Spirit Realm

Blue lights flashed repeatedly on top of the spirit tablet, illuminating the small house with blurry lights.

Qin Lie’s expression was focused, and it was as if there were many tiny arcs of electricity flashing across his eyes. The tip of his finger was as white as the gleam of a needle while he drew a complex and delicate diagram inside the spirit tablet.

Sweat drops were slowly appearing on his forehead, and the veins on his neck were incredibly distinct. But at the same time, he was also incredibly excited.

To combine a spirit diagram and inscribe the Spirit Gathering spirit diagram and Amplification spirit diagram on top of a spirit tablet, and to use the Amplification spirit diagram to enhance the effects of the spirit gathering… He was really looking forward to the results.

Tiny gleams like electricity swam all about the world inside the spirit diagram, and they drew many lines of beautiful orbits to form the network of a spirit diagram.

The Amplification spirit diagram was shrunk several times its original size and embedded inside the Spirit Gathering spirit diagram. A few hub-like spirit lines began connecting the two spirit diagrams together…

“Boom!”

Abruptly, the two spirit diagrams glowed and released a brilliant light simultaneously. As the final stroke was completed, the originally two separate spirit diagrams merged together in perfect unison.

A perfect whole.

A stream of spirit energy was poured into it. At first, it spun rapidly inside the Spirit Gathering spirit diagram, then it was directed towards the Amplification spirit diagram and activated it as well, causing both spirit diagrams to instantly come to life and emit a magnificent radiance.

“Whoosh whoosh whoosh!”

An extremely focused Qin Lie caught hold of the natural spirit artifact’s silent fluctuations. He suddenly felt that the air he was breathing had turned fresh and clean, and it even seemed to smell of forest nature.

Inside the shop, Li Mu had lazily curled on a recliner and narrowed his eyes at the sunlight shining in from outside, passively conducting business.

Suddenly, his brows jumped as if he had found something interesting.

Throwing the thought of business out of his mind, he immediately got off the recliner and turned towards the backyard. When he arrived at Qin Lie’s small door, he asked loudly, “How is it? Did it work?”

“I think it did.” Qin Lie scratched his head and answered uncertainly, “Uncle Li, why don’t you take a look and see… if it works?”

Li Mu was inwardly surprised, because merging two spirit diagrams together was a task easier said than done.

Qin Lie had begun experimenting when he gave his advice on that night three days ago.

Just as Li Mu had predicted, during the early stages Qin Lie had failed repeatedly and wasted many spirit tablets; he did not manage to put them together even a single time.

The merging of two spirit diagrams challenges an Artificer’s creativity to its limits. It was incredibly difficult to find the right focal point.

In his mind, Li Mu predicted that Qin Lie would take at least ten days to half a month before he eventually discovered the key to success. He had never expected him to successfully merge the two spirit diagrams so quickly.

“Let me see.” Li Mu extended his palm and accepted the shining, crystal clear spirit tablet before focusing his mind to examine it.

Inside the spirit tablet, the Amplification spirit diagram had been shrunk several times its original size and embedded within the Spirit Gathering spirit diagram. While spirit energy flowed inside the Spirit Gathering spirit diagram, the Amplification spirit diagram was displaying its effects as well. It seemed to be supporting the Spirit Gathering spirit diagram from behind by increasing the speed at which the spirit energy spun inside the spirit diagram and enhanced the core.

Li Mu nodded to himself and waited while still touching the spirit tablet, waiting for a change in nature’s spirit energy.

Fifteen minutes later, his eyes brightened slightly as he looked towards Qin Lie and said, “Normally, your Spirit Gathering Board can only enhance how quickly one can gather nature’s spirit energy by a quarter, but after the addition of the Amplification spirit diagram, this enhanced version of the Spirit Gathering Board can increase the gathering rate by half. That is double the spirit gathering effects!”

“Is that good or bad?” Qin Lie asked anxiously.

Li Mu looked at him in surprise, “Kid, did you know that if that an Amplification spirit diagram can be considered pretty good if it can enhance other effects by two to three tenths and that a spirit diagram that can enhance other effects by five to six tenths would be considered extraordinary? Your spirit diagram doubles the effects entirely, so why don’t you tell me whether it is good or bad.”

“Then it’s pretty good.” Qin Lie nodded and genuinely laughed.

“This is more than just pretty good. In fact, this is incredibly extraordinary.” Holding the spirit tablet, Li Mu gave it another thought before saying, “Of course, I’ve also seen Amplification spirit diagrams that could double or even triple the other effects, though the scenario was quite different from yours.”

“What kind of scenario?” Qin Lie asked curiously.

“If the materials that formed an artifact was extraordinary in the first place and could be considered a world’s treasure and the forging process was also ingenious and impeccable, then naturally the inscribed Amplification spirit diagram would also be much more potent! But of course, this scenario is heavily reliant on the artifact’s components itself, and only the best and most valuable of materials can increase the potency of the amplification effects.”

Looking at him, Li Mu smiled and explained, “In addition, what you’re using right now is just a spirit tablet. It is the most basic material to practice inscribing spirit diagrams, and it cannot even be considered an ‘artifact.’ Since it still can double the potency of effects, this is already quite exceptional in my eyes. Yes, if we exclude the materials and talk about the Amplification spirit diagram alone, the one you’ve mastered now is probably the most amazing diagram I’ve ever seen.”

After a pause, Li Mu then continued, “Let me put it this way. If you are able to draw your Amplification spirit diagram on a spirit artifact that’s tempered by a worldly treasure, then it is likely that the amplification effects of your Amplification spirit diagram will probably reach up to three or even four times its potency and exceed even those spirit artifacts that I’ve seen!”

“In short, I did a great job?” Qin Lie smiled cheerfully.

“Alright that’s it, just how else do you want me to praise you, kid?” Li Mu scoffed once before continuing, “Hum, it’s about time you return to Nevula Pavilion. You can continue to stay and learn from Yao Tai; it will be very beneficial for you. This Yao Tai fellow improved very slowly because he did not have a good spirit diagram, but even then his foundation is incredibly solid. He has been smelting artifacts for over twenty years, so his understanding and mastery on heating and mixing low level spirit materials is incredibly seasoned and skillful. You won’t go wrong studying under him.”

“Uncle Li, you seem to be quite close with Yao Tai?” Qin Lie asked in surprise.

“Not at all. It’s just that I’ve heard quite a bit about him, so it doesn’t take much to guess his situation.” Li Mu smiled a little. “I will be around the shop as of late, so you can come anytime to practice drawing spirit diagrams when you’re free. Yes, when you’re at Nebula Pavilion, you should also spend more time cultivating martial arts. You’re at a critical point right now, so there’s no harm in paying more attention to it. Who knows, you may be able to enter the Natal opening Realm very soon.”

“Got it. Thank you Uncle Li, I’ll be going in a while then.”

“Mn.”

……

When evening had arrived, Qin Lie left Li’s Shop and headed towards the South City of Nebula Pavilion.

Between Commerce Street and South City is a long and wide river. A few bridges are set between them to enable the people of South City to go to and fro from Commerce Street.

Li’s Shop was situated at a remote location in Commerce Street. There was a stone bridge that connected from here to South City, and it was also equally deserted with almost no traffic at all.

Qin Lie had always walked back and forth through this stone bridge.

Today, when he had stepped on the stone bridge, he was still thinking about the combination of the Spirit Gathering spirit diagram and Amplification spirit diagram.

Suddenly, a slightly chilly presence appeared from a person in front of him, whose back was facing Qin Lie, causing him to wake from his thoughts.

When he had walked on the bridge, he already saw that person at the center of the bridge. He was leaning against the sides with his head was facing towards South City as if in deep thought. Qin Lie hadn’t thought much about it and simply treated him as a pedestrian, but now he felt that something was off.

“Long time no see, Qin Lie. Do you still remember me?”

The person turned around and grinned at Qin Lie. His white teeth seemed to emit a terrible chill.

“Yan Qingsong?” Qin Lie’s expression tensed, but on the inside he wasn’t too worried.

Yan Qingsong was at the ninth level of the Refinement Realm and one step away from reaching the Natal Opening Realm. But that was it; he hadn’t broken through to the next Realm. Now that he had just entered the ninth level of the Refinement Realm himself, he had no fear for this person at all.

“And me too.”

A cold voice rang out from behind him. Before he knew it, a figure had already stood at the other end of the bridge and blocked his path back to Commerce Street.

When Qin Lie turned around and took one glance at the person, his expression changed slightly, and he finally turned apprehensive on the inside.

The person behind him was Feng Kai, Feng Yi’s brother, and he was at the early stage of the Natal Opening Realm!

“Hehe, I’ve had people watching you for a while now.” Yan Qingsong lifted a small smile. “During the time you were at Nebula Pavilion, we couldn’t find an opportunity. But when we saw you enter Li’s shop a few days ago, we guessed that you would definitely return to Nebula Pavilion later. We’ve waited for you for a few days, and finally, you’re here.”

“My younger brother’s arm was bitten off by a Silver Winged Demon Wolf. The Feng Family clansmen suffered a terrible loss. Feng Lun and Feng Jie were murdered by you, and our relationship with Shattered Ice Manor was revealed prematurely, all because of you!” Feng Kai’s looks were handsome and face was white, but his eyes were ominous and deadly as he walked towards Qin Lie one step at a time.

He held a silver longsword in his hands with its tip gleaming on and off like a snake’s tongue, brimming with a faint chill.

“Our Shattered Ice Manor’s Elder Yan was also bitten by the Demon Wolf King and nearly died because of it. To this day, he is still stuck in a critical state and inside the recuperation site.” Yan Qingsong said with an expression of slight surprise, “What surprised me even more is that even Yan Ziqian had suffered a loss by hands. You’re a pretty troublesome brat, aren’t you.”

“It all ends here.” Feng Kai snorted coldly. The silver longsword in his hands shook, and the sword gleam turned into a thin and long silver thread that fiercely lunged at Qin Lie’s heart.

Qin Lie’s right hand abruptly shot out from his waist. Webs of electricity immediately formed at the head of Qin Shan’s wooden sculpture, bringing forth a massive amount of electricity that materialized into a faint blue electric screen.

“Zzzt Zzzt Zzzt!”

As Feng Kai swung his silver longsword, thin silver threads flew out rapidly. These threads were as sharp as needles, as nimble as snakes, and all thrust towards Qin Lie’s body.

Holding the wooden sculpture in his hands, Qin Lie combined the lightning energy and spirit energy inside his body and shot them out wildly from the head of the wooden sculpture. They joined together to form a web of light built from lightning and covered the area right in front of his body.

Yan Qingsong continued to block the way on one side of the stone bridge and did not intend to immediately lend a hand. He simply watched the two fight with cold eyes.

He was surprised on the inside, surprised that Qin Lie wasn’t killed instantly and that he was able to contest Feng Kai for even a moment even though Feng Kai was at the early stage of the Natal Opening Realm.

“Miss, someone is fighting on top of the bridge.” It was at this moment when a voice rang from behind Yan Qingsong.

When he turned around to take a look, he saw a beautiful woman dressed in white with a servant walking towards this bridge, looking like they were about to cross over it.

The woman in white was in fact the one who had arrived at Li’s Shop last time and bought all of Qin Lie’s Spirit Gathering Boards.

The old servant was also the same old servant, and his hand was still wearing the spatial ring that had filled Qin Lie with envy.