Chapter 12: Microscopic Eye

“Patelocke, have you seen this before?” Su Chen asked, now back in the laboratory in his residence.

Patelocke inspected the metal block and exclaimed in shock, “These are very intricate Origin Formation Inscriptions. They carry an aura I’m familiar with, but there’s something different about it.”

“Are you saying this is an ancient artifact?”

“No! I’m certain it’s not,” Patelocke replied. “There’s a lot of technology in here that wasn’t around during the time of the Arcana Kingdom.”

Compared to Su Chen, Patelocke was much clearer about what technology existed during the Arcana Kingdom. After returning to the main world for a year, he was already beginning to understand the current situation and its development.

Thus, he said, “This is the result of the combination of a contemporary Origin Skill and an Ancient Arcana Technique.”

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

“Oh, another scholar.” Su Chen laughed.

There was no way he would believe that he was the only person who was proficient both in contemporary Origin Skills and in Ancient Arcana Techniques.

“However, it’s very different from your mainstream Origin Skills. I temporarily have no way of determining where it’s from...... I still know very little about this world. If I had a body, though, I could......”

“Enough, Patelocke. At the very least, I won’t give you your body back now. But if you cooperate enough, I will think about helping you find a body.” Su Chen pointed at the metal block and said, “Apart from its origins, what else do you sense about this metal block?”

“It has a powerful life energy coming from it!” Patelocke replied.

“Powerful life energy? You’re sure?”

“Extremely sure. I’m an expert in that field after all.”

Su Chen nodded. “That sounds about right. This metal block has been constantly emitting a microsubstance. I think this thing might be responsible for the whole ‘demons sending babies’ situation.”

“Microsubstance? You’re sure about that?” This time, it was Patelocke’s turn to feel shocked.

Upon seeing Su Chen nod his head confidently, Patelocke suddenly grew excited. “Microscopic Control! That’s definitely Microscopic Control! Someone actually did it!”

“You’re telling me that someone actually created this substance?” Su Chen was shocked.

“I can’t tell you for sure. If I had a physical body, I would have some methods to verify it, but I can’t do that now. But if it really was created by someone else, it has enormous implications. Controlling things from the microscopic level has innumerable applications and an unlimited future!” Patelocke was beside himself with excitement.

He yelled at Su Chen, “Think about it! At the base level, everything is composed of microscopic particles, even Origin Energy. If you can control things on this level, you have the ability to create life! You can create all kinds of living organisms! You can create everything! Even matters related to the use of Origin Energy! This could be the beginning to everything!”

The more he spoke, the more Patelocke’s speech grew incoherent.

Su Chen was still relatively grounded. “You’re thinking too far off. To most Origin Qi Scholars, this is just a microscopic substance full of life force, and this metal block is just its container. And right now, we can’t even control this substance; how can you even talk about creating things?”

“That’s just because your consciousness power isn’t high enough!”

“What?” Su Chen was stunned.

“What do you think you use to control those microscopic substances? It’s not Origin Energy. Origin Energy is on the macroscopic level; even though it can be put to use via Origin Energy Patterns or Talismans, it is still controlled macroscopically. But consciousness energy is different. Don’t think that it can only be used to construct illusions or to assault another person’s consciousness; it can also control physical substance. However, it can only act on a microscopic level, not a macroscopic level.”

“Controlled using consciousness energy?” Su Chen was shocked.

“That’s right. How do you think I completed my lifeform-altering experiments? By using my finger to write memories on the pregnant mothers? No, it was by consciousness energy! The more powerful your consciousness energy is, the deeper your ability to control things on a microscopic level will be!”

“What do I need to do to be able to control this microscopic substance?”

“Raise your consciousness power. Then, you’ll be able to gather it together and reach out with it...... In simple terms, it’s to give your consciousness power physical substance.”

“Give my consciousness power physical substance in order to touch the microscopic world?” Su Chen muttered to himself, somewhat understanding.

He asked, “How far am I from that point?”

“Very far. Humans focus on cultivating their physical bodies. Your physical bodies are much more powerful than ours, but the quality of your souls is too poor, and your consciousness power is much weaker than ours. The human race’s understanding of the Arcana Race has a big gap, which is that they treat Ancient Arcana Techniques as synonymous with the Arcana Race; however, that’s a big mistake. True Arcana Nobility Clans focused on developing their consciousness; only lower-status Arcana Race groups placed their attention on developing Arcana Techniques.”

“So that’s how it is.” Su Chen understood. “I assume the reason there is this misunderstanding is because, at that time, humans were all slaves, and slaves never had any opportunities to encounter high-status Arcana Race individuals. Thus, their understanding of those secrets is much less complete.”

“Perhaps,” Patelocke replied. “If you needed a hundred hypothetical units of consciousness power to reach a point where you can use it to affect the microscopic world, you’re probably at around fifty units right now, which is why you have no way of influencing it.”

“That doesn’t sound like that big of a gap to me,” Su Chen said.

“That’s because you don’t know. Even commoners have roughly ten units of consciousness power. Your cultivation can cause a corresponding increase in your consciousness power. Qi Drawing Realm gives you an additional ten, as does reaching the Blood Boiling Realm. Therefore, you’ve only actually cultivated around ten units of consciousness power. If you want to reach a hundred, you’ll probably have to wait until you reach the Yang Opening Realm. But even if your consciousness power reaches a hundred, you still have no way of controlling it.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because you can’t see them. Only if you can clearly see those microscopic substances can you contact them and control them. Relying on Origin Skills to acquire this sight has no point because that’s just a kind of superficial sight and is a major deviation. All it can do is demonstrate existence, but it can’t give you an exact position of the microscopic substance. After all, Origin Skills are still macroscopic-level.”

“You’re telling me that I can only control them with my consciousness power if I can see them?” Su Chen squinted his eyes slightly.

“That’s right, but humans aren’t able to do this.”

Su Chen understood the meaning in his words. “So the Arcana Race can?”

“Of course!” Patelocke replied arrogantly. “We are the Arcana Race, and we have the ability to see the microscopic world! What do you think the tens of thousands of years of glory the Arcana Race was founded on? That was because we had two pairs of eyes. One to see the macroscopic world, and one to see the microscopic world.”

Su Chen’s heart lurched. “You’re saying...... the legends aren’t just legends? The Arcana Race really can see things on the microscopic level?”

“Only the Arcana Race nobles of the highest status could awaken this core bloodline talent!” Patelocke replied arrogantly. “To the Arcana Race, who have Origin Blood, the world is composed of countless base elements, including Origin Energy. If you had a pair of eyes that could see the microscopic world, you could even see the gathering and dispersion of Origin Energy. As long as you kill a target with Origin Energy, you can absorb all of the Origin Energy dispersing from its body, making your cultivation speed far faster than it is now!”