth runes of the Wizard World benefited from unique rules that made them easier to condense within the wizard system, Jieming possessed unparalleled experience in constructing and analyzing complex mental structures. His comprehension of manipulating, shaping, and stabilizing abstract concepts within the mental sea far surpassed that of cultivators at his level.
With this invaluable foundation, Jieming condensed the Heart Mirror Artifact Embryo at astonishing speed. The stability issues and shaping difficulties that plagued ordinary cultivators dissolved effortlessly before him.
Most importantly, he could "cheat."
Without hesitation, Jieming immediately switched to practicing the Wizard Meditation Technique. As he meditated, fragments of the truth rune's structure gradually materialized within his mental sea.
Under normal circumstances, wizards could indeed inscribe additional truth runes during their apprentice stage. However, exceeding nine runes not only rendered them ineffective but also hindered advancement to first-tier wizard status. Therefore, no rational wizard apprentice would ever commit such a foolish act.
Jieming, however, had no intention of creating complete truth runes.
What he sought were the "components" generated during the construction of these runes.
Each truth rune comprised multiple distinct structures, each composed of intricate geometric patterns.
Jieming's task was simple: to identify the specific geometric patterns he needed, isolate them, and combine them into a new configuration.
In less than a month, Jieming successfully condensed a palm-sized, translucent mirror within his mental sea.
This was the instrument embryo of the Five Aggregates Rainbow Transformation Mirror, forged from pure mental power. It radiated a faint glow, intimately connected to his soul, serving as an extension of his very being.
With the instrument embryo successfully condensed, the next step was the most crucial and perilous stage of the refining process: fusing the five types of Light-Imbued Spirit Dew or Light-Condensed Crystal Sand into the embryo to achieve conceptual fusion and calcination.
Jieming retrieved the five precious conceptual materials: Morning Glow, Rainbow Mist, Moonlight Essence, Starlight, and Thunderlight, each radiating a unique radiance and qi.
After adjusting his state of mind, Jieming settled back into a cross-legged meditation posture. He focused his consciousness inward, guiding the Heart Mirror Artifact Embryo from his mental sea to the center of his awareness.
Then, with meticulous care, he used his divine sense to draw the first material—Morning Haze Crystal Sand, imbued with the concept of morning glow—into his mental sea and merge it with the Heart Mirror Artifact Embryo.
Buzz...
The moment the Morning Haze Crystal Sand touched the ethereal embryo, it erupted in a dazzling golden-red light, its nearly uncontrollable power threatening to break free from its restraints.
The embryo trembled violently, hairline cracks appearing on its surface as if it couldn't withstand the conceptual impact.
Jieming remained calm, having long since mastered the process of crafting magic artifacts.
Unfazed by the sight, he understood this meant the embryo and concept were fusing. Only through repeated shattering and reshaping could the two become one.
Of course, during this process, the cultivator also needed to provide a small amount of assistance.
Jieming activated the true flame within his body.
A wisp of pale golden flame rose from his dantian, guided by his divine sense, and cautiously probed into his mental sea, coiling around the Heart Mirror Artifact Embryo.
The true flame's purpose wasn't simply to heat the embryo; it served as a catalyst for refinement and fusion.
When condensing the concept, the cultivator had invested both true essence and mental power. In a sense, these concepts shared a common origin with both the cultivator and the instrument embryo.
The true flame's role was to activate both entities and act as a bridge connecting them.
Simultaneously, Jieming's formidable mental power, like invisible hands, carefully guided the morning glow concept through the heart mirror, allowing it to circulate, fuse, and settle under the true flame's assistance.
This process consumed an astonishing amount of true essence and mental power.
The true flame required a vast reservoir of true essence to sustain itself, while the precise guidance of the concept's fusion pushed the limits of mental power and control.
(End of the Chapter)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Translator's Corner
🚨 You are reading 30-50 Chapters BEHIND! Go to the Site and Catch up for FREE.
🎉 BIGGEST Site Discount! [4 Days Left] - Ends on 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟏𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔.
🔓 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦 — 14 Series (7 Ongoing) | 14+ New Chapters Daily | 8300+ Chapters