Translator: AnubisTL
Two months passed like sand slipping through Jieming's fingers as he immersed himself in his research.
In the underground laboratory beneath his mansion, strange energy fluctuations never ceased. Each successful experiment brought Jieming's theoretical framework closer to completion.
Meanwhile, the transformation of the Golden Harbor ruins into the "Golden Garden" proceeded steadily, exceeding Jieming's initial expectations.
The transformed residents, motivated by financial incentives, worked tirelessly day and night, collecting the morning's Hundred Flowers Dew for Jieming and maintaining the garden's vitality.
Their society was gradually taking shape as Jieming had envisioned, forming a rudimentary system centered around labor and trade.
The daily joys and sorrows, material pursuits, and yearnings for life—like trickling streams—converged into rare yet pure strands of Mortal Dust Qi.
Absorbed by the special talisman array Jieming had placed deep within the garden, this Qi flowed continuously into the talisman seal within his dantian.
One day, as Jieming was inspecting the garden and planning the next phase of its transformation, Amy and Victor's arrival at the Wizard Camp disrupted his relatively peaceful research life.
"Jieming! You rascal, hiding out here!" Amy's voice was as crisp and lively as ever.
She wore a simple apprentice robe, and sometime since they last met, her brown hair had quietly turned golden, shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight.
Victor, on the other hand, appeared much more composed, standing tall with a hint of weariness in his eyes.
"You're back?" Jieming smiled, genuinely pleased to see his long-absent companions.
"Yeah, after months of running around, we finally get a breather," Amy grumbled. "It feels like my parents are always busy. We barely got to spend any time together when we went home. And school's a mess too—tons of exams and missed classes to catch up on... Ah! Why don't you have to retake anything?!"
"Because I'm always at the top of the class," Jieming replied with a smug grin. "Besides, I already took all those exams years ago."
Amy's face twisted into a grimace. "Tch! It's impossible to talk to you geniuses."
Victor nodded. "Still, everything's finally settled down. The Noren Workshop has mostly completed the initial integration of the Elosia Plane Cluster. We'll likely be staying here for quite some time now."
"That's wonderful! If you find the camp uncomfortable, you're welcome to stay with me," Jieming said with a smile, gesturing toward his garden. "Though I house quite a few people, there's still plenty of space. Feel free to choose any spot you like."
"No need. Thanks to you, we've both earned a good number of contribution points. We should be able to exchange for a territory on the main plane of this world without any trouble," Victor replied with a smile, shaking his head.
Jieming stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So... you're planning to establish a new family here?"
"Not a new family, just a branch," Victor chuckled, glancing at Amy. "She's the one who's actually planning to start a new family."
Amy rolled her eyes. "My family only has three wizards. What kind of new family could I start? Even if I get a territory here, it would just mean finally gaining independence from my parents."
Midway through her sentence, she noticed the elves and dark elves passing by as they tended the garden. A mischievous grin spread across her face.
"Oh? I didn't realize you had a taste for this too? Well, makes sense. You might be a genius, but you're still young. I understand, I understand..."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Jieming asked, his expression utterly bewildered.
Amy grinned mischievously. "Oh, come on! I'm a girl, you know. You can't make me say something like that out loud!"
"Say what?" Jieming tilted his head, utterly confused.
Victor cleared his throat. "Amy, I think you might be misunderstanding. Look at all these people here—it's highly unlikely to be what you're imagining. After all, this is Jieming we're talking about!"
"True enough," Amy agreed, nodding vigorously with her arms crossed. "He's that research-obsessed maniac, Jieming!"
Jieming's eye twitched. He immediately summoned a fireball in his hand. "Whatever that weird nickname is, if you two keep talking in riddles, I swear I'll punch you both!"
"Whoa, whoa, calm down!" Amy leaned closer to Jieming, lowering her voice with a hint of gossipy excitement. "Did you know? The elves from the Elosia Plane are super popular at the academy now! Lots of people went back all hyped up."
Victor cleared his throat again, reminding Amy to watch her words, but a faint smile crept into his eyes.
Amy ignored him and continued, "Wizards pursue knowledge and power. While they don't completely reject worldly desires, they're not as easily bound by them as mortals are."
"But the elves captured this time are exceptionally beautiful! The elf race is one of the few that can rival us wizards in appearance. And since the academy is full of young people, those who can't control their primal urges have taken to treating the elves as their cherished possessions."
Jieming chuckled softly, finally understanding what Amy and the others had meant earlier.
While many wizards pursued beauty primarily as a means to explore life, the laws of nature, and art, when the objects of their study possessed such extraordinary aesthetic value, some apprentices—especially those who had only recently come of age—inevitably experienced... "special urges."
"So, after the new academy is established, large numbers of elves will be transformed into the academy's 'apprentices' or 'servants,' providing services to the wizards. Those with exceptional beauty may even be kept by certain families as long-term research subjects or... 'collectibles.'" Victor's calm tone belied the inherent cruelty at the heart of wizard civilization.
"The new Noren Academy?" Jieming seized upon the crucial detail.
"That's right, it's Noren Academy No. 147," Amy explained. "The workshop has already issued a notice regarding the Elosia Plane. The final decision is to establish a new Noren Academy here, serving as both an outpost for the workshop's expansion and a talent cultivation base."
"So, we'll be..."
"We'll likely be among the academy's first mentors and rulers of this plane... even though we're still just first-tier wizards," Amy said, shrugging.
Victor added, "Establishing the academy won't be easy. Besides terraforming the entire plane, we'll need to relocate a substantial population here. It'll take at least a century before we see any significant results."
"I see..." Jieming nodded thoughtfully.
Amy and Victor lingered in Jieming's garden for a while, marveling at the "city garden's" unique grandeur.
"Alright, we need to check out other places. We won't disturb your research any longer," Amy said, waving goodbye. "Let's catch up properly once the academy is established."
"Farewell, Jieming," Victor said with a nod. The two then departed from the Golden Garden via the Wizard Camp's teleportation device.
Shortly after Amy and Victor left, Jieming received a communication request from Mentor Clark.
"Jieming, the final distribution plan for your contribution point rewards from the trial has been finalized," Mentor Clark's voice sounded more solemn than usual.
"The Noren Workshop has completely cleared the Elosia Plane Cluster. Valuable intelligent life, including the divine beings, have been taken back as servants or experimental subjects. Non-intelligent life and temporarily useless planes remain in their original planes to continue natural reproduction."
"Based on your highest contribution points, you are entitled to claim any entire plane within the Elosia Plane Cluster, excluding the main plane. Moreover, you have the first right of selection. You may also retain ownership of Golden Harbor as your personal territory."
Jieming's heart leaped!
Though he had anticipated this reward, its true weight far exceeded his expectations.
He involuntarily fell into deep thought, his mind racing.
Sensing his hesitation, Mentor Clark offered advice: "Jieming, choose according to your needs. If you lack energy, select one of the smaller elemental planes within the cluster. Their exceptionally pure elemental cores provide an inexhaustible energy source. If you require materials, consider the fairy plane, which boasts diverse biological resources, or one of the planes the Elosia Plane's indigenous people call 'demon planes.'"
"A demon plane?" Jieming's interest piqued.
"Yes," Mentor Clark explained. "Within the Elosia Plane Cluster, certain exceptional planes are designated as demon planes. These are typically characterized by extremely harsh environments. Due to these harsh conditions, the creatures born there are exceptionally violent, leading to their rejection by other lifeforms within the Elosia Plane Cluster."
"These planes are perpetually wracked by volcanic eruptions and intense geological activity, resulting in numerous naturally formed volcanoes and mineral veins. Consequently, mineral resources are exceptionally abundant. Moreover, the unique environment gives rise to organisms and materials with special energy properties, making them invaluable for research in alchemy and spell material science."
Jieming's eyes lit up as he listened.
From this description, demon planes seemed to possess both high energy and abundant materials.
Furthermore, his mastery of alchemy and formation arts would give him a natural advantage in exploiting and utilizing such planes.
While the extreme environment of demon planes might deter others, it was actually a bonus for Jieming.
After all... places with treacherous environments tend to more easily meet the conditions for the birth of malevolent qi.
(End of the Chapter)
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