Luo Jin was basking in triumph when the scene before him suddenly changed, and he found himself in a brightly lit hall.
A short distance ahead, an invisible column roughly ten feet in diameter, its surface rippling with primal astral energy, enclosed a strange orb of light that floated quietly, radiating a gentle glow.
Below it were several slightly smaller orbs, along with tiny, strange glimmers ranging from a foot across to the size of a fist or even a bean.
Li Chen sat beneath the column, his Mechanized Flying Chair hovering a foot above the ground. On either side of him stood a graceful Puppet Doll maiden.
"You... you're Li Zun!" Luo Jin was startled and hurried forward to pay his respects. "Greetings, Li Zun."
Having spent more than half a year here, he had begun to understand Li Chen's achievements and standing. His awe remained, but respect now outweighed fear more than it once had.
Whether Li Chen was Grand Preceptor Hu or Grandmaster Artisan Li, he was someone they had to look up to, yet the feelings behind that reverence were entirely different.
"Luo Jin, I already know everything you did earlier." Li Chen looked at him with a smile, freely offering some praise. "I never expected you to master the technique for changing the Auxiliary Brain's operating mode on your own, or even perform Skull-Opening Brain Replacement and modify yourself with the Spirit-Particle Memory Meme."
"But do you realize that this still doesn't mean you've truly crossed the threshold to becoming a Master Artisan? You aren't qualified to modify other people."
Luo Jin's expression froze. "Why?"
"Because everyone is born different," Li Chen said. "Even within the same species, cultivation, strength, and the essence of life vary from person to person. You're relatively familiar with your