Translator: AnubisTL
The process of researching the protective spell artifact proceeded much more smoothly than Jieming had anticipated.
Perhaps thanks to the continuous optimization of his brain and soul through the Body Tempering Method, as well as his profound foundation in the knowledge of the two major systems, a finished product already sat on his experimental platform in less than a month.
It was a metal bracer with a simple design and smooth lines.
Its color was dim, and it felt ice-cold to the touch.
A pigeon-egg-sized transparent crystal was embedded in the center of the bracer. Inside the crystal, a clump of slowly flowing, softly glowing golden liquid was sealed, resembling bound liquid sunlight.
Jieming examined his creation with satisfaction.
To solve the core problems of energy consumption and wear and tear for isolation-type spell artifacts, he had taken an unconventional approach. Instead of the traditional continuous power supply mode, he drew inspiration from the protective principle of the protective magical treasure [Profound Astral Red Dust Barrier] and deeply coupled it with the rune technology of the wizard world.
The protective mechanism of this bracer was similar to the Profound Astral Red Dust Barrier, employing a combination of "triggered response" and "consumable defense" technologies.
Its core principle is as follows: the composite rune array inscribed inside the bracer drives the central pool of golden liquid—the adamantine refinement—to release power embodying the concepts of "eternity" and "stability," forming an incredibly resilient mind barrier.
Under normal conditions, this barrier can persist indefinitely. However, once it detects any force attempting to warp the mind, it can forcibly neutralize or deflect the intrusion by consuming the adamantine.
Put simply, it resists attacks by consuming a specific "protective material."
Furthermore, Jieming employed superb alchemical techniques to physically and energetically separate the bracer's main structure from the consumable protective material.
The bracer's main body is designed to be both precise and durable, theoretically allowing for long-term use.
The actual consumable is that sealed pool of specially refined, high-purity adamantine.
This means that as long as this specially prepared adamantine solution is continuously refilled into the bracer, its isolation and protection capabilities can be maintained almost indefinitely!
Of course, this is only "infinite" in theory.
Limited by the bracer's own volume and the material's maximum capacity, the total amount of protective material that could be filled at once was fixed, meaning its defense had a theoretical upper limit.
Based on Jieming's calculations and limited testing, this bracer should be able to resist illusion attacks of sixth-tier spell strength over the long term.
Against seventh-tier spells, it could hold out for a considerable amount of time. If it ever encountered forces of an eighth-tier level, it could probably only withstand one or two impacts.
But even against illusion magic of such strength, this bracer was sufficient to serve as an extremely sensitive high-danger warning device—the moment the user noticed the golden liquid stored inside the bracer was being consumed at an unprecedented rate, they would immediately realize they were under a terrifying attack far beyond their expectations and could then take extreme countermeasures.
As for the choice of protective material, Jieming ultimately settled on adamantine.
This conceptual material was already renowned for its "inert," "eternal," and "corrosion-resistant" (including erosion on both the energy and spirit levels) properties, making it an excellent medium for resisting mind-warping forces.
More importantly, compared to other rare materials of the same tier, the basic cost of adamantine was relatively low.
Of course, Jieming wasn't using ordinary adamantine ingots.
Through a complex conceptual extraction technique provided by the Great Dao Library Pavilion, he had processed them into a near-liquid, ultra-pure conceptual material: liquid adamantine.
In this form, adamantine's "eternal" properties were fully unleashed, exponentially increasing its resistance to spiritual pollution. Its quality was now comparable to that of a sixth-tier high-grade material.
But for Jieming, the refinement process was merely a matter of time and energy. He could mass-produce it using the automated factory within his internal space, making the technical threshold quite low.
"Exceptional performance... and a massive ongoing cost." Jieming smiled with satisfaction as he gazed at the captivating golden glow at the bracer's center.
If he wasn't worried about raising suspicion by being too obvious, he was tempted to give the bracer's main body away for free and then profit long-term by being the sole supplier of this fluid adamantine.
After confirming the spell artifact's stability, Jieming contacted Black.
The call connected. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jieming immediately showcased the finished product and explained its usage in detail.
He emphasized its "eternal isolation" mechanism and the need for regular refills of "fluid adamantine."
"...So, the total price for the Mind Barrier Bracer, including enough pre-filled fluid adamantine to last ten years under mid-grade interference, is set at one million military merits," Jieming announced.
Before Black could even react, Jieming quickly changed the subject. "However, since we're old classmates, this is our first collaboration, and you've agreed to provide actual combat data, I can offer you a discounted price—five hundred thousand military merits."
On the other side of the light screen, Black was visibly stunned.
He hadn't expected Jieming to be so efficient, delivering the finished product in less than a month.
Listening to Jieming's explanation and reviewing the transmitted performance parameters, Black found the spell artifact's design to be innovative and its protective principles highly reliable. The early warning function, in particular, would be invaluable in unknown environments.
Although the ongoing cost of purchasing fluid adamantine would be a recurring expense, it was still within his means as a fourth-tier wizard.
Yet, Jieming's unnervingly fast production speed only served to revive the faint seed of doubt in Black's mind.
This efficiency is... too high.
Which alchemy master could create an exceptional custom spell artifact without months or even years of repeated deliberation and testing?
However, Black showed no trace of his doubts. Instead, he wore a smile of gratitude and surprise. "Jieming, your efficiency is truly astonishing! This price is very fair as well. Thank you so much!"
He readily signed the trade contract with Jieming and transferred five hundred thousand military merits.
Then, he provided Jieming with the spatial coordinates and received the dim bracer floating within the teleportation beam of light.
After ending the communication, Black stroked the cool bracer in his hand, feeling the faint but steady energy fluctuations emanating from the golden liquid within.
"The effect sounds promising... but it's still a new design that hasn't been tested in actual combat, and the production cycle was too short..."
He pondered for a moment before finally making his decision.
With a thought, he brought up the communication list again, his gaze falling on the names of several other highly respected alchemy masters.
"I'd better... wait and see how these great masters are doing first," he sighed softly.
One year later.
Black stepped through the teleportation formation, his expression grim, wearing a bracer on his wrist.
The process of commissioning a custom spell artifact had been far from smooth.
The alchemy masters he had contact with were almost entirely booked. Although he finally found one who was available, the deadline was too tight for the master to do anything.
In the end, Black had no choice but to hastily purchase a few ready-made mental protective spell artifacts before boarding the ship to the plane.
(End of the Chapter)
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