After the enrollment, many matters of the academy finally got on track, and Jie Ming returned to a state of deep research.
Inside the laboratory, everything was silent except for the low hum of the energy cycle echoing slowly through the spacious hall.
Jie Ming leaned back in the high-backed chair after the alchemical experiment, his right index finger tapping the edge of the metal surface unconsciously.
Tap, tap, tap…
The rhythm was steady, but it felt somewhat prolonged.
His consciousness did not linger on the row of data waiting to be analyzed in front of him; instead, it was immersed in another matter.
One by one, golden characters unfolded slowly from the depths of his spiritual sea.
That was the content of the Mustard Seed Contains the Dao True Body Art.
He had been studying this Immortal-level technique for over a hundred years.
Over the course of a century, he had devoted most of his energy to this technique.
Now, the first step, Dharma Aspect Dissolution, had finally reached the threshold.
How to break down the five-hundred-kilometer true body into the most basic streams of Dao resonance particles, how to preserve information between particles, how to construct a new circulation system after entering the Inner World…
These theoretical models had been deduced countless times in his spiritual sea.
If one only looked at the deduction results, the success rate was already approaching one hundred percent.
Under normal circumstances, he should now begin the first real dissolution experiment.
However…
Jie Ming slowly closed his eyes, and in his mind emerged the scenes of repeated failures over these days.
He had lost count of how many times. Whenever he tried to disintegrate a small piece of his true body into particles, the spiritual power that should have flowed smoothly would suddenly stagnate at some node.
Then the entire structure would become chaotic and eventually collapse completely.
The number of failures was already too many for him to bother keeping track.
If it were just occasional failures, he could attribute them to lack of proficiency.
But after several consecutive years of failure… Jie Ming had to admit the reality.
Jie Ming sighed softly. “It’s not a technical issue; it’s aptitude.”
He finally spoke that answer.
To cultivate the Mustard Seed Contains the Dao True Body Art, his own aptitude was insufficient.
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but pinch the bridge of his nose.
The operation steps recorded in the jade slip were described lightly.
Things like “spiritual power flows naturally,” “follow the momentum to decompose,” “like water finding its way”…
When he first read them, he thought they were simple. Only after actually beginning to cultivate did he realize.
Simple?
Simple, my ass!
He understood every step completely, could comprehend each one, but when actually operating, everything felt awkward.
It was like a person with ordinary musical sense receiving a piano piece specifically composed for a genius with perfect pitch.
Every note was recognizable, but when played together, it never came out smoothly.
Thinking about this, Jie Ming instead felt somewhat relieved.
He had always been clear that, whether in the wizard system or the cultivation system, his talent could only be considered decent.
It could be called “gifted,” but definitely not the very top.
True prodigies were people like Senior Sister Viola or Instructor Clark—monsters who relied on their own innate talents to bulldoze through everything.
As for himself… he relied more on the advantages built step by step from the cross-system knowledge of the Great Dao Book Pavilion.
So today, he encountered a technique he couldn’t cultivate due to insufficient aptitude.
“If you think about it carefully… it’s actually normal.” Jie Ming rubbed his brow.
Under normal circumstances, cultivators who could practice the Mustard Seed Contains the Dao True Body Art were at least at the Dao Integration Realm.
And those who could cultivate all the way to the Dao Integration Realm—which one hadn’t undergone layer upon layer of screening?
Spiritual roots, comprehension, opportunities, mental fortitude… who knew how many billions of cultivators had been eliminated.
Those who remained were all one-in-ten-thousand geniuses.
Even if occasionally someone with slightly inferior aptitude slipped in, since they possessed a complete Inner World, it meant they either relied on a top-tier sect or had heaven-defying opportunities.
Heavenly treasures to improve aptitude were simply not a problem for them.
Only he himself… could be considered a loophole in the cultivation system.
He did possess an Inner World, and he also had various techniques to improve physical aptitude.
But those methods… were mostly inclined to change the aptitude of the wizard system.
Thinking of this, Jie Ming finally opened his eyes.
On the desktop, a light curtain slowly unfolded, listing all feasible options.
First, abandon the Mustard Seed Contains the Dao True Body Art and seek an alternative.
Though it would be a pity to discard a hundred years of effort, it wasn’t unacceptable.
Second, continue to stubbornly train.
If aptitude was insufficient, then rely on time to grind it out.
Since there was no time limit, theoretically, with infinite time, he would eventually succeed.
As for the third… that was to fundamentally solve the problem: improve his spiritual aptitude.
Jie Ming didn’t hesitate; his gaze fell on the third option.
“This one.”
Aptitude, no matter which system, was the foundation.
Improving it would not only solve the problem of the Mustard Seed Contains the Dao True Body Art but also benefit him immeasurably when cultivating higher realms in the future.
Not to mention…
Jie Ming suddenly smiled.
In fact, he had considered this matter many years ago.
After selling the Aptitude Enhancement Technique and earning a large amount of military merit, Jie Ming had already had this intention.
The previous Aptitude Enhancement Technique had little effect on high-level wizards and could only be sold to small and medium families for steady but small profits.
But if… he could develop a technique that could significantly improve the aptitude even for sixth-level wizards, or even eighth-level wizards?
The price would probably be entirely different.
Thinking of those high-level wizards who would pay any price to improve their strength, the corners of Jie Ming’s mouth lifted slightly.
That would hardly be called earning money—it would be robbing!
In fact, even the research subject for the relevant technique had been prepared long ago.
But back then, his alchemy was still at the stage of creating life tissues; the time wasn’t right.
And now… alchemy had truly stepped into life alchemy.
All conditions were ripe.
“Although it’s a bit earlier than expected, it’s not a bad time to start!”
Jie Ming slowly closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank into the spiritual sea.
The familiar Great Dao Book Pavilion still stood quietly there.
The white jade pavilion was ancient and solemn, countless jade slips rotating slowly around it like stars surrounding the moon.
With a single thought from him, a dark red light stream flew out from the deepest part of the pavilion, passed through rows of bookshelves, and finally landed steadily in his palm.
As the light dissipated, a worn-out ancient book lay quietly there.
On the center of the cover, three scarlet characters met his eyes:
Blood Sacrifice Method.
The characters were extremely fierce, not as if written, but more like carved into the book cover stroke by stroke with a sharp tool.
Jie Ming opened the first page.
The content was simple and crude, almost without any frills:
For those with insufficient aptitude.
One may sacrifice one’s own blood relatives.
Plunder their bloodline essence.
To strengthen one’s own aptitude.
The closer the blood relationship.
The stronger the effect.
It could be said that this Blood Sacrifice Method was a demonic evil art in the most standard sense.
But Jie Ming felt no resistance at all.
Not because he endorsed this technique, but because his thinking direction had always been completely different from that of the creator of this technique. Alchemy had already been able to accomplish life alchemy.
And cloning… was merely the most basic and simplest application of life alchemy.
Jie Ming stroked the book, a faint smile slowly spreading across his lips as the idea he once had surged back into his heart.
According to the Blood Sacrifice Method, the closer the blood relationship between relatives, the stronger the effect.
Then… what blood relationship could be closer to “oneself” than oneself?