Chapter 106: The Ice Magic Crystal

The night fog remained thick and impenetrable, shrouding the sky in darkness with no trace of moonlight or starlight. Suddenly, Veil’s eyes snapped open, a sharp gleam flashing through them. A faint curve appeared at the corner of his lips, the hint of a subtle smile.

What is called a mutation is essentially the fusion or consumption of two different substances, resulting in a new entity that embodies the characteristics of both. The individual undergoing this process also develops new properties or traits. Take Veil’s fire elemental crystal, for example: after its transformation, the fire magic within his sea of consciousness improved not only in purity but also in potency. His control and the quality of the magic rose by leaps and bounds.

Therefore, if Veil wished to transform his other magical attributes into fire elemental crystals, he first had to find pure energy bodies of the same element but of a different nature, to fuse with and create a mutation.

Yet, achieving this was no simple feat. While many substances and energy forms shared the same attribute, finding those that differed fundamentally in quality and purity from one’s original magic was rare. For instance, Veil’s Golden Flame Bluegrass met all his stringent requirements, but it was an extraordinarily rare and precious magical plant, not something one could easily acquire. Other hetero-attribute pure energy bodies were similarly scarce, meaning that attempting a full attribute transformation through this method faced severe limitations.

But... Veil suddenly smiled and reached out, grasping at the fog before him. He examined the cold, sharp ice fragments in his hand, squeezing them tightly.

Did other hetero-attribute energy bodies exist? He did not know. But the ice elemental hetero-energy was right there before his eyes.

This chilling mist from the demon realm, though classified as ice attribute, carried a sinister coldness within—an ominous poison akin to dark magic—distinctly different from ordinary ice energy. This precisely matched the energy standard Veil required.

Same attribute, yet different in essence.

Veil extended his senses slowly, scrutinizing the fog around him. Though abundant with chilling energy, much of it was impure, laced with impurities and thus not pure energy bodies. But Veil was unconcerned. With his refined perception and mastery of magical elements, refining those adulterated energies into pure energy bodies was a task well within his capabilities.

With this resolve, he scattered the ice fragments onto the ground and took several deep breaths to calm his still-racing heart. Then he gently closed his eyes, entering a meditative state.

Diving into his sea of consciousness, Veil cautiously scanned his body with his senses. Confirming all was well, he began. The crimson fire elemental crystal within his mind thrummed with energy, channels of pure fire magic surging and swirling inside him. Simultaneously, Veil started absorbing the chilling energy from the surrounding mist.

He had expected no trouble at this first stage, yet as the first tendril of icy energy entered his sea of consciousness, a bone-chilling cold radiated through his entire body. His face paled slightly; his lips turned bluish. Luckily, the sensation was still bearable.

Veil gritted his teeth, pressing on with absorbing the cold energies. But as their numbers grew, his crimson fire magic surged forward instinctively, obliterating the icy tendrils in moments.

Surprised by this, Veil frowned and silently scolded himself for carelessness. He knew well that these icy energies, though sharing the ice attribute, were fundamentally different in quality. Fire and ice opposed and rejected each other; his fire magic’s instinct to annihilate the cold energies was inevitable.

It became clear that such a transformation was far more difficult than he had anticipated.

Veil sighed inwardly. Learning from his prior mistake, this time he completely suppressed his fire magic, allowing the cold energies to enter freely. Wave after wave of frigid coldness washed over him, yet mercifully, it remained within his tolerance.

The chilling energy in his sea of consciousness steadily increased. But then, these restless energies erupted in rebellion!

Within Veil’s consciousness, the cold energies ran rampant, spewing biting cold that pierced the bones. This chill was not merely physical—it acted like a toxin, rapidly corroding the soul. Though ice in attribute, these energies resembled the most malevolent dark matter in their venomous nature.

“Materials from the demon realm are truly extraordinary...” Veil’s voice trembled as he muttered. Crimson blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he paid it no heed. Instead, a cold smile curled his lips: “Hmph, it seems I must silence you for good.”

With a cold snort, Veil commanded his senses, dedicating a quarter of his fire magic and other magical energies, along with the fire elemental crystal, to guard his sea of consciousness. The remaining three-quarters of his fire magic he withdrew entirely, transforming it into the purest fire energy flowing through his body.

Having extracted most of his magic from his consciousness, Veil did not attempt to control the ongoing riot of energies there. Instead, he released his restraints, accelerating his absorption of the hetero-attribute cold energies in the surrounding mist.

Veil’s actions seemed reckless, but they were the most practical and feasible option at hand.

As mentioned before, this mist was rich with hetero-attribute cold energies, yet all were impure. To convert these tainted energies into pure energy, refining was essential. Though refining such a vast amount was not difficult, it required one crucial element: time.

Unlike when absorbing the Golden Flame Bluegrass—which was already brimming with pure attribute energy and required no refining—these cold energies demanded time to purify. Moreover, the immense power from the bluegrass was immediately suppressed by the mist’s force after reaching a threshold, preventing further expansion. Under those conditions, Veil only had to endure the intense burning pain to convert the pure energies into his own magic.

In contrast, now he had to refine the cold energies first. But these energies were not pure; no matter how much he absorbed, only a fraction would become pure energy after refining. During this process, Veil had to endure unbearable, bone-piercing cold. Should the refining time surpass his tolerance and remain incomplete... his fate would be a slow, icy death by those venomous energies.

Thus, Veil had no choice but to gamble everything—absorbing the maximum hetero-attribute energy his body could withstand, then refining it all at the highest possible efficiency and speed.

Success or death.

The pure fire magic circulating in Veil’s body burned like molten lava, searing him with unbearable pain. His skin shifted to a strange purple-red hue, waves of blistering heat radiating outward. Soon, his skin morphed into an eerie blue, icy coldness emanating from within. Fire and ice battled in an endless cycle, alternating so fiercely that Veil’s delicate features twisted into a grimace of torment. The constant transformation between purple and blue made him appear grotesquely strange.

Scanoli, who had long since awakened, watched in astonishment. His eyes flickered with surprise, and he opened his mouth to speak, but just then a violent surge erupted from Veil’s body. Had Scanoli not been quick and alert, the sudden shock might have knocked him to the ground.

The refining had begun.

Veil commanded the remaining quarter of his fire magic in his consciousness to seal it completely. He then deliberately flowed his original ice magic to the center of his consciousness, while outside it, the pure fire energy reconverted into fire magic swarmed back, enveloping the entire sea of consciousness. Waves of scorching heat spread instantly, magical fluctuations rippling like waves into his mind, commencing the critical refining process.

In an instant, the hetero-attribute energies within boiled violently. Bone-chilling cold exploded through the consciousness, each wave battering Veil mercilessly. The first impact nearly overwhelmed him; his vision darkened, and he spat blood. Gritting his tongue, he rallied his spirit, clinging desperately to his mind as the pain seared through him. He wielded his fire magic with all his strength, defending the boundaries of his consciousness.

Again and again the assaults came—once, twice, thrice. Though fierce, Veil had sealed his consciousness entirely. The poisonous cold energies were trapped, unable to escape. As refining progressed, the hetero-energies gradually dissipated. Impurities were eradicated by Veil’s fire magic, while the purified energies were slowly absorbed by the ice magic he had stationed in advance.

This cooperative division of labor repeated tirelessly, bit by bit, cycle upon cycle.

Time passed—how long, Veil did not know. When the hetero-energies in his consciousness had been completely refined and absorbed, a crystal emerged within the domain originally belonging to the ice magic: a translucent, gleaming gem of exquisite clarity.