Chapter 327 Nascent Soul Realm
After the meeting ended and he returned to the laboratory in the Golden Garden, Jemin quickly put the rumors and gossip about the elite combat unit behind him.
This strategic shift by the Star Ring Federation sounds grand, but in terms of Jemin's daily life, the changes are minimal.
It's simply a change from needing to occasionally "check in" at the college in the past to now being able to enjoy mentor-level long vacation benefits without having to take up a position.
The terminal used to receive war missions was changed from the general model used at the border to a Magic Network terminal directly issued by the Federation, which has higher permissions and more integrated functions.
According to Dean Avery Knight, these elite members will no longer need to travel to the border point to register and be selected when participating in interdimensional wars.
Simply apply directly through this magic network terminal and wait for the system to assign a task.
After receiving the mission call-up order and teleportation coordinates, you can directly use the dedicated teleportation array set up by the academy or federation to set off, saving time and effort.
Apart from that, for Jemin himself, this change was essentially the same.
Stripped of these tedious administrative procedures, Jemin plunged back into his single-minded research life.
He stopped paying attention to the changing world and devoted his main energy to analyzing the core knowledge of the five newly acquired divine power faith networks.
Time flies, and fifty years have passed silently in the laboratory's self-circulating timer.
At this moment, Jemin was standing in front of a specially designed enhanced observation tank, his brows furrowed and his eyes revealing a sense of irritation.
Inside the jar, a seemingly ordinary white mist slowly swirls, just like the scene I remember seeing on any foggy morning.
This was the mysterious mist that he had painstakingly collected from the spatial dimension years ago.
Over the past fifty years, he has used almost every non-destructive analytical method he could think of: elemental spectrum scanning, energy field resonance detection, high-dimensional structure mapping, and even several treasure appraisal secrets from the [Great Dao Book Pavilion]... with no exceptions.
Data shows that it is just an ordinary condensation of water vapor, and its physical properties and energy reactions conform to basic natural laws.
"I still... can't understand it..." Jemin couldn't help but scratch his hair hard, making his originally neat hair a little messy.
This inability to understand stems not only from a lack of knowledge, but also from a difference in perspective.
Just as a two-dimensional being cannot comprehend the concept of height, there is an insurmountable gap between his existing knowledge system and the mysteries that may be hidden behind this white fog.
They know what it is, but not why it is, and they can't even grasp the "why" of it.
He let out a long breath, forcibly suppressing the frustration caused by the stagnation of his research.
He turned and left the frustrating analysis room, walking into the adjacent biological culture area.
Inside the enormous ecological simulation chamber, several grotesque, mutated snake-like spiders, their limbs shimmering with unstable spatial ripples, were crawling restlessly.
Their existence confirmed Jemin's initial conjecture—the mutated snake spider was indeed mutated from the leader of an ordinary snake spider group under the influence of some unknown factor.
Not all leaders can successfully mutate, but after a long period of accumulation, and with Jemin's conscious collection and "catalysis," he has accumulated a considerable number of samples.
However, the problem remains.
Spatial abilities involve higher-level elemental essences and are one of the most profound and unfathomable areas on the path of a wizard.
Before reaching the third level of wizardry, one's mental strength and perception of the world's rules have not undergone a qualitative change. To directly and deeply study this power is simply a pipe dream.
Now, Jemin can't even get close to these mutated snake spiders without relying on multiple layers of protection and spatial stabilizers—the spatial ripples that naturally emanate from their bodies are enough to tear his unprotected body apart.
"Sigh..." Another helpless sigh.
The fact that both directions of research have reached a bottleneck is not a pleasant feeling.
He returned to the lounge somewhat dejectedly and threw himself into the soft recliner.
Jemin casually activated the large screen embedded in the wall in front of him.
To the average person, the screen would appear as a rapidly flashing, dizzying display of black and white gibberish.
However, with Jemin's nerve reflexes and information processing abilities as a peak level two wizard and a Golden Core cultivator, what "slowly" slid past was the massive amount of knowledge data he had collected from various battlefields while dealing with the triangular plane cluster.
Reading and learning this knowledge is his unique way of relaxing.
It is called "leisure" because as his knowledge base grows, Jemin learns it faster and faster.
With his ability to draw inferences from one instance to another, he can instantly understand the operating mechanism of many technical and applied knowledge with just a glance at the core principles and structural diagrams, and can even instantly deduce several optimization or improvement solutions in his mind.
This sense of ease and fluency, as if solving a simple puzzle, brings intellectual pleasure and relaxation.
But today, this sense of pleasure seems to be overshadowed.
Jemin couldn't help but sigh again, his eyes becoming somewhat complicated.
He clearly realized that he had almost reached the "knowledge barrier" at his current level.
This does not mean there is no more knowledge to learn, but rather that the remaining advanced knowledge that he has not yet mastered will become exponentially more difficult to learn.
However, some knowledge that was not at his level became increasingly easy for him, and he could no longer improve his level.
At his current level, every small step forward requires tremendous effort, and the ratio of reward to effort is getting lower and lower.
Continuing to delve deeper within the existing framework will only be counterproductive.
"It's about time... I should prepare to advance..." Jemin couldn't help but mutter to himself.
However, unlike cultivators who mainly focus their energy on the cultivation stage, wizards mainly need to spend a lot of effort and resources when advancing in rank.
It is no exaggeration to say that every wizard advances in a different way, but every wizard exhausts all their current resources before attempting to advance.
Ordinary wizards would go bankrupt or even incur huge debts to buy the origin of a plane, but wizards like Jemin could buy it with ease.
But how could a wizard of Jemin's caliber possibly be interested in a plan that allows for easy advancement?
For example, when Senior Viola was promoted, she also spent all her family's wealth. For capable wizards, if they don't do something special when they are promoted, they will be so uncomfortable that they can't sleep at night!
His gaze swept across the slowly scrolling stream of knowledge on the screen, and the technical details that had once fascinated him now gave him an intangible sense of naivety.
He frowned, then decided to multitask, diverting a portion of his divine sense to retrieve a thick, metal-covered book from his internal space—"Level 7 Large Elemental Pool: Principles, Structure, Maintenance, and Advanced Application Guide."
While using his mental energy to "scroll" through the knowledge on the screen as background noise, he was truly immersed in the instruction manual, which was so complex it made his scalp tingle.
Whatever his future plans, he needed to ensure that his greatest energy source—the massive level-seven elemental pool he had acquired at great expense—could perfectly support all his creation and research needs.
...
...
Time flows like water, quietly passing by.
Another ten years have passed, slipping by in focused research and consolidation.
On this day, Jieming had just finished his daily practice of cleansing his Dao heart with the energy of the mortal world. He slowly calmed the chaotic thoughts swirling around him and exhaled a breath of turbid air.
Just as his mind returned to clarity, he suddenly paused slightly, his expression momentarily stunned.
A mysterious feeling welled up from the depths of my soul. It was not specific knowledge or power, but a kind of "inspiration" that came naturally and naturally.
Without consulting any of the classic texts in the "Great Dao Library" or receiving any guidance from outsiders, a clear understanding naturally arose in his mind:
The time has come; I can now advance to the Nascent Soul Realm.
There was no ecstasy, no excitement, only a calm and understanding that comes from finally seeing the signs of harvest after a long period of hard work.
He rose and walked steadily toward the depths of the Purgatory Sulfur Plane.
There was a secret chamber that had been prepared long ago, inscribed with multiple layers of protective and energy-gathering runes.
Stepping inside, the heavy, automatic metal door closes silently, isolating you from the outside world.
With a thought, the intricate magic arrays carved on the walls, floor, and ceiling of the secret chamber lit up one by one, emitting a deep hum.
In an instant, the raging fire element and sulfurous aura that filled the plane were frantically drawn in and gathered together.
However, the gathered energy did not flow directly into Jemin's body, but underwent a fundamental change under the transformation of the intricate magic array.
The colors of the wizarding world gradually faded, replaced by a softer, more dynamic, and vibrant milky-white energy—spirit!
This is a power that shouldn't exist under the rules of the wizarding world; it belongs exclusively to the cultivation system!
This transformation array is the "Elemental and Spiritual Power Conversion Technology" that Jieming derived by reversing the logic of his own Qi Refining Method when he was refining the "Mysterious Gang Red Dust Barrier".
Although it appears crude compared to the subtle circulation of internal cultivation techniques, it is enough to create a spiritual realm suitable for cultivators to break through in this small space.
Feeling the spiritual energy concentration rising steadily in the secret room, every breath was filled with refreshing spiritual energy.
Jemin could clearly feel the long-dormant golden core within his body trembling slightly, and his cultivation technique accelerated on its own, bringing a joyful sensation like rain after a long drought.
He didn't linger any longer and sat cross-legged on the futon in the center of the secret room, with his palms facing upwards.
By focusing one's inner self, one can adjust one's state of mind—vitality, energy, and spirit—to an unprecedented peak of perfection.
Then, with a single thought, the advancement begins.
The whole process went surprisingly smoothly, even uneventfully.
There were no earth-shattering phenomena, no perilous inner demons or tribulations, only the ever-flowing, increasingly pure and vast spiritual power within his body.
And the golden elixir located in the center of the dantian, which was already perfectly round and radiant with golden light, was undergoing a fundamental transformation.
His accumulated knowledge and experience are truly impressive.
Having honed his skills to the extreme in the Golden Core Realm, his understanding of the cultivation techniques and the massive investment of resources have already smoothed out the threshold for advancement.
This breakthrough is simply a natural consequence of overflowing water.
Jemin felt a momentary daze, and he didn't know how much time had passed—perhaps a fleeting instant, perhaps an eternity.
When he came to his senses again, under the gaze of his spiritual power, at the core of the endless vortex of spiritual power in the center of his dantian, a point of pure spiritual light, composed of the origin of the soul and highly condensed, began to shine.
This spark of inspiration absorbed a massive amount of spiritual power, constantly growing and taking shape. Finally, a tiny figure, shrunk countless times, with clear features, and identical to Jemin's original form, slowly condensed into shape!
Nascent Soul, complete!
The moment the nascent soul was formed, the golden core that had been quietly suspended suddenly began to spin rapidly on its own.
On the surface of the golden core, the originally restrained runes suddenly lit up, emitting a light far more dazzling than usual.
The next moment, it transformed into a stream of light and plunged straight into the embrace of the newly born nascent soul.
Buzz—!
A soft hum, perceptible only to the soul, resounded.
The moment the nascent soul and the golden core came into contact, they did not repel each other, but instead merged closely as if water and milk were blending together.
As the light faded and the changes ceased, Jieming "saw" that the golden pill had shrunk several times in size, but its color had become deeper and more restrained, as if it had concentrated all its essence.
At this moment, the golden core no longer floated in his dantian, but instead floated steadily in the dantian of the nascent soul, like stars guarding the core.
A more mysterious connection was established between Jieming, the Nascent Soul, and the Golden Core.
“I see…” Jemin understood.
After a brief attempt, he discovered that he could still accumulate spiritual power through the Golden Core stage, just as he had during the Golden Core stage; this path had not been abandoned.
However, if one turns to cultivate with the Nascent Soul as the primary focus, the efficiency can be multiplied!
Moreover, during the process of Nascent Soul cultivation, the miniature golden core located in its "dantian" will also be tempered and improved simultaneously, with the two complementing each other.
At that moment, he gained a profound understanding of the obscure descriptions in "The Great Dao Book Pavilion": "No wonder it is said that each great realm is not a simple advancement, but rather the opening up of a completely new path that integrates the wisdom of predecessors with one's own characteristics."
The Nascent Soul Realm is not about abandoning the Golden Core, but rather about opening up a new path that is more efficient, closer to the origin, and has the advantages of the Golden Core, based on the Golden Core Dao!
Before he could fully appreciate the wonders of this dual cultivation system, a tremendous suction force came from his lower dantian once again!
Jemin had anticipated this and remained unfazed.
Each time a major realm is broken through, the internal space opened up by the "Internal Circulation" method will expand accordingly.
This time, he no longer needed to rely on potions to replenish his energy. With just a slight movement of his mental power, he used the control panel beside him to instantly increase the output power of the magic circle connected to the outside of the secret room by several levels!
boom!!
An even more powerful torrent of elements was forcibly extracted and poured into the transformation array, where it was transformed into nearly liquid, pure spiritual energy that surged wildly into Jemin's body.
The newly formed nascent soul was like a bottomless pit, greedily absorbing the spiritual energy and refining it into pure spiritual power. Then, it was mercilessly drawn away by the enormous suction force and injected into the rapidly expanding internal space.
The spiritual energy is continuously absorbed, and the spiritual energy from the outside world replenishes it one after another, forming a perfect energy cycle.
After an unknown amount of time, the terrifying suction finally subsided.
Jemin immediately immersed his consciousness into his body space.
The next moment, even with his current state of mind, he couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise.
What was originally the size of an ancient village has now expanded to an extraordinary size.
Roughly estimated, its scale is comparable to a modern international metropolis in his memories of his previous life.
The outlines of mountains, rivers, and plains are faintly visible in the thick spiritual mist, and the overall pattern becomes increasingly clear.
What surprised him even more was that this space, which was theoretically completely enclosed and should not have any natural light source, was no longer completely dark at this moment.
A soft, even light, like the first light of dawn, permeated the space. Although not bright, it was enough to make people see the distant scenery clearly.
He searched carefully but found nothing resembling the sun or any luminous object.
After further research, Jemin couldn't help but be moved once again—the source of this light, and its wave characteristics, were exactly the same as the light source in the normal material plane of the wizarding world!
It is the projection of the elemental plane into a higher dimension, the "natural light" that penetrates through the spatial barrier!
This means that the rules and form of existence of this space within his body have begun to be initially recognized by the underlying laws of the wizarding world and identified as a nascent "plane"!
Excitement surged through him like a tide, but he quickly suppressed it with his strong composure.
Jemin quickly realized that this faint light source had a negligible impact on such a vast space and was far from enough to form a complete ecological cycle.
At this stage, this place can only be considered an incredibly large storage space and special laboratory with great potential; it is still far from being a true "paradise on earth".
However, such a vast space has already provided more possibilities for his future plans.
Whether it's expanding the Black Giant Legion's base and training grounds, building a larger automated production line for rune artifacts, or planning more complex experimental areas, there's more than enough capacity.
Regardless, feeling the vast spiritual power within my body, more than ten times stronger than that of the Golden Core stage, feeling the profoundness brought by the dual cultivation system of Nascent Soul and Golden Core, feeling the closer connection between my soul and heaven and earth...
Jemin knew that he had officially entered the Nascent Soul Realm!
(Something came up, so there will only be one chapter today.)
(End of this chapter)
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