I Arrived At Wizard World While Cultivating Immortality Chapter 681: Temporary Enlightenment Technique
Previously on I Arrived At Wizard World While Cultivating Immortality...
Within the confines of the laboratory, a series of Prowlers were meticulously arranged upon the workbench.
Jie Ming, grasping the final, enhanced Prowler, carefully positioned it within the scanning chamber of the inspection apparatus.
As the chamber door sealed shut, a beam of pale blue light descended from above, meticulously sweeping over the Prowler, from its outward casing to its innermost core, much like a thorough comb.
Fluctuations in data commenced on the control panel.
Shortly thereafter, an indicator on the adjacent panel illuminated green, signifying that all aspects of this Prowler had successfully passed inspection, aligning perfectly with Jie Ming’s initial design specifications.
Jie Ming proceeded to place each Prowler individually into the inspection equipment, subjecting them to rigorous checks.
All eight Prowlers emerged victorious from the inspection, their core metrics deviating by a mere five parts per thousand.
Such remarkable consistency within a biochemical modification project underscored the stability of his current modification blueprint at the fundamental architectural level, rather than being a mere product of chance adaptation in individual specimens.
After deactivating the inspection equipment, Jie Ming collected the eight Prowlers into a clear culture box.These silver-gray, bullet-shaped entities rested serenely at the box's base. The rune rings adorning their tails had been uniformly transformed into a deep gold hue, emitting a subdued luminescence under the ambient light. With the results having fully met expectations, the subsequent phase was straightforward mass production.
The foundational template for the Prowlers was now established; the incubation pools merely required replication based on this template.
Considering the current production capabilities of the automated factories on the Infernal Sulfur plane, the initial cohort of five hundred units could be fabricated and operational within three months. Following this, the scale of production could be amplified exponentially.
Jie Ming, closing the lid of the culture box, presented it to the imposing black giant priest standing beside him.
“These are the completed prototype samples of the modified Prowlers. Convey them to the supervisor of the incubation pool for standardized replication. Initiate production of the first five hundred units. Upon completion, dispatch them to the testing grounds for comprehensive verification.”
The black giant priest accepted the culture box with both hands. The vertical slit on his chest parted slightly. “Understood, Master. Shall priority be assigned?”
“Highest,” Jie Ming affirmed. “Among all pending production orders for military factories, Prowlers are to be given precedence. Defer other productions to accommodate them for the time being. The primary objective is to establish the reconnaissance network first.”
The black giant priest bowed, acknowledging the directive, and then turned, making his way toward the laboratory exit.
Having finalized these arrangements, Jie Ming surveyed the laboratory interior.
Various rune carving tools, elemental resonance calibrators, and several depleted test crystals, utilized during the Prowler modifications, were strewn across the workbench… alongside a complete set of miniature disassembly clamps.
In a corner, several surplus rune boards from the replaced inspection equipment and some discarded shell clamps from older Prowler versions were visible.
Following several days of modification and testing, the laboratory, while not chaotic, certainly lacked tidiness.
“Excellent… now I can proceed with the test.”
With this thought, Jie Ming raised his right hand and brought his fingers together in a snap.
A sharp sound resonated throughout the laboratory.
Instantly, the entire laboratory seemed imbued with a vibrant, restless energy.
The rune carving knife nearest to him was the first to respond.
A pair of round eyes materialized on its silver handle, followed swiftly by a second and then a third.
The three eyes blinked in unison. Two soft protrusions emerged at the handle's end, rapidly extending into delicate, silver legs. Using these, it steadied itself, standing somewhat precariously on the table. All three eyes fixed upon Jie Ming before it sprang from the workbench with a swift motion, scuttling towards the toolbox on its newly formed, diminutive legs.
The rune scanner followed suit. Bulges appeared on both sides of its rectangular metal chassis, quickly elongating into two thin, metallic legs.
Tri-clawed appendages extended from the extremities of these legs, producing distinct metallic taps upon the surface.
It performed a full-body shake, reminiscent of a person stretching awake.
Then, two small manipulators, crafted from the same material, extended from the device's upper section. Bracing themselves against the table, they pushed the scanner from its horizontal position into an upright stance. The three culture tank controllers animated almost concurrently.
These cylindrical instruments possessed more robust limbs than the scanner. Their movements as they righted themselves had a clumsy, almost boisterous quality. The one on the far right exerted excessive force, dislodging a nearby sample rack with a resounding clatter. Several empty petri dishes tumbled off, spinning across the surface. It paused momentarily, then hastily retracted its limbs, feigning oblivion.
The energy spectrum analyzer exhibited the most rapid animation.
Its compact body sprouted four slender mechanical legs. Like a metal spider, it flipped over several pieces of equipment, nimbly jumped to the floor, and scurried toward the equipment cabinet in the corner on tiny steps. The cabinet door was already open—that was its designated spot. But halfway there, it stopped. Then it turned around and ran in the opposite direction. Jie Ming’s brow furrowed slightly. Even greater chaos erupted almost at the same time. The equipment that had just managed to stand shakily on the table suddenly seemed to realize the existence of “freedom” and scattered in all directions. The rune scanner ran toward the edge of the workbench on its metal legs, only to be tripped halfway by a culture tank controller. It flipped onto its back, its thin legs kicking uselessly in the air. The controller that tripped it fared no better. One foot stepped into a petri dish and got stuck, forcing it to hop along on one leg. The test tubes on the sample rack were the most active. They had been neatly arranged; once they grew limbs, they jumped down all at once like a flock of startled birds, scattering and rolling everywhere. Jie Ming watched the scene, his temple twitching. Then he sensed movement beside him and looked at the three test tubes next to him. These were high-purity crystal test tubes he had previously used to hold Strange biological tissue samples, each twenty centimeters long. Not only had they grown slender limbs, but they had also formed a triangular formation on the table: two on the outside and one in the center. The outer two waved their hair-thin arms, gesturing at the middle one, while the central test tube kept spinning in circles, occasionally stopping to point and gesture back at them with its tiny hands. …They were holding a meeting. After realizing what these three test tubes were doing, the corner of Jie Ming’s mouth twitched. He watched them gesture for nearly two minutes, yet they showed no intention of returning to the test tube rack. The rack was less than half a meter to their left—within easy reach. “It seems this technique still has quite a lot of room for optimization,” Jie Ming muttered to himself, a trace of helplessness in his tone. He had originally intended for these tools to move on their own and tidy themselves up. They were indeed moving. The problem was that their own ideas were clearly far removed from the “self-conscious return to position” he had expected. The energy spectrum analyzer had already run to the other side of the laboratory and was trying to squeeze behind a pile of spare rune substrates. Several test tubes had rolled to the edge of the sink. One nearly fell in but was frantically pulled back by its companions, after which they continued running around aimlessly. Many of the larger instruments had actually found their proper positions. Although the culture tank controllers moved unsteadily, they were mostly heading in the right direction. Two out of three had already returned near the equipment cabinet. The rune scanner finally managed to flip itself over after much struggling and was inching toward its charging base. But the small items like test tubes, petri dishes, sample tweezers, and pipettes had no intention of returning to their places at all. They had even started playing. The three test tubes that finished their meeting lined up and rolled from one end of the table to the other, as if racing to see who could roll faster. A pipette treated itself like a slingshot, launching a small wad of cotton everywhere. Two petri dishes stood face-to-face, pushing each other with their newly grown hands in what resembled a primitive wrestling match. Jie Ming sighed. When he had studied Strange creatures in the Strange plane, he had noticed another characteristic of The Strange: under the right conditions, inanimate objects could also gain life. As long as the conditions were met, even ordinary dead objects would suddenly develop their own will. This trait had greatly interested him. Because the Spiritual Qi he controlled possessed similar capabilities. High-tier cultivators could use Spiritual Qi to enlighten inanimate objects, granting them spirituality or even complete intelligence. Many famous swords and treasures in the cultivation world had come into being this way. However, Spiritual Qi enlightenment had a major drawback: it required extremely high-precision Spiritual Qi control techniques and enormous amounts of Spiritual Qi investment. The cost of enlightening a single item was often higher than simply refining a better one from scratch. Thus, it had always been impractical. Even when Wizard Starfall later developed the Enlightenment Technique based on this trait, the high-cost drawback remained unchanged. The mechanism of The Strange’s trait, however, was completely different.Rather than demanding immense external energy, this method rewrote the target's interaction with the world's fundamental rules, enabling it to “learn” self-animation. It featured low consumption, minimal requirements, and high scalability.
Individually, each mechanism possessed distinct advantages and disadvantages.
While on the Strange plane, Jie Ming had initiated research into related techniques. However, due to the inherent limitations of that world's internal laws, surpassing a specific threshold would invariably generate genuine Strange entities.
Consequently, it was only upon his return that he truly commenced the endeavor of merging the two technological branches. The insights gained from the Strange plane, coupled with the profound perceptual advancement achieved in the Dao Integration Realm, finally enabled him to finalize the fusion blueprint.
He christened it the "Temporary Enlightenment Technique," a method designed to bestow temporary sentience and mobility upon various inanimate objects.
The experimental apparatus currently wreaking havoc across the laboratory floor represented the inaugural large-scale practical deployment of the Temporary Enlightenment Technique.
The outcomes, it must be said, were undeniably positive.
Success rate of spirit activation: a perfect 100%. Mobility granted: complete. Duration: consistently stable. Zero instances of structural information breakdown or premature operational failure.
Yet, when it came to the aspect of “maintaining order”...
The effectiveness seemed notably lacking.
Jie Ming stood with his arms folded, observing a test tube endeavoring to ascend back onto the sample rack, only to misjudge its direction and continue crawling further astray.
Another test tube in proximity, exhibiting superior directional awareness, was not heading for the rack at all. Its objective was the decorative fluorescent moss within the corner planter—it intended to embed itself within the plant.
A deficit in spatial awareness, common sense, and decision-making faculties.
“The bestowed intelligence is excessively rudimentary,” Jie Ming mused, stroking his chin and mentally cataloging this as the primary area for subsequent refinement.
The wizarding world possessed comparable methodologies—including golemancy, manipulation enchantments, and even advanced animation sorcery capable of animating inanimate matter. However, the core principle behind these techniques involved the wizard channeling their own spiritual power to dictate the material's actions. The material itself remained devoid of volition, functioning solely as a puppet guided by external strings.
The Temporary Enlightenment Technique operated on a fundamentally different principle. Despite the external resemblance of animated objects to those produced by golemancy, these enlightened objects genuinely possessed independent cognition… even if their thoughts manifested in perplexing ways, such as initiating a colloquium with proximate test tubes.
Herein lay the crux of the issue: the enlightened objects, while capable of independent thought, did not necessarily align their intentions with Jie Ming’s desired outcomes.
These enlightened objects resembled newly born creatures—equipped with primal instincts yet lacking the guidance to direct them, leading to their chaotic scurrying throughout the laboratory.
He casually intercepted a test tube making its way across the nearby table.
The test tube exhibited brief resistance within his grasp, then…
It commenced assaulting him.
Its two newly formed appendages, mere vestigial filaments no longer than matchsticks, terminated in minuscule fists smaller than grains of rice. Nevertheless, it struck with unwavering determination, delivering rapid, alternating blows.
The staccato impacts landed on the back of Jie Ming’s hand, producing faint acoustics reminiscent of gentle rain against glass.
Jie Ming lowered his gaze to observe it.
Confronted by the perceived menace of this “colossus,” the test tube faltered momentarily.
However, it did not cease. On the contrary, its assault intensified, its minuscule fists blurring into afterimages.
“The loyalty of these emergent entities during enlightenment also requires enhancement,” Jie Ming added impassively, logging this as the second crucial objective in his mental notes.
At its present developmental stage, the sentience imparted by the Temporary Enlightenment Technique was entirely autonomous. From the perspective of this test tube, Jie Ming was simply an impediment to its unhindered movement, an entity that needed to be dislodged.
Engaged in contemplation, he unleashed his spiritual power.
A vast torrent of spiritual energy surged forth, meticulously encompassing and isolating every minute mobile entity within the laboratory. The spiritual power gently yet inexorably levitated them from their various locations, suspending them in mid-air.
A number of the smaller constructs persisted in their struggles, limbs flailing ineffectually against the ethereal bonds, yet they remained securely held and incapable of autonomous movement.
The majority of the larger apparatus had already gravitated towards their designated positions; only the energy spectrum analyzer necessitated navigational correction.
It had somehow insinuated itself into the narrow crevice beneath the sample refrigeration unit. Jie Ming’s spiritual power delicately dislodged it, brushed away residual particulate matter from its casing, and meticulously returned it to its proper location within the equipment cabinet.
Jie Ming then shaped his spiritual power into dexterous tendrils, meticulously gathering each tool, sorting them according to size and frequency of use, and systematically reinstating them to their respective storage compartments.
With spiritual power, he meticulously adjusted the placement of major apparatus, slotted the rune boards back into their designated spots, and uniformly hung the clamps onto the magnetic strips lining the wall. This entire operation concluded in mere seconds, leaving the laboratory pristine once more.
Save for the solitary test tube still clutched in his hand.
Jie Ming advanced toward the cleaning apparatus affixed to the wall.
Standing half his height, this metallic contraption featured a circular receptacle at its apex, purpose-built for washing and sterilizing laboratory test tubes. The residual effects of the enlightenment technique still emanated from its chassis. It remained stationary on its four short legs, likely one of the few instruments that hadn't exhibited any independent movement. From the outset, it had simply maintained its position, extending its legs for stability.
Approaching it, Jie Ming guided the test tube toward the receptacle.
Abruptly, the cleaning device extended a metallic appendage from its side, steadily intercepting the receptacle.
Jie Ming’s motion faltered.
He shifted his approach, attempting an insertion from the upper right of the opening.
The cleaning device’s limb repositioned, once again blocking the way.
Tried a horizontal insertion.
Blocked.
A diagonal attempt.
Blocked again.
Jie Ming’s eyelid twitched involuntarily.
He reached out with his other hand, endeavoring to push aside the cleaning device’s metal arm, but the seemingly ungainly limb adeptly evaded his grasp, reimposing its guard over the receptacle.
On its four stubby legs, the cleaning device even took a half-step back, its entire body tilting slightly in what could only be described as a defensive posture.
“You’re disinclined to wash it?” Jie Ming inquired.
Lacking vocal apparatus, the cleaning device was incapable of speech.
Nonetheless, several indicator lights on its flank flickered, transitioning from a passive blue to a defiant orange hue.
Jie Ming glanced down at the test tube he held, which, even now, appeared to be baring its non-existent fangs and brandishing its equally non-existent claws. It had ceased its attempts to pound against his hand and now stood with its arms akimbo – despite possessing no waist – projecting an air of unassailable justification.
His gaze returned to the cleaning device. Its indicator lights continued their orange flicker, and the metal hand guarding the receptacle remained resolutely still.
Jie Ming straightened to his full height, his expression a complex mix of emotions.
“…An immediate release mechanism is also necessary,” he mentally logged the third required improvement.
Beings imbued with enlightenment could potentially reject instructions that clashed with their own volition. Therefore, a failsafe to disengage the enlightenment state at any moment was essential.
Just then, a soft rap echoed from the laboratory door.
“Enter,” Jie Ming commanded without turning, his spiritual power restraints maintaining their protective coverage.
A towering figure clad in black, a priest, stood respectfully at the threshold.
“Master,” he uttered, bowing slightly, his voice even. “The world fragments you requisitioned have arrived. The merchant caravan awaits delivery at the material reception point. Preliminary scans and tests have confirmed the goods’ energy frequency matches your order. They are currently located at Receiving Station No. 2, pending your personal verification…”
Hearing this, Jie Ming’s brow smoothed.
World fragments—these were items he had procured prior to commencing his period of seclusion.
They were exceptionally rare artifacts, remnants of planes that had disintegrated under specific circumstances, yet still preserved within them complete world rule structures. In the parlance of trade platforms, such commodities typically required hundreds, if not thousands, of years to become available.
A wait of merely three centuries was considered remarkably swift on this timescale.
He immediately pivoted, looking outward.
In the corridor beyond the laboratory, several other monolithic figures in black were engaged in their routine patrol duties.
“You lot,” Jie Ming gestured toward the black-clad figures in the corridor. “Guard this laboratory. Until my return, do not permit a single item within to depart. Instruct the others to secure all egress points, including the ventilation shafts.”
The colossal figures in the corridor snapped to attention, the slits on their chests emitting a low, synchronized affirmation: “Understood.”
Jie Ming casually deposited the still-wriggling test tube into the hands