Chapter 82: The Origin Magic Crystal

The galaxy had once been a rather obscure faction, but ever since that star of Vistalia ascended to the rank of legend in the Northern Wizard World, not only did starlight flourish across the land, but various kinds of meteoric iron from beyond the skies began to fall frequently. Alchemical materials from the galaxies, which used to be rare, now became commonplace; even among newly awakened wizards, the number possessing galactic talents rose sharply, making it one of the most populous branches on the mysterious side.

When a wizard achieves legend, they become nearly immortal, and their ascension leaves a near-permanent mark upon the place of their elevation and their homeland. In another hundred years, when that master of culinary magic ascends, the gastronomy branch will surely flourish as well.

Qi Xiao had once used the excuse of studying to ask Midiel about the current formally recognized culinary wizards in the Northern Wizard World, but his teacher had only mentioned two names, both first-level official wizards who had yet to attain true knowledge, which clearly did not fit. Judging by the timeline, this culinary legend should currently be at least a second-level official wizard, possibly even a third-level, which made more sense. But why would a wizard of such rank hide, or what necessity would there be for such secrecy? In a Northern Wizard World that had seen its legends depart, such a wizard would already stand at the top of the food chain. It was truly intriguing.

Qi Xiao's thoughts wandered. When he returned to himself, the auction was nearing its end. The blond youth who had initially bid so fervently was actually the first to drop out, leaving only the young man and the burly uncle locked in a calm yet intense rivalry.

“Thirty thousand…”

“Thirty-one thousand.”

Though the sums they called out were astronomical, enough to make anyone's blood boil, the evenness of their voices left the audience oddly unmoved.

In the end, the uncle’s money pouch at his waist began to shake violently, and a vast aura of cosmic starlight emanated from it. Sensing this, the uncle’s expression grew complex, a mix of helplessness and relief. He sighed and withdrew from the bidding.

“Congratulations to the young man for winning the Nebula Rift at the price of thirty-four thousand magic crystals!”

Qi Xiao was delighted; the price had reached the upper limit of what he’d hoped for. Smiling, he placed the sword into a case and handed both to the young man.

“This sword case is crafted mainly from meteoric iron. Keeping the sword in it will nourish the blade at all times. I’ll include it as a complimentary gift.”

“Thank you, Master Qi Xiao. Please confirm receipt with a light touch.”

The young man seemed somewhat frail, coughing twice as he shakily handed a spherical iron box to Qi Xiao.

Qi Xiao quickly supported him, anxious lest anything happen, and probed the iron box with his spiritual senses, feeling somewhat astonished.

“These are Origin Magic Crystals!”

Inside the box were three hundred and forty Origin Magic Crystals. Though the exchange rate with the Four Realms Wizard World was officially 100:1, in practice it usually required a few more—103:1 was standard, and even then, not everyone was willing to trade. The magic within these crystals was compressed to the utmost and of remarkable purity, making them almost strategic resources.

This was Qi Xiao’s first time seeing Origin Magic Crystals, but the magic within was unquestionably genuine. At the same time, a long-missed mechanical female voice sounded in his ear.

[Congratulations! You have successfully supplied alchemical goods and have received a reward: "Intermediate Guide to Magic Glyph Applications."]

On the bookshelf within Qi Xiao’s mind appeared a new book, the cover pure black and the style ancient. Suppressing his excitement, Qi Xiao bid polite farewell to his guest, discounted the remaining goods by twenty percent, and hurried back to his alchemy lab.

Guiding the book open with his spiritual power, he found that it contained various magic glyphs he had never seen before, not even in his teacher’s library. Flipping to the end, he even found several high-level glyphs. At just a glance, his eyes felt like they were about to burst, and he quickly scattered his focus, actively forgetting what he’d seen.

His turbulent sea of spirit gradually calmed, and his taut nerves slowly relaxed. He had been too careless—he should have protected himself before looking at glyphs of such level.

He had originally planned to finish his ten-win streak at the Trial Tower, but with a new alchemy book in hand, study naturally took precedence.

The wizarding world had always named these compendiums in a plain and unadorned manner, but their contents were of critical importance. As Qi Xiao read the detailed annotations on the glyphs, many of his usual doubts were resolved, and he became deeply engrossed.

He only came to himself when the staff had finished for the day. Marshal stood at the door with his hand on the handle, clearly not expecting Qi Xiao to still be inside.

Startled at having disturbed him, Marshal stammered, “Forgive me, sir... I didn’t expect you to still be here. I have disturbed you and deserve the gravest punishment.”

Marshal had been at the All-Souls Vault for some time. Though no one dared trouble him as Qi Xiao’s assistant, he had seen what befell other mortals who offended wizards. Wizards had a thousand methods to torment mortals, and in a place like this, no one would speak up for a mere mortal.

Qi Xiao smiled and stood up. “Don’t worry, I was just deep in thought. Thank you for working so late—if you don’t mind, I can accompany you on your way home.”

Marshal hurriedly replied, “N-no need, sir, I—”

Before he could finish, the surrounding spatial nodes intertwined, and Marshal vanished on the spot.

Qi Xiao had sent him back to his dormitory, then, with practiced ease, chanted a spell and traveled from the shop to the lakeshore. After a brief rest, he moved on to the island.

Gazing at the sunset that had grown faint and blurred ever since the mysterious artifact was taken away by the organization, Qi Xiao estimated that in at most a month, a single teleportation would suffice to travel between his alchemy shop and the island in the lake.

He greeted Eve in passing and returned to his room, weary in spirit. The glimpse of high-level glyphs had left him unsettled, and two consecutive teleportations had left him drained.

Qi Xiao closed his eyes and meditated, feeling the ever-increasing lines of spirit power within his sea of consciousness, each resembling a radiant beam. He wondered when he might acquire the next stage of his meditation technique. Just one more, and his meditation speed would rise by at least half.

For wizards, the speed of meditation was not of utmost importance; with their long lifespans, any wizard who could practice at all would eventually reach their current upper limit. The rest depended on insight and temperament. If one’s path was too smooth, complacency might result; if stuck at a bottleneck too long, anxiety could follow. Thus, wizards discouraged mindless cultivation in isolation and instead encouraged their disciples and members to seek experience in the wider world.