Chapter 169

For his current stage, a strike from a Morning Star wizard was already a power sufficient to break the balance.

Before, that claw strike from the manticore was only relatively close to the output of a formal wizard, yet it had smashed the sturdy earth elemental colossus into broken biscuits.

Not to mention that real wizards would all use super-magic techniques, and the destructive power would only be more powerful if he could record it...

Ending his thoughts, Luo En carefully checked the function of "Perfect Isolation."

This was the most critical part of his plan—an energy barrier used for safely splitting the soul.

He concentrated his spirit, forming a miniature energy barrier area within his body.

What was surprising was that this area indeed formed a triple isolation layer as the panel said.

The first layer blocked energy, the second layer blocked spirit, and the third layer was specifically targeted at soul fluctuations.

With three layers superimposed, it could almost completely block the interaction between internal and external energy.

"Too perfect."

Luo En nodded with satisfaction.

The soul-splitting safety issue that had always worried him most now had a reliable solution.

But immediately afterward, he furrowed his brows again.

The charging of the Thousand-Change Phantom had returned to zero, which meant that its subsequent ability development still needed to continue absorbing soul energy.

"After charging is full, can be used as a key item for advancing to Shi Shi Profession (Four-Star)..."

Luo En chewed on this prompt repeatedly, a flash of thoughtful light in his eyes.

The three-star 【Black Wizard】 and 【Corona Knight】 were rare opponents at the level of formal wizards.

Then this so-called four-star epic profession might be the level directly targeting Great Wizards.

And the "Time Guardian's Pocket Watch" corresponding to the Time Guardian might be a terrifying profession capable of manipulating the flow of time.

In the eyes of most apprentices, becoming a formal wizard is already the highest pursuit.

But the ceiling of the extraordinary world naturally goes far beyond that.

Above formal wizards are Great Wizards who traverse the sea of stars and destroy stars or even huge galaxies with a wave of their hands; above Great Wizards are Wizard Kings who dominate countless conquered planes.

And legend has it that there are even higher-level existences:

Those great beings known as "Demon Gods" who can change the rules with a single thought.

Thinking of this, he quickly calmed down; his current strength as a small fry shouldn't be too floaty.

Luo En carefully recorded this speculation about epic professions into a dedicated area of the consciousness library, marking it as an important clue to be verified.

Taking a deep breath, Luo En stood up and walked slowly toward the window.

Outside, the night in the Black Mist Jungle was deep, and the faint moonlight passed through the thick fog, shrouding this mysterious land in a silver veil.

His gaze crossed the fog and landed on the academy's high tower looming in the distance.

"This is just the beginning."

Luo En pondered silently in his heart: "There are still the substitute puppet and the Master Sword..."

In the Crucible Project, these three items each assumed different roles:

Thousand-Change Phantom is responsible for energy isolation and spiritual barriers, ensuring the stability of the entire system;

The substitute puppet is responsible for soul splitting and avatar control, providing additional action capabilities;

The Master Sword is responsible for power aggregation and pollution conversion, turning negative influences into positive power.

These three cooperate with each other to form a complete power circulation system.

Allowing Luo En to obtain usually taboo powers without harm under the premise of avoiding risks.

"Tomorrow, the substitute puppet will be in hand, and the plan will enter the next stage."

He looked at the high tower in the distance, calm and resolute.

Everything was proceeding according to plan, step by step, steadily.

………………

The morning in the Black Mist Jungle was rarely clear.

Sunlight pierced through the fog that never dissipated all year round, casting warm light on the central tower.

Apprentices passing by occasionally cast envious and curious gazes toward the tower, discussing the astonishing battle yesterday and the precious rewards about to be issued.

"I heard the Vice Dean took out an abyss secret treasure as the grand prize this time! That's a treasure brought back from the Crystal Spire!"

A thin, tall apprentice said excitedly to his companion beside him.

"That manticore is said to have been brought back from the third layer of the abyss; it's already not easy to survive in front of such a monster, let alone someone who could command everyone to fight in coordination."

An older apprentice commented seriously, his tone full of admiration for the object that had been discussed competitively recently.

And in a large room inside the central tower, various rewards had long been placed, shimmering with the psychedelic halo unique to extraordinary items.

The winners of the Bloody Gladiator Tournament had been waiting here for a long time, each with more or less expectation on their faces.

Luo En stood to the side, his face calm, only his slightly clenched hands revealing the slight emotion in his heart.

As time passed, more and more apprentices gathered in the room to wait.

He turned a deaf ear to the occasional whispering, his attention completely focused on the upcoming reward ceremony.

Especially that substitute puppet, which could become a key link in his soul-splitting plan.

Huo Erte's face was calm, his posture upright, only the slightly blue circles under his eyes showing that he didn't seem to have slept too well last night;

Trish was accompanied by her inseparable bodyguard Liyue, and although the leopard woman had received treatment, she was still weak;

Other surviving contestants were either excited or nervous, waiting for their respective rewards.

Vice Dean Haieke wore a dark purple formal wizard robe, his face dignified and calm, standing in the center of the high platform.

Suo Lun and Youni stood on both sides, their gazes occasionally lingering on Luo En.

When the last contestant also stepped into the hall, Haieke raised his right hand slightly, and the entire space fell into silence instantly, as if an invisible piece of cloth had wrapped up all the sounds.

"In yesterday's battle, you demonstrated wisdom, courage, and strength."

The Vice Dean's voice was not loud but could be clearly transmitted to every corner:

"Today, the academy will fulfill its promise and issue the rewards you deserve."

He nodded slightly to his assistant beside him, signaling to begin.

According to convention, rewards are collected in order from last to first.

Luo En remained calm, but his eyes did not miss any details, taking in the reactions of every contestant.

Those contestants ranked lower had expressions of undisguised disappointment and jealousy on their faces.

When they took the dozens of magic stone fragments, the way their fingers trembled was all within Luo En's observation range.

These subtle changes were quickly analyzed and summarized by him into psychological patterns, stored in the "Character Observation" category of the consciousness library.

Soon it was the turn of the fourth-ranked contestant, this high-level apprentice with a resolute face, who chose a vitality potion and an attached complete magic stone.

A flash of brief satisfaction crossed his eyes, and then he returned to the coldness common among apprentices.

"A not-bad choice." Luo En evaluated secretly:

"The vitality potion has a market price of about sixty magic stone fragments, plus the magic stone itself, the total value is close to one and a half complete magic stones. This choice guarantees immediate benefits while providing a certain guarantee when encountering danger."

"Third place, Trish Linde."

The brown-haired girl walked forward slowly, still with that calm and self-possessed demeanor.

Liyue beside her had recovered more than half from the toxin erosion; although her movements were still a bit slow, her complexion was much better.

"You can choose three advanced potions or one advanced alchemical item, plus three complete magic stones."

Haieke's voice was steady and dignified.

Trish did not make a choice immediately, but looked at Luo En with slight hesitation, a flash of complex emotion in her eyes.

"Vice Dean, before making a choice, I would like to exchange opinions with apprentice Ralf, may I?"

Trish's request made many people present show expressions of surprise.

Luo En secretly frowned; he didn't like this kind of unexpected situation, but maintained that impeccable calmness on the surface.

Haieke was slightly surprised, but still nodded in permission.

The brown-haired girl walked slowly to Luo En's side and lowered her voice:

"I heard that your potion-making level is close to that of a senior potion-maker, is it true?"

Luo En probably understood her intention, but still answered cautiously:

"Rumors are often somewhat exaggerated. However, potion-making is indeed one of the areas I focus on more."

"It seems it's true." A flash of sharpness crossed Trish's eyes:

"Since that's the case, it would be a waste for me to exchange for other finished potions. I am considering exchanging for a potion formula that can improve natural affinity; can you refine it?"

Luo En quickly evaluated the pros and cons in his heart.

Formulas have more long-term value than finished products, and with the potion-making technology he mastered, it was already slightly beyond some senior potion-makers.

Coupled with the fusion skill of "Material Refining," refining this kind of complex potion was no longer a problem.

More importantly, being able to get a formula almost for free, only a fool would refuse.

But he still showed a thoughtful look, throwing the choice back:

"This kind of potion formula is usually cumbersome and requires extremely high spiritual control. However, it should be within my ability; what specific ideas do you have?"

"I can use this choice permission, plus the attached magic stones, to exchange for a complete formula; Mentor Ke Linna hinted to me yesterday that there is such a hidden choice."

Trish looked directly into Luo En's eyes:

"In exchange, I hope you will refine six finished potions for me, delivered in batches, and complete the last batch within two months. This way, I can fully utilize the medicinal effect before the bloodline altar opens."

Luo En quickly calculated the cost and profit in his heart.

Such a complex potion formula has a market price of at least five to six complete magic stones, and the material cost for refining six finished products is only about one or two magic stones.

Even considering the extra time and energy input, this is still a profitable deal.

"Can do, but you need to give me the complete formula, and I will prepare the rest myself."

Luo En responded calmly, his tone devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

"Deal."

Trish nodded with satisfaction, turned, and walked back to Haieke, explaining her choice.

The Vice Dean raised his brows slightly, clearly somewhat surprised by this choice.

He signaled his assistant to bring over an exquisite crystal box.

The crystal box was crystal clear, its surface covered with protective runes, and a scroll of parchment shimmering with faint light could be faintly seen inside.

"A wise choice, apprentice Trish."

Haieke evaluated, his voice carrying a trace of appreciation:

"The improvement of natural affinity has a significant effect on activating the Forest Elf bloodline; it seems you have already prepared for the bloodline altar."

Trish took the reward, saluted the mentors solemnly, and retreated to her original position, a smile that was almost imperceptible appearing on her face.

Luo En noticed the way she tightly gripped the scroll box, as if she were grasping the hope of the future.

"Indeed, her choice is much wiser than taking three ready-made potions directly; it's worthy of being the hidden option her mentor told her about."

Luo En evaluated in his heart:

"Six consecutive natural affinity enhancements are enough to make her Forest Elf bloodline go further and increase the success rate of gains at the bloodline altar."

"Second place, Huo Erte Elvin."

The head of the sequence walked forward slowly, his temperament still as steady as a mountain.

"You can choose three advanced potions or one advanced alchemical item, plus five complete magic stones."

Huo Erte's answer was crisp and neat: "I choose the alchemical item 'Heart of the Earth'."

This answer seemed to be completely within Haieke's expectation; he nodded slightly, signaling his assistant to bring over a heavy ebony box.

When the box was opened, inside was a brown crystal the size of a fist, its surface covered with tiny textures, like the veins of the earth.

Energy seemed to be flowing slowly inside the crystal, like an underground current, carrying a heavy and distant aura.

"'Heart of the Earth', can repair earth elemental structures and strengthen their toughness and power." Haieke explained concisely:

"For your combat style, this is undoubtedly the most suitable choice."

Huo Erte took the wooden box and magic stones, respectfully bowed to thank the mentors, a look of relief appearing in his eyes.

Luo En keenly captured this subtle change and immediately analyzed it.

"He knew the content of the prizes long ago, and even determined his choice before the battle."

Luo En deduced in his heart:

"This shows that Huo Erte likely also obtained the prize list in advance through his mentor. Sure enough, you can't get away from connections anywhere; Trish and Huo Erte both have their own mentors telling them the choice plan, fortunately I don't need to make a choice..."

Finally, it was the most anticipated climax, the prize for first place.

"First place, Luo En Ralf."

Haieke's voice carried some special attention:

"You will receive the special reward of this tournament—a substitute puppet, eight complete magic stones, and the right to choose one book from the academy's precious collection catalog."

Luo En walked forward calmly; he could feel countless gazes focused on him in the hall.

Among them were envy, jealousy, and naturally some indescribable complex emotions.

The Vice Dean personally took an exquisite ebony box, its surface carved with complex protective runes, and it had an strange cold touch when touched.

When the box was opened, a strangely shaped humanoid puppet lay quietly inside.

The puppet was cyan-gray, as if it had experienced the erosion of countless years, and its entire body was covered with twisted and complex runes.

These runes were not simply carved on, but grew naturally on the puppet's surface like blood vessels, forming a complex energy network.

The most unsettling thing was its eyes:

Two dark red gemstones were embedded in them, shimmering with faint light even in the dark, as if something was observing the outside world from within.

"'Substitute Puppet', from the fourth layer of the Great Abyss, with a soul stone capable of carrying consciousness inside."

Haieke explained, his voice carrying an objective and calm evaluation:

"However, its effect is not as ideal as rumored."

Luo En took the wooden box, pulled it slightly closer, carefully observing every detail of the puppet, while waiting quietly for Haieke's further explanation.

"Ordinary people only have one soul; when using this item, you need to separate a part of your consciousness and inject it into the puppet."

Haieke continued to explain:

"This leads to a fundamental dilemma—using one mind for two purposes is exceptionally difficult for most apprentices. If too little consciousness is injected, the puppet's actions are mechanical and stiff; if too much is injected, the main body will fall into weakness."

Haieke paused slightly, his gaze seemingly observing Luo En's reaction:

"More importantly, this avatar cannot leave the main body for more than a hundred meters, and the upper limit of the copied strength cannot reach the formal wizard level, as if there is some kind of natural limitation."

"Therefore." The Vice Dean's tone carried a trace of helplessness:

"This abyss secret treasure has no great value in the eyes of formal wizards, at most serving as a substitute for death in a crisis. But at the apprentice stage, it still has its unique role."

Luo En listened earnestly on the surface, his face showing an expression of gratitude mixed with slight disappointment.

But his heart was boiling; through the panel's prompt and his Extraordinary Identification ability, he immediately saw through the true value of this "Substitute Puppet."

(End of chapter)