Alchemy Principles of Type-Moon World

He stood up straight, his gaze fixed on the incubator on the lab table. Through the transparent lid, he could see the glass slide resting quietly inside. The red substance had lost all its activity, returning to its dormant state. He raised an eyebrow slightly, sighed, and reached out to close the lab journal, the cover snapping with a crisp sound.

"Ultimately, it's just that my knowledge base isn't sufficient," Xing Qingfeng muttered to himself. He pulled up a chair and sat down, his hands supporting the back of his head. He tilted his head back slightly and stared at the white checkered pattern on the laboratory ceiling. "I'm crossing a very wide swath of fields."

He'd tried everything. He'd tried stimulating the cells with various chemical reagents, inducing them with varying magical wavelengths, and even attempting to construct a small magic circle, hoping to elicit a greater response from the cells. But each attempt had been disappointing—the cells seemed to possess a strange inertia, unresponsive to any other stimuli except their unique response to magical power.

"No more." He stood up suddenly, pressing his hands hard on the table. The movement caused the glassware beside him to clink softly. He turned and walked to the corner of the lab, throwing the notebook covered with records into the filing cabinet.

Although there had been no progress in the past few days, Xing Qingfeng was still quite satisfied. After all, none of the projects he was working on would require more than ten years, or even a lifetime, to see results.

——The speed of progress in various aspects this year alone has far exceeded his imagination. Various events have enabled him to produce results rapidly, as if pie in the sky has fallen.

He turned to look out the laboratory window. It was already dark, the shadows of distant trees swayed gently in the breeze, and the moonlight cast a cool glow. He suddenly felt that this moment of tranquility was quite good.

"Anyway, there are plenty of ways to explore," Xing Qingfu turned off the main power of the laboratory, took a last look at the mysterious red substance in the constant temperature box, and locked it properly in the storage cabinet, "It's time to find a new tree to hang myself.

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Outside the laboratory, the setting sun's rays filtered through the window lattice, casting streaks of light and shadow on the floor. The air was thick with dust, drifting slowly in the beams of light. Inside the makeshift workshop, beyond the cool sheen of the labware, there was a dull atmosphere of disuse.

Xing Qingjiu leaned back in his chair, twirling a wine glass in his hand. The amber tequila in the glass shone alluringly under the light. He narrowed his eyes slightly, a playful smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

Xing Qingjiu deliberately ignored Patricia and Guanyue Ringo for a few days.

When he and Okita Souji pushed open the wooden door of their temporary base, the despair that flashed across Patricia's face was like a drowning person being pulled deeper into a whirlpool, fleeting yet profoundly memorable. Xing Qingyu had to admit that in that moment, he felt an inexplicable sense of joy.

As expected of someone who used to be in Fuyuki Church.

As for why we didn't interrogate him immediately... I mean, we questioned him... No, we should say we exchanged opinions and information. It was just to make him realize that he couldn't leave here, so that he could feel a little more at ease and facilitate subsequent communication.

"Alright," Xing Qingjiu slammed his wine glass down on the table, a crisp thud breaking the momentary silence. He straightened up, his gaze piercing across at Patricia and Guanyue Ringo. "Miss Patricia, can you now fully disclose your intentions?"

Patricia didn't answer immediately, her eyes flickering as if she was weighing something. But just as she was about to speak, Guanyue Ringo interrupted her.

"We're going to explore the outer areas of ORT this time," Guanyue Ringo said calmly. "The results of this exploration will determine whether I can continue to survive."

Xing Qingwu raised his eyebrows slightly and tapped the table with his fingers, making a regular "tapping" sound.

"You should know that the area surrounding ORT is absolutely forbidden, right?" He glanced down at the information in his hand and said slowly, "The relevant information has long been blocked by the Magic Association. How did you determine its location?"

Guanyue Ringo lowered her eyes, rubbing her hair with her fingers, as if sorting out her thoughts. After a moment, she looked up and said:

"Because of an accident a few years ago," she said in a low yet calm voice, "we mistakenly entered the outer territories of ORT. There, we were attacked by some unknown phenomenon... or more accurately, by the erosion of existence itself."

"As you can see, my soul and body became shattered. If Patricia hadn't temporarily transferred my soul into a healthy body, I would have died long ago."

"And my body should have died," she continued, "but some mysterious algae from the ORT periphery parasitized my body—no, it should be said that they formed a kind of symbiotic relationship with my body, thus maintaining life. And Patricia, to prevent my body from completely losing control, chose to nourish my body with her healthy soul."

"It's a pleasure." He grinned, slowly raised his glass, and drank the tequila in it. "But I have a question--"

"--How did you solve the incompatibility between body and soul? After the soul swap, it stands to reason that the spirit would have a rejection reaction due to the incompatibility."

"Mental incompatibility should lead to memory loss. While your soul will retain the shape it had when you descended from the Astral Realm, your personality will slowly fade and even become distorted during this process." He leaned back in his chair, folded his hands behind his head, and continued, "I'm purely curious from a technical perspective how you achieved this."

Patricia and Guanyue Ringo looked at each other, and then Patricia gently lifted the hair on her forehead.

——On her forehead, there was a very thin scar, almost unnoticeable. Guanyue Ringo also made the same movement, and another scar appeared on her forehead.

"Thanks to the help of a puppeteer," Patricia said flatly, "we exchanged spiritual residences."

Xing Qingyu was stunned. He slowly stood up from his chair, his face showing surprise, then disbelief, and finally a kind of shocked excitement.

"What the hell!?!" His eyes widened. "How the hell is this even possible?! Who the hell did this?! This idea, holy shit, genius!"

"Can you tell me whose idea this was and who performed the surgery?" Xing Qingyu suddenly asked, "Tell me the name. I must know him."

"This..." Guanyue Ringo hesitated, "I'm not sure if the puppeteer is willing to tell you the information..."

"It's okay, I'll check it myself," Xing Qingwu said, now becoming quite easy to talk to. "This is really... whatever you need will come to you..."

Perhaps because he was too excited, Xing Qingyu subconsciously ignored the differences between medicine and biology. There was also a considerable difference between organic chemistry, and there was no way to conduct cross-disciplinary research.

He hadn't been this excited for a long time, and for a moment he lost his judgment, but it was not his fault.

After all, exchanging the residence of the soul, in human terms, is -

——Exchange brains.

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In fact, the idea that the brain is the residence of the spirit is mentioned in the first volume: when Newton was teaching alchemy, he mentioned mercury poisoning, and at that time he mentioned that "if its products are ingested, they will be more favorable to the place where your spirit resides", and methylmercury can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in the brain.

The above is a new book by a new author. Please vote and give feedback. Thank you.

Volume 39: Symbiosis: . The Bubble of History

Time slipped by quietly. The air in the workshop felt slightly heavy from the long absence of air. However, a faint aroma of tequila permeated the small space, adding a soothing intoxication to the solemn atmosphere. A few small, warm yellow lights cast a soft glow in the darkness.

Xing Qingqiu sat at the table, leaning slightly forward. He held a pen in one hand and wrote rapidly in his notebook, his chin resting on his other hand. His eyes occasionally shifted from the paper to Patricia across from him. The rustling sound of his pen moving across the paper formed a stark contrast to the stillness of the room.

As for Guanyue Ringo? She leaned back in her chair, her arms folded across her chest, breathing long and steady.

——She suddenly fainted while chatting.

"Oh, so this algae not only sustains life but also produces magic?" Xing Qingqi's voice broke the momentary silence. He didn't look up, but continued to write in his notebook, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "Producing magic... sounds a little familiar."

Patricia lowered her gaze slightly, as if weighing her words. Her fingers tapped nervously on the table twice before she took a deep breath, her tone tinged with fatigue.

"That's about it." She raised her head, trying to keep her voice steady, but she couldn't hide the weariness in her eyes. "We've revealed everything we know."

After saying this, she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, as if trying to hide her uneasiness and nervousness. Her eyes were still fixed on Xing Qingjiu, with a mixture of expectation and helplessness in them.

"Although we are currently in a position where we cannot negotiate with you—" Patricia paused, as if searching for the right tone, "But if possible, could you tell us the purpose of your visit?"

Xing Qingqiu paused. He raised his head, his eyes flickering between the two of them for a moment, narrowing slightly as if weighing something. He didn't rush to answer, but instead casually placed his pen on the edge of the table, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingertips lightly on the surface, making a regular "tapping" sound.

"..."

At this point, it seems a bit difficult to say that I just wanted to go on vacation.

"We are here to collect information about the South American magic system." Xing Qingyu said seriously.

Patricia was stunned for a moment, her brows furrowed slightly, clearly caught off guard by this answer. She subconsciously wanted to ask further questions, but before she could open her mouth, Xing Qingfeng continued on his own:

"It sounds ridiculous, but our original purpose was just to investigate some anomalies during the Sun Festival." He shrugged, his tone filled with helplessness and self-mockery.

Patricia took a deep breath, a hint of doubt between her brows: "And then?"

"And then... I experienced some unexpected 'surprises'. It turns out that some local magicians seem to be doing something to ORT."

Before she finished speaking, Patricia's expression suddenly became subtle, and her pupils slightly contracted. It was obvious that she was extremely sensitive to the name "ORT". She spoke tentatively:

"Then...if it's possible, we..."

Before she could finish her words, Xing Qingyu interrupted her with a light wave of his hand.

"What do you want to do? Find someone to hold on to to reduce the risk?" His words were sharp, but the smile on his face deepened, as if he was particularly proud of exposing the other party's thoughts.

Patricia was slightly startled when her little thoughts were exposed, but she quickly regained her composure and her expression returned to calm.

"That's fine, though," Xing Qingqi said, his tone becoming lighter. "Having a guide can save a lot of trouble. Since you're willing to be my tools, I'm certainly happy to do that."

As he spoke, he casually closed his notebook with a snap, as if marking the end of the conversation. He stood up from his chair, stretched out his arm, picked up the glass, and drank the rest of the tequila in one gulp.

"That's a common interest, isn't it?" He casually placed the empty cup back on the table. "I really prefer this kind of common interest to building an illusory trust."

Before he finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair, stretched his arms behind him, and let out a sigh, as if to relieve some of his fatigue. The chair moved gently on the floor, making a barely perceptible creak. He was just about to stretch and further inquire about a few key clues when the workshop door suddenly banged open.

A gust of night wind blew in, bringing a bit of coolness, blowing the pages on the table. Under the warm yellow light, Kenneth appeared at the door, holding an unplugged phone in his hand.

"Xing, come here," Kenneth said briefly, his tone urging him. "The Demon Marshal specifically requested that you be present."

Xing Qingwu was stunned for a moment, his brows furrowed, and then a questioning expression appeared on his face. He stood up from his chair and pushed it back.

"Huh?" He narrowed his eyes, his tone revealing a hint of confusion, "Magic Marshal? Who is that?

————————————————————

When the phone was connected, a faint hum of electricity mixed with the hum of an old signal crackled. Kenneth and Xing Qingqu stood at the table, their eyes fixed on the surface where the phone lay. Inside the room, several soft chandeliers cast a warm yellow light across the space, casting their shadows.

"If you go to that otaku Brisisan with something like this, there will definitely be no response." The voice from the other end of the phone was low and penetrating. Although it carried some traces of time, it exuded a youthful confidence, as if it could easily drown out any noisy background noise.

"As the lord of the Minerals Department, it's enough for you to come to me—" His words were filled with undisguised pride, accompanied by a faint smile.

"--Or does the Minerals Department no longer recognize me as the founder of gem magic?"

"Ah, you're saying..." Kenneth began, his tone barely concealing his embarrassment. His hands subconsciously clasped in front of him, his gaze drifting slightly to the side, not daring to look directly at the phone on the desk. "I really didn't expect to be able to contact you directly... and that you would even answer."

A hearty laugh echoed from the other end of the line, completely ignoring Kenneth's awkwardness and uneasiness. The laughter was bold and forthright, seemingly sweeping away the solemn atmosphere in the room through the line.

"Haha, that's true. You think it's hard to contact me normally, right?" Bao Shiweng continued, his tone full of habitual teasing, as if he were chatting with an old friend. "That's true, it's true that you can't contact me normally unless there's something important—"

"-But your world line is different. This is the first time I've seen a world line where you can live for so long." His words suddenly changed, and there was a hint of amusement in his tone, as if he was talking about something very ordinary.

This sentence hit Kenneth's heart like a hammer. His face froze, and his brows knitted together unconsciously. Although he tried his best to maintain his composure, a hint of surprise and confusion flashed in his eyes.

The voice on the other end of the phone continued, and the tone returned to its original relaxed and casual tone.

"So I'll still pay more attention to this world line." Bao Shi Weng said lightly, as if he was talking about some completely insignificant anecdote.

"Anyway, as an advisor to the Magic Association, I grant you full authority to investigate ORT." Then, his tone became slightly more formal. "The information will be delivered to you later. If any spineless individuals get in the way at this moment, I will make them change their ways."

"The matter regarding ORT is now over." Bao Shi Weng paused for a moment, as if pondering something, and then changed the subject, "Then there's... Xing Qingjiu, um, that's the name this time..."

"Let me introduce myself to you. My name is Kissia Zelrich Schubin-aug, the Second Magician."

"Oh, I heard the teacher mention you." Xing Qingqi said with a hint of surprise, his tone revealing a sense of sudden enlightenment. His brows raised slightly, and then a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "I heard that you are a friend of the teacher?"

The other party was silent for a moment, and then asked in a puzzled and slightly casual tone:

"Teacher? When did you get a new teacher...?" There was obvious confusion in his voice, as if he had heard something incredible. "What did I miss this time?"

"My teacher is Isaac Newton, the Third Magician."

The air on the other end of the line seemed to freeze for a moment, and then laughter rang out, starting with a few short "hahs" and then gradually turning into a hearty, wild laugh. The laughter pierced the microphone, carrying a certain heroic irony, and echoed in the quiet workshop.

"Oh, Isaac, we're old acquaintances indeed... Wait, you're calling him teacher this time?" The other party seemed stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter without disguising himself, "Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha... You actually called Isaac teacher! Although you meddlers always discard information from outside your own world to avoid self-referencing, this time is too funny, isn't it?!"

Xing Qingyu frowned. He raised his head and looked at the night sky outside the window. The moonlight sprinkled coldly on the floor, making his expression look somewhat helpless.

"Uh...what do you mean?"

The other party's laughter finally died down, leaving only the occasional light gasp coming from the microphone. After a moment, the other party continued in a serious tone:

"It's okay, it's okay... Isaac is indeed an old friend of mine." His voice was a little careless. "I went to endorse the Holy Grail War because of him—"

At this point, the other party's tone suddenly changed, with a hint of dissatisfaction:

"——But he's not a proper third magician."

"What? He's relying on Eden's location outside this world to interfere with the Astral Realm. He's so smug about cheating like that and calling it magic." The other party's tone gradually became indignant. "No matter which world line I'm in, I can see this guy showing off to me."

Xing Qingqiu tapped the table lightly, a vague sign of agreement. He raised his hand and pressed his temple, seeming to be bothered by the other person's gossip.

"Well, I've strayed off topic." The other party suddenly stopped complaining and his tone became serious. "Anyway, I'll wait until you return to the Clock Tower from South America to give you a formal greeting. I came to you this time to dispel a doubt you had—"

There was a pause on the phone, and the voice became low and guiding:

"—Do you always feel that many things around you are too coincidental?"

Xing Qingyu narrowed his eyes slightly, and his fingers tapped the table unconsciously a few times. He pondered for a moment, and his tone was very cautious:

"It can't be called a coincidence. The only time I felt it was orchestrated was the Holy Grail War six months ago." He paused, as if trying to organize his words. "But I do feel a defensive, demonstrative event taking place."

The other party seemed to be interested, and his tone rose slightly: "Oh? How do you say it?"

"If I carefully analyze the logic behind all these events, there's nothing wrong with them." He paused, as if trying to capture an indescribable feeling in words, "But I always feel that there must be an underlying logic behind them."

“It’s like there’s a building in front of me and I can see it’s firmly planted on its foundation and I can understand how it holds up—”

"—but the scaffolding has been completely removed, and I can't see how it was built."

"I can only read out the minimum information necessary to verify the correctness of the proof."

"Any questions?"

"This is a big problem," Xing Qingqi raised his hand and pinched his brow. "I know my research topics well. Each one takes at least ten years to make progress. But the events I'm experiencing right now are all driving my research forward. And in these events, I've collected almost no useless information. There's no redundancy. It's incredibly sophisticated."

"Well... that's what I wanted to say," Baoshi Weng paused, as if pondering his next words. "The reasons for this are quite complicated, but please don't worry too much. Just move forward towards what you want to do and the future you want to build."

"People who are at our level will try their best to help you," Bao Shi Weng smiled, "sometimes when we see you wandering around or wasting time on trivial matters, we can't help but come down to help you--"

"—This is not just our wish, but the wish of the world as well."

"Huh?" Xing Qingyu was stunned. "What... does this mean?"

"We can discuss the details in person when we get back," Baoshi Weng smiled. "Even though I'm just a Watcher, if it truly means a better future, I can't help but intervene."

"Just go for it. After all, we're just a fleeting fleeting image of history, completely unreal compared to the present." Bao Shi Weng said with a chuckle, "You're the only one living in the present."