Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 823 Conducting an experiment on atavism!

After completing the exchange with the merchant, Locke immediately checked the Erming Chan Linghong in his hand.

There is a drawback to studying other people's rubbings of Ling Hong: what you see is not the original appearance of Ling Hong, but that person's understanding of Ling Hong.

However, most potion masters probably wouldn't be so extravagant as to learn every single spirit formula; they would simply use the original spirit formula.

Locke examined the thin, cicada-shaped rubbing in his hand. This was a magical cicada with two heads, and its spirit was very unique. As he examined it, Locke couldn't help but think of the spirit of the Crimson Vampire Stone.

One very interesting point about second-level potion-making is that the higher the potion's rank, the more spirit macros are needed.

Locke considered whether this dual-sounding cicada spirit could be combined with the spirit of the scarlet vampire stone, but with his current level of spirit theory, it seemed he couldn't delve too deeply into this area.

Locke looked at the merchant and asked, "By the way, do you know if there are any second-circle potion-making books available for purchase on this secondhand market? I'm looking to delve deeper into potion-making recently."

The merchant immediately realized that Locke was probably not a second-circle potion master yet.

"I'm sorry. I don't know either. I'm also a wizard who is studying potions."

Locke realized that he was not a second-circle potion master either.

The merchant hesitated for a moment, then said, "I am Stellan Rhodes, an official mentor of the Hall of Eternal Radiance."

Wizard Stellar said, "If you need any potion-related materials in the future, or if you have any other needs, you can come to me. I usually come here when I enter the secondhand market. However, if you want to study potion-making, doesn't your Golden Crown Mountain library have a lot of materials?"

"I heard that even the Linghong Hundred Solutions has it. It's much more complete than the information in our Yonghui Hall."

"You can study by reading books and doing experiments at the same time. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask the potion masters of Golden Crown Mountain."

Locke said, "That's true. However, the potion-making skills of Mount Golden Crown and your Hall of Eternal Radiance should be at about the same level."

The wizard Strand was quite proud and laughed a few times, saying, "In terms of foundation, it still can't compare to Golden Crown Mountain."

Locke glanced at the other items on his stall and then used the last Linghong rubbing he had to exchange for a set of materials for making a clone potion.

Locke then left the stall and continued to wander around the flea market.

Actually, he mainly wanted to see if he could find the Black and White Codex, an important legacy of archaeology, in this market. Although he didn't have high hopes, he still casually strolled around.

Locke hadn't walked far when a wizard approached him, dressed in an impeccably white robe with an angel wing as an ornament on his left shoulder.

The wizard smiled and brushed past Locke at a stall, then seemed to notice something.

"Wait, are you Locke Augustine?"

Locke turned to look at him, remembering the list of seven wizards on the list of competitors for the top-tier scholarship that his senior brother had given him, one of whom was the wizard Jugglus Juggler.

He had already sent himself to the Forbidden Forest to deal with the necromancy pollution and earn the blessing of the fairy.

And the person before me...

Locke guessed, "Are you Brandy?"

Brandy nodded with a smile and said, "Yes. You recognized me at a glance, so you really are the wizard Locke Augustine. I am the wizard of Group Three. The former group leader was that... cough cough, traitor. Of course, after she left, Group Three is currently under the leadership of another group leader, and I am in a way of maintaining order in Group Three."

This brandy wizard seemed very kind.

"Locke, I've heard so much about you. You seem to be particularly favored by the teachers, and many of our senior classmates are also paying attention to you. By the way, are you going to participate in next year's special scholarship?"

Locke said, "Yes, I want to participate."

The brandy wizard's warm, sun-like smile vanished for a fleeting moment. For a brief instant, his pupils seemed to lose all emotion, and then he stared blankly at Locke.

It was as if this was his true nature.

No feelings.

All the smiles were merely like a magic spell, enchanting his true nature.

The next moment, a smile reappeared on Brandy's face. If it were a wizard with weak perception, it would probably be difficult to notice the instantaneous change in his expression.

The brandy wizard smiled and said, "That's great. I love competition."

"Otherwise, it's really disappointing to have the same few old rivals every year."

The brandy wizard smiled and said, "I've always believed that competition can help us achieve better results. Without competition, wouldn't everyone become complacent? It's like how food tastes better when everyone's scrambling to eat."

"Oh, right. Junior, we created a group on the Water Hyacinth system to discuss the application for the Special Funding Project. We added all the second-circle wizards in the Academy of True Knowledge, but it seems we forgot to include you."

"Do you want to come in?"

Locke resolutely refused.

"No need, senior."

The Brandy Wizard continued with a smile, "I wonder, junior, what are your thoughts on the special grant project? Judging from your confident demeanor, you seem quite certain of success."

Locke nodded.

"Not yet. Things will work themselves out."

"By next year, new ideas will probably come up."

The Brandy Wizard smiled and said, "In that case, would you like to team up with me? I've recently been researching a special energy-locking structure for a type of two-ring magical plant."

The brandy wizard took out a fern that looked like antlers, and the back of the fern's leaves had a special structure that resembled human blood vessels.

"The unique veins of the Staghorn Fern, the King of the Second Ring Magic Plants, are very interesting. If you cut it open with a grafting knife, you can see that the Staghorn Fern will flow out a special liquid that looks like blood. Just like a person bleeding."

"Isn't it interesting? I think it might be some kind of structure similar to a vascular system. So I'm researching it. Would you like to join in?"

The brandy wizard smiled.

“I’m a very helpful person, and I think this is a project where we can discover a lot of new things. If you join us, we’ll definitely have a lot to do.”

"If you find anything, you can take it with you."

Locke waved his hand. "Thank you, Brandy. But you're about to graduate, right? If you don't extend your studies next year, then next year will be your last chance to apply. I won't bother you any longer."

Locke said, "Besides, although I don't have any ideas right now, I wonder if one day in the future, some idea might suddenly pop into my head. Then I could suddenly apply for a top-tier grant next year."

"I was just joking. But who knows the truth of these things?"

The brandy wizard's smile remained unchanged, still beaming, though a hint of regret lingered on his face.

"It's nothing. I just wanted to work on this project with you, junior."

"Not force."

The brandy wizard said, "However, Augustine wizard, you must be careful."

"Some people within the Zhenzhi Institute will stop at nothing to get projects."

Do you know the sorceress Droma?

A sudden realization flashed in Locke's eyes.

"It's that big incident from last year. One of Droma's colleagues' experimental results were inexplicably destroyed, preventing him from participating in the institute's review for special funding."

"Later, that wizard left Golden Crown Mountain that same year, departing in despair."

The Brandy Wizard said with a smile, "Wizard Augustine, you know him? That makes things much easier. That matter caused quite a stir. The academy investigated for a long time and actually found some clues, but because of a lack of solid evidence, they couldn't do anything to certain people."

"That wizard Droma was supposed to graduate this year, but he applied for an extension and it was approved. So, next year will be his last chance. I heard that he had already made a deal with the Root Crown Court in the Razer Lowlands, but he forced himself to extend his studies for a year in order to secure special funding."

"Of course, this may be related to the contract between him and the Crown Royal Court. It seems that the Crown Royal Court requires him to apply for the top-tier funding."

The next moment, the Brandy Wizard's pupils lost all their luster once more, devoid of any emotion, staring coldly at Locke.

He quickly covered his face.

"I'm sorry. Due to a bloodline modification experiment, I'm unable to precisely control my facial expressions. This is a side effect left over from that bloodline modification."

"I have consulted many potion masters, but none of them can completely cure this ailment. Unless the essence of the Seven-Colored Deer's bloodline is removed from my body, it cannot be eradicated."

The brandy wizard took out a Ganoderma lucidum plant and said, "Since you don't want to join that small group, I'll add you to a more practical one. This is a second-hand waste recycling group."

The brandy wizard explained with a smile, "Well, as you know, we people are actually quite short of money. We need money for everything. Research requires money."

"Therefore, we should save money wherever we can."

"This secondhand recycling group is a small group for wizards in our Golden Crown Mountain. Many wizards post their needs and things they want to sell on it. Small items that can't be sold on the secondhand market, especially those consumables, can be sold through this group."

"Moreover, sometimes, some wizards will sell their unused consumables at low prices within the group."

"So, how about it? Want to join?"

Locke thought about it for a moment and decided that joining this second-hand waste recycling group was a good idea, as it was a way to save money while increasing revenue.

"Row."

Locke casually added the brandy wizard as a friend and was invited by him to join the [Secondhand Scrap Recycling Group].

The brandy wizard waved to Locke and left.

"Well, I'll continue browsing this secondhand market to see if I can find any cheap experimental equipment that might be useful to me. I'll be going now, Locke."

Locke nodded and said, "Yes, Brandy Wizard."

After the brandy wizard left, Locke frowned.

"I can't tell at all what kind of person he is. He seems very enthusiastic, but overly so. He can't control his expressions precisely?"

"My supernatural intuition can't react to him. He must be wearing a high-level soul artifact that's blocking my prophetic abilities. Oh well, no need to think about whether he's good or bad." And then there's that witch, Droma, who seems to have some connection to sabotaging others' experimental results.

It seems that some people within the Zhenzhi Institute are almost going crazy in their pursuit of applying for top-tier funding.

As Locke walked out of the secondhand market, he encountered Alex, who had a joyful smile on his face.

Locke asked Wizard Alex, "Alex, how did your talk with that fairy go?"

Alex smiled and said, "Very good. The Fairy Family Bank is even more generous than I expected. Interest-free loan. I've signed a performance-based agreement with the Fairy Family Bank."

"By the way, Locke, you should sign it too."

Locke was silent.

He glanced at the goblin wizards who had just left the witch's kitchen, then nodded vaguely.

The main issue is that I don't feel comfortable saying much in front of others.

Moreover, importantly, Alex has already signed a contract with the Fairy Family Bank.

Since their contract has already been formed, saying anything more at this point will only offend both parties.

Wizard Alex said, "I need a lot of money for a project recently, and I was worried about it. I didn't expect that the Fairy Family Bank could lend me 35 million magic stones interest-free."

"It's been such a big help."

Wizard Alex seemed very confident.

"With this money, my shop alliance can finally get started."

Locke pursed his lips.

"Alex the Wizard, what is your Shop Alliance for?"

Wizard Alex said, "Oh, I'm actually a sub-specialist in beast taming magic. My shop alliance mainly sells a specialty from the wizarding lands along the Tianjiang River: a kind of shark-taming flute."

"However, with a slight modification, the effect will be even better."

"There aren't many resources along the Tianjiang River. The main resource is the water in the river. That's why the beast taming magic, the ocean magic, and the water magic of the Evocation school are quite powerful there."

Locke nodded slightly.

Clearly, Wizard Alex had absolute confidence in his abilities, which is why he dared to sign a betting agreement with the Fairy Wizard Bank.

So, there's not much to say from my side.

What if they actually have that ability?

The fairy wizard Roller walked over, revealing a sly smile like a businessman, and said, "That's right. In fact, most wizards have misunderstood our fairy family bank all along. For us, being able to lend to potential clients and help their businesses thrive is a win-win situation."

"Many second-circle wizards need money from others to get started. However, they are unable to obtain such money because they do not have enough valuable collateral."

"And our bank has filled such a gap."

The two fairy wizards beside him seemed to be moved.

"Lord Roller, we are so kind. We are kind bankers."

The fairy wizard Roller said self-satisfiedly, "Of course, we are all very kind banker wizards."

Locke frowned, coughed, and said, "They're all old foxes, yet they're putting on a show for me."

The fairy wizard Roller immediately reverted to his original form, grinning wickedly, and said, "Gentlemen, I enjoyed doing business with you this time. I gained two different wonderful experiences. Farewell."

The fairy wizard Roller left with two fairy subordinates.

They seemed incredibly stingy; despite having three people, they only hired one magic carriage.

So when the wizard driver saw the three goblins trying to force their way into his magical carriage, and after struggling for a long time without success, his face darkened.

The wizard tentatively suggested, "My lords, why don't you hire another magical carriage?"

The three fairy wizards screamed as if someone had stepped on their feet.

“No need, it’s fine as it is. We can have a wizard ride your magical creature mount. Anyway, that Flame Spirit Steed is only used for pulling carriages outside, so we can have someone ride on its back.”

The wizard driver was so angry his nose almost twisted out of shape.

Out of respect for the second-circle goblin wizard, he didn't say much and silently drove the magic carriage.

Wizard Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't these fairies being far too frugal? Do they really need to save such a small amount of money?"

Locke said, "That's probably just the nature of those fairies."

After saying goodbye to Wizard Alex, Locke went to Little Peach Mountain, entered the Dune Plane, and returned to the underground laboratory of Group 2.

At this point, the contamination of the dune planes had been brought under basic control.

The ecological damage that was originally caused by short-sighted pursuit of quick results has been largely restored.

It's just unknown how much money the Sith wizards spent on this.

Locke has already cultivated a large number of yellow-clothed mushrooms in the underground laboratory of the second research institute by using his clones.

Thanks to the funding from Xiaoxi Mountain, he was able to splurge and buy a large quantity of high-quality strains of yellow-clothed mushrooms, as well as a huge amount of related nutrient soil and magical resources to nourish this hundred-acre magical field.

This hundred-acre magic field is now covered with yellow mushrooms.

Locke used a grafting knife to cut off a yellow mushroom, and as he pressed the cap, a large cloud of yellow spores erupted out.

The special spore powder secreted by the yellow-skinned mushroom, once inhaled, will cause a person to develop an extreme craving for wearing yellow clothes, and at the same time, cause corresponding mutations in their body.

However, according to the Sofia witch's research, the yellow-clothed mushroom causes people to undergo atavism.

Because of the permanent defensive force field shell, these dangerous mushrooms had no effect on me.

Locke took out a crucible, lit the primordial fire under the dry pot, and began to extract the yellow-skinned mushroom extract.

Inside the crucible, the yellow-skinned mushroom extract was gradually extracted, turning into a thick soup.

Locke looked at the pot of thick soup; this pot of yellow mushroom essence alone was worth 500,000 magic stones.

He harvested the aloe vera plants from the adjacent magical field, pressed the aloe vera with a grafting knife to extract the juice, and then mixed yellow mushroom extract into the aloe vera juice at a ratio of 1:5.

This aloe vera is white jade aloe vera, a kind of apprentice-level magical plant. Its advantage is that its properties are neutral and will not interfere with the spirituality within the mixture.

It is a neutralizing magical plant liquid selected by the Rose Council after careful selection to dilute various potions.

“The proportions are difficult to control. The Rose Council is vague about this, and this is my first time diluting yellow mushroom extract. Let’s try it first and adjust it as needed.”

Locke put a green foxtail grass he had bought into the diluted yellow mushroom extract.

Soon, the diluted yellow mushroom extract produced a lot of bubbles, and then the green foxtail grass was trapped in them.

Rays of magical light flowed across the surface of the green foxtail grass.

Locke took the green foxtail grass out of the plant and transplanted it into a nearby magical field. At the same time, he cast a spell on the seemingly normal green foxtail grass, "Enhanced Growth Acceleration."

In an instant, the green foxtail grass, with its green tail-like shape, began to rage. Due to the sparse yellow mushroom essence, golden spots gradually appeared on the surface of this magical plant. It also twisted its body wildly and attacked wildly in all directions.

Locke was not surprised by this; this was a common berserk state that magical plants often exhibited when their plant essence was altered.

This indicates that the inner workings of this first-ring magical plant, the Green Foxtail Grass, have undergone a significant change.

Locke tossed a piece of mossy pith near the roots of the green foxtail grass plant and continued to use the growth-enhancing technique. Twenty minutes later, the leaves of the green foxtail grass began to curl up, and blue and gold stripes appeared on its surface.

At the same time, the uniquely resilient stem of the green foxtail grass suddenly collapsed.

Locke frowned. It must be the yellow-skinned mushroom extract that caused some kind of mutation in the green foxtail grass, resulting in the loss of its ability to resist lodging.

Locke produced the plant sperm sequencing results of the green foxtail grass that he had borrowed from the library.

"The overall plant essence of the green foxtail grass has long been thoroughly studied. I will use this diagram of plant essence to find the key plant factor, and then use a magical magnetic field to cut it off, thus removing the key plant factor that has mutated."

An hour later, Locke identified three plant factors that could cause the green foxtail grass to lose its ability to resist lodging, and then removed them from the plant's essence in sequence.

The entire process is like a delicate surgical operation; if you are not careful, you will destroy the normal plant essence sequence of the entire magical plant.

An hour and a half later, thanks to Locke's accelerated growth illumination and the irrigation of magical resources, the green foxtail grass regained its upright position.

"Although we don't know which plant factor was responsible for the change just now, it's okay."

Locke said, "Just cut them all off. Anyway, this is just an experimental specimen."

"This way it's faster, let's complete the process once first."

Golden foxtail grass is a second-level magical plant; it would be far too extravagant to use it for experiments.

The green foxtail grass is just a first-level magical plant, and you can try your ideas on it and let it go through the entire process of ancestral evolution.

"Then we continue soaking the mushrooms in diluted yellow hyacinth extract."

Locke said, "The mutation can't happen all at once, otherwise I wouldn't have needed to deliberately dilute the yellow-skinned mushroom extract. The overall idea is to slow down the rate of atavism, so that I can remove the key conflicting factors or the important pathogenic plant factors that cause the degeneration of the magical plants during the atavism process."

"In order to achieve controllable atavism."

(End of this chapter)