Chapter 80: Ripples in Space

Qi Xiao watched as the Shimmering Ray glided away into the distance, his expression serene, a gentle smile on his lips. “It belongs to nature by right. I kept it for a while, but there’s nothing special about that. Better to set it free.” Qi Xiao’s appearance was always gentle and refined, and his words carried a quiet authority. Rising from the giant stone, he brushed off his trousers and laughed again, “Besides, Senior Sister, your path as a witch begins right here. If I were to fish the Shimmering Ray away, scaring off what few creatures remain in this lake, it would be troublesome.”

Eve’s heart was moved, and she spoke softly, “Thank you, little brother. Rest assured, when I become a true witch, no one will dare bully you again!”

“There’s really no one who bullies me…” Qi Xiao thought helplessly, but outwardly kept up the appearance of longing and wonder, responding with anticipation, “I’ll be waiting, Sister—waiting for the day you find your direction.”

He then bid farewell to Eve, who was full of fighting spirit and preparing to cast her rod, and returned to the main hall.

As soon as he teleported back, Qi Xiao’s face instantly fell, a dull ache stirring in his heart.

He certainly wasn’t so benevolent as to release the Shimmering Ray back into the wild. By nature, he loved collecting things, and having caught such a rare creature, he would much rather keep it, perhaps discovering something from it. Unfortunately, just as he hauled up the Shimmering Ray and before he could revel in his triumph, his mind was interrupted by his teacher’s voice.

“Let Eve see it, then release it.”

He didn’t know why his teacher sent such a message, but Qi Xiao, though pained, obeyed and let the Shimmering Ray go, drifting in a daze to Midiel’s study.

Midiel was heating a pot of tea, offering no explanation for why Qi Xiao had to release the Shimmering Ray. Instead, he asked, “Where did that flower come from?”

Qi Xiao composed himself, reporting his suspicion that the flower had come in contact with the wooden box, thus absorbing a trace of the mysterious. Midiel listened without replying, pondering for a time before speaking in a deep voice, “Don’t be so reckless next time. That is the mysterious—no matter how little, even a single touch is not something you can use at will.”

Midiel’s tone was stern, prompting Qi Xiao to bow his head and admit his mistake at once. Midiel wasn’t truly blaming him; it was simply that the mysterious was far too dangerous for apprentices to treat lightly. He explained, “You’re an alchemist, so it’s only natural you yearn for the mysterious. But your current abilities aren’t enough to bear its weight.”

“That Shimmering Ray, too—although you didn’t sense it, it was drawn by the light released from ‘Ninielda’s Treasure.’ Since we don’t know how much it’s been affected by the mysterious power, it’s better to release it and observe for now. I’ve already marked it. When you’re stronger and I’ve confirmed it poses no further risk, it will be yours again. There’s no need to feel regret.”

Hearing this, Qi Xiao’s mood brightened considerably. After more than two months of Midiel’s guidance, he didn’t fear his stern-faced mentor so much, and he smiled, saluted, and prepared to leave the study.

“Wait a moment. I hear you’ve been studying culinary trick magic lately?”

Qi Xiao’s step halted at the words, stumbling slightly, “Yes… but don’t worry, it won’t interfere with my training or alchemy. I only look into it in my spare time.”

Midiel didn’t reproach him, merely replied calmly that he understood.

Qi Xiao was puzzled—if the teacher had no intention of intervening, why bother asking? But he didn’t dwell on it, saluted again, and returned to his room.

“Shimmering light…” Qi Xiao murmured, the word conjuring vivid memories of the magnificent sight he’d seen while returning on the azure silk that day. He fell silent for a moment, longing for something distant.

But those things were far from his reach now. He turned his thoughts to alchemy. Earlier, he’d been so dazed by disappointment that he forgot to ask Senior Sister Eve if she needed any custom alchemy work. Judging by her newfound enthusiasm, she’d likely be at the lake for days to come, so there was no rush.

He resumed practicing spellcraft after a long hiatus. There were few spatial tricks for apprentices, and now he was training one of the more marginal spatial spells—Spatial Ripple.

He hadn’t chosen Spatial Shield; with Moonlight and Starry Veil on him, he already had defenses rivaling third-tier shield spells, so there was no need to waste energy. Though Spatial Ripple was rather weak at the apprentice level, it allowed him to deepen his understanding of space.

Spatial Ripple was also known as Spatial Interference, a second-level spatial trick. Its main function was to create a brief zone of spatial fluctuation around the caster. This zone could strongly disrupt objects entering or touching the ripple, and for enemies stepping into it, the ripple would cause a certain degree of spatial distortion, interfering with their perception and location, reducing their attack accuracy.

Space in the ripple zone was extremely unstable; even the caster would be affected, but with skill, one could deliberately control the interference waves, making one’s spatial spells more potent. Mastery was essential for its effectiveness.

As for blocking enemy teleportation between zones, that was a niche application among apprentices; few studied spatial teleportation unless they specialized in space, and spatial apprentices were rare to begin with, making duels between two spatial apprentices even rarer.

In battles between formal witches, however, this trick truly shone. Since spells were precious and difficult to learn, many formal witches relied on tricks as their main support, but tricks for witches and apprentices were worlds apart and couldn’t be compared.

The notes his teacher provided for this trick were quite detailed, so Qi Xiao made swift progress. He consulted his teacher several times, and also asked Senior Sister if she needed any alchemical work.

“Alchemy? Of course I need it! Give me the fishing rod—the best you can make. Use whatever materials work best, don’t worry about me affording it!” Eve declared, pounding her chest in earnest assurance.

Qi Xiao chuckled and agreed, leaving the lakeside to source materials and check on the progress of the move.

The new alchemy shop covered a noticeably larger area, with a spacious front hall and multiple specialized functional zones. The front hall served as the main area for greeting customers and displaying goods. There were also alchemy laboratories, material storage rooms, sample display zones, offices, lounges, meeting rooms, auxiliary lab rooms, and many other facilities, with shelves and cold storage arranged neatly.

Despite the abundance of items, the total cost for the house and furnishings amounted to just a few hundred magic crystals; the magic gathering array was a separate expense.

Qi Xiao hadn’t felt comfortable moving alchemy lab equipment from his teacher, so he purchased raw materials and crafted his own set of basic alchemical devices: furnace, distiller, crucibles, and so on. Since they were self-made, the costs were not high.

He also converted some shelves into a materials procurement section. Though he didn’t plan to make this a source of profit, an alchemy shop ought to carry some basic materials for sale—it gave the place a professional air.