Chapter 33: The Alchemy Threshold

The afternoon was already half over.

I carefully held a transcendent material in my hand. To any casual observer, I might have appeared foolish, simply staring intently at the material. Yet, I knew that an invisible hand, forged from spiritual energy, was imperceptibly at work, slowly stripping the transcendent elements from within the material.

The extraction of elements from transcendent materials served as the fundamental entry point into the study of alchemy. It was the bedrock upon which all transcendent alchemy was built. Alchemy’s true essence lay in the myriad applications of transcendent energy; material forms merely acted as its conduits.

During this extended period, I hadn’t simply been idling. Before even beginning the fundamental lessons, one first had to master the spiritual energy required to conjure the invisible hand. To achieve this, a ‘ritual’ had to be performed using spiritual energy, a crucial and indispensable aspect of the transcendent arts, as Granny Dou had informed me. She also mentioned it would be a key focus of tomorrow’s evocation class.

Consequently, Granny Dou hadn’t delved into extensive explanations. She simply instructed me on the precise steps to complete the ritual, ensuring I could master the invisible hand. That was sufficient, especially since her current focus was the alchemy lesson.

I, for my part, had practiced for a long time. My curiosity regarding these ‘rituals’ was immense, but Granny Dou clearly had no interest in elaborating.

Completing the ritual granted one control over the ‘invisible hand’. The specific operation involved a complex ‘magic circle,’ it seemed, intricate patterns nested within a circular design.

Personally, I felt it strongly resembled a magic circle.

By guiding spiritual energy to outline the ritual’s magic circle, one’s spiritual energy would undergo a transformation. It would become more tangible, capable of precise manipulation! The term ‘invisible hand’ didn’t imply it would manifest as an actual hand, but rather as a limb constructed from spiritual energy, distinct from one’s physical appendages.

I had dedicated a significant amount of time to mastering the invisible hand. Now, I could finally use it, albeit somewhat clumsily.

It was precisely because of this rudimentary control that I had ruined numerous transcendent materials under Granny Dou’s guidance.

I had also truly grasped the terrifying power of transcendent energy! When the invisible hand extracted transcendent energy, any disruption to the energy flow could devastate the material serving as its vessel. This destruction encompassed, but was not limited to, being ground into fine particles, shattering, or even exploding.

If the energy didn’t merely become chaotic, but instead clashed, annihilated, or entangled, it would unleash a catastrophic disaster!

Fortunately, the transcendent materials I currently worked with primarily contained elemental transcendent properties, and their transcendent energy was singular. This meant such terrifying incidents were unlikely to occur.

Even so, materials would still shatter, sending fragments flying into my face.

I couldn’t help but wonder, after accumulating so much alchemical knowledge and experience, why hadn’t I unlocked an achievement yet?

Did I truly need to succeed first?

I focused my mind and held my breath. The transcendent material in my invisible hand had already grown dim, a clear sign that its transcendent properties had been isolated, and the transcendent energy successfully extracted.

If all went according to plan, this attempt should be a success, right?

As I thought this, my hand movements remained steady, knowing that a single lapse could lead to another failure. Was alchemy truly so draining? This was merely the threshold of the craft!

“It’s a success!”

I gazed at the extracted elemental energy; though invisible to my eyes, I could distinctly perceive its presence through my spiritual senses. I had truly extracted it!

[Achievement Unlocked: Alchemy Prodigy

Effect: Greatly enhances understanding of alchemical knowledge.]

Indeed, the familiar font instantly eased my mind. There really was an achievement here!

The effect seemed quite promising.

‘Understanding’ was a rather vague concept, however. I wondered if its terrifying efficacy would rival that of the memory enhancement effect.

Lost in thought, I suddenly noticed something amiss: my hand was burning hot!

My spiritual perception registered transcendent elements rapidly dissipating!

“Don’t worry, this is normal,” Granny Dou reassured me.

She picked up a piece of white crystal and guided the energy into it. “When transcendent energy is extracted, it merely transfers from the material vessel into the air. However, air has a low capacity for containing transcendent energy, causing it to dissipate quickly. Therefore, you need another material to hold it.”

“Crystals aren’t the best at containing transcendent energy, but they’re the easiest to acquire and offer the best value for money. If you intend to study alchemy, you should stock up on white crystals and similar materials.”

Granny Dou smiled as she explained, “Does your hand still feel hot? Since air can’t hold transcendent energy, it interferes with gas particle movement, accelerating it, which naturally makes it feel hot. You understand the essence of temperature, don’t you? Do I need to explain it to you?”

“No need. I’m aware that an object’s temperature relates to the speed of its particle movement.”

“Excellent.”

Granny Dou smiled contentedly. “The technique of transcendent extraction still requires much practice, or your hands will grow rusty. However, I did mention I’d teach you the proportions for incense. While this might be beyond your current grasp, if you remember it and ponder it slowly later, you can still accomplish it. After all, it’s merely about proportioning the transcendent properties of different materials.”

“You wouldn’t think it’s just grinding transcendent materials into powder and mixing them to form incense, would you? Only an alchemical novice would believe that.”

Granny Dou chuckled as she spoke, and I offered a small laugh in return, even though I didn’t quite grasp the humor.

Perhaps she found the idea of a novice being so naive amusing.

Though, I too had once held that very belief.

Now that I had delved into the extraction of transcendent properties, I naturally no longer considered incense making a simple mixture of materials. It was about the precise combination of transcendent properties!

Perhaps even the act of burning required a special method to release the transcendent energy. I recalled the senior student at the material shop telling me to find a good censer; it was likely a specialized tool for burning incense. It was fortunate I hadn’t simply tried to light the incense directly, as that would have been an immense waste.

“Alright, let’s get back to business. First, let’s familiarize ourselves with the transcendent materials needed for incense making.”

Granny Dou meticulously laid out each material; the incense required a staggering thirty-two different components!

Upon reflection, this wasn’t so outlandish. Even ordinary incense typically involved over a dozen materials. Considering that, thirty-two didn’t seem exaggerated at all.

“I’m going to test you,” Granny Dou suddenly declared. “I briefly covered these materials this morning. Do you remember them?”

Had this been earlier, I likely would have broken out in a cold sweat. Such knowledge typically went in one ear and out the other for me, leaving no trace.

But now, things were different! I remembered all these materials! After all, I had paid close attention during the lesson, and even if I hadn’t read much from the books, I still retained what was taught in class, especially since they were for incense.

“I remember,” I affirmed, nodding confidently.

“Quite confident, aren’t we?” Granny Dou’s smile widened. “Go ahead and tell me. I’ll help you fill in any gaps and add anything we didn’t cover in class.”

“And if you forget, it’s alright. Just remember for next time,” Granny Dou added, softening her tone.