**Chapter 22: Qi Refinement Layer Two**

“This ore… the manual says it’s ‘Moonshadow Stone,’ but why does it feel so similar to the ‘Star Iron’ next to it?” A nearby apprentice’s voice pulled Jie Ming’s attention.

The apprentice was rubbing his eyes, struggling to tell them apart.

Jie Ming quietly scanned the ore with his mental energy, instantly perceiving its elemental composition and energy traits.

“It’s Moonshadow Stone, but a lower grade, mixed with some iron ore.”

He offered a casual tip, deftly picking up another common ore, weighing it, and sorting it into the right box.

“Oh… thanks,” the apprentice said, momentarily stunned but quickly expressing gratitude.

“No big deal.”

Jie Ming shook his head. Identifying ores was also helping him get familiar with his current strength.

With the three Truth Runes—each tied to alchemical concepts—settled in his mind, he could feel his soul and spirit subtly “evolving” almost constantly.

His sensitivity to distinctions between materials and energies was sharpening. Even without constructing alchemy in his mind, he could analyze anything he touched.

The information was still chaotic, but with practice, Jie Ming could clearly sense changes in his mind.

He was certain that once these changes were complete, even without deliberate study, his mental sea would naturally inscribe his first witchcraft: Alchemy.

While he worked, Viktor, also in protective gear, approached with another apprentice.

Seeing the heavy boxes in front of Jie Ming, a smug glint flashed in Viktor’s eyes.

Pointing to two piles of ores, Viktor spoke with barely concealed pride. “I’ll show you once, so pay attention. See, this pile of ‘Glowstone’ looks numerous, but each piece is light and uniform, easy to sort. That pile of ‘Spikecrystal Ore’ is smaller but made of large, sharp-edged pieces that can cut you. We’ll tackle the Glowstone first—quick work, early settlement, then rest before dealing with the tricky stuff.”

His partner, not having considered this, paused, then nodded in agreement.

Viktor’s lips curved into a barely noticeable smile as he swiftly began sorting Glowstone, his movements as smooth as an assembly-line worker.

Jie Ming took it all in.

Clearly, these wizard apprentices were also short on points, and “smart” ones like Viktor were already earning commissions by guiding newcomers.

This was the gap between apprentices with wizard backgrounds and those without. While their talents might be similar, the knowledge accumulated over years wasn’t something you could catch up to overnight.

Jie Ming quietly continued sorting, absorbing knowledge without comment, unfazed by Viktor’s showy display.

After all, Viktor only had a slight edge, while Jie Ming was playing a different game entirely.

…

…

The night was deep.

Jie Ming finally finished the task. Leaving Warehouse No. 5, he still felt the dust of ores and the sharp scent of plants clinging to him.

But there was no time to return to the dorm to wash off the grime or rest. Urgency burned within him.

The task board showed his point balance had finally hit the number he desperately needed—five.

Five points, enough to book another “private room.”

Without returning to the alchemy workshop, he reserved a lab through the warehouse’s magic network terminal and sprinted toward the potion lab district.

After the “sorting” ordeal in Warehouse No. 5, the three Truth Runes in his mind grew even more active, and his mental sea became restless.

His true essence, like ignited fire, surged wildly through his meridians, each pulse a reminder that his breakthrough was imminent and unavoidable!

If not for his extraordinary willpower, he’d have lost control long ago. Even now, he was teetering on the edge.

He quickly activated his temporary lab, pushed open the door, and entered the small, simple isolated space.

The moment the door closed, all external noise and worries were shut out, leaving only him and the explosive power within.

Without hesitation, Jie Ming sat cross-legged in the center of the lab, took a deep breath, and sank his mind into his body.

Qi Refinement Layer Two.

In the cultivation system, it wasn’t particularly significant. According to the Great Dao Book Pavilion, anyone who reached Layer One, no matter how mediocre their talent or resources, could grind their way to Layer Three with enough time.

After the breakthrough, true essence would become denser, circulate faster, and greatly enhance nourishment to the body and spirit.

But precisely because it was so straightforward, suppressing the breakthrough after accumulating enough spiritual energy was incredibly difficult.

“Now’s the time!”

He stopped holding back, letting the massive flood of true essence surge through his body.

Techniques from the Great Dao Book Pavilion flashed through his mind, guiding the wild energy.

*Boom—*

His inner world seemed to turn upside down!

His meridians expanded and toughened under the rush of true essence. The lake of true essence in his dantian spun rapidly, compressing with a low rumble.

Intense pain swept through him, but Jie Ming’s divine sense remained crystal clear, precisely guiding the true essence along its transformative path.

The lab’s basic isolation array hummed faintly, containing the sudden burst of energy from his body.

The process lasted about half an hour. Sweat soaked his clothes, his body trembled slightly, and his face was deathly pale.

But as the final meridian was reshaped, a new, more powerful sense of strength surged through him!

Qi Refinement Layer Two!

Success!

His true essence was now as dense as mercury, more than double its volume from Layer One.

In his meridians, true essence flowed like a roaring river, producing a pleasing hum.

His physical strength grew slowly under the nourishment of true essence, and his mental sea felt injected with new vitality, becoming clearer and more expansive.

Jie Ming slowly opened his eyes, exhaling a long breath laced with dark impurities.

Though physically drained, he felt an unprecedented sense of power and clarity.

“Not bad. The enhanced mental energy should be enough to inscribe another Truth Rune.”

Sensing the strength of his mental sea, Jie Ming smiled with satisfaction.

At this rate, becoming a Level Two Wizard Apprentice was just a matter of time.

“Speaking of which, both cultivator and wizard methods are all about steady progress.”

Recalling the similarities between the two systems, he fell into thought.

The “Basic Qi Refinement Method” he practiced, though rooted in the ancient principle of Refining Essence into Qi, was considered relatively new according to the Great Dao Book Pavilion.

Jie Ming wasn’t entirely sure how “new” or “old” techniques were classified, but both Qi Refinement and meditation shared a clear trait—few bottlenecks.

Qi Refinement only had barriers at Layer Three to Four, Six to Seven, and Nine to Foundation Establishment. The other levels could theoretically be reached with enough time.

Wizard meditation was similar. Only the transition from Level Three Apprentice to Formal Wizard was challenging. Otherwise, the three apprentice levels had no bottlenecks—just inscribe enough Truth Runes to advance.

“Theoretically, anyone with enough time could reach Level Three Wizard Apprentice, but that’s just in theory.”

The key was “enough time.”

For Qi Refiners, even the basic Layer One integrated one’s vitality, allowing a healthy, disease-free life up to 160 years.

Wizards had it tougher. While elemental energy strengthened their minds and bodies, it also eroded their vitality.

Without becoming a Formal Wizard, an apprentice’s lifespan was capped at about 70 years.

Unlike Qi Refiners, who grew stronger with age, wizard apprentices past their prime would see their mental sea weaken as their bodies aged, making them weaker over time.

Of course, this issue was resolved upon becoming a Formal Wizard. Thanks to wizards’ expertise in body modification, their lifespans could even surpass those of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

“Overall, Qi Refiners have longer lives but more bottlenecks and stricter advancement requirements. Wizard apprentices advance more easily, but… the jump to Formal Wizard is probably much harder than it seems.”

Shaking his head, Jie Ming set these thoughts aside and stood, feeling his body return to normal.

There was still time left on the lab rental. He wondered how to use it.

Check the magic network?

But renting a lab cost the equivalent of five cubic meters of gold. Using it as an internet café felt a bit extravagant.

Yet there didn’t seem to be much else to do…

Just then, the lab’s only window—a small pane of special material that blocked external prying but allowed light through—caught the first soft rays of dawn.

Morning had arrived.

Jie Ming stood there, watching the rising sunlight, his body trembling with a sudden jolt!