Chapter 366 - 303: Phase Witchcraft Tool, Bridge Between Two Worlds
No. 7 Purple Vine Lane.
The Level Four Isolation Array ran at full power, a silvery-white Barrier shaped like an inverted bowl enveloping the entire workbench.
A flowing Light Curtain isolated the inside from the out.
Inside the Barrier, the air was still, with even motes of dust suspended motionlessly.
On the stone table, several core materials were laid out in a row.
A fist-sized piece of the Eternal Shadow Remains, its dark silver surface riddled with cracks.
A Void Crystal as thick as an arm, its fractured surface shimmering with the faint light of warped space.
A small pile of Star Realm Silver Sand, flowing with Starlight under the Barrier’s glow.
Three Phase Stone Fragments with irregular edges, as if they had been forcefully snapped off a larger whole.
And... a bit of Essence Blood from Gaga.
This was to better handle the Eternal Shadow Remains, as well as to balance its properties.
To get the Essence Blood from Gaga, Ian had to promise many favors before he succeeded.
Ian stood before the stone table, the sleeves of his dark gray Long Robe rolled up.
This was his first time Refining Witchcraft Tools, and an exceptionally special Phase Witchcraft Tool at that.
The Refining of Witchcraft Tools by the Abyssal Ancient Race didn’t require overly delicate techniques; core materials and racial Talent were their hallmarks.
Ian possessed both of these things in full.
’Even if some minor problems pop up, I have the panel as a safety net. It shouldn’t be a big issue.’
He closed his eyes and took three deep breaths.
When he opened them again, his eyes were clear of all distracting thoughts, holding nothing but absolute Concentration.
’Let’s begin.’
With a light tap of his fingertip, the three Phase Stone Fragments floated up and hovered in mid-air.
Ian raised his right hand, pointing his index finger toward the Void at the center.
A beam of incandescent white light, tinged with crimson gold and as fine as a strand of hair, shot out from his fingertip.
[Scorching Beam].
The instant the white light touched the Phase Stone Fragments, the temperature changed drastically.
Not a single flame ignited, but the air around the fragments began to warp.
The fragments began to soften, and a viscous liquid dripped from their edges.
The liquid was caught mid-fall by an invisible hand, suspended in the air.
A Spiritualized Wizard’s Hand.
Ian’s fingertip quivered slightly as he adjusted the brightness of the white light, precisely controlling the temperature.
’Too high, and it would destroy the Phase Stone’s internal spatial stability.’
’Too low, and the impurities wouldn’t separate.’
As the beam continued to scorch the fragments, a faint TAP came from the stone table.
He maintained his posture, perfectly still, as the control crystal screen on the workbench lit up with a faint glow.
[Temperature Monitoring: 4,372 degrees... Stable]
[Impurity Separation Progress: 21%... 37%... 59%...]
[Spatial Trait Retention: 98.7%]
Time flowed by in the silence.
An hour later, the three Phase Stone Fragments had melted into three globules of silvery-gray liquid metal.
Faint spatial ripples flowed within, like ripples frozen on the surface of water.
’First stage, passed.’
Ian retracted his Spiritual Threads, flexed his wrist, and looked toward the second material.
’The Void Crystal. This one will be even more difficult to handle.’
Its inherent spatial properties made it highly susceptible to resonating with external Energy.
The slightest misstep could trigger a small-scale spatial disturbance.
Ian mulled it over for a moment before switching techniques.
He cupped his hands as if holding a ball, and his Spiritual Power spread out like a spiderweb, enveloping the entire Void Crystal.
Then, he began to apply slow, even pressure.
This wasn’t a brute-force squeeze, but a "grinding" on the microscopic level.
The spatial structure within the crystal began to emit a faint CRACKLING sound.
It was like a sheet of ice slowly cracking under the spring sun.
Countless tiny fragments flaked away, only to be precisely caught and gathered by his Spiritual Threads.
The process was incredibly mentally taxing.
Even with his immense reserves of Spiritual Power, Ian found it somewhat overwhelming.
’I’m already struggling this much. How did the Abyssal Ancient Race manage to Refine their Witchcraft Tools back in the day?’
His face grew progressively paler, but thankfully, his breathing remained even.
Another hour passed.
The Void Crystal had shrunk by a full size, and its surface was now covered in countless fine, silvery-white markings.
This was the visible manifestation of its spatial properties after Purification.
’Next up... the main event.’
Ian’s gaze fell upon the Eternal Shadow Remains.
The fist-sized remnant lay quietly on a deep blue velvet cloth.
Even under the light of the Barrier, a bizarre "visual gap" still existed around it.
Any light that reached that spot seemed to be swallowed whole.
Gaga emerged from the shadows, landing on the edge of the stone table.
The little fella’s feathers puffed up slightly, its silver-gray pupils fixed intently on the remnant.
"Ian, this thing... I think it has some consciousness left. It’s very hungry."
Gaga warned Ian through their Soul Link, its small eyes locked on the remnant.
’If it still has a consciousness, then the Purification Technique... should also be effective on this remnant.’
Ian took a deep breath, extended his left hand, and hovered it above the remnant.
The Power of Order Stars surged from his palm, transforming into pale golden Starlight that slowly drifted down.
The instant the Starlight touched the surface of the remnant...
The remnant shuddered violently, the cracks on its surface suddenly flaring with light as they widened.
They looked like innumerable tiny mouths, frantically devouring the descending Starlight.
A faint SIZZLING echoed within the Barrier.
With every speck of Starlight that was devoured, Ian felt a wisp of power being drained from his Sea of Spirit.
It was as if... it was being completely erased.
"GAA!"
Gaga beat its wings, instantly unfurling its Tier Two Shadow Domain.
Countless Shadow Silk Threads spread from beneath Gaga’s wings, coiling around the remnant like living things and "cocooning" it completely.
It forcibly created a buffer zone between the Shadow and the remnant.
The remnant’s Devouring speed instantly slowed a beat.
’This is it.’
Ian’s eyes narrowed. Deep within his Sea of Spirit, the [Seed of the Stars] at its very core trembled slightly!
The Power of Order Stars flowed out from his fingertips.
Mixed within the pale golden Energy were faint, silvery markings that resembled Star Orbits.
That was the imprint of the [Seed of the Stars].
When this Energy touched the remnant, it didn’t trigger the Devouring, but instead... created a faint resonance.