Chapter 11

"Note, the attributes of some herbs will change over time."

Madam Ellen said while counting the account book: "The things you just learned from books may not necessarily work in actual operation."

Luo En nodded and began to carefully observe the pile of herbs.

With the help of the 【Herb Identification】 ability, he could perceive the unique "aura" emitted by each material.

"This..." He picked up a glass bottle containing silver powder and said after a moment of thought:

"Logically, this should be the powder of moon dew flower, but this dark color seems different from what is recorded in the book."

"Very good." Madam Ellen raised her head: "Did you notice the pale purple marks on the bottle mouth?"

Luo En observed carefully again: "Is it because it reacted with other herbs?"

"That's right." Madam Ellen put down the account book:

"Moon dew flower powder should be pure silver, but it is very sensitive to various energies. Yesterday, a supplier brought a batch of purple crystal grass, just because it wasn't stored separately in time..."

Speaking of this, she looked at Luo En with an examining nature: "So how do you think this bottle of powder should be handled?"

Luo En thought for a moment: "First, reseal it to avoid continued contamination, and then..."

He recalled the content in "Fundamentals of Potions":

"If it reacted with purple crystal grass, it should be used to make potions. Although the purity is reduced, it wins in gentle medicinal properties."

"Not a bad idea."

A trace of appreciation flashed in the old witch's eyes, nodding slightly to show approval: "It seems you not only remember the content in the book, but also know how to apply it flexibly."

Luo En carefully put the bottle aside and continued to organize other herbs.

Gradually, he found that there seemed to be some kind of pattern hidden in these seemingly messy materials.

For example, most of the herbs that glow carry a faint trace of starlight aura;

While those materials that emit heat all carry some kind of special rhythm, reminding him of the sun energy described in "Solar Corona Breathing Method."

"So that's it..." he muttered to himself thoughtfully.

In the process of actually contacting these materials, the knowledge in the books is being transformed into practical experience bit by bit.

Those once obscure and difficult-to-understand descriptions have all become vivid at this moment.

"Huh?" Luo En suddenly found a small bottle stuffed in the corner.

The bottle was covered with a thin layer of dust, but through the dirty glass, one could still see faint starlight flickering inside.

Just as he was about to check carefully, Madam Ellen's voice suddenly sounded:

"No one has cleaned that place for a long time; it seems you found something interesting."

"This is... Stardust Liquid?" Luo En carefully wiped the bottle: "The book says this material can help stabilize spiritual power fluctuations."

"That's right." Madam Ellen walked over and took the bottle to check in the light: "But this bottle has been left for too long, and the medicinal effect has almost lost."

She looked at Luo En's slightly disappointed expression: "Why? Are you interested in this?"

Luo En did not hide it: "Yes, three months later is the apprentice assessment that determines whether I can stay here; I need to improve my spiritual power as soon as possible."

"So that's it."

Madam Ellen laughed indifferently: "It's no wonder you chose to apply; this is indeed a good place to come into contact with various rare materials."

She put the bottle back on the shelf: "But if you want to improve your spiritual power, relying on external objects is not enough. Real breakthroughs still depend on one's own comprehension."

Luo En fell into deep thought; indeed, the meditation during this period allowed him to capture some special inspiration. If he relied solely on external objects for assistance, some extremely terrible things might happen.

Just at this moment, the shop door was pushed open, and a gust of wind rolled in a few dead leaves.

"Welcome..." Madam Ellen's words stopped halfway.

Luo En looked in the direction of the sound and saw a tall figure standing at the door.

The visitor was wearing a gray-blue robe, with a badge inlaid with a deep blue gem pinned to his chest—this is the sign of a high-level apprentice.

He took off his hood, revealing a young but slightly pale face.

"Madam Ellen." The man nodded slightly: "I heard you have a new batch of evening primrose here?"

"Yes, Apprentice Holter."

Madam Ellen's tone was indifferent; she seemed extremely familiar with this young high-level apprentice: "They were all picked on the night of the full moon three days ago."

"Continue your work, I will be responsible for entertaining the guest." She turned her head and whispered to Luo En: "Don't ask anything, don't say anything."

Luo En nodded silently and continued to organize the herbs.

But he could feel that the atmosphere in the shop suddenly became heavy.

That high-level apprentice who appeared to be a regular customer didn't speak, just paced slowly between the shelves.

His robe moved without wind, and every time he passed those bottles and cans containing herbs, the materials inside would produce subtle fluctuations.

Luo En organized the herbs while observing with his peripheral vision.

This opportunity is rare—being able to get close to a high-level apprentice, perhaps he could learn something.

Relying on the keen perception brought by 【Herb Identification】, he noticed that the person would pause slightly when passing certain herbs.

These materials look ordinary, but they all carry a trace of special "resonance."

"Good quality."

Holter carefully checked the herbs and actually took out a complete magic stone from his robe: "I want all of these."

Luo En looked at that magic stone and was shocked.

Unlike the fragments used by apprentices like them, the complete magic stone contains pure and powerful energy.

Just at this moment, a "star grass" he was organizing suddenly emitted a faint glow, seemingly responding to the energy in the magic stone.

The gray-robed apprentice's movements paused, and he turned to look at Luo En's side.

Although he couldn't see the other party's expression, that sharp gaze was chilling.

"Interesting..." he muttered to himself, "This star grass actually still retains its activity; little guy, how did you do it?"

Luo En's heart beat faster, but he remained calm on the surface: "My lord, I just followed what the book said, using salt crystal powder to seal..."

"No..." Holter interrupted him:

"Ordinary preservation methods can't reach this degree; this grass has been picked for more than several days. Being able to maintain such activity shows that you have some understanding of its 'rhythm'."

Luo En froze; he did indeed feel the unique "rhythm" of this grass when organizing it, and that rhythm was very similar to the spiritual fluctuation when he meditated in the morning, so he subconsciously used a similar way to place it.

"Very good, what's your name?"

Just as Luo En was about to answer, Madam Ellen suddenly inserted into their conversation:

"This is the assistant I just recruited; he is still just a candidate apprentice."

(End of chapter)