Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System-Chapter 115 - 109: Qi Absorption and Eating Mist: Initial Glimpse

Chapter 115: Chapter 109: Qi Absorption and Eating Mist: Initial Glimpse

Murphy escorted Aurora, strolling toward the living quarters in the castle’s east wing.

All the while, he was mentally digesting the knowledge the system had just granted him: Qi Absorption and Eating Mist, at the Initial Glimpse level.

As the heir to the Duval Territory, Aurora naturally had her own social circle.

The wives of the territory’s various officials and Knight’s Attendants were often invited to the castle for tea parties. Sometimes, she would also travel to countryside manors or other estates within the territory to attend social engagements.

These gatherings among noblewomen were perfectly normal social activities, and the Baron’s Castle had always covered the expenses. As a result, the castle was always stocked with all sorts of cosmetics and dyes. It was just that the Aurora of the past hadn’t been very interested in such things.

"Brother, what do you think of this color?" Aurora asked, picking up a jar of pale pink dye and holding it against her fingertips.

Murphy snapped out of his thoughts and smiled gently. "That color matches your skin tone well, but I think the pearlescent one next to it would suit you even better."

The Maids had already arranged dyes of every color neatly on a silver platter, offering a complete selection from the most delicate pearl white to the deepest plum.

In the end, Aurora chose the special shade Murphy had mentioned during their meal: a light purple infused with Star Moon Shimmer Powder.

"You have excellent taste, my lord," the older Maid complimented while skillfully preparing the mixture. "This color is sure to look beautiful on the young lady’s hands."

Aurora delightedly held out her hands, allowing the Maid to apply it meticulously.

Murphy sat to one side, watching the beautiful color bloom across Aurora’s nails. He offered occasional words of praise, but his mind was still mulling over the cultivation method for Qi Absorption and Eating Mist.

If the essence of Breathing and Guiding lay in the "breathing," then the key to Qi Absorption and Eating Mist lay in the "absorption."

The former was like eating, while the latter was about digestion.

’It’s not enough to eat well; you have to digest well, too. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter how much you eat if you can’t absorb it. It’s as good as not eating at all.’

However, Qi Absorption and Eating Mist wouldn’t shorten the time it took to reach Qi Refining Perfection.

It was analogous to a person’s development from childhood to adulthood. The time it took was largely fixed, but different developmental paths could lead to the same person having a different height and physical condition once grown.

"Brother, do you think it’s pretty?" Aurora asked, raising her right hand and unfurling her long, slender fingers to show off her newly painted nails.

Her fingers were already elegant and well-formed, and the pale purple polish made her skin look even more fair.

The Star Moon Shimmer Powder dotting her nails glittered with tiny flecks of light as her fingertips moved.

"It’s beautiful," Murphy said with genuine admiration. At the same time, he noticed the Maid adding a special essential oil to the dye she was mixing. "What’s that?"

"In response, my lord, it’s a special dye with lavender essential oil. It helps the color last longer and also has a calming effect," the Maid answered respectfully.

Murphy nodded, his thoughts drifting back to the Cultivation Technique.

’The so-called "digestion" in Qi Absorption and Eating Mist is, in essence, "Inner Refining." It makes the same amount of Qi more powerful, raising its quality to a higher level.’

’With each completed Inner Refining, the power of the Qi doubles.’

’In other words, the first refining doubles the power of the unrefined Qi, the Second Refining quadruples it, and so on.’

However, according to Murphy’s own hypothesis, the essence of this "higher quality" was most likely that the Qi had a faster speed and a higher conversion rate when it transformed into observable matter to interfere with the physical world.

"My fingernails are done. Now for my toes," Aurora said. She gracefully slipped off her silver flats, revealing feet clad in black silk stockings. Then, she gently peeled off the stockings, exposing a pair of fair, beautiful feet.

She had specifically chosen the same pale purple to match her fingernails. The Maids carefully knelt down to paint her toenails.

As Murphy watched the process, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

’Isn’t this process of painting nails a form of "transformation" as well?’

’The raw dyes are carefully mixed to ultimately achieve the desired effect on the nails.’

’When Dimensional Energy is transformed into observable matter, Magic is used to achieve the desired effect. The Magic is the formula for the dye.’

’No, it shouldn’t be limited to Dimensional Energy. Qi should work too.’

’A Wizard Apprentice can use Dimensional Energy directly, but the conversion rate is too low. It’s not as efficient as a Magic Model, just as unrefined Qi can’t compare to Qi that has undergone Inner Refining.’

’So, could I also use Qi to form a Magic Model, bypassing the Dimensional Energy step and drawing directly on the Qi in my body?’

’Actually, with my current Spiritual Power, I should already be able to inscribe Magic Models. Plus, I should have the ability to sense Dimensional Energy, so I should be able to function as a Wizard Apprentice.’

’And then I could try using the transformed—that is, the refined—Qi as the power source?’

Once her toenails were done, Aurora playfully lifted her feet. With impressive flexibility and strength, she easily raised them right in front of the standing Murphy. Her ten nimble toes wiggled mischievously, the pale purple polish on them sparkling with a starry glimmer.

"My nails are newly painted. Don’t you want to see how they feel, Brother?" Aurora asked, batting her eyes.

Murphy gave a resigned smile, reached out, and gently took her ankle. "Sit properly. I’ll give you a massage."

"Here... it’s a little sore."

Aurora murmured, guiding him, clearly enjoying her brother’s pampering.

The Maid to the side, long accustomed to such scenes, silently excused herself from the room.

As his hands continued their work, Murphy’s thoughts churned on.

’If Qi is a form of Energy, then what Qi Absorption and Eating Mist improves is the efficiency of that Energy’s conversion into a tangible effect.’

’It’s like how the same amount of fuel can produce more power in a more efficient engine.’

’While this improvement doesn’t increase the total amount of Qi, it drastically enhances its power in actual combat.’

’This must be the real reason for the increase in quality, the truth behind the Inner Refining Technique.’

’If I were to use this high-quality Qi instead of Dimensional Energy to power a Magic Model, would the effect be even more powerful?’

"Your hands always feel so good, Brother," Aurora sighed in satisfaction, her toes wiggling playfully in his palm.

"That’s because you’re always complaining about sore feet after dancing," Murphy replied gently, holding her fidgeting feet still to continue the massage.

’Perhaps it’s not just about increasing the power of a Magic Model. This Inner Refining Technique might also help me better understand the fundamental nature of the interaction between Qi and the physical world.’

’Since it enhances Qi’s ability to convert into observable physical effects, studying this conversion process might allow me to further refine and confirm my hypothesis about Supernatural Power, Dark Matter, and Dark Energy.’

"All right," Murphy said after a while, gently setting her foot down. "Your new nails are gorgeous. It’s like you’ve decorated them with starlight from the night sky." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Aurora happily admired the perfect look of her hands and feet, then suddenly stood up, leaned in, and gave Murphy a light kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for keeping me company, Brother."

She turned to run off, but Murphy caught her by the wrist.

"Leaving just like that?" Murphy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Aurora gave him a playful look over her shoulder. "I have to go inspect the chapel. Before Archbishop John left, he specifically instructed me to make sure the Holy Image of the God of Truth was properly installed."

Murphy scoffed. "In my territory, the laws I make clearly state that no one can withhold payment."

"But I’m the heir to the territory," Aurora said, tilting her head defiantly. "According to the rules, I’m allowed to defer payment."

Murphy tightened his grip slightly, pulling her back into his arms. "I make the rules, and if I say you can’t, you can’t. You already owe me payment for the massage this morning."

"I’m penniless. What am I supposed to pay you with?" Aurora pouted, twisting the hem of her skirt with her fingers.

"As the heir to the territory, how could you possibly be penniless?" Murphy pressed, feigning seriousness.

"I just don’t, I just don’t!" Aurora insisted, shaking her head petulantly, her golden hair swishing with the movement. "What are you going to do about it?"

Murphy suddenly bent down and, to her surprised gasp, swept her up into his arms. "What am I going to do? I’m going to collect the payment I’m owed, personally."

Aurora instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, her cheeks flushing faintly. "And how do you plan on collecting?"

"Like this."

Murphy lowered his head, and Aurora could no longer utter another playful word.