Chapter 401 - 317: Refining the Water of Balance (2)
This species of algae grows at the junction of the deep and shallow seas and naturally possesses the Energy Buffer property.
The liquid extracted from it can form a soft transitional layer between energies with different properties.
Like ripples on the surface of water, it disperses the impact.
"Space Stabilizing Powder... Time Delay Potion..."
The more Ian read, the brighter his eyes grew.
These weren’t simple Magic Potion recipes, but a complete "technical system" for processing highly volatile energy materials.
The Water of Harmony was relatively common.
It leaned more toward the material processing aspect of Alchemy, with limited balancing effects on the body.
However, its purification method for Natural Element Essence was worth studying.
Ian’s breathing gradually steadied.
The three recipes were deconstructed and reassembled in his mind.
Combining them with his own profound knowledge of Magic Potion Science, his line of reasoning grew increasingly clear.
He extracted the essence from these three different puzzle pieces, gradually fitting them together into a new, complete picture.
"So that’s how it is..."
He suddenly spoke, his voice exceptionally clear in the silent laboratory.
"The Silent Jellyfish Condensate Core is the heart of it, the Void Crystal acts as the conduit, and the Turtle Dragon Snake Hide is for... ancillary guidance and dispersal."
His entire train of thought suddenly clicked into place, like a match flaring in the darkness.
Ian grabbed the Feather Pen and dipped it into the silver-gray, specially formulated ink.
He began to write rapidly across a blank sheet of parchment, the nib making a quiet scratching sound.
He first wrote down the "multi-layer encapsulation" concept from the Seven-Colored Heart recipe.
"Step one: process the Void Crystal. Temperature controlled at..."
That number made the tip of his pen pause.
He recalled the temperature he used to process the Void Crystal when he built the Abyssal Altar.
’I can use that as a reference.’ Ian continued to write.
"First, use a trace amount of dew from the Moon Sleep Flower to form an inert film over the surface of the Void Crystal Liquid."
"This will prevent Energy from leaking and stop it from reacting prematurely with other materials."
"Step two: activate the Silent Jellyfish Condensate Core."
"However, after activation, it must be rapidly cooled to below 180 degrees within three seconds..."
He jotted down this critical step.
"This allows the surface of the Condensed Core to solidify while the interior remains liquid, forming an Energy Buffer layer."
"Next is the fusion. Slowly drip the coated Void Crystal Liquid into the Condensed Core."
"With each drop, stir gently with the Extracted Liquid from Retired Qilin Snake Skin..."
Ian’s pen paused again as he wrote this.
He recalled the "slow-release neutralization" concept from the Balancing Potion.
"The Extracted Liquid from Retired Qilin Snake Skin must be added in three stages."
"Stage one: The Void Crystal Liquid dominates, providing Energy."
"Stage two: The Silent Jellyfish Condensate Core dominates, buffering the Energy."
"Stage three: The Extracted Liquid from Retired Qilin Snake Skin dominates, guiding the Energy."
Three stages, each lasting thirty seconds.
The fusion would be complete in ninety seconds.
Only then would he add the other Auxiliary Materials: the dew of the Moon Sleep Flower, his own saliva, and his Essence Blood...
Ian wrote the final word and set down the Feather Pen.
The parchment was covered in dense script, detailing the Refining process he had devised.
He stared at it for a full minute.
Then, he closed his eyes. Deep within his Sea of Spirit, a panel quietly materialized.
At the edge of his vision, lines of faint blue text began to appear.
[Based on input information, deducing Refining process for Water of Balance...]
[Incomplete recipe detected. Now completing...]
[Generating completion protocols...]
[Protocol 1: Error Rate 58.6%. Protocol 2: Error Rate 41.2%. Protocol 3: Error Rate 12.7%]
[Protocol 3 recommended. Critical node correction: After activation, the Silent Jellyfish Condensate Core must be immediately cooled to below 200 degrees, otherwise its buffering property will be lost.]
Ian’s eye twitched as he looked at the "12.7% Error Rate."
’How are there still mistakes?’
But he knew in his heart that this was the limit of his current mastery of Magic Potion Science.
Being able to refine it to this point was more than enough to begin.
With the panel’s assistance, he only needed to successfully craft a Potion once to guarantee a 100% success rate on all future attempts.
"I can split the materials into three portions."
He estimated the quantity of materials, muttering to himself.
The Silent Jellyfish Condensate Core was only the size of a fingernail, he had about 150 grams of Void Crystal left, and the Turtle Dragon Snake Hide was whole.
He’d keep one portion as a backup and use the other two for practice to gain experience.
Ian stood up and walked to a corner of the laboratory.
A waist-high runic pedestal stood there, its surface inscribed with intricate silver patterns.
He reached out and pressed his hand to the center of the pedestal.
HUMMM!
A faint, silvery Light Curtain rose from the pedestal’s edge, rapidly expanding to envelop the entire laboratory.
A Level Three Isolation Array, designed to prevent Energy from leaking out and to block external interference.
Gaga poked its head out from the shadows.
"Are we starting, gaga?"
"Yeah." Ian nodded. "You keep watch from the perimeter. Help me suppress any Energy fluctuations."
"Got it!"
The little creature flapped its wings and flew up, landing in a corner of the laboratory ceiling.
Its silver pupils began to glow faintly, and very faint ripples of shadow emanated from its body.
Ian walked back to the stone table, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.
His Space-Time Curvature Field deployed without a sound.
It didn’t expand over a wide area, but was compressed to the confines of the laboratory.
The structure of space began to finely adjust, and the distribution of Energy became more uniform.
It was like smoothing a rough patch of sand into a glossy, mirror-like surface.
"First step: process the Void Crystal."
Ian took out the piece of Void Crystal he intended to use.
The crystal’s surface shimmered with a stardust-like light, and its interior seemed to hold a miniature, sealed-off universe.
He picked up the special Crystal Stone Mortar and placed the Void Crystal within it.
His Spiritual Power manifested as five slender, pale gold threads, extending from his fingertips.
The threads wound around the mortar like living tendrils and began to rotate slowly.
Following the natural veins of Rule within the crystal, they began to peel it apart, layer by layer, breaking it down.
SHHFFF...
A fine, abrasive sound echoed through the laboratory.