Years later.
Jie Ming gazed at the five Black Giants before him, each over ten meters tall, their robust forms radiating pure destructive aura, a barely concealed satisfaction on his face.
Their perfect physiques, encased in ink-black shells, shimmered with visible frost.
Standing there, they resembled five dormant volcanoes, ready to erupt at any moment.
Through his soul link, he sensed the strongest among them had reached the third-level biological tier.
The other four, slightly weaker, were firmly at the second-level tier.
To rapidly produce these high-grade Black Giants, Jie Ming had consumed vast reserves of newly purchased small-scale elemental pools over the years.
But the results were striking and worth it, fulfilling his initial vision.
“Still, the outcome is a bit less than I expected…” Jie Ming frowned, reflecting inwardly.
“Elemental beings rely little on material resources at birth, but the energy cost far exceeds expectations. Even with so many small-scale pools, their incubation speed is still lacking.”He glanced at the massive incubation pool behind him.
In its deep waters, several juvenile Black Giants, their surfaces not yet fully solidified, pulsed faintly with life, still years or even decades from hatching.
“And even these successfully birthed Black Giants haven’t reached their full potential. Resource constraints at birth have limited their development, and future growth depends on what comes next,” he mused silently.
Checking his terminal out of habit, he saw a reminder for today’s appointment.
Months ago, Clark had informed him that the costly seventh-level elemental pool was complete, urging him to arrange its receipt.
Jie Ming was eager.
He could already envision how this man-made elemental plane would transform his laboratory and the entire Infernal Sulfur plane!
But he also felt a twinge of nervousness.
A seventh-level elemental pool wasn’t ordinary cargo.
Despite containing only one complete fire element rule, its unique nature and structure classified it as a “plane” in the endless chaotic void!
Naturally, it couldn’t be transported via conventional teleportation arrays.
Only the wizard civilization’s strategic-grade arrays could handle a “plane-level” spatial load.
Forcing it through others would be catastrophic.
Thus, transporting the pool was rather… “primitive.”
Like a planar conquest, it required a stable, safe route, with a sixth-level wizard “piloting” the pool through the chaotic void.
Upon arrival, it would be “embedded” into Jie Ming’s Infernal Sulfur plane.
Normally, for privacy, the purchasing wizard would pilot the plane themselves.
But Jie Ming’s low rank made him ineligible and incapable of handling a “man-made plane.”
So, the task fell to Clark, the deal’s intermediary.
The thought of his mentor visiting the Infernal Sulfur plane and inspecting his assets and research gave Jie Ming the uneasy feeling of a student awaiting a teacher’s home visit.
At the appointed time, the sky above the Infernal Sulfur plane shifted.
The dark red canopy of volcanic ash and sulfur gas twisted violently.
The plane’s atmosphere quaked!
As a non-sixth-level wizard, Jie Ming lacked control over the plane’s core.
Unable to lower the planar barrier to receive the incoming pool, he could only watch as the two planes, guided by some gravitational and lawful force, slowly but firmly merged.
After a day of tremors, the seventh-level elemental pool, radiating star-like brilliance, fully embedded into the Infernal Sulfur plane.
Its massive form glowed like an eternal, blazing sun in the plane’s sky!
As it settled, Clark’s figure descended from the heavens.
Passing through an energy shield, he landed before Jie Ming.
“Congratulations, Jie Ming. Your big toy has arrived,” Clark said, his voice as calm as ever.
He casually tossed Jie Ming a spatial expansion bag, about ten cubic meters in size.
Peering inside, Jie Ming saw it packed with neatly arranged, fingernail-sized metal plates.
He recognized them.
These were “data storage cards” for the magic network terminal.
Each held vast amounts of information.
A bad feeling crept up, but he looked at Clark and asked, “Mentor, what’s inside these?”
Clark’s expression remained neutral. “Those are the ‘user manuals’ for the seventh-level elemental pool.”
“Unless you thoroughly study the knowledge and operational details in those cards, I don’t recommend touching that pool up there.”
Jie Ming’s eyes widened in shock!
A user manual requiring such an immense volume of data?
He could already imagine the staggering time and effort needed to master the pool.
Swallowing hard and wiping cold sweat, he forced a smile. “Thanks for making the trip…”
Under Jie Ming’s lead, Clark toured the Infernal Sulfur plane.
Surprisingly, Clark offered praise.
“Though this environment is harsh for most naturally occurring creatures, it’s quite suitable for many elemental beings, especially fire-attributed ones.”
“And the resources are rich, saving significant costs for future development… Despite the harshness, it’s a highly valuable plane overall.”
Clark, deep in critical research on living planes, didn’t linger long.
After a brief tour, he exchanged quick farewells with Jie Ming and left via teleportation array.
Seeing off his whirlwind-like mentor, Jie Ming decided not to dive into the “manuals” immediately.
With only a few years left before his conscription, he had more pressing matters.
He turned, heading to a teleportation array bound for the Junction.
It was time to register!
…
…
Returning to the Junction, the massive war hub floating in the endless chaotic void was as bustling as Jie Ming remembered.
Countless wizards, like diligent ants, moved through the wide streets.
Exotic slaves, handsome or delicate, stood in shops, eagerly waving at passing wizards.
At the distant space docks, massive warships resupplied, emitting deep rumbles.
The air carried faint energy particles mixed with the scents of otherworldly creatures, creating a tense yet vibrant atmosphere unique to this place.
Besides his initial registration and battles, Jie Ming had visited a few times to process materials from the Frostfire plane, so he knew the layout well.
Glancing at the flickering teleportation array nearby, he headed straight for the iconic, tower-like Affairs Center.
But as he passed a floating open-air plaza, a voice called out from behind.
“Wizard Jie Ming? Please wait!”
The voice was familiar. Turning, he saw a lean, elderly wizard in a deep gray robe, his gaze gentle—Master Roland of the Tower of Annihilation, a renowned expert in spatial technology.
Surprised but polite, Jie Ming stopped. “Master Roland, it’s been a while.”
“Indeed, it’s been some time since our last trade.”
After brief pleasantries, Roland leaned in, lowering his voice with a secretive air.
“Wizard Jie Ming, if I may ask… that [Self-Stabilizing Field Regulation Protocol] causing a stir on the Federation’s network… was it your creation?”
Jie Ming was taken aback.
When Felix, the artificial intelligence, had asked if he wanted to publicize his name for fame, Jie Ming had declined.
Theoretically, the creator of the protocol should have remained anonymous.