I, a cultivator, have ended up in the wizarding world.

Chapter 22 The second level of Qi training
“This ore… the manual says it’s ‘Moonshadow Stone,’ but it feels almost the same as the ‘Star Iron’ next to it?” The voice of an apprentice next to him drew his attention.

The apprentice rubbed his eyes, struggling to make out the details.

Jemin silently scanned the ore with his mental power, and its elemental composition and energy properties immediately appeared in his mind.

"It is indeed Moonshadow Stone, but it is of a lower grade and is mixed with some iron ore."

He casually offered a suggestion, then skillfully picked up a common ore, weighed it in his hand, and quickly sorted it into the corresponding box.

"Ah... thank you." The apprentice, who had been prompted, was a little stunned, but quickly recovered and subconsciously expressed his gratitude.

"nothing."

Jemin shook his head, after all, the process of identifying the ore would also help him become familiar with his current power.

As the three Truth Runes, whose core patterns were all alchemical runes, settled in his mind, Jemin could clearly feel that his soul and spirit were also affected, undergoing a slight "evolution" almost every moment.

He became increasingly clear about the differences between various substances and energies. Even though he had not yet constructed alchemy in his mind, he could still analyze everything his fingers touched.

Although this information is currently disorganized, with practice, Jemin can clearly feel the changes in his mind.

He was certain that once the transformation was complete, even without deliberate study, the first spell of magic—alchemy—would be engraved in his mind.

While he was busy, Victor, also wearing protective gear, came to the group with another apprentice.

Seeing the several heavy boxes in front of him, a smug look appeared in his eyes.

Victor pointed to two piles of ore on the ground, his tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of pride: "I'll teach you once, remember this. You see, this pile of 'pyroxene' looks like it has a lot of ore, but the individual pieces are light and have regular shapes, making it easy to sort. That pile of 'spindle' is less, but the pieces are all large, and the edges are sharp and can prick your hands. Let's deal with this pile of pyroxene first, it's faster, we can finish the settlement sooner, and then we can rest for a while before dealing with that troublesome pile."

His partner seemed not to have considered this point, paused for a moment, and then nodded in agreement.

Victor's lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile, and he immediately began to sort through the pyroxene stones with the speed and efficiency of an assembly line worker.

Jemin took all of this in.

It's clear that these wizard apprentices also lack points, and "smart" people like Victor have even started earning commissions by mentoring newcomers.

This is actually the difference between apprentices with and without a wizarding background. Although their talents and abilities may be similar, the difference in knowledge accumulated from childhood to adulthood cannot be overcome in a day or two.

Jemin silently continued his sorting, accumulating knowledge without saying much, and showed no interest in Victor's boastful "demonstration."

After all, Victor only had a slight advantage, while he had no advantage at all.

……

……

The night was dark.

After completing his mission and leaving Warehouse No. 5, Jemin still felt as if he was covered in the dust from sorting ore and the pungent smell of plants.

But he didn't have time to go back to his dormitory to wash off the dust, nor did he have time to rest for even a moment; his heart was filled with urgency.

The points balance on the task board finally jumped to the number he desperately needed—five.

Five points are enough for him to book another "private room".

Unable to return to the alchemy workshop in time, Jemin made a reservation for the laboratory on the magic network terminal next to the warehouse and ran straight to the adjacent potions laboratory area.

After his experience "sorting" in Warehouse No. 5, the three Truth Runes in his mind became more active, and his mental sea became restless.

Along with this, the true essence within his body surged wildly through his meridians like a raging fire, each pulse a reminder that a breakthrough was imminent and could not be delayed!
Jemin felt that if it weren't for his amazing willpower, he probably would have lost control long ago, but now he was on the verge of breaking through at any moment.

He quickly activated his temporary laboratory, pushed open the door, and entered the small and rudimentary isolated space.

The moment he closed the door, all the noise and troubles of the outside world were shut out, leaving only himself and the power within him that was about to erupt.

Without hesitation, Jemin immediately sat cross-legged in the center of the laboratory, took a deep breath, and focused all his attention on his body.

Qi Refining Level 2.

This isn't actually that crucial in the cultivation system. According to the Great Dao Book Pavilion, as long as one can cultivate to the first level of Qi Refining, even if their aptitude and resources are mediocre, they can at least reach the third level of Qi Refining with the help of time.

After the breakthrough, the true essence will become more solid, the circulation speed will be faster, and the nourishment to the body and mind will be greatly enhanced.

However, because there are few obstacles, it is also extremely difficult to suppress the breakthrough after the spiritual power has been fully accumulated.

"Now!" He stopped suppressing himself and let the massive torrent of true essence flow rapidly within his body.

The methods recorded in the Great Dao Library flashed through his mind, guiding this violent power.

Boom——

The world inside my body seemed to have undergone a complete transformation!
The meridians expand and become stronger under the influence of the true energy, while the true energy lake in the dantian rotates and compresses rapidly, emitting a deep rumble.

Intense pain swept through his body, but Jemin's mind was exceptionally clear, precisely guiding his true essence to complete the transformation along a specific trajectory.

The simple isolation array in the laboratory emitted a slight humming sound, resisting the sudden burst of energy fluctuations within Jemin's body.

The process lasted about half an hour. Jemin's clothes were soaked with sweat, his body trembled slightly, and his face was unusually pale.

But as the last meridian was reshaped, a brand new and even more powerful sense of strength instantly spread throughout his body!
Qi Refining Level 2!

Become!

The true essence within his body solidified like mercury, and its quantity more than doubled compared to when he was at the first level of Qi Refining.

Within the meridians, the true essence flows like a surging river, emitting a pleasant roar.

The strength of the body gradually increases under the nourishment of true essence, and the spiritual sea also seems to be injected with new vitality, becoming clearer and more expansive.

Jemin slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of blackish exhaust fumes.

Although physically weak, he felt an unprecedented sense of power and clarity.

"That's great. With the increased mental strength, I can probably inscribe another Truth Rune."

After sensing the strength of his mental energy within his mental sea, Jieming smiled with satisfaction.

In this way, becoming a second-level wizard apprentice is just around the corner.

"Speaking of which, the cultivation methods of cultivators and wizards are constantly improving."

Recalling the similarities between the two cultivation methods, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Although the "Basic Qi Cultivation Method" that Jieming is currently practicing uses the relatively ancient principle of refining essence into qi, according to the Great Dao Book Pavilion, it is indeed a relatively new method.

Although Jemin wasn't quite sure how the age of a method was calculated, both Qi cultivation and meditation methods had a fairly obvious common characteristic—few bottlenecks.

The Qi Refining Method only has bottlenecks when advancing from the third to the fourth level, from the sixth to the seventh level, and from the ninth level to the Foundation Establishment stage. Theoretically, the remaining levels can be gradually improved by spending enough time.

The same applies to the wizard's meditation method. It only becomes more difficult when a third-level wizard apprentice is promoted to a full wizard. Otherwise, there is no bottleneck in the three levels of wizard apprentices. As long as enough Truth Runes are inscribed, one can be promoted.

"In theory, anyone can reach the level of a third-level wizard apprentice given enough time, but that's just in theory."

The key is that "there is enough time".

Qi cultivators are fine; even the most basic level one Qi cultivation integrates their own life force, so living to 160 years old without illness or disaster is not a problem.

Wizards are in a more complicated situation. While elemental power strengthens a wizard's spirit and body, it also erodes their life force.

If one cannot become a formal wizard, the lifespan of an ordinary wizarding apprentice is limited to a maximum of 70 years.

Moreover, unlike Qi cultivators who become stronger with age, wizard apprentices, once past their peak age, will experience a decline in their spiritual sea due to physical aging, resulting in them becoming weaker with age.

Of course, this problem will be completely solved after becoming a formal wizard. In fact, due to the human body modification technology that wizards are good at, they can even surpass the lifespan of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"In general, although Qi cultivators have long lifespans, they face more bottlenecks and have more complicated requirements for advancement. Wizard apprentices can advance more easily, but... I'm afraid the difficulty for a wizard apprentice to become a full wizard will be much higher than imagined."

Shaking his head, no longer thinking about these questions, Jemin stood up, feeling his body return to normal.

With plenty of time left in the lab, Jemin began to worry about how to make the most of it.

Should I take a look at the website?
Renting a lab once costs the equivalent of five cubic meters of gold. Isn't it a bit too extravagant to simply use it as an internet cafe?
But besides that, it seems there's nothing else to do...

At that moment, the laboratory's only window—a small window made of a special material that could block outside prying eyes but allowed light to pass through—saw the first soft ray of light enter.

Dawn has arrived.

As Jemin stood there, watching the rising sun, he couldn't help but shudder!
(Due to Qidian's recommendation rules, new books can't be updated too often during the initial release period, but I'll try to make each chapter a bit longer. Also, please follow my posts and give me monthly votes!!! These two are very important for new books!!!)

(End of this chapter)