Translator: AnubisTL
Having already experienced the direct effects of Mortal Dust Qi, Jieming confirmed that neither he nor the Five Aggregates Rainbow Transformation Mirror could continue using it to enhance themselves in the short term. He then began exploring alternative applications.
Due to its unique properties and ease of acquisition, Mortal Dust Qi had become a near-universal material, second only to spiritual energy, thanks to the diligent efforts of cultivators.
Beyond cultivation, nearly all the Hundred Crafts of Immortal Cultivation had methods for utilizing Mortal Dust Qi.
Its special nature meant that small amounts could enhance oneself, while larger quantities could be used to attack enemies.
Even the most resolute cultivator, caught unprepared in a sudden deluge of Mortal Dust Qi, would find themselves in a situation no different from falling into a cesspool.
When considering specialized applications, Jieming's first thought naturally turned to pill refining.
Before that, however, he needed to familiarize himself with the properties of Mortal Dust Qi in its various "forms."
He began by searching the Great Dao Library Pavilion, his golden finger, for Secret Arts capable of "transmuting" Mortal Dust Qi.
Another crucial reason Mortal Dust Qi became a universal material was its ability to have its properties reversed through various Secret Arts.
The Great Dao Library Pavilion, vast as the ocean, contained countless arcane techniques and concepts from various cultivation civilizations.
Jieming quickly discovered a Heterodox Cultivation Art called the Hundred Transformations Heart Sutra, which described a special cultivation method for transforming heart demon turbid qi into soul spirit pure qi.
Although Mortal Dust Qi wasn't heart demon qi, its essence was similarly impure, containing intense worldly desires and mundane thoughts, making the two fundamentally similar.
Someone had attempted to apply this method to Mortal Dust Qi, unexpectedly creating a new material.
Jieming spent several days studying and practicing this Secret Art.
Once he was familiar with it, he attempted to reverse the energy properties of a strand of Mortal Dust Qi using a special technique. He transformed its chaotic "ten thousand zhang of mortal dust" nature into a pure spiritual substance capable of nourishing the soul.
As the transformed Mortal Dust Qi flowed into his mental sea like a clear spring, Jieming immediately felt his soul being nourished.
The sensation was gentle and comforting, like a soothing massage deep within his soul, invigorating his spirit.
"The effect is decent," Jieming murmured to himself, a hint of regret lingering between his brows.
This inverted Mortal Dust Qi had indeed lost its original corrosive impact and negative effects, now capable of purely nourishing the soul.
However, its efficacy was merely on par with ordinary spiritual objects.
With his current wealth, he could acquire as much of this grade of material as he desired.
It seemed that while inverting the properties of Mortal Dust Qi eliminated its harmful aspects, it also stripped away its original, soul-deep cleansing power.
It had become "safe," but in doing so, it had lost its core essence.
"Direct use yields little value. I need a carrier," Jieming quickly devised a new approach.
His gaze fell upon the crystal-clear Hundred Flowers Dew stored in the jade bottle beside him.
As a conceptual material, Hundred Flowers Dew's primary attributes were its capacity for carrying and harmonizing.
Even adding it to potions alone significantly improved their success rate.
More remarkably, even without any other ingredients, continuous refinement of Hundred Flowers Dew could extract a spiritual essence capable of stabilizing one's state. This essence proved remarkably effective for cultivators with fluctuating souls or unstable mental power.
The most remarkable property of Hundred Flowers Dew is its ability to carry intangible conceptual materials.
When Jieming previously refined a soul-enhancing potion using Eastern Purple Qi, his primary base material was Hundred Flowers Dew, which he had purchased at a high price from the academy.
It perfectly integrated the conceptual power of Eastern Purple Qi into the potion, ensuring its stability.
Jieming first attempted to refine a potion using Hundred Flowers Dew and the reversed Mortal Dust Qi. Drawing on his experience refining magic potions with Eastern Purple Qi, the process proceeded remarkably smoothly.
Half a day later, a bottle of magic potion emitting a faint, refreshing fragrance successfully condensed in his hands.
He eagerly conducted an immediate trial.
Upon consumption, a gentle energy surged directly into his soul, producing a mild invigorating effect.
"Not bad," Jieming assessed.
The potion's effects were equivalent to having an additional mental power-enhancing potion.
Its advantages were striking: extremely low cost, as Mortal Dust Qi was continuously replenished, and Hundred Flowers Dew could be continuously produced by the Golden Garden, ensuring a steady supply.
However, for Jieming, the potion's value was limited.
Jieming was wealthy and habitually maximized his consumption of cultivation-enhancing magic potions during his training.
Whether practicing qi refining techniques or meditation, there was a limit to how quickly his body could absorb and process these substances.
Even with a new potion, he couldn't significantly increase his intake beyond his current capacity.
If another wizard had developed this potion, they might have been overjoyed, seeing it as a new source of legitimate income. But for Jieming, it felt like a drop in the bucket.
"It seems safety and efficiency truly can't coexist," Jieming sighed softly, recording the potion's formula as a "backup plan."
After a moment of contemplation, his gaze returned to his experimental notes.
Now that he had confirmed that the inverted Mortal Dust Qi had lost its essential nature, there was no point in continuing that line of research.
It was better to focus on genuine Mortal Dust Qi moving forward.
Jieming took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with fervent determination.
Having consulted numerous medicinal pill recipes from the Great Dao Library Pavilion that used Mortal Dust Qi as a primary ingredient, Jieming began leveraging his knowledge of potionology to identify suitable materials from the wizard world.
Considering the unique nature of Mortal Dust Qi, Jieming primarily drew upon the pill refining theories of the immortal cultivation world. He formulated his concoction based on the principles of Yin-Yang Five Elements harmony, selecting materials that would complement the medicinal properties of the Mortal Dust Qi.
After more than half a month of painstaking effort, Jieming finally refined a potion that emitted a peculiar fragrance, tinged with a faint, almost imperceptible smoky aroma.
The potion's color wasn't pure, but rather a hazy, iridescent glow, as if it had condensed the myriad phenomena of the world into a single vial.
Yet, as Jieming gazed at this hard-won potion, he felt a pang of regret that he couldn't immediately test its effects.
One reason was that the fatigue from directly infusing his soul with Mortal Dust Qi hadn't fully dissipated.
Soul recovery required time, and an experiment of this magnitude allowed no room for carelessness.
Better safe than sorry.
The other, more pressing reason was that the time had come—the apprentices participating in the plane trial had finally reached their graduation.
Although Jieming and the others who had passed the academy's trial weren't immediately required to rush to the battlefield and fight for the Noren Workshop in other planes, as a matter of courtesy and to receive their final evaluations and rewards, all apprentices, regardless of their performance, were required to return to the academy for a graduation ceremony.
"Looks like I'll have to wait until after the ceremony to try again," Jieming said, putting away the potion, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes.
He knew that if this potion succeeded, its value would far surpass any of his previous attempts. It might even replace adamantium as his primary source of income.
He emerged from the underground laboratory, sunlight streaming through the garden's foliage, warm and bright.
At that moment, a message came through his spell artifact: Amy and Victor were already waiting at the camp entrance.
"Jieming! Hurry up! You can't be late for the graduation ceremony!" Amy's energetic voice crackled through the artifact.
Jieming chuckled softly, gathered his research notes, and turned toward the space teleportation device that led to the camp.
Months later, Jieming once again set foot in Noren Academy No. 13, the training ground for wizard apprentices.
This time, however, the atmosphere was entirely different from any previous visit.
News of Jieming's performance in the Elosia Plane Trial had spread through the academy like wildfire.
First place on the contribution leaderboard, mastermind behind the faith contamination, indirect catalyst for the capture of a divine being, and even granted priority selection rights to an entire plane... These astonishing achievements had become legendary tales among the apprentices.
As Jieming, Amy, and Victor entered the academy's main plaza, the apprentices who had been whispering in small groups all turned their gazes toward them in unison.
Those who recognized Jieming couldn't help but gasp in surprise, their eyes flashing with disbelief, followed by deep awe and complex emotions.
The whispers abruptly ceased, replaced by an oppressive silence. Only a few daring apprentices dared to cast curious and probing glances.
Even the apprentices who had participated in the trial alongside Jieming fell silent.
This was their reverence for the strong.
Only after Jieming had moved far away did the crowd erupt into even more fervent discussion.
"Look at you, you're the academy's rising star now," Amy teased softly, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Jieming merely smiled faintly, completely indifferent to the attention.
He knew that in the wizard world, strength was the only true currency.
The graduation ceremony was held in the academy's central void hall. Unlike the elaborate formalities of the mortal world, Noren Workshop's graduation ceremonies were remarkably simple and efficient.
In the center of the hall, dozens of mentors stood solemnly in their respective formations, awaiting the disciples who were about to complete their apprenticeship.
There were no lengthy speeches, no sentimental farewells.
Yet when the ceremony began, everyone couldn't help but feel a surge of tension.
The graduates were called forward one by one by their mentors, each stepping forward in turn.
At the front of Mentor Clark's formation, Jieming stood beside Amy and Victor, waiting his turn.
When Jieming's name was called, he strode forward calmly and approached Mentor Clark.
(End of the Chapter)
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