I Arrived At Wizard World While Cultivating Immortality Chapter 631: Capture

The notification of the barrier's completion came in, prompting Jie Ming to stand up from beside the fountain as he withdrew his extended spiritual sense.

Though half an hour of nonstop scanning hadn't strained his mind heavily, the extended effort of organizing fate threads had drained him completely.

Thanks to the Fate Subsystem's support, however, the fatigue stayed manageable.

Even after my life form has already transformed into an information being, controlling fate is still incredibly difficult…

Jie Ming let out a sigh, rolled his neck with subtle cracking noises from his bones, and proceeded to the gathering spot indicated by the deep blue-robed male wizard.

The gathering spot lay within a fruit storeroom on the town's north side.

This half-buried stone structure preserved a cool, dry atmosphere all year, ideal for keeping autumn-harvested fruits.

By now, the storeroom's interior stood cleared. Wooden crates once piled high had been shifted to the walls, opening up a large central area.

When Jie Ming pushed open the door and stepped inside, most of the other eight wizards were already present.

A faint, sweet aroma of fermenting fruit permeated the storeroom, mingled with the musty scent from the stone walls.

Glowing crystals studded the walls, releasing a gentle, cool luminescence that brightly lit the space without any harshness.

The deep blue-robed male wizard positioned himself in the center, grasping a palm-sized crystal vial.

Halfway filled with deep blue liquid that appeared nearly opaque, the vial's contents showed occasional tiny ripples on the surface, as though stirred by some unseen force.

This is… Jie Ming drew nearer, his eyes fixing on the test tube.

The core of the bait, the deep blue-robed male wizard lifted the test tube, allowing the cool light to shine through the blue liquid. I collected the genetic material information of everyone in the entire town and concentrated it into this tube of solution.

Everyone? Including us wizards as well? Jie Ming arched his eyebrows faintly. When did you collect it?

I collected from all the other wizards except you, mainly while setting up the barrier, the male wizard smiled, his grin reflecting the aloofness common among high-ranking wizards.

My specialization is in bioinformatics. Collecting genetic material is as natural to me as breathing. The townspeople’s samples came from their shed hair, skin flakes, saliva, and other sources. As for all of you…

He glanced at the assembled wizards. I already mentioned it to them while setting up the barrier. I can also establish a contract to ensure these genetic materials will not be used for any other purposes.

The wizards nodded in agreement, displaying no signs of annoyance.

For wizards, surrendering personal bodily tissue or genetic data to another was somewhat taboo.

Yet with the willingness to form a contract, and for the mission's success through gathering teammates’ genetic info…

Even if it pushed social norms a bit, given the immense value of this hunt's prey, the small breach was fully justifiable.

These genetic materials have been concentrated into this tube of ‘Information Solvent,’ the male wizard went on. The blue liquid is a special medium that can maintain the activity of the genetic information while simulating the illusion of ‘one large family.’ Within this test tube, the townspeople’s genetic information has been woven into a massive family tree, and everyone can find their own position on this tree.

So to that Strange, this test tube is like a container filled with ‘potential victims,’ the Curse Witch emerged from the shadows. Her pale gray eyes under the hood fixed on the test tube, her voice tinged with admiration. As long as it manifests, it can make contact with the genetic information of the entire town in one go.

Exactly, the male wizard affirmed with a nod. Moreover, I deliberately placed various seasoning jars beside it…

He gestured to the stone next to the test tube.

A line of ceramic jars of varying sizes, over a dozen altogether, rested on the stone.

Salt jar, sugar jar, pepper jar… all lids off, releasing their distinct aromas from within.

To give it a familiar crime scene, the male wizard explained. The salt jar is its first choice, but I also placed the other seasoning jars to see if it has any other preferences.

Jie Ming pondered briefly, then signed a contract with him too, before providing his own genetic material.

Is there anything else I need to do? Jie Ming inquired.

The male wizard clad in deep blue robes fixed his gaze on him. “You hold knowledge concerning fate. Employ your fate-type techniques to bind everyone’s fate lines as tightly as possible to this crystal test tube, guaranteeing no imperfections in the fate component of this item. Next, seek out fate lines linked to the Strange to the greatest extent, ensuring it detects this location.”

Jie Ming considered briefly before nodding. “I can try.”

A brilliant glow flashed over his forehead as the Fate Subsystem activated at maximum capacity.

Deep inside his mind, the information network formed by the Incense Fire Divine Dao expanded. Innumerable fate lines stretched out from the virtual web, drifting in the air like delicate spider threads.

With his spiritual force, Jie Ming delved into these fate lines, methodically classifying them using the genetic data within the crystal test tube.

This task proved far from easy. After all, Jie Ming’s expertise in fate-type matters remained at the beginner level.

Luckily, he possessed the Fate Subsystem.

This network crafted by the Incense Fire Divine Dao excelled precisely at such operations.

Aided by the Fate Subsystem, Jie Ming neatly arranged the fate lines of the whole town. He grouped and linked them to the crystal test tube based on genetic ties, strength of social bonds, and even closeness of residences.

Changes began to stir in the blue liquid.

The previously calm surface of the liquid developed tiny ripples, as though something stirred softly from within its depths.

Gradually, the liquid’s hue shifted lighter—from deep blue to indigo, evolving into a glowing blue-purple.

This marked the visible sign of the fate lines’ successful linkage.

Finishing the initial phase, Jie Ming exhaled deeply, his face growing even graver.

The crucial step came next!

The Fate Subsystem’s power surged upward, while the Five Aggregates Rainbow Mirror stirred to life. Endless computational resources poured forth from his soul.

Jie Ming started gathering every fate fluctuation tied to the Strange, taking event timings as his reference point.

From there, he tracked down matching fates and attached them to the blue liquid.

At last, Jie Ming withdrew his spiritual force. A thin layer of sweat beaded on his forehead.

The scale of fates for all individuals in a town vastly differed from those of town events.

Even with the Fate Subsystem’s help, aligning and linking tens of millions of fate lines demanded substantial spiritual force.

“Completed,” he announced.

The male wizard in deep blue robes examined the test tube, then glanced at Jie Ming. A hint of admiration flickered in his eyes. “Impressive. For an instant, I instinctively sensed this thing truly connected to me.”

The remaining wizards applied their individual methods to check it, all nodding with approval.

“Now, let’s commence,” the Curse Witch approached the stone and settled cross-legged near the seasoning jars. “I’ll handle the targeting. The moment that finger shows up, I’ll swiftly redirect the curse’s focus from the test tube onto us.”

“Don’t botch it,” the burly male wizard eyed her skeptically.

The Curse Witch offered no reply. She merely lifted her right hand, where a intricate black rune materialized in her palm.

Slowly spinning in her palm, the rune released an aura that naturally unsettled onlookers.

The burly male wizard sensibly fell silent.

The other wizards took up spots in the storage room, either standing or sitting, creating a casual surround.

All suppressed their auras and minimized their energy pulses to avoid alerting that Strange.

Jie Ming picked a spot with a full view of the stone’s surface. He pressed his back to the stone wall and sat cross-legged.

Lacking skill in this phase, he opted not to join in. Rather, he extended his spiritual force broadly, vigilantly watching for shifts around them.

Silence enveloped the storage room.

Only faint ripples from the blue liquid and whispers of wind through stone wall cracks broke the quiet.

Time ticked by in the hush.

Not a word escaped anyone. The nine elite wizards posed like statues, holding optimal stances for swift action, awaiting that entity’s arrival.

Roughly twenty minutes elapsed.

Jie Ming’s spiritual force detected a faint irregularity.

Hard to put into words…

It resembled an almost unseen form emerging on a serene lake, sending ripples across its entire surface.

Then, it came into view.

A finger had materialized inside the salt jar.

Pale skin dotted with age spots, nail gaps moist and shiny.

“It’s here,” Jie Ming murmured softly.

There was no need for his reminder. The moment the finger emerged, every gaze in the room snapped straight to the salt jar.

The finger remained utterly still amid the salt grains.

Yet all those present sensed an unseen power bursting from the finger, reaching out toward the crystal test tube.

This marked the curse's “writing” phase.

“Lock,” the Curse Witch murmured softly, though each syllable brimmed with undeniable authority.

The black rune in her palm detonated in a flash, morphing into innumerable slender black strands that slithered outward like alive entities.

These strands coiled precisely around the finger, redirecting the curse's aim from the crystal test tube onto the wizards gathered there.

She deliberately invited the Strange to strike at them.

As expected, the finger responded without delay.

“Ugh…” The life-system wizard suddenly emitted a stifled grunt, his frame going rigid for a moment.

He reflexively clutched at his waist, eyebrows knitting together tightly.

“Got hit?” the nearby wizard inquired, a hint of envy in his tone. “What’s it like?”

“A pretty unique feeling,” the life-system wizard replied, his face twisting oddly, as though such unease hadn't plagued him in ages. “The curse is targeting my kidneys. I sense tissues turning into salt one by one.”

“Does your mouth taste salty?”

“Yes…” The life-system wizard drew a deep breath, his look growing even more peculiar. “It’s overwhelmingly salty.”

“Even you can’t handle it?” another wizard asked, brimming with curiosity.

After all, this was a sixth-ring wizard. Even if he lowered his guards on purpose to let the curse work, a simple salty flavor shouldn't torment him so.

Given a sixth-ring life-system wizard's robust body, devouring a whole salt lake uncooked wouldn't faze him.

“Yes. My mouth's flooded with saltiness, so intense it's turning bitter,” the life-system wizard said, running his tongue over his lips. “This curse's method… it forces the victim to perceive saltiness beyond their tolerance threshold.”

While talking, a soft green glow emerged across his form.

This was the hallmark skill of life-system wizards: Life Form Transformation.

The gentle green radiance coursed through his body. His soul and flesh swiftly restructured beneath the glow, shifting from solid organs to a pure life-energy elemental form.

In a blink, he fully converted from a corporeal being into an elemental one.

“The elemental form I've assumed shouldn't have any ‘salty’ taste perception in theory…” The life-system wizard trailed off, his forehead creasing once more.

“Yet the saltiness persists.”

His words stirred a tense shift in the storage room's air.

A sixth-ring life-system wizard had shifted to elemental state. Theoretically, this evaded typical sensory curses impacting taste.

But the saltiness lingered.

This proved the Strange’s curse operated beyond mere body or soul, striking at a deeper essence.

“Interesting,” a spark lit in the Curse Witch’s pale gray eyes—that thrill researchers chase in unknown mysteries. “This curse strikes deeper than I thought. If not on matter, energy, or soul, then it has to be…”

“Concept,” Jie Ming cut in. “It targets the ‘salty’ concept directly. Whatever your body's shape, if you grasp the ‘salty’ trait, it forces the salt taste on you.”

Thanks to his deep knowledge of conceptual stuff, Jie Ming pinpointed it swiftly.

“A concept at this tier…” The deep blue-robed male wizard’s eyes gleamed with thrill too. “Capturing and probing it would skyrocket our grasp of law theory.”

His eyes shifted to the finger in the salt jar.

The finger stayed plunged into the salt grains, now firmly bound by the Curse Witch’s black threads.

One thread end linked to the finger, the other to the swirling black rune spinning in the Curse Witch’s palm.

“I can seal it,” the Curse Witch declared. “True, unleashing the curse would ruin this finger. Yet prior to release, the finger embodies the Strange's physical manifestation. Sealing the finger seals the Strange itself.”

“Then seal it,” the burly male wizard pressed.

The Curse Witch gave a nod and started her incantation.

The black rune lifted from her palm, drifting leisurely toward the salt jar.

As it floated, the rune swelled steadily—from fingernail-sized to fist-sized, then head-sized.

Countless curse inscriptions surfaced on the rune’s face, each humming lowly—the activation hum of the sealing spell.

One after another, the remaining wizards sprang into motion, lending their support to the Curse Witch as she fortified the seal even more.