Chapter 121 - 99: Publishing a Paper and the Mutual Multiplication of Water and Fire

Chapter 121: Chapter 99: Publishing a Paper and the Mutual Multiplication of Water and Fire

It was not a stable structure produced during Water-Fire Fusion, but something born from the intense, high-temperature and high-pressure explosion. It was extremely unstable.

Chen Shang closed his eyes, replaying that scene over and over in his Sea of Consciousness. Then, he cast Water-Fire Heaven Extremes again, trying to capture that thing. He discovered that out of ten casts of Water-Fire Heaven Extremes, that phenomenon would only trigger once or twice. It had nothing to do with power or the amount of Magic Power infused. Even after depleting all his Magic Power, Chen Shang couldn’t pinpoint the controlled variable.

He recorded the circumstances of each attempt, deactivated his Eye of True Sight, and walked out of the testing ground.

A short while later.

Chen Shang was not in a hurry to figure out exactly what that thing was. Instead, he headed straight for the Repulsive-Attractive Dual Force Training Ground.

This place didn’t reject Second Level Apprentices. The moment he swiped his card to enter, Chen Shang felt a familiar sensation. It wasn’t the presence of Elements or Magic Power, but a feeling of weightlessness, similar to the Nebula Plaza.

The training ground was not large. The floor’s Stone Slabs were dark gray, and over a dozen consoles lined the edges. The light source came from a slowly rotating sphere in the center of the ceiling, emitting a soft glow.

There were very few people here. Chen Shang swept his gaze across the room and counted only eight, scattered across different areas of the training ground. Some sat cross-legged on the floor, their eyes closed in Meditation. Others stood before Stone Slabs, tracing invisible lines in the air with their fingers. A few crouched on the ground, staring intently at small, hovering metal fragments.

Every single one of them bore the insignia of a Third Level Apprentice on their chest. He was the only Second Level Apprentice here.

When he walked in, seven or eight pairs of eyes simultaneously landed on him. Most merely cast a passing glance before looking away. It seemed no one paid him any mind, but everyone knew exactly who he was.

Chen Shang didn’t look at them. He walked slowly along the edge of the training ground, as if acclimating to the environment. Meanwhile, he kept his Eye of True Sight active, silently observing everyone.

[Extractable Entry detected: Micro-Repulsive Guidance - Fragment (Green) — Source: Third Level Apprentice (Unidentified). Completeness: 43%. Extract?]

[Extractable Entry detected: Micro-Attractor - Fragment (Green) — Source: Third Level Apprentice (Unidentified). Completeness: 38%. Extract?]

[Extractable Entry detected: Dual Force Anchoring - Fragment (Blue) — Source: Third Level Apprentice (Unidentified). Completeness: 27%. Extract?]

Extract, extract, extract!

Several fragments entered his inventory. The people here were the apprentices most likely to master the Repulsive and Attractive Dual Force in the Starfall Laboratory recently, so the quality of these entries was much higher than those at the Nebula Plaza. Most had already reached the stages of Micro-Repulsive Guidance and Micro-Attractor, and someone had even mastered Dual Force Anchoring.

After walking a full circle, Chen Shang stopped at the outermost edge of the training ground. He retrieved a metal sliver as thin as a cicada’s wing from a console and placed it on the floor.

He crouched down, extended his hand, and hovered it over the metal piece. Closing his eyes, he projected his Spiritual Power from his fingertips, precisely pinching a Repulsive Force line within the Force Field network, and gently lifted it upward.

The metal sliver lifted off the floor, hovering half an inch in the air. It remained perfectly stable for five or six seconds before slowly dropping back down.

He then tested the Micro-Attractor, grasping a Gravity line and gently pulling downward. The metal piece slid the distance of a finger’s width across the Stone Slab before coming to a halt. When he pulled again, it slid another finger’s width.

Chen Shang opened his eyes. His degree of control had indeed improved significantly. Moreover, the completeness of Force Touch Perception had risen to 92%; it was very likely to become a Blue entry in the short term.

He stood up, preparing to try once more, when he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from behind.

A Third Level Apprentice wearing a dark Blue robe walked over. He looked to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with dark brown hair and ordinary features. He stopped beside Chen Shang, glanced at the metal sliver on the ground, and then looked back at him.

"Chen Shang? You’re quite famous now. Lord Haimer thinks very highly of you."

"It’s just unwarranted praise."

"Haha, how could Lord Haimer be wrong? I heard you’ve achieved Force Touch Perception. To what degree can you use Micro-Repulsive Guidance now?"

"It’s not very stable," Chen Shang said, putting the metal piece away. "I’m still practicing."

"Your progress is fast; you really are a genius. But I’m not entirely convinced. My name is Solan. How about we make a bet on who masters the Repulsive and Attractive Dual Force first? Let’s exchange contact info."

Chen Shang was slightly taken aback. This guy was certainly straightforward. He took out his Crystal Plate and added Solan.

Solan nodded and turned to leave. Chen Shang watched his back disappear into the shadows on the other side of the training ground before withdrawing his gaze to continue practicing.

Meanwhile.

On the other side of the training ground, a robust young man sat cross-legged on the floor, a slightly larger metal block hovering in front of him. The metal block slowly rotated in the air, shifting from horizontal to vertical, and then tilting at an angle. His control was incredibly steady; the metal block hung suspended for nearly half a minute without dropping.

This was Dual Force Anchoring—simultaneously manipulating Repulsive Force and Gravity without them interfering with one another.

His name was Oleg. As a Third Level Apprentice, he possessed one of the best Force Field Talents seen in the Starfall Laboratory in recent years. From Force Touch Perception to Micro-Repulsive Guidance, and from Micro-Attractor to Dual Force Anchoring, he had steadily advanced at every step.

After the metal block fell, he stood up and rolled his wrists. His gaze inadvertently swept toward the edge of the training ground. Over there, Chen Shang was crouching on the floor, a metal sliver as thin as a cicada’s wing hovering and gently trembling in the air before him.

Oleg looked at that figure in silence for a few seconds. He knew the mandatory assignment had been arranged by his grandfather. He wanted to walk over and say something, but ultimately took no action.

Wizard Apprentices were all quite proud. In his heart, the actions taken by his grandfather were as good as his own. Using such underhanded methods was a disguised admission of inferiority. For a proud Wizard Apprentice, that was worse than death.

"I will far surpass you and prove my excellence to Lord Haimer!" he vowed silently in his heart. Then, he lowered his head, levitated the metal block once more, and resumed his manipulation practice.