Chapter Thirty: A Mysterious Aura

Watching Lonicca depart, Qi Xiao silently recited an incantation, constructed a spell model, and in an instant appeared in the lounge together with the table. Only now did Qi Xiao dare to touch the mithril and the pouch on the table, fearing the system might once again grant him something like an overwhelming surge of magical power, embarrassing him on the spot.

Fortunately, this time the reward was not magical power, but—

“Congratulations on successfully completing an alchemical supply. Reward: 1 Mysterious Aura of the Gu Division.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Xiao excitedly inspected the aura wrapped within his mental sea. Although he could not sense even the slightest leakage, he nevertheless understood its purpose, his breath growing heavy with anticipation.

Beyond the conventional alchemical system, there exists an exceedingly peculiar framework. Wizards generally refer to it as ‘mystic objects,’ but as Qi Xiao had read, outside the wizarding world, other races often call these ‘wonders.’

Such entities do not necessarily exist in physical form; they might manifest as a pulse of electricity, a sound, a living being, or even an entire world. They are saturated with disorder, error, and incomprehensible phenomena, entirely contrary to most wizards’ understanding of worldly laws. Some call them the antithesis of truth, while others maintain that they are still part of the truth—only, the wizards’ perception is too narrow to grasp them.

Their mere existence releases copious similar auras. Not only wizards, but any individual possessing supernatural power within five kilometers can sense the alluring and chaotic aura. Though Qi Xiao had never encountered one up close, both the reactions portrayed in films and the descriptions in his teacher’s collection confirmed this effect. Qi Xiao himself looked forward to experiencing such an aura firsthand.

For alchemists, the sentiment toward mystical objects is not as complex as that of ordinary wizards; it is simply a pure longing. Each mystical object possesses its own unique function, and to this day, no two have ever shared the same ability.

Its function may not always be useful, but it invariably shatters established beliefs and evokes wonder—some even possess abilities akin to ‘causality.’ Although the appearance of mystical objects is utterly unpredictable, it is said that certain alchemists can artificially create them. Such alchemists are known as ‘mystic alchemists,’ whose status in the wizarding world rivals that of legendary alchemists.

The reward Qi Xiao had gained allowed him to infuse an alchemical item with a trace of mysterious aura. Even the smallest amount would be enough to transform the finished product completely.

After the initial excitement, Qi Xiao calmed himself. With his current strength, any hint that he could create mystical objects would place him in peril—even his teacher might be tempted. It wasn’t that Qi Xiao thought ill of others, but the allure of mystical objects to wizards is simply too great, and a mystic alchemist—especially one who is merely an apprentice—would surely attract envy.

Perhaps revealing this ability would elevate his status, but Qi Xiao dared not gamble; if other wizards took notice, the consequences would be dire.

Suppressing this matter in his heart, Qi Xiao turned to examine the mithril in his hand.

The mithril was of excellent quality and would last him quite some time. Many high-end alchemical products require mithril; though other materials can substitute, nothing compares to the genuine article. Even his teacher’s stockpile of mithril was limited, so this solved a pressing problem for Qi Xiao.

Returning to the hall, Qi Xiao found the shop already closed as he had instructed. He gave Yara and Dimot ten magic crystals each as a bonus, stopping their expressions of gratitude with a smile.

“I have other matters to attend to. I’ve left the keys and the address together on the table. Later, notify the new employees and lead them to the shop, then you can close up. From now on, we’ll shut the shop after each Saturday auction, rest on Sundays, and return to work on Mondays.”

After bidding farewell to the two, Loco, suffering from social anxiety, had already left quietly after watching the auction from a corner. Qi Xiao paid it no mind, planning to visit next time. He rented a griffin with striking blue chest feathers—a breed he had never seen before—and flew back to Lakeside Island.

Upon returning to his room, Qi Xiao prepared an abundance of vegetarian food, instructed his two little blood servants not to disturb him unless necessary, and shut himself away to meditate, intending to break through to Intermediate Wizard Apprentice in one go.

Qi Xiao began by slowly absorbing the smaller packets of magic—each containing one or two days’ worth of cultivation—then started meditating, deliberately avoiding the largest cluster, which held enough magical energy for seven days’ meditation.

As the magical energy ebbed and flowed, his mental sea grew ever fuller. When he felt the time was right, Qi Xiao used his mental strength to touch the magic cluster and quickly absorbed it.

There was no true threshold between Junior and Intermediate Wizard Apprentice; as long as one’s mental strength and physical body are saturated with magical energy, advancement is assured.

Thus, Qi Xiao simply felt his entire body swell as he approached his limits; the magic quickly nourished his flesh, then surged into his mental sea, expanding it nearly twofold.

Feeling the magical energy compress and coalesce once more, Qi Xiao opened his eyes with a hearty laugh. Many tricks and alchemical arts he understood in theory, but had previously lacked the magical and mental capacity to perform, were now accessible.

Glancing at the time, he saw that three days had passed since he began and his breakthrough was complete. Yet Qi Xiao had no intention to immediately report the achievement to his teacher, for he had only been an apprentice for half a month. Even with his remarkable mental strength of twenty-three points, such cultivation speed was staggering.

Qi Xiao was unafraid of displaying talent, but knew to restrain himself when necessary. A tree that stands out in the forest is the first to be felled. If his talent were merely outstanding, it would inspire envy, but if it were superhuman, it would instill fear.

Regardless of whether he became an Intermediate Apprentice in half a month or a month, to others he would appear a genius; his resources would not increase—and might even invite disaster—so there was no need to court fame for its own sake.

He spent two days reading various tomes and notes in his room. Seeing it was Thursday, he used the remaining days to concoct basic potions for his stock and forged five ordinary weapons for auction.

He instructed his blood servants to deliver the weapons and potions to Senior Brother Raymond, along with a letter requesting him to forward them to the alchemy shop. Qi Xiao then returned to his studies.

With his advancement to Intermediate Apprentice, memories from his previous life, which had long faded, became clearer. He could now perfectly recreate some simple blueprints; those more complex, or glimpsed only in passing, remained hazy in his mind, and would have to wait until his mental strength grew even greater before he could recall them fully.