Ian's gaze was fixed firmly on the boy Amo's index finger. Although that finger appeared normal on the surface, to him it now seemed to represent a universal truth.
It held the key to broadening his understanding of magic.
His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, capturing every subtle detail.
He could see the selection and combination of magic texts, the exquisite adjustments to the engraving needle's angle, the fluctuations in magical power output, and the mysterious, ritualistic process that branded magical force into the origin of life itself.
This was not a simple enchantment or inscription but an alchemical art that fused external magical laws with the inner potential of life, an almost Creator-like craft!
Ian could sense that each engraved rune was not merely leaving a mark on the bone but opening entirely new pathways within the child's magical circuits.
It reshaped the way his body interacted with magical energy.
The idea of using the human body as the basis for alchemical modification was bold and reckless yet filled with incomparable wisdom. Ian's mind raced at incredible speed. All his previous learning... alchemy, magic text studies, and even human transfiguration... was colliding and cross-verifying with what he was witnessing, producing entirely new sparks of inspiration.
Countless ideas seemed to boil within his mind. He was itching to gather materials and begin experimenting for himself, but he had to wait.
He had no idea how much time had passed before the final rune was completed. Instantly, every magical inscription on the finger bone lit up, pulsing three times in perfect rhythm, before the light completely withdrew as though it had never existed.
But Ian could clearly sense it.
The finger bone had undergone a complete transformation, becoming a flawless magical artifact intimately bound to the host's life itself.
"It's done."
Master Caleb let out a long breath. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, showing clearly that the process had been very tiring.
He carefully pressed the separated flesh back together. Soft, emerald-green light radiated from his fingertips as he gently brushed them across the wound. The flesh healed at a visible speed. In the blink of an eye, little Kamba's index finger was fully restored; the skin was smooth and flawless, without so much as a hint of a scar. It was as though the shocking carving process that had taken place just moments ago had been nothing more than an illusion.
Afterwards, Caleb softly chanted another soothing incantation, dispelling the sleeping spell that had been cast on little Kamba.
The little boy slowly awoke, blinking his large eyes in confusion as he looked around. He subconsciously moved the fingers on his right hand, seemingly noticing nothing unusual.
The flesh had sealed together perfectly; the skin was as smooth as before, leaving only an extremely thin, almost invisible red line behind.
That tiny index finger was no longer an ordinary child's finger.
It had become a living magical formation:
A 'wand' symbiotic with life itself.
"All right, child." Caleb's voice carried a hint of exhaustion but also satisfaction. "The initial 'key' has already been forged for you. After you return home, follow the meditation method I taught you. Use your heart to sense it and call to it. Only when you successfully draw upon its power for the first time will you truly step onto our path."
He then turned to the anxious couple waiting nearby and carefully instructed them about the necessary precautions, the meditation method, and what the child should avoid for a while.
"Remember," the Master solemnly warned the child's parents, "for seven days, he must not touch water, carry heavy objects, or come into contact with iron tools. Every morning at dawn, apply Moon Dew Grass juice to the wound until the red line disappears. If the child develops a fever or his finger turns black, bring him back immediately. Otherwise..."
He did not continue, but the weight of those unfinished words was enough to make the young couple's faces pale as they nodded repeatedly.
They listened with the utmost seriousness, as though receiving a divine oracle. In the end, they expressed their gratitude repeatedly before leaving the shop with their somewhat bewildered little son, Kamba.
The heavy wooden door closed, isolating them from the noise of the outside world.
Only Ian and the Alchemy Master remained in the quiet chamber. Candlelight flickered softly, illuminating the silent 'magic text artefacts' that lined the walls.
To accomplish something like this...
He truly deserved the title of Master.
The master-level alchemist wiped away his sweat and drank a large mouthful of water before finally turning towards Ian.
Fatigue remained on his face, yet his eyes shone with unusual brightness. He was even more humble than before, nervous like a student awaiting a professor's evaluation.
"I have embarrassed myself before you, My Lord," Caleb said respectfully. "This was merely the most basic Finger Bone 'Key Engraving' Ritual. It is crude and simplistic. Is there anything you would like to criticize or correct?"
"If I could receive even a few words of guidance from My Lord, I would be endlessly grateful."
The authority and solemnity he had displayed earlier had completely vanished, replaced by an almost humble modesty.
Having misunderstood Ian's age, he addressed him as a senior. Bringing his hands together, he bowed deeply towards Ian, a sincere thirst for knowledge shining within his single eye.
Of course…
Perhaps it was not entirely a misunderstanding.
After all… On the path of magic, the accomplished are respected first.
"Uh…"
Ian was still reeling from the shock and inspiration of what he had just witnessed. When he heard Caleb seek his advice, he fell silent for a moment in thought.
Although this was his first time personally witnessing such a unique form of alchemy, his vision and comprehension as a legendary mage and alchemy master remained intact, especially his understanding of the essence of magic texts, which had long since reached the pinnacle.
"Master, you are being too modest." Ian spoke slowly, his tone sincere rather than polite and formal. "The ingenuity behind the entire ritual far exceeded my expectations. To engrave magic texts directly onto the origin of life itself and use that as the foundation for spellcasting, such creativity is breathtaking."
He first acknowledged the other party's skill before smoothly shifting towards his own observations.
"However, regarding the finer details… I noticed that during the transition between the sequential runes, your magical power output experienced an instantaneous fluctuation of roughly two percent."
"Although it was extremely subtle and successfully concealed by the overall ritual energy without affecting the final result, if the transition could be smoothed out perfectly, it might allow the child to switch between those two magical attributes more fluidly in the future, reducing mental force consumption by around 0.5%. Of course, this merely falls into the category of pursuing perfection."
Ian's words were tactful while also subtly displaying his own ability.
Caleb's pupils contracted sharply. He immediately replayed the ritual in his mind, his expression changing slightly.
He himself had barely noticed that fluctuation.
Yet the other party had seen through it instantly?!
Ian continued, "Also, within the seventh composite rune, the 'Heartfire Seal,' the connection between the third and fourth strokes could probably be tilted by another 1.7 degrees."
"It is not incorrect as it is now, but if adjusted in that manner, it would better harmonize with this child's faint life-fire affinity. In the future, fire-related magic will increase in power by around three percent while reducing consumption by around two percent."
Again, these are merely areas where it could be refined further.
Ian was not showing off.
At present, these were simply the only conclusions he could draw.
Of course...
That alone was already more than enough.
Caleb was completely stunned. Subconsciously, he began tracing the angle Ian had described in the air with his finger. The more he calculated it mentally, the wider his eyes became and the heavier his breathing grew.
This wasn't just about identifying problems.
This was optimization taken to the absolute limit!
Even the hidden life attribute within that child was something that Caleb himself had not fully discerned.
And yet...
The other party had sensed it merely through observation and proposed a perfectly compatible adjustment without even touching the ritual personally!
Was this the true weight carried by a Human Realm Legendary?
Boundless awe rose once more within Caleb's heart.
"Finally..." Ian frowned slightly as he considered an even deeper issue. "The entire engraving process appears to rely completely on your experience and magical power to guide and protect the child's fragile life origin from the impact of the magic texts. While you handled it exceptionally well, is there perhaps a more universal and safer 'buffer' or 'harmonising' mechanism?"
"For example, before engraving runes of a certain intensity, what if a gentle neutralizing energy were first injected as a foundation layer? That might further reduce the risks of the ritual, especially for children with weaker talent."
This question struck at the heart of one of the core difficulties of Caleb's entire crafting lineage!
He had researched the issue for decades without solving it entirely, instead relying on improving his own control to compensate.
Caleb stood frozen to the spot as though he had been struck by lightning, his mind furiously deducing the possibilities behind Ian's concept of a 'neutralizing energy foundation.'
Countless past failures and those critical thresholds that were so difficult to control suddenly revealed the first glimmers of a solution in the light of this new idea.
Ian continued to guide him.
"Your rune structure consists of three parts: the starting ring, the guiding line, and the convergence point," Ian analyzed. "The overall structure is correct, but there are three areas that can still be optimized."
The other man did not even blink, afraid of missing a single word.
"Firstly, the closure of the starting ring." Ian pointed towards the glowing traces. "The ring you carved contains a tiny opening. That was done to 'release pressure' and prevent magical overload from backfiring on the child, right?"
"Yes!" the Master answered in surprise. "It is our ancestral method. Every ring leaves a slight gap to preserve the child's life."
"The concept is correct, but the method is flawed." Ian shook his head. "Although the gap releases pressure, it also causes magical leakage, resulting in low efficiency. Furthermore, after the wound heals, there is a risk of deformation."
"Then what should be done instead?"
"Use the 'Spiral Gradual Contraction Method.'"
Ian rotated his finger slightly. The glowing starting ring began to spiral inward before finally sealing shut at a single point.
"The ring gradually narrows, naturally guiding magical power into the guiding line without requiring an opening. If there is truly an overload, the magical power will burst open from the narrowest part of the spiral. The effect is equivalent to releasing pressure, but under normal circumstances the seal remains exceptionally stable."
This conclusion was derived from a combination of Muggle science and magical concepts, something that most wizards had never even considered.
The man sucked in a cold breath as brilliance exploded within his eyes.
He had never imagined that 'sealing' and 'pressure release' could be combined so ingeniously.
"Secondly, consider the curvature of the guiding line," Ian continued. "You are using smooth curves, which is good for reducing magical friction. However, the child's bones are slender, and the magical flow speed is too fast. In these circumstances, smooth curves cause the magical power to 'overshoot', creating turbulence before reaching the convergence point and wasting energy."
"So what should be used instead?"
"A stepped gradual descent."
With a wave of his hand, Ian transformed the guiding line into a series of tiny steps.
"Each step functions like a miniature dam, slowing the magical flow so it can arrive steadily at the convergence point. The efficiency of convergence can increase by at least thirty percent."
The Alchemy Master's hands trembled violently, as though he could already envision the perfect runes he would carve in the future.
"Thirdly and most importantly, the method of magical power guidance."
Ian's tone turned serious.
"You use the 'Deep Blue Flame' for engraving. This flame is a highly compressed form of ancestral spirit magic and is immensely powerful. However, during the engraving process, you are essentially pushing this magical power into the bone structure, correct?"
The Alchemy Master nodded.
"Yes, one must force it in with sheer willpower; otherwise, the rune becomes unstable."
"And that," Ian declared firmly, "is the greatest flaw!"
"'Pushing' is violent. It damages bone cells, slows healing, and may affect skeletal development. The superior method is to guide the power, not force it."
"Guide it?"
"Imagine your magical power is not a hammer, but water."
Ian closed his eyes as golden rays of sunlight, blessed by the Sun God, slowly flowed through his body.
"When water encounters stone, it does not crash against it head-on. Instead, it searches for cracks, seeping in and enveloping them. Your magical power should function in the same way."
He raised a hand, gathering a sphere of soft golden light in his palm.
"During engraving, first use an extremely fine magical probe to sense the natural texture of the bone and its magical pathways. Then, follow those patterns and gently guide the rune inward, allowing it to grow into the bone rather than being forcibly hammered inside."
His fingertip lightly touched the air.
The golden light seeped into the rune traces like a living organism, encountering no resistance whatsoever.
A true moment of enlightenment!
Genuine enlightenment!
It took a long while for Caleb to recover from the overwhelming shock and inspiration.
When he looked at Ian again, his gaze held not only awe but also something akin to reverence for wisdom itself.
He stepped back, straightened his robes, and bowed deeply and solemnly towards Ian.
This time, Ian did not stop him.
After all, Ian himself understood perfectly well just how valuable his guidance truly was.
Most wizards could seek guidance from a Legendary for an entire lifetime without ever obtaining it.
It was like the kind of encounter in fantasy novels where a Heavenly Emperor descends into the mortal world, the kind of encounter capable of changing a cultivator's entire life.
"Thank you for your guidance, My Lord!"
Caleb's voice trembled with emotion.
"Your few brief words surpass a hundred years of my own bitter contemplation! Not only have you resolved flaws that have troubled me for decades, but you have also pointed out a safer and broader future for my lineage's craft! This kindness... this kindness..."
He was so overwhelmed with emotion that he could hardly express his gratitude.
Suddenly, as though having made up his mind, he turned and hurried towards a cabinet in the farthest corner of the shop. It was protected by multiple layers of magical locks.
He carefully retrieved an ancient book wrapped in the hide of some unknown beast from within, its edges already worn with age.
Holding the book reverently in both hands, he returned before Ian, his expression incredibly sincere.
"My Lord, your interest in the techniques of our lineage is an honor. This Bone Inscriptions manuscript has been passed down from my ancestors. It records the foundational principles behind our Finger Bone Key Carving techniques, as well as some more advanced body inscription arts and core magic texts."
"Though perhaps shallow in nature, it may provide a different perspective for your research."
Seeing the ancient tome, clearly steeped in generations of history and wisdom, Ian was momentarily stunned.
He shook his head.
"This is far too precious. It is a treasured inheritance of your house. How could I possibly..."
"My Lord!"
Caleb interrupted him urgently, his tone resolute.
"Please, you must accept it! Knowledge can only attain true life through exchange. If it remains in the hands of an old man like me, it will eventually gather dust. But if it can inspire a Legendary, even if only in the slightest way, that alone would be an endless honor for our lineage!"
His eyes burned with sincerity and were filled with devotion and expectation.
"Please grant this old man's small wish!"
Ian looked at Caleb's earnest and stubborn expression, then at the beast-hide tome radiating an aura of ancient wisdom.
He remained silent for a moment.
Finally, he solemnly extended both hands and accepted the Bone Inscriptions.
"In that case, I shall accept it. Thank you for your gift, Master Caleb. I swear this wisdom shall never be allowed to gather dust."
Ian spoke in a tone that sounded remarkably similar to the protagonists from xianxia novels.
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 110 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
I am translating some new fanfiction (Haikyuu- Starting From Volleyball). Read it and support me.
PS— I will post 1 Bonus Chapter for every 100 Power Stones