Wizard: I can refine all things.

Chapter 21 is slightly improved (please continue reading)

Richard held down the Black Iron Beast's claws, and the Miracle Forge within his soul instantly evaluated the claws.

[Material: Black Iron Beast Foreclaw]

[Refinable Substance: Pure Black Iron Beast Bloodline]

[Refining Cost: 100 Mana]

[Consumable?]

"Yes."

The Black Iron Beast's forepaws instantly appeared in the Miracle Forge, and streams of magic were absorbed by the forge to power the refining process. In just a few seconds, a clump of blood, encased in magic and as clear as a ruby, appeared in Richard's hand.

Bloodline alchemy, a widely practiced form of alchemy among wizards, allows the alchemist to fuse the bloodlines of other creatures with their own, ultimately gaining certain abilities or enhancing their physical constitution.

When performing bloodline alchemy, the purity of the bloodline is of utmost importance.

If the blood of a bloodline alchemist is mixed with the blood of other creatures, the final result will not be so ideal, and may even be very different from what was expected.

Richard placed the blood into a test tube and then took a bottle of dark black ink from a drawer.

According to the notes, in addition to purifying the bloodline, bloodline alchemy also requires drawing an alchemical circle on the heart using special ink. With the power of the circle, Richard's body will transform his bloodline into a seed, which will be planted in his heart and activated when needed.

This is one of the most well-known paths in bloodline alchemy—the bloodline seed.

The biggest advantage of this path is that it causes less alteration to the physical form and makes it easier to change one's bloodline. The disadvantage, however, is that using the bloodline requires magic to maintain.

Besides this path, bloodline alchemy also includes a suturing path that involves directly transplanting organs and glands, a modification path that alters and mutates one's own organs, and the hybrid path most popular among wizards, which involves directly fusing bloodlines.

The notebook thoughtfully recorded the ink recipe, but after Richard inquired around, he eventually discovered that the ink used for bloodline alchemy could now be bought directly from stores, and the price wasn't particularly expensive; a bottle of ink only cost five magic stones.

Upon receiving this news, Richard could only sigh, "Times are changing, and technology is advancing."

Due to the conquest of planes, the number of bloodlines that can be fused has been greatly expanded, which has enabled wizards from various schools to find bloodlines suitable for their own schools and then perform bloodline alchemy.

The wizard who died during the Wizarding Wars probably never dreamed that the bloodline alchemy he researched would become a common technique among wizards.

Holding a quill pen, Richard took off his shirt, found a mirror, and drew a magic circle on his heart.

The alchemy array required for bloodline alchemy was relatively simple, and Richard completed it in just ten minutes.

After finishing his preparations, Richard took a deep breath and lay flat on the bed.

The alchemical array emitted a ghostly blue light under the influence of magic. Richard poured the blood from the test tube into the center of the array. The next second, a sensation as if branded by a red-hot iron came from his chest. Streams of scalding blood were pumped from his heart and transported through his blood vessels to all parts of Richard's body.

"Ugh!"

Richard gritted his teeth, trying to stay clear-headed.

He now has to ensure a continuous flow of magic into the alchemy array.

After an unknown amount of time, Richard felt the burning sensation in his chest subside.

He relaxed and lay on the bed like a lump of mud, his clothes soaked with sweat.

"This thing is practically torture."

After resting for a while and recovering, Richard got out of bed, took off his clothes, and planned to take a shower.

Hiss.

A tearing sound followed.

He examined the torn pants with a puzzled look in his eyes.

He didn't exert any force.

He carefully tugged at his pants, and the once sturdy fabric was easily torn apart like a sheet of paper.

Richard finally understood.

This means he has become stronger.

Richard carefully took off his pants and checked his body.

He threw a punch, and a muffled thud echoed through the air. Then, with a light leap, his head easily touched the ceiling.

"The notes say that the first stage of bloodline alchemy will slightly improve physical constitution..."

Richard turned around and picked up the large bed behind him. The bed must have weighed at least several hundred pounds, but he only felt it was a little heavy.

"The wizard calls this a slight improvement in physical constitution?"

Richard put down the bed, unsure of what to say for a moment.

Although he anticipated that the wizard's abilities might differ slightly from his own, as things stand now, the gap between a wizard and an apprentice is probably greater than heaven and earth.

After adjusting to his current physical state, Richard began breathing according to the breathing techniques in his notes. Each bloodline alchemy has its corresponding breathing technique, which, besides temporarily enhancing combat power, primarily stimulates the body to activate the bloodline.

According to the notes, he should now have a slightly protective layer of scales.

Inhale—exhale—exhale…

After breathing rhythmically for a few seconds, Richard felt a surge of heat originate from his heart and instantly spread throughout his body. At the same time, an itchy sensation spread throughout his entire body.

Richard looked down at himself and saw that black scales with a metallic sheen were protruding from under his skin, looking exactly like the Black Iron Beast.

Li found a dagger and carefully stabbed himself twice. Surprisingly, the dagger, which was normally incredibly sharp, required considerable effort to pierce his scales.

"Hehe, just a little bit of protection."

Richard sheathed the dagger. When infused with magic, it could pierce even plate armor, but now it required some effort even to pierce scales.

In other words, he is now wearing a suit of armor that is even more powerful than plate armor.

The black scales combined with the force field barrier of the wizard's robes make this protective power absolutely top-tier among new apprentices.

"I could probably easily defeat that demon sheep even if I faced it head-on now."

The black scales rose and fell like flowing water as the muscles contracted and stretched, exuding an eerie charm under the light.

"It's so beautiful," Li said, looking at himself with a touch of narcissism.

But not long after, a chilling hunger suddenly surged from Richard's body.

"Damn it, the bloodline alchemy has drained my magic power, and now using the bloodline is consuming my life energy."

Richard quickly slumbered, and the black scales began to fade from the extremities, eventually receding to his chest and turning into a black brand.

After the blood vessels receded, a feeling of weakness surged up again instantly.

Richard staggered to the table, grabbed a bottle of nutritional supplement left over from the entrance exam, and gulped it down.

One bottle wasn't enough, so I had another. After downing three bottles, the terrifying hunger finally subsided.

Walking into the bathroom, Li looked at his own reflection in the mirror and realized he was now skin and bones again, thinking to himself that all the weight he had gained over the past few months had been for nothing.

"The consumption of this bloodline alchemy is terrifying. It should never be used when magic power is exhausted unless absolutely necessary," Richard concluded.

After washing away the bloodstains from the scales that had grown on his body, Richard changed into a new set of clothes.

Three months have passed now; it's time to get those one hundred magic stones.

(End of this chapter)