Chapter 205: A Low-Cost Method for Rapid Improvement
Half a month later.
The Dragon Bone Tower, beside the Elemental Pool.
Su Nan glanced at the one hundred Inscribed Gems in his Space Ring, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
This many Inscribed Gems should be enough to deal with the Lightning Elemental Giant.
Steadying himself, Su Nan opened a Space Channel and stepped inside.
After a momentary blur, he entered the Lightning Elemental Space.
What greeted his eyes were gloomy clouds that filled every inch of his vision.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled within the clouds. Occasionally, massive and blinding bolts of lightning tore through the sky, evoking a sense of primordial wilderness.
“There are no land-based Lightning Elemental Spaces?”
Without another thought, he reopened the Space Channel and retreated.
Such an Elemental Space, with clouds everywhere and limited visibility, posed too many variables for a fight. It was not the best choice.
Since he could change his entry point an infinite number of times, the cost was just some Gems, which Su Nan could afford.
In subsequent attempts, either the Elemental Space's environment was harsh, or the concentration of Energy Particles was too high. Su Nan decisively gave up on them all.
It wasn't until his fifth try that he finally arrived at an Elemental Space similar to the last one.
After casting Elemental Energy Protection on himself and activating the Forbidden Zone, Su Nan flew into the depths of the Elemental Space.
His target was the Elemental Giant, which usually only appeared in the deepest parts of an Elemental Space.
Su Nan did not stop along the way and completely ignored any Spirits of the Elements that attempted to attack him, using his speed to quickly shake them off.
As he delved deeper, the concentration of Energy Particles in the air became increasingly dense.
Just then, Su Nan’s expression suddenly changed. He looked to his right, where, a thousand meters away, a vaguely humanoid creature over ten meters tall, covered in tiny electric arcs, was rapidly approaching him.
“Elemental Giant!”
Instead of being alarmed, Su Nan was overjoyed.
He had finally found his target.
Without hesitation, Su Nan raised his hand and hurled an Inscribed Gem.
Considering that Lightning Element Energy Particles could not harm the Lightning Elemental Giant, and might even serve as nourishment for it, the most recent batch of Inscribed Gems crafted by Su Nan contained not a single Thunder Burst; instead, they were all Blazing Flame, Ice Cold, Netherworld, Gale Wind, and similar elements.
As one of the Inscribed Gems erupted into a blinding light, an intense chill from the Ice Cold energy swiftly engulfed the Lightning Elemental Giant from above.
In an instant, a layer of snow-white frost blanketed the body of the Lightning Elemental Giant, significantly diminishing the fine electric arcs that shimmered across its surface.
While the Lightning Elemental Giant was momentarily slowed, Su Nan unleashed two more Inscribed Gems: one of Blazing Flame and one of Gale Wind. They transformed into fierce flames and gales that engulfed the Lightning Elemental Giant, while Liquid Metal surged forth, instantly shifting into a majestic Silver Giant that charged toward the opponent with unparalleled force.
Caught off guard by the Inscribed Gems, the Lightning Elemental Giant had no time to recover as the Silver Giant struck its head with a powerful fist.
Although the incorporeal form of the Lightning Elemental Giant could withstand all physical attacks, it was defenseless against the Liquid Metal infused with Elemental Energy, and the incoming giant fist sent it staggering backward.
Already exceedingly volatile, the Lightning Elemental Giant suffered considerable damage while it was still reeling from the surprise attack, and it erupted in fury, roaring as it retaliated with punches aimed at the Silver Giant.
Both the Lightning Elemental Giant and Su Nan were entities of Wizard-level prowess, yet their fighting styles were intensely primal and brutal.
They met strength with strength and firmness with firmness, and although they fought barehanded, the impact resembled two heavily armored warriors colliding, producing deafening roars.
Visible energy and violent shockwaves radiated outward from their clash, causing the void around them to twist and ripple, while the ground beneath them shattered and crumbled, rapidly forming a massive crater.
After a brief exchange, Su Nan began to grasp the situation.
Perhaps because he had not truly penetrated deep into the core area of Element Space, the Lightning Elemental Giant before him was not particularly outstanding among its kind, barely comparable to a newly promoted Level 1 Gaseous Wizard.
However, thanks to the home-field advantage, its combat power had surged to nearly the level of a Level One Liquid Warlock.
Fortunately, this level of strength was still within his ability to handle.
After assessing his opponent's strength, Su Nan no longer held back. While commanding the Silver Giant to launch fierce attacks, he generously hurled out Inscribed Gems one after another.
As his Spiritual Condensation improved, he had synthesized a total of twenty-two Inscribed Gems, each possessing a power roughly equivalent to four times that of an ordinary Rune Engraving.
Even a formal wizard would not dare to underestimate this power.
With more than ten Inscribed Gems thrown out in quick succession, the Lightning Elemental Giant was quickly overwhelmed.
Swift flames, gales, and shadows swept over it one after another. In just four or five breaths, the dazzling electric light surrounding the Lightning Elemental Giant visibly dimmed, and its formidable frame shrank by nearly half.
Seizing the moment, Su Nan pressed forward, intensifying his attacks.
More than ten minutes later, with a final reluctant roar, the Lightning Elemental Giant's body shattered with a crash, transforming into countless motes of light that dissipated into the air. All that remained was an irregular blue crystal, roughly the size of an egg, that fell to the ground.
Emerging from within the Silver Giant, Su Nan’s quick reflexes allowed him to catch the crystal.
Gazing at the beautiful blue crystal in his palm, which resembled a gemstone, a delighted smile spread across his face.
Elemental Crystal Core.
This type of crystal contained abundant Elemental Energy and was considered a higher-tier material compared to Elemental Crystal Dust.
Only elemental creatures of the Elemental Giant level or above possessed an Elemental Crystal Core within their bodies.
However, this was not the primary reason for Su Nan’s delight. What truly brought him joy was the divine energy encapsulated within the Elemental Crystal Core.
After placing the Elemental Crystal Core into his Magic Cube, Su Nan quickly obtained detailed information.
"Six standard units of divine energy, a bit less than I expected.”
Spiderfied Elves contained eight standard units of divine energy within their bodies, and it appeared that Elemental Giants had even less.
But after a moment of thought, Su Nan felt relieved.
"Spiderfied Elves were creatures entirely formed from Divine energy, while Elemental Giants were aggregates of Elemental Energy and Divine energy, with Elemental Energy comprising the larger portion. It's only natural for them to contain less Divine energy within their bodies.
"It should be enough to increase my Spiritual Condensation by about 0.4%," he mused. Previously, this amount of Divine energy could have raised his Spiritual Condensation by at least 0.5% to 0.6%. However, as his Spiritual Condensation increased, the difficulty of further improvement correspondingly escalated.
Su Nan estimated that by the time he reached the First Stage of Liquefaction, the Divine energy required to enhance his Spiritual Condensation by 1% might skyrocket to fifty or sixty standard units, or perhaps even more. Nevertheless, for now, the benefits he gained from a single Elemental Crystal Core were quite evident.
After a recent battle, he had utilized a total of eighteen Inscribed Gems. Calculating the current cost, one Inscribed Gem was approximately five thousand eight hundred Gold Coins, making the total for eighteen a little over one hundred thousand Gold Coins. Exchanging one hundred thousand Gold Coins for a roughly 0.4% increase in Spiritual Condensation was, all things considered, a favorable deal.
With his Element Space Energy replenished, Su Nan quickly restored his Spiritual Power to its peak condition and resumed his hunt. Not intending to venture deeper into the core area, he circled the edge, searching for signs of the Lightning Elemental Giant.
Before long, Su Nan spotted his target. This time, he did not wait for the Lightning Elemental Giant to attack; instead, he took the initiative and rushed forward. The battle erupted once more.
Two days later, when Su Nan returned to the Dragon Bone Tower, he discovered three more Elemental Crystal Cores in his Space Ring. However, the cost had been high—more than fifty Inscribed Gems lost.
Sitting cross-legged beside the Elemental Pool, Su Nan began absorbing the Divine energy from the Elemental Crystal Cores. Elemental Giants, being naturally formed Divine Beings, possessed pure Divine energy within them, free from any Faith Pollution, allowing for direct absorption and synthesis.
By the time all three Elemental Crystal Cores had been reduced to powder, Su Nan's Spiritual Condensation had increased to 76.06%. Looking at the data on his panel, Su Nan was overjoyed. At this rate, he would soon break through to the First Stage of Liquefaction. The only drawback was that this method of improvement consumed a significant amount of Inscribed Gems."
"To break through to First Order Liquefaction, one would need to invest at least six million Gold Coins into Inscribed Gems.
Although the Star Alliance's annual income now exceeds ten million Gold Coins, there are numerous expenses that demand attention.
Refining Secret Puppets, crafting Crystal Soul Potions, manufacturing Wizard Tools, and the biggest expense of all—constructing a Wizard Tower.
Withdrawing six million Gold Coins all at once would place a substantial burden on the Star Alliance's cash flow.
“If only there were other, lower-cost methods to hunt the Lightning Elemental Giant,” Su Nan mused to himself.
But he also recognized that he was being a bit greedy.
Which Level 1 Gaseous Wizard could hunt the Lightning Elemental Giant in the Lightning Element Space as he could?
Without some trump cards and techniques, an ordinary Level 1 Gaseous Wizard facing the Lightning Elemental Giant in the Lightning Element Space would be reduced to charred dust, utterly annihilated.
Unless they were True Spirit Descendants, with higher-level Wizards specifically collecting Elemental Crystal Cores for their cultivation.
Shaking his head, Su Nan dismissed the impractical thought, his gaze settling on the powder that the Elemental Crystal Core had turned into on the ground.
Though it had completely absorbed Divine energy, the Elemental Energy within the powder still remained, essentially transforming back into Elemental Crystal Dust.
Wait a moment!
A sudden thought flashed through Su Nan's mind like lightning.
The Elemental Giant is formed through the advancement of the Spirit of the Elements, and during this process, the Elemental Crystal Dust material formed within the Spirit of the Elements gradually condenses, ultimately creating the Elemental Crystal Core.
It could be said that the process of the Spirit of the Elements evolving into the Elemental Giant is equivalent to the transformation of Elemental Crystal Dust into the Elemental Crystal Core.
So, does that mean Elemental Crystal Dust can be used to synthesize Elemental Crystal Cores that possess Divine energy?
Su Nan's spirits immediately lifted.
The possibility was not low.
It was akin to the blood of the Death Knell Striker, which inherently contains a Special Factor inherited from the Divine Being, the Hissing Aberration. As long as this factor is activated, Divine energy can emerge.
The same likely applies to the Spirit of the Elements.
There is probably some kind of Special Factor within it. If the concentration of Elemental Energy reaches a certain threshold, a quantitative change will result in a qualitative one. This will activate the factor, causing it to transform into the Elemental Giant and simultaneously give birth to Divine energy."
"If it truly was as he suspected, then in the future, he could entirely rely on Elemental Crystal Dust to synthesize Elemental Crystal Cores!
Hunting the Spirit of the Elements was far simpler than pursuing the Elemental Giant!
Snapping back to reality, Su Nan prepared to experiment.
The Elemental Crystal Dust he had acquired in the Lightning Element Space some time ago was still safely stored in his Space Ring. He quickly retrieved it and placed it into the Magic Cube.
[Elemental Crystal Dust, purity 28.35%, contains a rich thunder Elemental Energy, can be used to create potions, magical items, and puppets, and can also be used to arrange magic arrays.]
Su Nan kept moving, continuously adding Elemental Crystal Dust to the Magic Cube, his gaze fixed on the synthesis interface.
The purity of the Elemental Crystal Dust rapidly increased.
When it surpassed the 100% threshold, the information on the synthesis interface finally changed.
[Elemental Crystal Core, a crystal containing a massive amount of thunder Elemental Energy, also containing a trace of pure Divine energy (0.1 standard units), can be used to create potions, magical items, and puppets, and can also be used to arrange magic arrays. Divine energy can be directly absorbed, increasing Spiritual Power.]
"It worked!"
Su Nan's expression was one of immense joy.
As expected, the Elemental Crystal Core could indeed be synthesized using Elemental Crystal Dust!
Even though it contained only a meager 0.1 standard units of Divine energy, he had ultimately succeeded.
He wasn't deterred by the small amount; as long as it wasn't zero, it was a victory.
Even a tiny bit could be used with the Magic Cube to synthesize and amplify it.
Taking a deep breath, Su Nan calmed the elation in his heart and threw the remaining Elemental Crystal Dust into the Magic Cube in one go, ultimately synthesizing an Elemental Crystal Core containing 2 standard units of Divine energy.
He then absorbed the Divine energy from the core, and his Spiritual Condensation increased by 0.13% as he had hoped.
The increase wasn't substantial, but it left Su Nan feeling utterly invigorated.
This way, in the future, he wouldn't have to risk so much or pay such high costs to hunt the Elemental Giant; he could simply pursue the Spirit of the Elements instead.
He had originally intended to develop an additional channel for obtaining Divine energy, but he hadn't anticipated discovering a low-cost method to rapidly enhance his Spiritual Condensation. Su Nan's mood was exceptionally joyous at this moment.
His gaze fell on the powder that the Elemental Crystal Core had just transformed into, and Su Nan suddenly had a flash of inspiration."
I wonder if this Elemental Crystal Dust can be reused.
If it can...
Su Nan's eyes lit up as he quickly poured all the powder into the Magic Cube.
Unfortunately, the Elemental Crystal Core synthesized this time did not contain any divine energy.
"Is it because the Special Factor was absorbed along with the divine energy?"
In his disappointment, Su Nan soon realized the answer after a moment of thought.
Without the Special Factor, the Elemental Crystal Dust could no longer stimulate divine energy and could only be used as ordinary materials.
Shaking his head, Su Nan quickly cheered himself up. Though it was a bit disappointing, discovering a method to synthesize the Elemental Crystal Core was still a significant achievement. With this knowledge, he could break through to the First Stage of Liquefaction in at most two or three years—much shorter than the originally estimated time.
"At this rate, I might even have a chance to advance to Second Level Wizard before the Dimensional Barrier recovers."
A smile spread across Su Nan's lips.
Even in the vast Multiverse, a Second Level Wizard could be considered a formidable figure. He could advance to confront the Gloomy Throne or retreat to join another Wizard Faction.
No Wizard Faction would refuse the joining of a Second Level Wizard with a clean background.Advancing to Second Level Wizard and establishing a Wizard Tower—these were Su Nan's goals for the next seven hundred years.
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