Chapter 156: Following This Arduous Journey, Finally Reaching the Stars

This information confirmed the shapeshifter's statement.

Only one last step remained, and the Skin of the Shapeshifter could become a true "Glorious Legacy," gaining the complete isolation ability indispensable to Luo En's plan.

"What does 'pure soul energy' refer to?"

Luo En asked further: "Is there any specific source or way to obtain it?"

"The souls of extraordinary creatures." The shapeshifter replied:

"Especially those with special bloodlines or talents. The rarer the bloodline, the purer the soul energy. Moreover, the extraction of soul energy must be completed at the moment of the creature's death, otherwise, the energy will dissipate rapidly."

Luo En fell into deep thought.

The soul energy of extraordinary creatures was not easy to obtain, especially under the school's strict control.

But if it were at the Bloody Gladiator Tournament...

"I understand." Luo En finally nodded, "You may rest."

The shapeshifter's silhouette immediately melted, re-attaching to Luo En's skin surface and returning to a hidden state.

Luo En returned to the workbench, took out a new notebook to write down the data simply, and incidentally began recording today's discoveries and ideas in his mental palace.

His plan began to become more concrete:

First, he needed to further research isolation layer technology and try to apply it to soul steel, preparing for future magic sword creation;

Second, he needed to find a way to obtain pure soul energy to help the Skin of the Shapeshifter complete its final advancement;

Finally, he also needed to consider the potential negative effects after soul splitting, and how to safely handle the separated soul fragments.

"Bloody Gladiator Tournament," Luo En muttered to himself, a light of contemplation flashing in his eyes.

The tournament might not only provide an opportunity to obtain soul energy, but the champion's reward—that legendary "Substitute Puppet"—might also be the key to solving the soul processing problem.

Luo En recalled the information he had obtained from the slave trader:

The Substitute Puppet could carry the user's consciousness, creating a "copy" almost identical to the original, and was unaffected by damage to the original body.

"If the split soul fragments could be placed in the Substitute Puppet..."

Luo En pondered this possibility, "Perhaps direct soul damage could be avoided while gaining greater room for operation."

But all of this was based on a series of bold assumptions:

Can the Skin of the Shapeshifter successfully advance?

Can isolation layer technology be applied to magic swords?

Is the Substitute Puppet really as powerful as the rumors say?

"More experiments and verification are needed." Luo En reminded himself, maintaining his consistent calmness and rationality.

He walked to the window, looking at the gradually brightening sky, his thoughts flying.

Power is a tool, not an end.

What is pursued is the control of power, not being controlled by power.

With this mindset, Luo En returned to the workbench and continued his experiments.

The soul steel shimmered with a cold luster under the lamp, as if telling ancient secrets.

He stood before the experimental table and turned to look at the crystal on which the complete isolation rune system had been successfully engraved, a sense of achievement rising in his heart.

This crystal could simultaneously accommodate three different energy fields and completely isolate them from each other without interference, with a duration of up to a week.

In the research of the previous few weeks, he had spent a large amount of time every day testing the energy isolation layer and practiced what he had learned in his alchemy class based on this.

It was precisely this focused study that finally brought him rewards:

【Basic Alchemy (Entry) Experience +1】

【Breakthrough! Basic Alchemy (Entry 50/50) → Basic Alchemy (Proficient 1/100)】

【Obtained Additional Trait: Conception (Increased creative inspiration for alchemical items)】

Luo En was stunned for a moment, then felt a new vitality surging in his spirit.

With Basic Alchemy breaking through to the proficient level, his understanding seemed to have reached a brand-new height.

Of course, for his current level, just breaking through to the proficient level was already difficult to cause major fluctuations in his heart.

"Conception..." Luo En saw the name of this additional trait, and for a moment, it felt as if sparks of inspiration were blooming in his mind.

Progress in research on the energy isolation layer had been slow over the past few weeks, but now he seemed to see more possibilities.

Design schemes naturally took shape in his mind, as if someone were whispering guidance in his ear.

Looking back, this breakthrough was not accidental.

Ever since he started researching the energy isolation layer, every failure had brought new understanding.

He had tried dozens of rune combinations and various materials, experiencing countless setbacks.

Metal overheating and melting, materials becoming brittle, energy fields being unstable... there were reasons worth learning behind every failure.

Luo En looked at the densely packed data in his notebook; his understanding of alchemy had shifted from theoretical mastery to true internal understanding.

This improvement was directly reflected in his other skills, including potion research and spell practice.

What surprised him even more was that the "Conception" trait brought not only an increase in inspiration but also a brand-new perspective.

He began to be able to see the subtle balance of energy flow within alchemical items, and the resonance and repulsion between different materials.

Checking the advancement conditions for an alchemist on his panel, Luo En shook his head gently and smiled:

【Career Advancement Information Unlocked: Alchemist (Two-Star)】

【Transfer Conditions:

1. Basic Alchemy reached Proficient √

2. Alchemy reached Mastery

3. Extraordinary Identification reached Proficient √

4. Independently completed the production of more than three primary alchemical items √

5. Successfully improved at least one existing alchemical item blueprint】

He had already taken the time to complete the extraction of energy crystals with three different attributes, bringing more stable and energy-saving energy to the workshop, and incidentally completed the condition of producing three types of primary alchemical items.

"Two conditions remain." Luo En refocused his attention on the experiment:

"Now with the help of the 'Conception' trait, completing the remaining conditions should be much easier."

With mastery-level alchemy and the "Conception" trait, he had made breakthrough progress in his research on the energy isolation layer.

The process that originally required repeated trial and error now became more intuitive; he could foresee the effect of a certain rune combination without having to perform actual tests every time.

The road to becoming an alchemist had already opened up, and this was just the first step of the "Crucible Concept."

"Time is still relatively abundant." He calculated to himself:

"Because of this business with Oliver, the Bloody Gladiator Tournament has been postponed to be held in a month and a half, which is enough for me to do more preparation."

During this month or so, he needed to raise his alchemy skills to a higher level, laying the foundation for the forging of the magic sword;

At the same time, he also needed to train Daier to ensure she had enough strength to stand out in the tournament.

Thinking of this, Luo En took a deep breath and continued the delicate work in his hands.

Outside the window, the sky was already bright, and a new day had begun...

………………

Oliver leaned against the cold rock wall, his breath weak.

His eyes still maintained a certain clarity, a light of sanity highly disproportionate to his degree of distortion.

His once robust body was now shriveled like a dried corpse, his skin presented an unnatural grayish-white, his eye sockets were deeply sunken, and his cheekbones protruded.

His once handsome face could no longer be recognized as human; the distortion on the right side of his face was even more severe, with black liquid constantly seeping from his pores, emitting a decaying odor.

The most terrifying thing was his eyes; they were no longer eyeballs, but two long, thin tentacles, hanging weakly on both sides of his cheeks, occasionally twitching slightly, like dying snakes.

"My... lovely... little Oliver," Cynthia's voice came from the depths of the cave, sticky and distorted:

"You haven't died yet, have you?"

Oliver turned his neck with difficulty, looking at the woman who had once been beautiful.

Cynthia's lower body was swollen at least threefold, covered with thick mucus, and countless tentacles extended from all directions, some as thin as hair, some as thick as arms.

Her face still retained human beauty, but rows of small compound eyes had grown around her eyes, and her mouth was exaggeratedly split open, like a monster from ancient legends.

"Why don't you drain me completely?" Oliver's voice was hoarse, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes.

Cynthia gracefully writhed her already completely alienated body, but contrary to the weirdness of her appearance, all her movements carried a kind of eerie beauty.

The tentacles were like carefully designed dance props, drawing perfect arcs in the air.

Although her skin was covered with mucus, it presented a pearl-like luster, shimmering with seductive light in the dim light of the cave.

Cynthia's voice was as sticky as honey: "Did you think I was just mindlessly draining you?"

A thick tentacle reached over, gently stroking Oliver's chapped lips, secreting a viscous liquid.

As soon as the liquid touched Oliver's skin, it was immediately greedily absorbed.

His eye-tentacles lifted slightly, seemingly having a trace of vitality.

"Don't look at me like that, my dear."

Cynthia's tone suddenly became gentle: "I just needed energy too much; this newborn body needs a lot of nutrients to stabilize."

"Besides, I'm actually helping you." She chuckled:

"Your mental corruption has reached a critical point; if left to develop, you would have become an unconscious monster long ago."

Oliver was stunned for a moment, recalling the first time he saw those fully awakened companions in the cave.

They had almost lost all sanity, leaving only primitive desires and instincts.

"It was me..." Cynthia proudly raised her head, her voice full of pride:

"Regularly absorbing the excess corrupted energy in your body, helping you maintain the balance between sanity and corruption."

Her tentacles wrapped around Oliver's body more intimately, her tone becoming seductive and gentle:

"This is good for both of us, isn't it? You stay awake, and I..."

Cynthia's alienated body stretched out in the darkness, displaying that weird but undeniable beauty.

"I become more perfect."

Oliver looked at this creature in shock, gradually understanding everything.

Cynthia had indeed become a monster after awakening, but she had not completely lost her sanity.

On the contrary, she seemed to have found a way to lead the distortion toward a twisted "evolution" rather than disorderly degeneration.

"How did you do it?" Oliver couldn't help but ask.

Cynthia's compound eyes shimmered with mysterious light:

"My dear Oliver, this is a secret that belongs only to me. Perhaps one day I will tell you, provided you behave well enough."

Her tentacles secreted that energy liquid again, not only nourishing Oliver but also invisibly deepening the almost symbiotic relationship between them.

Oliver could clearly feel that every time Cynthia drained energy from him, she would feed back a portion of the processed energy to him.

This cycle not only maintained his life but, more importantly, helped him maintain a clear consciousness.

Her tentacles wrapped around Oliver's body, lifting him gently:

"Besides, I didn't abandon you, did I? The others have already run away."

Indeed, the cave was already empty.

Just before dawn, the middle-aged man who claimed to be a representative of the "Eye of the Abyss" suddenly changed his expression and announced that the cleanup squad was on the way.

He disappeared without a trace through a secret passage without even notifying the other members in the cave.

After the other awakened ones discovered this, they also fled in all directions; no one was willing to help Oliver, who had already been drained by Cynthia.

Only Cynthia, out of some twisted emotion, or attachment to an energy source, prepared to flee with Oliver.

Just then, both of them felt the terrifying magic power fluctuations coming from afar.

"It's time." Cynthia's voice suddenly became serious: "We can start to leave..."

"Those guys who lost their sanity will only flee in a panic, not knowing that all passages to the outside world have long been blocked..."

Cynthia sneered, her lower body's soft tissue rapidly expanding, completely wrapping Oliver inside.

The tentacles, having accumulated full energy through continuous draining, were now spinning at high speed like some kind of biological drill, constantly digging deep into the ground.

"They are coming..."

Cynthia's voice came from all directions, carrying a trace of undisguised fear:

"That kind of massive magic power fluctuation... that is Vice Dean Hayek!"

………………

Hayek hovered above the edge of the forest, his purple robe fluttering in the wind.

His face was calm, but his eyes contained a terrifying light like thunder and lightning.

When this Moon-level wizard looked down, the entire forest seemed to tremble under his aura.

"Is everything ready?" he asked.

The voice was not loud, but it penetrated hundreds of meters of space, clearly reaching the ears of every enforcement officer.

"Yes, Vice Dean."

The enforcement team captain stood respectfully, his head bowed, not daring to look directly at this big shot:

"We have set up the blockade array, and all possible escape routes have been cut off."

Hayek nodded indifferently, not even looking at the captain again.

In his eyes, these enforcement officers were no different from ordinary apprentices; they were all insignificant gears in the school system.

"Begin."

This Moon-level wizard raised his right hand and cleanly drew a purple arc.

He took a deep breath and began to prepare for super-magic spellcasting.

Just this preparatory action caused the surrounding air to distort, and the trees in the distance swayed without wind, making rustling sounds, as if paying tribute to this powerful existence.

Without even chanting a spell, he just flicked his fingers, causing the array to expand at a speed visible to the naked eye, soon covering the entire target area, forming visible energy ripples in the air.

Complex spell configurations left bright light bands in the air; the array was composed of countless micro-links nested and combined with each other.

Every component floated in the air with millimeter-precise arrangement, forming a grand and complex energy structure.

Hayek's expression was calm and composed, as if constructing such a complex spell was nothing more than a simple task for him.

The enforcement officers looked up at the sky in terror; some with less experience were even scared stiff.

High-density energy flowed from Hayek's fingertips like a river, injecting into the spell structure, making its light increasingly dazzling.

The array in the sky began to rotate, emitting a harsh buzzing sound.

——Super-Magic Multi-Layer Overlap!

As he channeled his magic power, a thick, deep purple beam of light suddenly erupted from the spell configuration.

It was hundreds of meters in diameter, striking directly at the location of the underground cave.

Wherever the beam passed, the air was instantly ionized, forming countless tiny lightning bolts that wrapped around the main beam like a spider web.

The earth trembled under this terrifying energy impact, and everything around the cave—trees, rocks, soil, and even the moisture in the air—was instantly vaporized or decomposed by the high temperature.

All life within a radius of tens of miles was reduced to ashes in this strike; no creature could survive such a blow.

The surface of the earth was melted by the high temperature, forming a huge glassy crater, with gray smoke still rising from the edges.

And during this earth-shattering attack, Hayek's expression remained calm as usual.

Even during the continuous bombardment of the light beam, he unhurriedly straightened the wrinkles on his robe.

For this Moon-Grade wizard, the spell just released, which was sufficient to destroy an entire region, was merely a small display among his many methods.

When the pillar of light finally dissipated, he landed slowly on the edge of the massive crater, scanning the scorched earth with indifference.

"Continue the search; confirm if any have slipped through the net."

Hayek's tone remained flat: "I have already cleared out the rat hole; the remaining cleanup work is left to you."

After speaking, he did not even wait for the enforcement captain's response before turning to leave, his figure gradually fading and disappearing into the air.

Only the devastated land remained, silently telling everyone of the terrifying power of a Moon-Grade wizard.

At the same moment, on the top floor of the Black Fog School's workshop, Luo En gazed into the distance at the massive pillar of light that reached from the earth to the sky, his heart also surging with waves.

Even across such a vast distance, the destructive magical power fluctuations remained so clear.

The entire Black Fog Jungle seemed to hold its breath under that heaven-shaking strike; all creatures could not help but shrink into the shadows, instinctively fearing that power.

"This is the power of a formal Moon-Grade wizard," Luo En whispered to himself, his eyes flickering with endless yearning.

There might be a huge gap between him and those elementary apprentices, but that was merely the difference between a carp and a small shark;

whereas between a Moon-Grade wizard and apprentices like them, it was the heaven-and-earth difference between a deep-sea dragon whale and a small shrimp in the shallows.

His gaze could not move away for a long time, his thoughts surging.

If a Moon-Grade wizard like Vice Dean Hayek could already casually annihilate everything within tens of miles, then how terrifying would the even stronger Dark Sun-Grade be?

As for the legendary Great Wizards and Wizard Kings, what kind of existences were they?

Light footsteps came from behind; Lilia walked up, looking at the sky that had already returned to calm in the distance.

"Teacher, that just now was..."

"The Vice Dean's cleanup operation," Luo En explained simply. "It seems the hideout of the 'Abyss Eye' has been completely destroyed."

Lilia trembled slightly: "That kind of power... it's simply incredible."

"Yes, incredible." Luo En turned around, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes:

"But this also reminds me that our road is still long, and there is still much to learn."

Lilia seemed to feel the determination in his words and nodded earnestly: "Yes, Teacher."

Returning inside the workshop, Luo En couldn't help but glance into the distance again, his thoughts drifting away once more.

This cleanup operation would undoubtedly have a major impact on the situation in the Black Fog Jungle.

Where would the surviving members of the "Abyss Eye" go?

Were Oliver and Cynthia among them?

What level of strength did the terrifying power displayed by the Vice Dean represent?

In this endless world chain, could a Moon-Grade wizard be considered a powerhouse capable of standing alone?

These questions flickered in Luo En's mind like stars, but he knew that he was not yet qualified to seek these answers.

What he needed to do was continue to hone every one of his skills and improve every point of his attributes.

Until one day, he could truly stand at that supreme height and look down upon all living beings.

"Per aspera ad astra (Through hardships to the stars)."

This was a famous proverb from the Mysterious Realm carved on the stone tablet in the school's central hall; its origin could no longer be verified, but its meaning was undoubtedly extremely rich.

Many people had tried to interpret this ancient saying, and Luo En also had his own understanding:

"No matter how small, the path to the stars eventually has an end."

Thinking of this, he withdrew his wandering thoughts and threw himself back into the work at hand.

(End of chapter)