Chapter 118 - 98: Multiple Magic Springs and Paper

Chapter 118: Chapter 98: Multiple Magic Springs and Paper

Baal put the agreement away, his smile fading slightly. "Brother, I heard you’ve been targeted recently."

Chen Shang shook his head. "It’s no big deal. Apprentice guidance missions are very common."

"Brother, your talent is too good. You probably haven’t realized what it means to complete Force Touch Perception in a single day... Even in the Core Layer of the Truth Continent, this would be considered the mark of a genius."

Baal lowered his voice. "So, it’s not surprising at all that someone would try to slow your progress using compliant methods. You should be extra careful.

"I suspect it’s the work of a Third Level Apprentice with Wizard elders in their family."

"How do you know?" Chen Shang asked in return.

"I guessed... Besides you, there are only a few Third Level Apprentices who have a chance of completing their Cultivation of the Repulsive and Attractive Dual Force in seven years. Your sudden emergence disrupted their plans."

Baal continued, "Besides, there aren’t many people who can arrange missions strictly by the book. This kind of thing can’t be hidden at all."

Chen Shang nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, I understand. Thanks for the heads-up."

Baal didn’t say anything more. He stood up and patted his robes. "Then wait for my good news. My Cultivation talent falls far short of yours, so I can only rely on piling up resources to advance."

"All worldly truths lead to the same destination. Your ability to earn resources is a skill in itself. No one in the Wizard World would say otherwise," Chen Shang replied.

...

One month later.

Amy stood before Chen Shang, holding a thick experimental notebook in her hands. The cover was plastered with sticky notes.

"Senior, I’ve completed the task you assigned. The formulas and experimental data for three non-conflicting Potion and Curse Catalyst combinations are all inside." She handed the notebook over.

Chen Shang took it and flipped through the pages. It wasn’t a half-hearted assignment. Every combination had undergone at least ten repeated experiments. The reasons for failure, conditions for success, and directions for improvement were written clearly.

For a twelve-year-old to accomplish this independently was quite impressive.

"Not bad." Chen Shang returned the notebook to her.

Amy’s eyes were filled with anticipation. "Then... can we start the auxiliary recording for Zhong Kui?"

Chen Shang shook his head. "No, that’s the next step."

He walked over to the Recording Platform, retrieved a blank Crystal Plate from his Space Book, and probed his Spiritual Power into it.

When he synthesized Zhong Kui, he had another option: Devil’s Whisper, Resentment Residue, Soul-Devouring Touch, Blood of Corruption, and Plague Spores... These five entries could also be synthesized into the Five Plagues Envoy.

Although he hadn’t chosen that path back then, he already knew Zhong Kui’s runes by heart.

After learning that Amy excelled in Potions and Curses, he had browsed through a massive amount of papers on Curse Studies, Epidemiology, and Catalyst Science in the Starfall Laboratory’s database.

Combining this with some of the entries on his status panel, he found a viable direction and refined a Curse Technique suitable for a First Level Apprentice to master—the Five Plagues Curse.

Its core was Plague, which he dismantled into three basic forms.

First: Disease Spread.

This step focused on infection. By using a Curse Catalyst, trace amounts of pathogens would be dispersed around the target, continuously eroding the enemy’s stamina and Spiritual Power.

Second: Weakness Curse.

After infection, the catalyst would be activated to act directly on the target’s body, causing the opponent to gradually suffer from negative statuses such as weakness, slowed reactions, and accelerated Magic Power drain.

Third: Fatal Disease.

These negative statuses were not isolated; rather, they enhanced and merged with each other. As the trace pathogens reproduced in a suitable environment, they would spawn a massive number of mutant variants, dealing lethal damage to the enemy.

Furthermore, the Five Plagues Curse had an advanced form that could command the Five Plague Ghosts.

If Amy delved deep enough into Curse Studies in the future, she could attempt to use Curse Catalysts and Potions to cultivate five miniature, controllable disease carriers, termed "Plague Ghosts."

Each Plague Ghost corresponded to a specific disease form. They would typically be sealed within Potion Bottles and released during combat.

The traditional Five Plague Ghosts consisted of the Eastern Green Plague Ghost, Southern Red Plague Ghost, Western White Plague Ghost, Northern Black Plague Ghost, and Central Yellow Plague Ghost. They also corresponded to five distinct elemental attributes.

Chen Shang engraved the complete Rune Array and casting principles of the Five Plagues Curse into the Crystal Plate.

"This is called the Five Plagues Curse. It’s a Witchcraft I designed for your assessment. Its core is manipulating plagues. It progresses layer by layer and is more than enough for you to handle the First Level Apprentice assessment."

He paused and added, "When you’re capable enough in the future, you can try cultivating the Five Plague Ghosts. Each Plague Ghost corresponds to a disease form and is much faster than casting the spell yourself... What exactly you manage to cultivate will depend entirely on your own talent."

Amy took the Crystal Plate and probed her Spiritual Power into it, her expression turning into one of pleasant surprise.

"Thank you, Senior! I appreciate the effort you put into this!"

...

After sending Amy off to study, Chen Shang closed the door to the Recording Chamber. He sat down, opened his Crystal Plate, and brought up a blank document page.

When he joined Elemental Storm, the requirement was to submit one original paper every five years. Failure to comply would result in restricted access to the internal database.

Chen Shang leaned back in his chair and pondered. He had benefited immensely from Elemental Storm’s database. Not only had he discovered clues about the Eye of the Fire Element, but he had also read countless papers regarding elemental fusion.

Right now, the only presentable thing he had on hand was the combination of the Samadhi True Flame and One-Element Heavy Water.

The Samadhi True Flame was not an ordinary Fire Element. It was an Origin Level fire formed by the unification of three flames: Fire in Wood, Earth Fire, and Aerial Fire.

The One-Element Heavy Water was not an ordinary Water Element either. It was exceptionally dense—a single drop could transform into a mighty river.

Placing these two Origin Level powers together was inherently like mixing water and fire; neither would yield to the other.

However, under the Enchantment of Chen Shang’s Multiple Magic Springs, his Manipulation Power had vastly improved, allowing him to attempt their fusion.

A few breaths later, Chen Shang slowly typed out a title on the Crystal Plate: "Preliminary Construction of the Fusion Model Between the Samadhi True Flame and One-Element Heavy Water."

The word "preliminary" was not false modesty. Although the leverage multiplier after their fusion could reach twenty times, the completeness and integration level of the Samadhi True Flame and One-Element Heavy Water were both quite mediocre.