Translator: CinderTL
3:30 AM.
The entire city lay in slumber, save for the tireless cleaning robots that roamed its streets around the clock.
In the Hope District of Star City's southern district, a bespectacled man around 25 years old remained awake, hunched over his desk, scribbling in a notebook under the glow of a desk lamp.
He occasionally glanced up at his monitor, then tapped furiously on the keyboard, researching materials related to art magic.
His name was Hu Boyuan, and he hadn't received formal training in art magic.
His entry into the field of art magic research was purely accidental.
About four years earlier, after graduating from an ordinary high school, he narrowly missed the cutoff score for his dream academy, Galaxy Academy.
He was left with only two options:
1. Attend an ordinary academy, where he wouldn't receive the same level of resources and support as students at prestigious institutions. Pursuing independent research would require personal funding, and securing a position at a renowned research institute after graduation would be nearly impossible without exceptional academic achievements.
2. Enter the workforce and become a cog in the machine of Human Civilization.
Neither option appealed to him.
Considering his aging parents' financial strain, Hu Boyuan ultimately gritted his teeth and abandoned his academic pursuits. On the recommendation of his high school teacher, he joined a resource transportation company as a resource auditor.
The monotonous routine of his days gradually eroded his youthful ideals.
Occasionally, he would dream of his student days, recalling his solemn vow to study for the sake of humanity's advancement. Though these memories stirred his blood, he always awoke to face reality.
Reality wasn't a novel. He accepted that he was just an ordinary person, not a protagonist destined to change the world. He no longer aspired to such grand ambitions, content to focus on the tasks at hand.
He even considered that if he had children in the future, he would nurture them well, hoping they would inherit his dreams and carry them forward.
Having resigned himself to mediocrity, he found the restlessness in his heart had subsided.
Yet his genuine passion for art magic remained, though it had mellowed into a quiet appreciation.
Every year, he would watch the art magic concept competitions hosted by various research institutes, as well as live discussions within the field.
What had once been a fervent pursuit of knowledge had now become a form of entertainment.
Like watching a sports match, tuning into art magic livestreams every evening had become his go-to dinner entertainment.
Hu Boyuan had always believed his ordinary life would continue unchanged.
But four years ago, a seminar on art magic suddenly sparked a revelation within him.
The seminar's unexpected theme wasn't about specialized knowledge of art magic; instead, it was titled "From Nothing to Something."
During the seminar, many renowned scholars in cultivation studies discussed how early pioneers in art magic had paved the way for humanity's understanding of the field, starting from scratch.
That seminar made Hu Boyuan realize something profound: art magic wasn't as distant as he'd imagined. Miracles could emerge from the ordinary.
By the time art magic had developed to its current state, many concepts hadn't been created solely by famous scholars. Countless contributions had come from ordinary scholars and even passionate enthusiasts.
After watching that episode, a bold idea surged through Hu Boyuan's mind:
Why not try it myself?
Once the seed of this idea took root in his heart, it began to grow uncontrollably.
Finally, Hu Boyuan took the plunge.
Every day after work, he dedicated his time to studying, determined to rekindle the dark-green flames that had long been extinguished within him.
Passion remains the greatest teacher.
During his self-study, he found like-minded partners online and together they formed an art magic self-study group.
The friends in the group, like him, were all passionate about art magic but lacked formal training.
Whenever a novel concept emerged in the field of art magic, it would become a hot topic of discussion within the group.
The group fostered a strong learning environment. Whenever a member encountered a difficult problem, the others would pool their collective wisdom to help find a solution.
The group's proudest moment came when a concept they had collectively developed was adopted by the art magic department of Galaxy Academy, becoming part of their new conceptual framework for art magic.
Though the contribution might have been just a single, seemingly insignificant sentence within the larger framework, it sparked days of celebration within the group.
During their occasional offline gatherings, the mere mention of this achievement would fill them with immense pride.
This kind of life made Hu Boyuan feel deeply content.
Having a group of like-minded companions, combined with his fulfilling daily life, left him with nothing lacking except romantic love.
Over the past four years, Hu Boyuan had risen to become a prominent figure within the group.
His growth had been remarkably rapid.
Starting as an ordinary member, he quickly began assisting newcomers with their questions. Within just two years, he had become the group's universally recognized "old bird," the most knowledgeable and respected member.
Encouraged by his peers, Hu Boyuan finally took the first steps toward entering the professional domain of art magic.
Over the past two years, Hu Boyuan had frequently participated in online art magic concept competitions, proposing numerous excellent suggestions and ideas that left a deep impression on many.
Some even believed he was a hidden expert in the field of art magic, pretending to be a newbie while secretly showing off his expertise.
Recently, Hu Boyuan's reputation had soared.
This was largely due to the recent buzz surrounding the concept of "Spirit Qi Transformation" in the art magic domain.
The concept was proposed by a renowned scholar from Galaxy Academy's art magic department.
After analyzing vast amounts of data related to spiritual energy, he argued that if humans could master the free conversion of spiritual energy, it would greatly advance the development of cultivation studies.
For example, spiritual energy is the most fundamental energy substance in cultivation studies.
It can be converted into various other spiritual energy attributes, such as fire-attribute spiritual energy, water-attribute spiritual energy, qi blood-attribute spiritual energy, and so on.
The renowned scholar from Galaxy Academy thus proposed the concept of free Spirit Qi Transformation and sought collective wisdom online to turn this concept into reality, aiming to elevate human cultivation studies from simple conversion to a stage where attributes could be switched at will.
This concept caused quite a stir in the art magic domain, with numerous professional scholars participating in refining it.
Hu Boyuan was one of them.
The phrase "great accumulation, sudden breakthrough" perfectly describes Hu Boyuan.
Years of passion and study had allowed him to accumulate a vast amount of knowledge in his field. His countless discussions with fellow group members had further enriched his mind with novel concepts.
Roughly three months ago, Hu Boyuan published a paper online that detailed a concept he had been refining for a month, along with directions for further development.
The paper was titled "Spirit Qi Conversion: Analyzing the Feasibility of attribute conversion Through the Arrangement and Combination of Spiritual Energy Particles."
The full text spanned over 50,000 words.
While the paper primarily outlined foundational principles, it also introduced numerous innovative concepts.
Even art magic professionals considered the explanations highly specialized and insightful.
Many of the ideas presented in the paper supported the feasibility of freely switching spiritual energy attributes. Several proposals were even confirmed as viable after testing by professional institutions.
With the backing of these institutional evaluation reports, Hu Boyuan became an overnight sensation in the art magic field.
(End of the Chapter)
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