"This ore... the manual says it's 'Moon Shadow Stone,' but why does it feel similar to the 'Star Iron' next to it?" The voice of an apprentice beside him drew his attention over.
This apprentice rubbed his eyes, struggling to distinguish them.
Jeming used his Spiritual Power to quietly scan the ore, and its elemental composition and energy properties immediately appeared in his mind.
"It is indeed Moon Shadow Stone, but it's of a lower grade and mixed with some iron ore."
Casually giving a hint, he skillfully picked up a common piece of ore, weighed it, and quickly sorted it into the corresponding box.
"Ah... thank you." The prompted apprentice seemed a bit dazed but quickly reacted, subconsciously expressing thanks.
"It's nothing."
Jeming shook his head; after all, the process of identifying ores also helped him to familiarize himself with his current strength.
As the three Truth Runes, which were all Alchemy Runes, settled in his mind, Jeming could clearly feel that his Soul and spirit were also influenced, undergoing subtle "evolution" almost every moment.
He became increasingly clear about the differences between various substances and energies, and even without constructing Alchemy in his mind, he could still analyze everything his fingers touched.
Even though this information was still chaotic, through training, Jeming could clearly feel the changes in his mind.
He could be sure that once the changes were complete, even without deliberately learning, the first witchcraft, Alchemy, could also be inscribed in his Sea of Spirit.
While he was busy, Victor also donned protective gear and brought another apprentice over to join them.
Seeing the few heavy boxes in front of Jeming, his eyes showed a satisfied look.
Victor pointed to the two piles of ore on the ground, his tone carrying a barely noticeable pride: "I'll teach you once, remember it. Look, this pile of 'Pyroxene' seems to have more, but each piece is light and regularly shaped, making it easy to sort. That pile of 'Spinel Ore,' although smaller, are large pieces with sharp edges that easily cut hands. Let's deal with this pile of Pyroxene first; it's faster, and we can finish the settlement earlier and rest before tackling the troublesome pile."
His partner seemed caught off guard by this insight, paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Victor's mouth curled into a barely noticeable smile and he immediately began sorting the Pyroxene quickly, as skillfully as a factory worker.
Jeming took all of this in.
It was obvious that these Wizard Apprentices also lacked Points, and smart ones like Victor had even started bringing newcomers to earn commissions.
This actually reflected the differences between apprentices with a Wizard background and those without. Although talent and power might be similar, the knowledge accumulated from a young age was not something that could be caught up with overnight.
Jeming quietly continued his sorting, constantly accumulating knowledge, saying nothing about Victor's showy "display."
After all, Victor only had a slight advantage, which didn't matter to him at all.
...
...
The night was deep.
Jeming finally completed his task. After leaving Warehouse No. 5, he still felt as if his body was covered with the dust of sorting ores and the spicy smell of plants.
But he had no time to return to the dormitory to wash off the dust, nor a moment to rest. His heart was filled with urgency.
The Points balance on the task board finally ticked to the number he urgently needed—five.
Five Points were enough for him to book a "private room" one more time.
Without returning to the Alchemy Element workshop, he reserved a laboratory on the Magic Network Terminal beside the warehouse and then dashed towards the Magic Potion laboratory area nearby.
Following the training from sorting at Warehouse No. 5, the three Truth Runes in his mind became increasingly active, and the Sea of Spirit grew restless.
The True Essence within him surged like a raging fire through his veins, each pulse as if reminding him that a breakthrough was imminent and could not be delayed!
Jeming felt that if it weren't for his incredible willpower, he might have burst already. But even now, he was on the verge of a breakthrough.
Quickly activating his temporary laboratory, he pushed open the door and entered the narrow, basic, isolated space.
Closing the door, all the external noise and troubles were shut out, leaving only himself and the force within him about to erupt.
Jeming didn't hesitate, immediately sitting cross-legged in the center of the lab, taking a deep breath, and immersing all his senses within.
Qi Cultivation Second Layer.
This was not critical in the Cultivation Immortality System; according to the Great Dao Book Pavilion, as long as one could achieve Qi Cultivation First Layer, even with mediocre talent and resources, time would guarantee reaching Qi Refining Third Layer.
After the breakthrough, the True Essence would become more solid, and its circulation speed would increase, greatly enhancing nourishment for both body and spirit.
But similarly, because of the lack of obstacles, it became extremely difficult to restrain a breakthrough once Spiritual Power was repleted.
"It's time!"
He no longer resisted, allowing the vast torrent of True Essence within to circulate swiftly through him.
The Dharma Gates recorded in the Great Dao Book Pavilion flashed through his mind, guiding this turbulent power.
Boom—
The world within seemed to undergo a drastic upheaval!
The meridians expanded and toughened under the wash of True Essence, while the True Essence Lake in the Dantian rapidly rotated and compressed, emitting a deep rumbling.
Intense pain swept through his body, but Jeming's Divine Sense remained exceptionally clear, precisely guiding the True Essence along a specific trajectory to complete its transformation.
The simple Isolation Array in the laboratory emitted a slight hum, resisting the sudden surge of energy fluctuations within Jeming.
This process lasted for about half an hour, with sweat soaking Jeming's clothes, his body trembling slightly, and his complexion unusually pale.
But as the last meridian reshaped, a brand-new, more powerful sensation instantly spread throughout his body!
Qi Cultivation Second Layer!
Success!
The True Essence within was as solid as mercury, with its quantity more than doubling from the Qi Cultivation First Layer.
In the meridians, the True Essence flowed like a great river, producing a pleasant rumbling sound.
The strength of the body slowly increased under the nourishment of True Essence, and the Sea of Spirit also seemed infused with new vitality, becoming clearer and more expansive.
Jeming slowly opened his eyes, letting out a long breath of black-tinged waste gas.
Though his body was weak, he felt unprecedented strength and clarity.
"Not bad, the enhanced Spiritual Power might be able to inscribe another Truth Rune."
Feeling the strength of the Spiritual Power in his Sea of Spirit, Jeming smiled with satisfaction.
With this, becoming a Second Level Wizard Apprentice was just around the corner.
"Come to think of it, both the cultivators' and wizards' cultivation methods are all about continuous improvement."
Recalling the similarities between the two cultivation methods, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
The "Basic Qi Cultivation Method" that Jeming was currently practicing used the relatively ancient principle of Refining Essence and Qi, but according to the Great Dao Book Pavilion, it was indeed a relatively new Dharma Gate.
Although Jeming wasn't quite sure how the novelty of a Dharma Gate was calculated, both the Qi Cultivation Technique and the Meditation Method had a notably common characteristic—few bottlenecks.
The Qi Cultivation Technique only has bottlenecks when upgrading from Qi Refining Third Layer to Fourth Layer, Sixth Layer to Seventh Layer, and Ninth Layer to Foundation Establishment, and theoretically, all other levels can be slowly advanced as long as enough time is spent.
The wizard's Meditation Method was also similar; only the promotion from Third Level Wizard Apprentice to Official Wizard was quite troublesome, but besides that, the three levels of Wizard Apprentice had no concept of bottlenecks, and promotion was possible as long as enough Truth Runes were inscribed.
"Theoretically, as long as there's enough time, anyone can rise to the Third Level Wizard Apprentice, but it's just theoretical."
The focus lies in "enough time."
For Qi Cultivators, even the most basic Qi Cultivation First Layer already integrates one's Life Energy, allowing one to live robustly and healthily up to 160 years without issue.
Wizards, on the other hand, have a more complex situation. Though Elemental Power strengthens the wizard's spirit and body simultaneously, it also erodes Life Energy.
If they cannot become an Official Wizard, the maximum lifespan for an ordinary Wizard Apprentice is just 70 years.
Moreover, unlike Qi Cultivators who grow stronger with age, once a Wizard Apprentice passes their peak age, physical decline drags down the Sea of Spirit, leading to weakening with age.
Of course, this problem is entirely resolved once one becomes an Official Wizard, and thanks to the wizards' expertise in body modification technology, they can even surpass the longevity of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
"In summary, although Qi Cultivators have a longer lifespan, they face more bottlenecks and have more complicated promotion requirements. Wizard Apprentices find it easier to progress, but the difficulty of advancing to Official Wizard may be higher than anticipated."
Shaking his head, Jeming stopped pondering these issues, feeling the normalization of his body as he stood up.
There was still plenty of time left for using the laboratory, and Jeming began to wonder how to make the most of the remaining time.
Should he take a look at the Magic Net?
But renting a lab costs as much as five cubic meters of gold, using it just like an internet café seemed a bit too extravagant?
Besides that, nothing else seemed to be worth doing...
At that moment, the laboratory's only window—a small window made of special material that blocked external peeking while allowing light to pass—was illuminated by the first gentle ray of light.
Dawn had arrived.
Jeming stood there, watching the gradually rising sunlight, his body involuntarily trembling!
(Due to the recommendation rules of Qidian, new books during the new book period indeed can't be updated too frequently, but I will try to write longer chapters. Also, please support with follows and monthly tickets!!! These are very important for new books!!!)