For Jie Ming at this stage, this sorcery was indeed highly suitable.
It didn’t directly enhance his combat strength, but it greatly boosted his research efficiency, indirectly accelerating his mastery of higher-level powers.
Jie Ming speculated that the awakening of such a sorcery was likely due to his long-term obsession with research, pouring nearly all his energy into exploring and analyzing knowledge.
His Ring of Truth had manifested his deepest needs and understanding into this sorcery called the “All-Purpose Eye.”
In the following period, the birth of the All-Purpose Eye was like opening a gate to the depths of truth for Jie Ming.
With this auxiliary sorcery, his already efficient research speed surged, as if he had boarded a high-speed train.
With Mentor Clark’s manuscripts on divine faith networks and the insight of the All-Purpose Eye, what was once obscure and difficult research became far less daunting.
For a time, Jie Ming was completely immersed in this state of deep research, unable to extricate himself.
Aside from brief rests and necessary cultivation, he spent nearly all his time in the laboratory, his mental energy surging like tides in the ocean of knowledge, absorbing boundless wisdom.
However, in less than a year, this tranquil and efficient research life was shattered by a sudden crisis, forcing Jie Ming out of his near-meditative research state.
The reason: his proud Mortal Dust Qi was starting to run short!
Looking at the two vials of potion shimmering with seven-colored light in his hand, Jie Ming’s expression darkened.
He had long noticed, even anticipated, that the yield of Mortal Dust Qi would decline, but he hadn’t expected the drop to be so drastic.
In fact, since he took charge of this group of natives, the yield of Mortal Dust Qi had been steadily decreasing.
As time passed, this downward trend became increasingly pronounced.
When he tallied this month’s output, he was shocked to find that the collected Mortal Dust Qi was barely enough to meet the minimum raw materials needed to refine two vials of Mortal Dust Potion each month.
For Jie Ming, this was like a bolt from the blue.
The Mortal Dust Potion was his primary source of stable points at this stage and a key bargaining chip for securing assistance in crafting a seventh-level elemental pool!
He immediately extended his mental energy deep into the Golden Garden, meticulously inspecting the state of every rune seal absorbing Mortal Dust Qi.
Regrettably, yet unsurprisingly, the rune seals showed no issues.
“Sigh… I didn’t expect this day to come so soon…”
With a sigh, Jie Ming left the laboratory for the first time in a while, ascending to the highest floor of his residence to overlook the endless sea of flowers below.
Beyond the flower sea were the cities gradually built by the natives over the years.
Those mortal cities remained bustling and vibrant, filled with birth, aging, sickness, death, joy, anger, love, hate, and all manner of social activities, proceeding in an orderly fashion.
On the surface, everything seemed normal, without any anomalies.
But Jie Ming knew that something fundamental had changed silently.
Mortal Dust Qi was an extremely unique conceptual material, derived from the complex concepts produced by human social activities.
These included, but were not limited to, faith, emotions, culture, and the clash of ideas.
It was born from the prosperity of civilization and the intense interplay of sentient free will.
Jie Ming’s Golden Garden, as a region under his control, was seeing a sharp decline in Mortal Dust Qi production precisely because of a conceptual shift.
“It seems Noren Workshop has put in a lot of effort over the years. The entire main plane of Elosia has likely been fully transformed,” Jie Ming sighed helplessly.
He recalled the conclusion he reached while at Noren Academy: planes controlled by wizards generally couldn’t produce Mortal Dust Qi.
The reason was simple. Under wizard control, the living environment of a plane’s beings quietly shifted from a “society” to a “breeding ground.”
On the surface, a wizard-controlled plane seemed no different, perhaps even more stable and harmonious.
For the sake of plane stability and efficient resource output, wizards often optimized the social structure, eliminating internal strife, providing ample food and water, and even curing diseases.
From a mortal’s perspective, such a society was undoubtedly a golden age of peace.
However, conceptually, from the moment a plane fell under wizard rule, all social activities were sustained by the wizards’ “provision.”
Human survival no longer relied on individual struggle or the natural evolution of society but on the order and gifts of wizards.
Even beyond their own lives, wizards provided an upward path for the beings of controlled planes: becoming a wizard.
This “nurtured” stability, while eliminating turmoil, also invisibly stifled the conceptual vitality inherent to a “society.”
People no longer needed to fiercely compete for survival or feel anxious about the future. All conflicts and contradictions were quelled by the wizards’ order.
This conceptual “stability” and “harmony,” while bringing material abundance, also stripped away the fundamental soil needed for Mortal Dust Qi to thrive—the conflict, struggle, and creativity born of free will.
Jie Ming wanted to do something but felt a wave of helplessness.
He believed he had already minimized interference in the lives of the Golden Garden’s natives.
Apart from the initial order restoration and necessary modifications, he hadn’t treated the residents like livestock to be herded, as other wizards might.
He allowed them to retain their culture, engage in free love, and even quarrel or fight, as long as it didn’t disrupt the bigger picture.
But as a wizard controlling multiple planes, his resources were simply too abundant.
Even the “meager” handouts Jie Ming thought he provided gave the natives more resources and a better environment, turning the society around the Golden Garden into a more prosperous one.
This very prosperity caused his “control” to erode the concept of “society.”
His presence, and the wizard order he represented, fundamentally altered the “origin” concept of the Golden Garden.
The yield of Mortal Dust Qi continued to dwindle year by year—from more than enough, to barely sufficient, to this year, when even the raw materials for two monthly vials of Mortal Dust Potion were hard to gather.
This was no small matter!
The high-level wizards of Noren Academy’s alchemy department were willing to help him craft a seventh-level elemental pool largely because the Mortal Dust Potion demonstrated his ability to earn points.
The two monthly vials weren’t just for repaying debts but also for showcasing his technical skill and potential.
If the supply stopped now, finding someone to help craft a seventh-level elemental pool next time would be nearly impossible.
His entire plane transformation plan would be indefinitely delayed.
The solution to this predicament was, at its core, simple: find a new “society.”
“It seems… it’s time to start the next war.”
To find a society free from wizard domination, he would need to leave the Elosia plane, even the planes controlled by wizards, and take the initiative.
He would venture to primitive planes yet to be dominated by wizards, seeking new civilizations to extract the needed Mortal Dust Qi.
Though many of his research projects remained incomplete, and though he had just emerged from the research frenzy sparked by the All-Purpose Eye…
Jie Ming had no choice but to set out early for interplanar conquest.
Moreover, in his view, participating in a plane war was a compelling reason.
After all, plane wars were a shared duty of all wizards, a vital means for the wizard civilization to maintain its strength and expansion.
As a wizard of Noren Workshop, actively participating in a plane war was entirely “politically correct.”
As a shared obligation, both Clark and Clark’s mentor should understand his temporary suspension of Mortal Dust Potion production during the war.
This was far more reasonable and acceptable than simply saying, “There’s not enough Mortal Dust Qi.”
Not only could he find new sources of Mortal Dust Qi, but he could also buy considerable time—a win-win!
Jie Ming quickly made his decision and immediately contacted Mentor Clark through the magical network terminal.
“Mentor, I’m preparing to launch a new plane war,” Jie Ming said calmly, trying to keep his demeanor as normal as possible.
On the other end of the communication, Mentor Clark paused for a moment, seemingly surprised by Jie Ming’s swift decision.
But he didn’t press for reasons, only responding simply and firmly: “Good. Your rest period before the next expedition was nearing its end anyway. Noren Workshop happens to have new plane conquest plans. I’ll arrange a suitable target for you.”
“Thank you, Mentor,” Jie Ming said, then, as if recalling something, added, “I’ll send this month’s two vials of potion shortly. As for the potions missed during the war… I’ll make them up after returning from the front.”
Clark suddenly looked up at him, a playful glint in his eyes. Jie Ming felt a chill down his spine until Clark slowly nodded: “No rush. We’ll talk about it after you return from the front.”
After ending the communication with Mentor Clark, Jie Ming couldn’t help but wipe the nonexistent sweat from his brow.
Taking a deep breath, his eyes reignited with fierce determination.
Research and exploration were important, but acquiring knowledge and controlling resources were the eternal themes of a wizard.
After years of being busy, it was indeed time to test his research.