Chapter 165: Substitute Doll

Having completed the sign-up, Jie Ming soon left the intersection point and returned to the Golden Garden.

While organizing the supplies and rune-wizard tools he might need to take away, he was conceiving various possibilities for future battles in his mind.

Just as he was immersed in pre-battle preparations, the magic network terminal suddenly lit up, and a communication request from Mentor Clark was clearly listed.

Jie Ming immediately connected.

"Come to my office." Mentor Clark's voice was as short and calm as ever, beyond doubt.

Jie Ming didn't dare to be slow, immediately activated the teleportation array, and arrived at Mentor Clark's private office located at the Nuolun Academy in an instant.

Mentor Clark was standing in front of an alchemy table, playing with an exquisite doll no larger than a palm in his hand.

The doll was lifelike, with a few similarities to Jie Ming between the eyebrows.

The material looked like rubber, and also like skin, with fine rune luster flowing on the surface.

Seeing Jie Ming arrive, Clark handed the doll over.

"Take it, this is a substitute doll." There was no emotion in Clark's voice.

Jie Ming took the doll, which felt warm to the touch. Looking at the extremely complex and profound runes on it, he immediately knew that this was definitely not an ordinary item.

"Substitute doll?" Jie Ming repeated suspiciously, having some kind of guess in his heart.

"That's right." Mentor Clark nodded, then reached out, signaling Jie Ming to cooperate. "I need body materials containing your life information, as well as a small portion of spiritual power."

Jie Ming was slightly startled. If it were other wizards facing such a request from Clark, they would still hesitate.

After all, body information and spiritual power are the best materials for making curses and conducting soul attacks.

The defense and vigilance of wizards against such things are an instinct carved into their bones.

But Jie Ming only paused for a moment before starting to cut his hair without hesitation.

This was not only because of his trust in Mentor Clark but also because he had the "Xuan Gang Hong Chen Barrier" protection.

This intangible protective treasure could isolate curses and backfire on the caster.

With this guarantee, he had no need to worry about Mentor Clark being unfavorable to him.

Seeing Jie Ming cut a small section of his hair readily and offer his spiritual power without hesitation, a trace of extremely faint gentleness appeared in the depths of Mentor Clark's eyes.

However, this gentleness flashed and disappeared, and then he put on a stern face again, lecturing Jie Ming with a severe tone:

"Jie Ming, although you trust me, this kind of unthinking trust is a very irrational behavior! Even if I am your mentor, you must maintain reasonable suspicion and vigilance! You will encounter all kinds of wizards and living beings when you roam the plane sea in the future; the human heart is sinister, and if you are not careful, you will be doomed."

Jie Ming listened to his mentor's teachings without refuting, but bowed and accepted: "The mentor's teachings are correct; the student will remember them."

He knew that Mentor Clark was not really blaming him, but was taking this opportunity to teach him.

This concern for the student's safety made a warm current surge in Jie Ming's heart.

"After you go back, as long as you use your own spiritual power to soak it, this substitute doll will be bound to your life aura and soul imprint," Mentor Clark's tone softened again, explaining while putting away the hair.

"Once you encounter a fatal crisis outside, or even die directly, it will be activated, fighting for a chance for you to resurrect at a predetermined location."

Although he had some expectations when he heard the name, hearing Mentor Clark's explanation still made Jie Ming's heart jolt.

This was undoubtedly a life-saving treasure!

Life only happens once. Even if a wizard's spiritual power is strong enough to support the soul to survive alone, a fragile soul has no power to resist when facing an enemy.

And the substitute doll can reverse life and death, giving him a second chance!

"However, resurrection comes at a price," Mentor Clark's voice changed, becoming somewhat serious. "It is just a guiding object that can pull your life origin back. But true resurrection requires you to have an extra body as a carrier—this is why I asked for your body information. With your complete body samples, I can help you manufacture a spare body."

Jie Ming understood.

The substitute doll is the "key," and the spare body is the "door."

Without a door, no matter how good the key is, it cannot open a path to life.

"However... does it actually require an extra spare body? Only an alchemy master like Clark could perform this level of human body alchemy," Jie Ming thought to himself.

In the wizard world, simply manufacturing a body is not a difficult thing. Under normal circumstances, alchemy wizards above Tier 4 can start involving human body alchemy.

But if it requires perfectly copying a body with a soul imprint and making it perfectly fit the original soul, the difficulty is a bit high, almost touching the realm of life laws.

This requires not only an extreme understanding of alchemy but also a mastery of life studies, soul studies, and even destiny studies.

Ordinary alchemists, even high-tier wizards, have absolutely no possibility of doing this.

Life studies are okay to talk about, soul studies are subjects that rely on talent, and destiny studies are even more difficult.

Thinking to here, Jie Ming subconsciously opened the Eye of Omnipotence and carefully identified the substitute doll in his hand.

Until his head felt swollen, he didn't understand the specific structure of the substitute doll, but he could roughly understand that the operating principle of this substitute doll also relied on destiny-system knowledge.

"This thing... is likely a technology developed by Mentor Clark himself."

Thinking of this, Jie Ming respectfully bowed and thanked Clark: "Thank you, Mentor."

Clark saw his thoughts and shook his head: "Don't thank me; my current level of destiny studies cannot make such a prop; this was given to you by my mentor."

"Uh... Grand-mentor?" Jie Ming was startled, not expecting that his grand-mentor was involved in this.

"Yes," Clark looked at Jie Ming with a half-smile. "Your grand-mentor was afraid that if you died, you wouldn't be able to continue providing Red Dust Potion, so he made this thing. Rest assured, this is very cheap; just provide ten more vials of Red Dust Potion."

"Ah... hahahaha..." Jie Ming gave an awkward laugh, not knowing how to reply.

He now understood that his little thoughts had all been seen through by his mentor and those grand-mentors.

It is estimated that they had all seen that his expedition this time was mainly to find raw materials for Red Dust Potion.

They hadn't exposed him until now, and even gave him a substitute doll; it is estimated that everyone was maintaining a tacit understanding.

As long as he could obtain enough Red Dust Qi to make Red Dust Potion during this expedition, they would likely recognize his potential and act as if nothing had happened.

Mentor Clark didn't say much more, just waved his hand: "Go, prepare for the expedition. I will notify you after your spare body is manufactured."

Jie Ming gratefully bid farewell to his mentor, and after returning to the Golden Garden, he began to make final preparations for the upcoming plane war.

However, just the next day, Mentor Clark's communication came again.

"Your spare body has been manufactured; come and receive it," Mentor Clark's voice carried a trace of imperceptible fatigue.

After all, manufacturing such a high-tier alchemy creation so hastily, even an alchemy master of his level would feel tired.

Jie Ming didn't expect his mentor to be so concerned about this matter, so he immediately set off for Clark's private laboratory.

When he stepped into the laboratory, he saw at a glance a huge transparent glass incubator placed in the center.

The incubator was filled with light green nutrient solution, and in this liquid, a body exactly the same as Jie Ming was soaked!

The body had its eyes closed, and its skin color and muscle texture were no different from Jie Ming's main body; except for having no hair, it was almost exactly the same.

It floated quietly in the nutrient solution like a sleeping perfect replica; if it weren't for the lack of life aura fluctuations, it would be almost impossible to distinguish true from false.

The bottom of the incubator was connected to complex energy pipes and rune arrays, plus the nutrient solution in the incubator, which was enough to maintain the vitality of the body for a long time.

"This is your spare body. Take it away and install it in a place you think is safe," Mentor Clark pointed to the incubator, his tone carrying a trace of imperceptible relief. "I really didn't expect your physical fitness to be so good; it's truly a loss!"

Jie Ming smiled, walked to the incubator, and carefully observed this perfect substitute.

Hearing Clark's words, he thought about it, and several alternative plans for "safe areas" appeared in his mind.

Deep in his own Golden Garden?

But that is where he conducts daily activities; once an accident occurs, it might be implicated.

Purgatory Sulfur Plane?

Although secret, it is ultimately not an absolutely safe place before he officially starts the transformation.

Finally, a bold idea appeared in Jie Ming's mind.

He turned to look at Mentor Clark: "Mentor, after thinking about it, I think the safest place is your private laboratory."

Mentor Clark heard this, and a look of obvious disgust immediately appeared on his face.

His expression, which had been as calm as an ancient well, couldn't help but twitch at this moment: "You brat, is my private plane a place for you to put this kind of thing?"

However, he didn't refuse in the end.

"Hmph," Mentor Clark let out a dissatisfied grunt, but still waved his hand helplessly. "Fine, put it here. However, you must pay a management fee for every day you put it here... oh right, and the energy consumption fee."

He quoted a price that was almost negligible for Jie Ming.

Jie Ming was overjoyed; he knew that Mentor Clark had allowed it.

Putting this spare body in the private plane of a Tier 6 wizard is undoubtedly the safest choice at the current stage.

"Mentor, I will pay the management fee for one hundred years first!"

"Pushing your luck, I will only help you save it this one time!" Clark finally couldn't help it, and kicked Jie Ming's butt in anger.

Saying what he said, Mentor Clark still directed his servants to take back the body soaked in the nutrient solution, placed it in a secret compartment in the corner of the laboratory, and reinforced it with several restrictions.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 166 =====