The gold ingot and golden lotus were the first to show signs of change.
Originally crafted from paper, they began to feel sturdier after days of spiritual energy infusion, gradually gaining a metallic sheen. This was surprising, considering they were in the mortal realm.
In the underworld, gold ingots and lotus offerings could carry a faint divine aura due to their association with extended lifespans. But here, under the sun, they had always looked like what they were—paper. There had never been the slightest hint of real gold.
Yet after just a week of spiritual infusion, they now had the luster and texture of true gold.
Su Miaozhu pinched the gold lotus gently. It still caved in slightly under pressure, as paper objects should, but there was a distinct change in the feel of it.
"It does seem a little firmer…"
She wasn't entirely sure and didn't want to press too hard. Each object she used in the experiment was one of a kind. If she damaged them now, she'd have to start over from the beginning.
After some thought, she carefully removed a petal from the edge of the lotus flower. This lotus had twenty-seven petals, each folded individually and assembled together. Removing one wouldn't affect the whole piece.
She examined the petal closely. Only the exposed outer surface had changed, developing that golden texture. Inside, it remained ordinary paper.
Its inner softness came from its hollow, folded-paper structure.
To confirm whether the gold-like surface was just an illusion or something more, Su Miaozhu took a small scraping tool and gently shaved a thin layer from the petal. She wrapped the sliver in paper and reattached the petal to the lotus before heading into town.
There, she visited a jewelry shop to have it tested.
"Looks like real gold to me," the jeweler said with just one glance. "But it's such a tiny piece, it wouldn't even cover the cost of testing."
"That's fine. Please go ahead," Su Miaozhu said, paying up front without hesitation.
The jeweler set up a new testing device. "This thing's fresh off the shelves. It'll give you a thorough reading."
The results came quickly.
"This gold flake is surprisingly pure—24 karat," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Where'd you get this from? Want to sell?"
"No need," Su Miaozhu replied, taking back the gold and ignoring his follow-up offers as she made her way home.
Her paper soldier project was still ongoing, and she couldn't afford to stay out too long. She'd only made this short trip because it wasn't far and her curiosity had gotten the better of her. Now that she had her answer, she rushed back.
On the way home, she kept thinking to herself:
"Spiritual infusion turned a paper-crafted lotus and ingot into something that resembles real gold?"
She had no doubt that if she kept going, those offerings might eventually transform completely. Su Miaozhu began calculating. Was it more profitable to sell actual gold ingots, or stick to paper offerings?
Real gold fetched a high price, after all.
But spiritual infusion wasn't a secret anymore. The SEIU had already released public research on it. Other paper craft masters were surely testing the same theory on their creations.
If more people managed to convert paper into gold this way, the market would flood. Prices would drop. Gold's value might even fluctuate.
Besides, she hadn't simply breathed a little qi into the objects. She had poured her entire reserve of spiritual energy into each one, then used premium spirit stones to replenish herself and repeat the process.
One top-grade spirit stone cost a million hell coins. Even though its energy lasted a while, this whole experiment was draining her resources.
Other paper crafters probably wouldn't go to such extremes.
From the initial revival of spiritual energy to the current era of spiritual tides, progress had been slow. The amount of free-floating qi in the air was no longer enough to support even casual cultivation, let alone dedicated infusion.
Most cultivators could barely refill their own reserves, let alone spare any energy for experiments.
Thinking of this, Su Miaozhu's enthusiasm cooled. Even if the gold ingot and lotus eventually turned into real gold, it might not be worth the cost.
"For now, I'll just keep testing these two. No need to start on more until I see what they actually become."
She sighed. "If all they do is turn into gold, then it's not worth it."
Infusing spiritual energy to create real gold was less useful than putting that same energy toward cultivation. Spirit stones didn't grow on trees.
Besides, what could gold do besides be exchanged for cash? And paper money had better long-term value than cash.
Two more weeks passed.
One day, after infusing spiritual energy into one of her little paper servants, it suddenly flickered and vanished.
In the blink of an eye, it reappeared again.
Su Miaozhu was certain it wasn't her imagination.
Even the paper servant seemed confused about what had happened. It looked a little drained, like it did whenever its energy ran low. She looked more closely and saw that its spiritual glow had dimmed. That was a sign its energy was almost depleted.
The servant's spiritual essence required a vessel to function, and the paper body served that purpose. Her spiritual energy—drawn from her own core—linked the servant's essence to the paper form. It was this connection that allowed the servant to move.
Once its energy ran dry, the link would break. The paper shell would become useless until recharged.
This one seemed to be in just that state.
But she remembered clearly that she had infused it with energy just yesterday. Normally, that would be enough to last it a full week.
It shouldn't be running on empty already.
Su Miaozhu thought back to that strange moment of disappearance. She gave it another burst of spiritual energy, then told it, "Try again. Do that thing you just did—where you vanished."
Now recharged, the paper servant perked up immediately.
It followed her instructions, focusing on its previous experience. In the next moment, it vanished right before her eyes.
This time, it stayed gone just a little longer.
But Su Miaozhu noticed something else.
Although its body disappeared, her spiritual connection to it remained intact. She could still sense it, feel its presence.
It hadn't moved at all. It was still standing right where it had been.