"No wonder the Ice Crystal Fish Mother was so reluctant to follow my command; the baby Ice Crystal Fish can't adapt to tap water. What should I do, what should I do?" In a panic, Russell acted impulsively, pouring the water from the Ice Crystal Bottle directly into the pool.
Unexpectedly, this desperate act proved to be the right gamble! As the water from the Ice Crystal Bottle was poured into the pool, a chilling mist filled the upper room.
"Wow, that's cold!" Russell's teeth chattered from the intense cold, caught off guard by the icy nature of the blue water in the bottle. Pouring in just half a bottle turned the entire pool into a misty ice haze, dropping the temperature by several degrees.
It felt as though the temperature had approached freezing, but despite the biting cold, Russell forced himself to continue pouring the purified water from the bottle into the pool.
He could clearly see that the ten small Ice Crystal Fish finally showed signs of life again. It turned out that the water contained in the Ice Crystal Bottle was extraordinary, possibly unique on the entire planet.
As he continued pouring, Russell realized something unusual; after several minutes, the bottle still wasn't empty. It seemed endless—truly a mystical object.
Could this be water from the extreme north? Russell's imagination ran wild.
Before long, braving the increasingly cold environment, the anxious and sorrowful emotions from the Ice Crystal Fish Mother dissipated, replaced by lively energy.
At that moment, Russell could no longer bear the cold. He dashed downstairs, vigorously rubbing his arms to warm them. Without the gene serum's fortification, he doubted he could have endured this long.
Upstairs, the fish pool's temperature must have dropped to several degrees below zero. Such frightening cold, unimaginable in the peak of summer, with temperatures in the southern Beijing region exceeding 30 degrees Celsius.
Fortunately, the Spirit Trap Array he had set up contained the cold within the room, preventing it from escaping. In that moment, Russell truly appreciated the array's formidable power.
Without it, even glass and walls would have shattered under the intense temperature fluctuations.
After resting a bit, and dressing warmly in thermal and woolen clothes, Russell ventured upstairs once more.
The ten small Ice Crystal Fish were now lively, swimming happily in the spacious pool.
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As their tiny mouths opened and closed, they released strands of spiritual energy, almost invisible to the naked eye, which drifted upwards until reaching the ceiling. There, an invisible lock gathered and concentrated the spirit energy produced by the fish.
"This is promising!" Russell's excitement grew as he observed the dense concentration of spiritual energy, proving his theories were becoming reality. Everything was ready, awaiting only a final push.
"System, I want to check the progress on the cultivation of the Witchcraft God Refinement Manual," he asked, hoping for insight from the system.
His understanding of the super system revealed it was highly intelligent, despite lacking consciousness. So, he held hope when inquiring.
"The progress of the simulation is currently at 73%. Based on the host's divine energy recovery rate, it is estimated that the entire task simulation will be completed in 126 hours."
As Russell expected, the super system provided the information he desired. A little over a hundred hours meant that in about five or six days, he could see the cultivation technique of the ancient Immortals.
Though Russell knew the path ahead might not be smooth, he was committed to seeing it through.
In the coming days, Russell stayed home, enduring the cold and keeping his eyes fixed on the ten small Ice Crystal Fish, which continually produced thin strands of spiritual energy. This energy was gathered by the invisible forces of the array.
After about two hours, a small, crystal-clear bead, smaller than a marble, began to form.
The bead's beauty defied description—could this be a "Spirit Bead" as mentioned in the Spirit Trap Array's details?
Russell's eyes widened as he fixated on the increasingly brilliant bead within the array. Indeed, he hadn't guessed wrong. It was part of the process described in the Heavenly Witch Spirit Trap Array—collecting energy into a bead!
This meant compressing spiritual energy to a point where it solidified into a bead.
The array's primary function was to stabilize the internal environment, allowing the Spirit Bead to be taken outside without dispersing.
"Come on, baby." With a simple gesture, Russell summoned the bead from the array, drawing it into his hand with an invisible force. Once in his hand, the bead felt cool to the touch.
This small bead, no larger than a fish's eye, contained three hours' worth of spiritual energy generated by the ten small Ice Crystal Fish.
"What will happen if I consume it? Hopefully, it won't be too overwhelming." Hungry and exhausted, Russell decided to eat it. Opening his mouth, he swallowed the bead.
Instantly, a cooling sensation spread from his stomach to his head, making him feel invigorated and refreshed.
Another stronger wave of cool energy surged to his chest, precisely where the first blue scale had manifested.
"What is this?" Shocked, Russell hastily unbuttoned his layers, witnessing something remarkable.
Under the influence of the cool energy, a second blue scale began emerging from his chest, visibly growing in real-time. Although this scale wasn't as mature or thick as the first, it was still a significant development.
How could a small Spirit Bead initiate such a substantial transformation?
"Heavens, didn't the Hard Shell Technique state that each blue scale required a large amount of nutrient absorption? But here, devouring a single bead achieved a third of that...this can't be right."
Russell was stunned. Despite anticipating the bead's potency, he vastly underestimated its effects. It was far more powerful than any miraculous elixir.