Unlike the last time Jie Ming directly infused his soul with Mortal Dust Qi, which overwhelmed him with an almost suffocating torrent of worldly emotions, this time was different.
After each intense emotional surge, a warm, soothing sensation followed, like a gentle breeze over a lake, calming his spirit and restoring his mental clarity.
The extreme, near-breaking experience didnât recur.
He could clearly feel that the potion hadnât diminished the core effects of Mortal Dust Qi. In fact, amplified by other materials, its potency was enhanced.
Yet, it also skillfully segmented and buffered the relentless, ocean-like flood of emotions.
This was the potionâs core functionâit allowed Jie Ming to fully experience the myriad emotions of mortal life while preventing his spirit from reaching the brink of exhaustion, thus avoiding damage.
It was as if he stood within a perfectly fitted, transparent raincoat, feeling the raging storm outside while remaining clear and safe.
The potionâs effects lasted about half an hour. As the final wave of emotions receded like a tide, Jie Ming let out a long breath.
He opened his eyes, his gaze clear and bright.
Though still somewhat fatigued, it wasnât the near-depleting weakness of before, but rather the natural exhaustion from a prolonged, profound emotional journey.
âGood! Excellent!â Jie Ming couldnât help but exclaim twice.
The final effect was truly remarkable!
Not only was the purification of mental strength undiminished, but the spiritual fatigue was significantly reduced.
Recalling his previous use of raw Mortal Dust Qi, just a single strand had pushed his spirit to its limit, requiring over a month to recover fully.
Now, this potion used far more Mortal Dust Qi than that single strand, yet the results were even more astonishing.
The soul purification effect was undiminished, and the spiritual fatigue didnât reach its limit.
More importantly, he estimated the recovery time for this fatigue would be much shorter.
Roughly calculating, heâd need only half a month before he could use another dose.
This meant that by using the potion, he could perform more frequent soul refinements and mental purifications in less time!
âThis is⊠the perfect product!â Jie Ming murmured, eyes gleaming with excitement.
Since the potionâs refining method was designed to amplify and temper Mortal Dust Qi, it retained its core properties.
As the userâs capacity to handle Mortal Dust Qi increased, its effects grew exponentially!
Even an immortal, if carelessly exposed to excessive Mortal Dust Qi, could fall into the mortal realm.
The Great Dao Book Pavilion held numerous such examples.
This meant that, regardless of the userâs strength, as long as they could withstand it and sufficient Mortal Dust Qi was added, the potion could effectively enhance soul purity.
Unlike low-tier potions that lost efficacy with growing strength, this one remained potent.
More terrifyingly, as long as Mortal Dust Qi functioned correctly, the mental purity gained scaled with the userâs overall capacity!
If Eastward Purple Qi boosted aptitude by a fixed amount, Mortal Dust Qi enhanced it by a percentage!
For high-tier wizards, this percentage-based boost was far more valuable than fixed gains.
As for the potionâs effects⊠though it carried some risk during use, compared to the benefits of purifying the soul and mental strength, that risk was negligible.
In the wizarding worldâs principle of equivalent exchange, a potion with such effects and no risk would raise suspicions of hidden flaws.
Most crucially, unlike Eastward Purple Qi, the potionâs raw materials werenât restricted and were relatively easy to obtain.
Jie Ming looked at the empty vial in his hand, a smile of unprecedented satisfaction spreading across his face.
âNow, I can confirm the new productâŠâ
Having verified its effects, Jie Ming pondered briefly and decided that this potion, named âMortal Dust Potion,â would primarily target high-tier wizards.
Specifically⊠sixth-rank wizards.
As wizard ranks increased, the gaps between them widened.
For the potion to affect seventh-rank wizards, even exhausting his entire Mortal Dust Qi stockpile would likely be insufficient.
Targeting fifth-rank wizards would save materials, but the profit margin would be too low.
Sixth-rank wizards offered the best balance of cost and benefit.
The amount of Mortal Dust Qi needed for them was within the Golden Gardenâs production capacity.
Moreover, sixth-rank wizards, building their Wizard Towers, typically amassed significant wealth.
Ordinary items wouldnât tempt them, but Jie Ming was confident the Mortal Dust Potionâs effects could command a hefty price!
As for the first buyerâŠ
âMentor Clark⊠as a sixth-rank alchemy wizard of the fate discipline, he must have amassed plenty of points, heh heh hehâŠâ Thinking of his mentor, Jie Ming couldnât help but burst into laughter.
Without delay, he contacted Mentor Clark via the magic network terminal.
Reading Jie Mingâs potion test report and description, Clark frowned.
Not because it was lacking, but because it was too good.
A potion that could purify the soul and mental strength of a sixth-rank wizard proportionally, with the only cost being some pain during use and less than a month of spiritual fatigue?
ThisâŠ
If true, it made potions that boosted mental strength at the cost of vitality look pathetic.
With Clarkâs experience, such a report was ninety-nine percent likely a scam.
If it werenât from his own student, he wouldnât have bothered looking.
But since it was his studentâŠ
Clark pondered briefly, then sent a spatial coordinate to Jie Ming.
Moments later, Jie Ming appeared in Mentor Clarkâs Wizard Tower.
More private than the academy office, Jie Ming arrived to find Clark seated in a wide armchair, toying with an unknown alchemical component.
âAre you sure that report is real?â Clark glanced at Jie Ming, his tone calm. âIf this is false advertising to secure funding, even as my student, youâll pay for wasting my consultation timeâŠâ
âDonât worry, Mentor. I brought the finished product.â
Jie Ming produced a delicate glass vial containing the shimmering, seven-colored potion with a faint mortal aura.
He placed it gently on the table before Clark.
âMentor, this is my recent creation, the âMortal Dust Potion.â As the report states, it excels at enhancing soul purity,â Jie Ming explained. âI hope youâll try it.â
Clark raised an eyebrow, picking up the vial for closer inspection.
With his expertise, he could tell the potion was extraordinary.
Its energy was complex yet balanced, exuding an indescribable âlifeâ aura, as if condensing the joys and sorrows of countless beings.
This unique quality sparked his curiosity.
Without a word, he uncorked the vial and drank it.
The potion carried a hint of floral fragrance, but soon, a vast, chaotic stream of information surged into Clarkâs soul!
Even for a sixth-rank wizard with a robust soul, tempered by countless planar wars, his body trembled.
He âsawâ the lives, deaths, loves, and hatreds of countless mortals, a soul-deep resonance briefly losing him in the myriad mortal dust.
Clark closed his eyes, letting the potionâs power flow through his soul.
He experienced the humility and greatness of mortals, their pain and joy.
As the effects faded, he opened his eyes, a profound shock in his deep gaze.
His soul felt thoroughly cleansed, purer and clearer.
His control over elements, understanding of laws, and even micro-manipulation of mental strength had noticeably improved!
For a wizard of his rank, such progress was rare.
Each small step typically demanded vast time and resources.
Yet this potion achieved in minutes what decades of meditation might!
But for a high-tier wizard, strength gains alone werenât enough to shock him.
What truly shook Clark was the experience during use.
It was an ultimate experience, rekindling a sense of emotional resonance in a high-tier wizard who, over long years, had grown indifferent to many things.
âThisâŠâ Clark looked at Jie Ming, his eyes gleaming with disbelief. âThis is the potion you created?!â
Jie Ming replied calmly, âYes.â
Clark took a deep breath, calming his shock.
He understood the potionâs value.
For any high-tier wizard, enhancing soul purity was akin to a leap in aptitude.
Moreover, this effect wasnât limited to standalone use.
If one maximized their soul and mental strength through other methods before taking this potion, it could negate those methodsâ side effects entirely!
Even the emotional experience Jie Ming considered a âcostâ held significant appeal for some long-lived wizards.
âJie Ming, how do you plan to price this potion?â Clarkâs voice carried a trace of barely concealed excitement.