Chapter 541 - 13: Ten Thousand Laws General Outline: Initial Glimpse
Right now, his comprehensive attack strength was roughly: Total Mana (6) + Mana Quality (4.5) + Flying Sword (4.5) + Dao Body (2.1) = 17.1 degrees.
His Total Mana and Mana Quality had originally been 5.5 and 4.2, respectively. The increase was mainly due to the feedback from refining the Mind Furnace.
However, the Mind Furnace’s essence was computation, storage, and support; it couldn’t be used directly for attacks. Therefore, in terms of direct offensive power, the Dharma Artifact component still relied mainly on the Flying Sword.
Regardless, an attack strength of 17.1 degrees was currently roughly equivalent to a Wizard who was considerably advanced in their Elementalization.
This made him about twice as strong as the four Elementalization Wizards who had been suppressed by the Church Court’s curtain eleven years ago.
In the Old Realm, they could only exert 12 degrees of power.
In the New Realm and the Nightmare World, with no suppression, their pure attack power reached 16 degrees.
Meanwhile, a Wizard on the verge of completing the path of Elementalization could have an attack power approaching 20 degrees.
Above them were the Grand Wizards who had glimpsed the dawn.
To be more precise, these were Third-Level Wizards who had glimpsed the inner layer of the Source Sea.
The so-called Source Sea, in the theoretical framework of Wizards, is the collective term for all Dimensional Energy. It is similar to the concept of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi Origin in Cultivation, or perhaps the sum of all that is not directly observable, like Dark Matter and Dark Energy.
Wizard Apprentices make initial contact with and perceive the Source Sea.
Official Wizards—that is, First-Level Wizards—begin to align with the shallow layer of the Source Sea and mobilize its power.
Elementalization Wizards—Second-Level Wizards—delve deeper into the shallow layer of the Source Sea, transforming their own life forms to match the characteristics of the Source Sea’s energy.
This is Elementalization.
Only when a Second-Level Wizard reaches the end of Elementalization, with a Dao Transformation Level of 100%, and begins attempting a breakthrough to the Third Level can they truly touch and try to merge with the inner layer of the Source Sea.
In terms of rank and level of existence, a Third-Level Wizard roughly corresponds to the Golden Core Realm of a Cultivator.
From this, one can see that the Wizard system has clear transitional stages—First- and Second-Level Wizards—between a Wizard Apprentice and a Third-Level Grand Wizard.
In the Cultivation System, however, between Qi Refining and Golden Core, there is theoretically only one major transitional realm: Foundation Establishment.
This shows how different Paths divide the process of life’s evolution. Not only does the absolute power at each level differ, but the very steps between the levels are also structured differently.
And as for Cheris Douglas...
Murphy recalled the girl in the office—she looked young and innocent, but her aura was as deep as an abyssal sea.
Based on his observations and perceptions, she was clearly an existence beyond a Second-Level Wizard, having reached at least the Third Level.
Murphy couldn’t be certain which stage of the Third Level she was at, or if she had even reached the legendary Fourth Level.
His own realm wasn’t high enough; it was like trying to view a mountain through fog, impossible to see the full picture.
Although Cheris currently seemed to be acting with the mindset of someone who had ’found an interesting toy,’ showing no direct malice or killing intent, Murphy could never accept the role of a ’toy’ and place his fate in another’s hands.
This, then, raised a question.
Murphy knew full well that Cheris was extremely dangerous—she herself had sent him into this unknown Nightmare World. So why had he chosen this very place, at the end of the portal she had opened, to complete the crucial refinement of his Mind Furnace?
The answer was both simple and pragmatic.
It was precisely because the situation was so dangerous.
’Faced with an existence whose realm is far superior to my own, whose power is unfathomable, who can open portals between worlds at will and sees me as a toy—where could I possibly run to be safe?’
’Wandering blindly in this completely unfamiliar Nightmare World, faced with Cheris’s methods which are likely beyond anything I can imagine, any so-called "safe haven" is probably just a fragile illusion.’
’With such a vast difference in power, passive evasion and wishful thinking are a surefire way to get myself killed.’
’Instead of wasting precious time and energy searching for a safe corner that might not even exist, I should seize every opportunity to increase my strength with all my might before the real danger descends.’
This was the best course of action under the current circumstances.
[Wandering Seeker of the mortal realm, destiny manifests two vastly different, sky-reaching paths before you.]
[Option One: Upon first entering the Canglan Realm, you are captured by a demoness of the Nine Nether Demon Sect using the Thousand Mechanism Soul-Attracting Silk and dragged into the Celestial Demon Rift. Forced to act as bait to lure the Ancient Heart Demon Embryo, you instead secretly sever a wisp of the embryo’s Origin and flee into the turbulent void. Alas, the Xiangsi Bone-entwining Curse planted in your Divine Soul by the demoness remains, and at the final moment before you succeed in Breaking the Realm, she reaches through the fragments of time and space to seize you once more.]
[Reward: Ten Thousand Laws General Outline [Initial Glimpse]]
[Option Two: Upon first entering the Canglan Realm, you are captured by a demoness of the Nine Nether Demon Sect using the Thousand Mechanism Soul-Attracting Silk and dragged into the Celestial Demon Rift, forced to act as bait to lure the Ancient Heart Demon Embryo. You witness the demoness seize the embryo and refine it, its demonic energy flowing into her. In this moment of desperation, you too glimpse a sliver of Dao insight.]
[Reward: Inner Alchemy Golden Core [Initial Glimpse]]
"Thousand Mechanism Soul-Attracting Silk"... "Xiangsi Bone-entwining Curse"...
’Alright, I have no doubt anymore.’
’Cheris really did plant some kind of unknown failsafe on me.’
’It’s definitely not a "Thousand Mechanism Soul-Attracting Silk," but it’s probably something related to my soul.’
’So, from the very beginning, escape was never an option.’
And Option Two: "You witness the demoness seize the embryo and refine it, its demonic energy flowing into her. In this moment of desperation, you too glimpse a sliver of Dao insight."
Plus, the reward was [Inner Alchemy Golden Core [Initial Glimpse]].
’Golden Core! A Golden Core!’
’Perhaps this is the key to my advancement.’
His mind made up, Murphy didn’t linger.
He decided to conduct a preliminary exploration of the area first.