Chapter 159: Trait

The opportunity for paid consultation was hard to come by.

In the Black Mist Jungle, this kind of one-on-one high-end guidance was usually the exclusive privilege of students with top grades or special contributions.

Tang Pusen pondered for a moment, took an old classic from the bookshelf, and carefully turned to one of the pages.

The edges of the pages were yellowed and curled due to age, and the ink on them was also somewhat blurred, clearly having been flipped through countless times.

"The 'memory' characteristics of some high-level extraordinary materials can indeed be strengthened, but this requires a special 'imprint ritual'; the most typical example is soul steel."

The old man smiled knowingly, not exposing him, and pointed with his finger at the yellowed page, which depicted complex diagrams and runes:

"This is a ritual used by ancient alchemists to strengthen the connection between soul steel and the user. Through energy input in a specific order, a unique 'energy circuit' can be established inside the soul steel, making it easier to accept the user's will."

Luo En concentrated on observing the diagrams, firmly remembering every detail in his heart.

The arrangement of the runes, the trajectory of energy flow, and even the subtle energy balance points were all recorded by him one by one.

This was precisely the key information he needed, precious knowledge he could not obtain from ordinary classics.

He solemnly took out a complete magic stone from his pocket and handed it to Tang Pusen.

Naturally, the other party would not give him such precious ancient knowledge for free.

However, ordinary apprentices, even if they had complete magic stones, rarely had the opportunity to share such precious knowledge, let alone receive additional guidance services.

"Of course, although this book looks quite old, it is also a rubbing copy that has been transferred countless times. You can take the ritual back and refer to it, but don't copy it mechanically..."

Tang Pusen handed him the book and skillfully took the magic stone, then continued to explain:

"Another thing to note is the practitioner's mental state; one must maintain a high degree of focus and calmness. Any emotional fluctuation may lead to the failure of the ritual."

Luo En nodded, his mind already beginning to conceive a concrete implementation plan.

"As for the isolation layer..."

Tang Pusen closed the book, his expression becoming more serious:

"This is an extremely complex and dangerous field. Isolating different energy fields is an advanced application in alchemy; the slightest carelessness could lead to energy leakage or even an explosion."

A trace of warning flashed in the old man's eyes:

"I noticed your research direction... is very special. If you intend to combine soul steel with isolation technology for splitting and storing some kind of energy, then I must warn you that this type of experiment is extremely dangerous."

Luo En's heart tightened, but his surface remained calm.

"I understand the risks, Mentor. My research is still at the theoretical stage and I will not rashly perform actual operations. I will repeatedly verify every step to ensure everything is foolproof before continuing."

The consultation drew to a close, and Tang Pusen explained several key alchemy techniques in detail, especially advanced theories regarding energy conversion and material fusion.

This knowledge could not be found in ordinary classics at all; it was the oral formulas passed down from generation to generation by alchemists.

After the paid consultation ended, Luo En left the tower and set off on the road back to the workshop.

Night had fallen, and the night in the Black Mist Jungle was still eerie and terrifying.

Strange howls could be heard from time to time in the distance, and tree shadows swayed in the moonlight, as if countless eyes were peeping in the dark.

Starlight dotted the sky, illuminating the path ahead.

Luo En's thoughts returned to today's gains.

As the research deepened, he became more and more convinced that his direction was correct.

After all, predecessors had already succeeded; although they became "apostles" and left a bad name for thousands of years, they had left a heavy mark in wizard history.

And those Thirteen Supreme Apostles were able to rival top-tier Great Wizards...

Walking to the front of the workshop, Luo En saw the warm light from the window from afar.

He increased his magic power perception and could already feel the familiar aura inside the workshop—Li Liya and Daier had already returned.

Pushing open the door, a small silver-haired figure pounced over quickly.

"Master!"

Daier shouted excitedly, joy of victory flickering in her eyes:

"I won! That big guy didn't even see half of my strength!"

Her eyes were frighteningly bright, and her whole person exuded a satisfied aura, just like a predator that had just had a full meal.

Luo En smiled and touched her head:

"Well done, Daier. I knew you wouldn't let me down."

He immediately noticed the changes in Daier, those increasingly bright purple-red eyes.

This was the sign after successfully devouring the spoils of war, showing that her bloodline was evolving toward a higher level.

"Try to swallow two in one go next time." He said jokingly.

"Li Liya, how is the situation?" Luo En turned to the girl standing aside.

Li Liya bowed slightly, a happy yet restrained smile on her face:

"Everything went smoothly, Teacher. Daier performed excellently in the knockout round and easily advanced. I have also completed the primary apprentice certification and was rated as 'medium potential'."

Luo En noticed the brand-new badge pinned to her chest and nodded in approval:

"Well done; being able to break through in half a year with fifth-rank star aptitude is already a very rare achievement."

"I have recorded Daier's battle in full."

Li Liya took out the crystal ball and handed it to Luo En carefully:

"According to observation, she successfully absorbed part of the fish-man's abilities, especially with significant improvements in deep-sea environment adaptability and strength."

Luo En took the crystal ball, sensed the records inside slightly, and nodded with satisfaction:

"Very good, the devouring efficiency is higher than expected; it seems the potential of 'Big Eater' is far beyond our imagination."

He held the crystal ball up to his eyes and observed the energy flow trajectory recorded inside in detail.

The bloodline energy in Daier's body was already approaching the gold-ring critical point, far surpassing the silver-ring level of ordinary sea sirens.

If she continued to be cultivated at the current pace, after a few more directional devourings, she would likely step into the ranks of gold-ring bloodlines before the gladiator tournament ended.

"The next Beast Battle might be even more dangerous."

He turned to Daier: "Rest for a while; the next melee will be even more difficult. However, I believe that with your current ability, you should be able to advance to the finals smoothly."

Daier raised her little chin confidently:

"Master, don't worry; I will definitely win the championship! That puppet must be ours! Those guys in my eyes are just delicious snacks."

Luo En nodded with a smile, but his heart was pondering a more long-term plan.

………………

In the laboratory, candlelight flickered, and shadows swayed on the wall.

Luo En stood before the workbench, spreading out the experimental data records of the past month or so, checking them one by one.

Those charts and formulas witnessed his sweat and thinking every day, every failure and breakthrough.

"It's time for a comprehensive inventory."

Luo En closed his eyes gently and built that exclusive mental palace in his mind.

He had long ago built this magnificent knowledge palace in his mental space.

Every book, every bookshelf, was arranged according to precise logic, making it convenient for him to retrieve and organize information at any time.

His consciousness incarnation walked among the towering bookshelves and came to the "Personal Growth" area.

In this area, rows of books were neatly arranged, each recording his cultivation progress and insights in different fields.

Luo En took down the first book, with the golden-stamped title "Meditation Progress of 'The Whisper of the Star Eater'" on the cover.

Opening the pages, it recorded in detail his mental state, energy flow, and technique improvements for every meditation session.

"The progress of the meditation method is very stable, without any special leaps, but there is substantial improvement every day."

Luo En added the latest progress to the book:

【Current Progress: "The Whisper of the Star Eater" (Proficient 192/300)】

With his continuous practice, his spiritual power steadily improved, only one step away from the 4.0 standard line for high-level apprentices.

"If I maintain the current pace, I will break through to a high-level apprentice at most by the end of the Bloody Gladiator Tournament; by that time, it won't be too far from the next quarterly meeting of the sequence."

He put the book back in its place and took down another one, this time recording the progress of spell construction and mental interference.

【Current Progress: Spell Construction (Proficient 65/100)】

【Current Progress: Mental Interference (Proficient 78/100)】

Under Suo Lun's extra guidance, these two skills progressed rapidly, especially mental interference, which had initially shown the prototype of "Mental Shock."

Although there was a world of difference from a formal wizard, for him now, it undoubtedly added an extremely effective auxiliary attack means.

And in the continuous practice, even Suo Lun expressed surprise, saying that Luo En's spiritual power control precision far exceeded that of the same level.

A ripple flashed in Luo En's eyes, then returned to calmness.

He knew deeply that this was not a natural talent, but the result of countless days and nights of precise practice.

Every bit of progress was exchanged with his time and sweat.

The third book was about elemental perception, which recorded in detail the characteristics and interaction modes of various elemental fluctuations.

【Current Progress: Elemental Perception (Proficient 67/100)】

"Mentor Youni's 'Energy Anchor Crystal' is indeed a treasure, allowing my understanding of elemental perception to rise to a new level."

In addition to this, there was the extra tutoring after class; if it weren't for Youni Serafin's special attention, he might have needed several times the time to reach the current level.

However, now all the advanced courses had ended, and if he wanted such extra tutoring opportunities again, he could only apply for paid consultation with his own money.

And such paid consultations only had one opportunity every week.

Leaving the bookshelf area, Luo En called up the special scroll "Asset List" in his mental palace.

It recorded every income and expenditure of his in detail, clear and understandable.

"There is also quite a lot of accumulation in terms of funds."

Over the past month or so, he had successively completed several large potion orders, plus the ten magic stones reserved by the Skin of the Shapeshifter.

After deducting various expenses for the workshop, he now had fifteen complete magic stones, as well as assets of three or four hundred scattered magic stone fragments.

"Not particularly wealthy, but quite considerable for an apprentice."

Luo En examined this wealth, feeling slightly relieved; this was the powerful money-making ability belonging to a "professional potion master."

Sufficient magic stone reserves meant that he could purchase the materials and information he needed in an emergency, and could also support more complex experiments and research.

"Finally, there is the bloodline excitation training."

Luo En exited the mental palace, reopened his eyes, and his gaze fell on the exquisite glass bottle at the other end of the experimental table.

Inside was a dark red liquid, rolling slightly under the light, as if squirming with life.

"Lava Droplets"—a body-tempering medicine essential for the third stage of the "Sun Crown Breathing Method."

"Let's strive to complete the breakthrough of bloodline excitation tonight."

Luo En looked out the window; the bright full moon hung high in the sky.

Because it was not daytime, the yang attribute factors were insufficient, so it couldn't be considered the best time to practice the "Sun Crown Breathing Method."

However, now that a breakthrough was imminent, he couldn't wait, and he had other things to do tomorrow...

Thinking of this, Luo En carefully picked up the glass bottle and walked to the center of the training ground.

The floor here was paved with special energy-absorbing stone materials, capable of withstanding high temperatures without damage.

He took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and adjusted his breathing.

Opening the glass bottle, a heat wave immediately struck, as if facing the eruption mouth of an active volcano.

"This is it."

Luo En unhesitatingly applied the "Lava Droplets" evenly to several key bloodline connection points on his body.

In an instant, it was as if a mass of magma had been poured directly onto him, the burning sensation extending under his skin and then rapidly spreading throughout his body.

Every inch of skin, every muscle, every blood vessel was filled with scorching energy.

"Uh..."

Even though he had experienced many attempts, Luo En still couldn't help but let out a painful low groan.

This pain was far beyond his imagination, as if his whole body's blood had been ignited, galloping and roaring in his body.

His skin rapidly turned bright red, as if being burned from the inside, and the sweat that had just seeped out was evaporated by the high temperature, forming a thin mist surrounding his body.

"Must... control it..."

Luo En endured the severe pain and began to adjust his breathing according to the requirements of the third stage of the "Sun Crown Breathing Method."

Every inhalation felt like swallowing more flames; every exhalation felt like exhaling scorching lava.

However, as his breathing gradually stabilized, that pain began to transform into a peculiar feeling:

Scorching, yet not entirely painful, more like a deep-level purification.

Luo En could feel the "Lava Droplets" changing the blood composition in his body, making it more active and more aggressive.

Those blood cells affected by the medicine seemed to come alive, actively searching for impurities and blockages hidden in the body, burning them to ashes.

"First layer of breathing..."

Luo En chanted the formula in a low voice, cooperating with a specific breathing rhythm.

His chest expanded accordingly, as if able to accommodate more air and energy.

"Second layer of breathing..."

As the second layer of breathing opened, Luo En felt the hot current in his body begin to circulate and change, forming an energy circuit.

This circuit started from the heart, passed through the arms, abdomen, and legs, and finally returned to the heart, circulating back and forth, every cycle making this energy purer and more powerful.

However, when he tried to enter the third layer of breathing, he suddenly felt a resistance.

"Third layer of breathing..."

The energy in his body seemed to have reached some kind of limit, unable to go any further.

It was like a small stream trying to accommodate the water volume of a great river, almost bursting the riverbed.

"Still a little bit... still a little bit..."

Luo En gritted his teeth, enduring the feeling that his body was about to explode.

He knew that this was the most critical moment of bloodline excitation—the critical point of breaking through the bottleneck.

But no matter how he tried, that resistance always lingered like an invisible wall.

The energy-absorbing stone material on the ground had already been burned slightly red by the high temperature, emitting a scorching breath.

"Since it is bloodline excitation... then continue to try to mobilize the power of the Chimera core?"

He closed his eyes and tried to communicate with the core in his body.

This was not his first attempt, just that he had been missing that final kick before, but this time he had undoubtedly reached the final pass of the breakthrough...

As he circulated the scorching energy in his body back and forth, a strange and ancient power began to awaken in his body.

It was a kind of primitive life force, full of wonderful characteristics of change and adaptation.

"This is it!"

Luo En seized this faint connection and fiercely fused his bloodline with it.

In an instant, like a dam bursting, a power unprecedented burst out from his body.

He could feel his blood vessels rapidly expanding under his skin, his muscle fibers stretched to the limit, and then retracting.

Cycling back and forth like this, they became stronger and more elastic in the process.

And those blood cells initially changed by the "Lava Droplets" were now completely alive.

As if they had their own consciousness, they actively searched every corner of the body, transporting energy to where it was needed most.

This state lasted for an unknown amount of time, and when Luo En was finally able to control his body again.

He discovered that he was already lying on the ground, his whole body soaked through with sweat.

But unlike the fatigue of the past, he felt an unprecedented sense of ease and power at this moment.

It was as if he had cast off heavy shackles, and his whole person felt much lighter.

"Success?"

Luo En sat up slowly, feeling the energy flowing within his body.

That familiar and powerful bloodline power had completely merged into his bones and blood, becoming a part of his body.

It was just like a furnace that never extinguished, always ready to erupt with astonishing heat.

【Bloodline Activation EXP +1】

【Breakthrough! Bloodline Activation (Entry 100/100) → Bloodline Activation (Proficient 1/300)】

【Obtained additional trait: Boiling Blood

(Enhances the life burst effect of "Bloodline Knight" and reduces the negative status of physical fatigue)】

(End of chapter)