"No! That's not the case!"
Huai Shi shook his head like a rattle drum, hating the fact that even though he was innocent, to others, he seemed like some lascivious Evil Ghost.
Once again, he felt the pain of having his reputation unjustly tarnished!
"Good."
Ai Qing nodded. "Later, go to the Special Affairs Department to make a report. You're being sent on a business trip."
"Hmm?"
Huai Shi was first stunned, then greatly alarmed. "A business trip? To where?"
"Not far, about a five-hour sea journey."
Ai Qing calmly finished her tea and set down the cup. "Thanks to a certain suspect who pulled off an utterly unnecessary double-cross, at least it let me get a grip on the Achilles' heel of the Wanli Group.
In order for them to be able to smoothly conduct business in Dongxia and to give an explanation to the Astronomical Society, that bunch of stingy bastards cried as they handed over a piece of intelligence.
According to them, a smuggling fleet has taken a big job—there's a ship carrying an artifact from Hell, a Border Relic, from Indonesia to the Russian Federation.
Our goal is to cooperate with other Inspectors and operational agents of the Astronomical Society to intercept this ship and recover that item."
"Border Relic?"
Huai Shi asked curiously, "What Border Relic? And why involve other Inspectors?"
"A fragment."
Ai Qing said, "A fragment of the Philosopher's Stone."
"What in the world?!"
Huai Shi's eyes widened, and he almost jumped out of his chair, incredulous.
.
.
Once, when Huai Shi had just become a Sublimator, he had a discussion with Raven about the Philosopher's Stone.
After all, the thing was so famous that it was impossible not to be curious about it. Besides, Raven was quite good at Alchemy, wasn't she? If she could produce it, wouldn't that make a fortune?
In response, Raven was quite nonchalant.
"The Philosopher's Stone, although not common, is not so rare that it appears only once in a thousand years," Raven replied. "There are probably hundreds of people alive in the world today who possess it."
"Alive? In the world? Hundreds? People?"
"There are those who have died, too, but I know what you're wondering—yes, the Philosopher's Stone is a living person. Or rather, only those who have reached the pinnacle of their own Stigmata Genealogy and have transformed into their original form can be called perfect beings, the Philosopher's Stone."
This was the division of stages for Sublimators, the process of gradually turning into a miracle.
Raven also took the opportunity to explain to Huai Shi once more the five stages of Sublimators, known in Alchemy's advancement chart as the 'Path of the Fire Sword'.
First Stage·Mercury, goes without saying.
Named after the first metal in Alchemy, it signifies its role as the foundation for sublimation. The Source Fertile Soil, formed from the three substances of salt, sulfur, and mercury, is necessary to bear miracles.
Second Stage·Gold signifies an essential step within one's Genealogy, determining the future path. Sublimators master the talents and abilities of their category and Genealogy skillfully, with some distinctive Stigmata even possessing various peculiar innate Skills. Take, for example, the Gargoyle's Eye of Loathing...
Third Stage·Ether represents a change in one's lineage.
If before this point it was merely reinforcement by fits and starts, now it is a holistic strengthening from within.
Sublimators will completely transcend human limitations and be endowed with the essential blood of their path of sublimation. Their vitality becomes incredibly strong.
It's akin to Bone Refining and Marrow Cleansing.
Take He Luo's Naga and the Savior Association's Nue, for instance. Even if riddled with gunfire, their heads blown off by a sniper rifle, or even if they are blown into two sections with only a head remaining, they can still maintain basic consciousness.
At this stage, with the substantial nourishment of vital force, the Soul of the Sublimator begins a new transformation. Only when both body and Soul reach their limits and advance together can they step into the Fourth Stage and undergo a profound metamorphosis.
Fourth Stage·Stellar Antimony is entirely different from the previous stages.
Not only is the metamorphosis of the Soul complete, but the body is also comparable to a humanoid Godzilla. At this moment, Sublimators can truly be called dragons, Angels, exiled immortals, devils, Sons of God, and other legendary creatures from myths walking among mankind.
And to them, the world has also become something else entirely.
This is the 'supernatural vision,' or 'Soul Vision,' that rumors say could upset the foundation of physics.
What is unimaginable for ordinary people might, to them, be easily achievable with a mere gesture. This is what most people would consider a master among masters.
Further up, we reach a realm not accessible to ordinary Sublimators.
—Fifth Stage·Philosopher's Stone.
Huai Shi had personally seen the White Emperor's Son and Xuan Niao. They made it clear what kind of power a Sublimator truly possesses upon reaching the pinnacle of their Stigmata Genealogy—their complete and final form.
Even the inherently deficient Garuda, with just its own radiance, can purify someone as weak as Huai Shi like dust.
Even Daguan, who was brutally beaten by Fu Canlight, could transform into an entire mobile Border. It could carry a multitude of Sublimators, ready to invade the Current Circumstances at any moment. Its sheer weight alone was capable of destroying an entire city.
And the importance and preciousness of a Fifth Stage Sublimator far exceed just that.