Chapter 173: Whisper

"Its 'recording' ability might be able to..."

This was an adventure, or even a gamble, but facing the current predicament, Luo En had no choice.

He temporarily lifted the "Boiling Blood" state, and even deliberately weakened his actions, letting the monster pull him closer.

Close-range contact is the prerequisite for the "recording" ability, and it must be face-to-face; this is a risky move, but if it succeeds...

The monster seemed to mistakenly believe that Luo En had given up resistance, pulling him toward that terrifying giant mouth even more unscrupulously.

When the distance shortened to less than three meters, the giant mouth opened and closed again, preparing to emit that fatal whisper.

Now! Luo En's heart moved, and he instantly activated the recording ability of the Thousand-Change Phantom.

【Recording activated】

【Target: Whisper】

The monster's whisper arrived as scheduled, straight into Luo En's mind:

"Zikruniag. Luo Tipu."

This time, after willpower resistance, he let the Thousand-Change Phantom completely record this sound wave pattern and energy structure.

The spiritual pain still existed, like countless fine needles stabbing into his brain at the same time, but Luo En endured it, waiting for the moment the recording was completed.

【Recording completed】

【Release will consume 1% energy】

The opportunity had come! Luo En immediately released the whisper he had just recorded through the Thousand-Change Phantom.

The sound waves used his spiritual power as a medium, overlapping together to form a peculiar resonance effect.

"Zikruniag. Luo Tipu."

The same whisper, emitted from Luo En, actually formed a wonderful echo with the monster.

The monster was clearly stunned; those active tentacles suddenly became stiff, as if receiving contradictory instructions.

Its giant mouth was half-open, seemingly not expecting its own weapon to be used by the enemy.

This brief chaos gave Luo En a chance to breathe.

Through the special vision enhanced by both "Extraordinary Identification" and "Insight," Luo En observed the center of the monster's body at close range and found an abnormal fluctuation deep in the giant mouth:

There seemed to be some kind of core hidden there, flickering with faint light as the whisper was emitted.

"Found it!" Luo En's spirit lifted, and a trace of hope rose in his heart.

He immediately mobilized the remaining bloodline power in his body.

The 【Boiling Blood】 trait was activated again; the blood in his blood vessels was like boiling magma, providing him with the last wave of explosive power.

At the same time, he condensed the "Ring of Radiance" to the extreme, and the golden-red flames attached to the blade became increasingly solid.

Luo En precisely controlled the direction and time of the release of the whisper he had recorded, making it form a perfect reversal with the opponent's whisper.

This phenomenon is called "destructive interference"—the superposition of two completely opposite waveforms will cancel each other out, forming a silent zone.

And in this brief "silent" moment, the monster's energy field appeared unprecedentedly chaotic.

Its entire body was trembling slightly, like a machine that had suddenly lost its control program.

This was the flaw Luo En had been waiting for!

He exerted force suddenly, breaking free from the loosened tentacle restraint, and his body ejected like an arrow from a bow.

The blade drew an arc in his hand, aiming straight at the fluctuating core deep in the giant mouth.

—Dawn Cross · Overlimit!

With a low shout, he injected all his spiritual power and bloodline power into this final strike.

The brightness of the light flame increased several times instantly, almost blinding to look at.

The blade with light and fire cut precisely into the giant mouth, passed through the mass of black substance, and struck the core position directly.

"Buzz—"

A loud noise close to the spiritual level exploded in the consciousness space, and Luo En felt a powerful recoil force throwing him far away.

He flipped a few times in the air before stabilizing his figure, immediately assuming a defensive posture, watching the monster's reaction vigilantly.

The monster let out a wail, all tentacles and thorns trembling violently, twitching like an electric shock.

A large amount of black liquid began to pour out of the giant mouth; those liquids evaporated immediately upon touching the void, turning into wisps of dark smoke.

Finally, as the core shattered completely, the monster's entire body began to disintegrate, collapsing rapidly from the center outward, turning into countless dark particles and dissipating in this void.

Luo En panted heavily; his spiritual power and bloodline power were near exhaustion, but he still maintained a high-alert posture.

As the monster disappeared completely, this dark starry sky began to fade gradually, the light became soft, and the colors of the stars returned to their usual colorful state.

The familiar meditation consciousness space was reshaping, and those stars running along specific trajectories appeared again.

"I won?" He couldn't believe it, but then a sense of unprecedented achievement surged into his heart.

This was not an ordinary battle, but a true transcendence.

He defeated a strong enemy in the most sinister environment in a way that felt like a narrow escape from death.

The satisfaction brought by this victory far exceeded any previous success.

A series of prompts also emerged in his consciousness at this time:

His consciousness seemed to have undergone a wonderful qualitative change under this extreme pressure.

【Experience value of "The Whisper of the Star Eater" (Proficient) +10】

【Current progress: "The Whisper of the Star Eater" (Proficient 209/300)】

【Special soul energy absorbed, Thousand-Change Phantom charge +10%】

【Current progress: 24%/100%】

【New recording ability: Whisper】

These prompts made Luo En's eyes light up.

He did not expect that this trial would not only bring growth in meditation method experience but also provide charging for the Thousand-Change Phantom, and even record a new skill!

"Whisper... this is an unexpected joy." Luo En pondered the possible uses of this new skill.

If he could master and apply that special sound wave, it might be of great use in countering mental attacks.

His spiritual power had also undergone a thorough baptism at this time, becoming purer and more powerful.

That feeling was like a murmuring stream suddenly becoming a surging river; the growth of power was astonishing, and this power carried an unprecedented coordination and stability.

【Spirit: 3.99→4.0】

【Strength level promotion: Middle Apprentice → High Apprentice】

Luo En took a long breath, both surprised and relieved.

This strange consciousness battle had already brought his spiritual power to the 4.0 High Apprentice standard line.

"That 'eye'... that kind of 'gaze'..."

Luo En recalled the huge eye full of doubt, and a peculiar feeling rose in his heart.

He vaguely understood that he might have inadvertently attracted the attention of some great existence.

And that battle might have been a trial, or perhaps just an inadvertent "observation" by that existence.

"This is only glimpsing a corner..." Luo En muttered to himself, his heart full of awe.

Such a great existence might be the level that the "third stage" mentioned by Lady Ailan could touch?

If so, his understanding of "truth" was probably still stuck at the fur level.

Luo En closed his eyes, feeling the spiritual power flowing in his body.

That feeling was completely different; it was no longer just simply perceiving external energy, but being able to actively influence and change the flow of energy around him.

Spiritual power circulated in the body like a living thing, and every flow brought deeper understanding and stronger control.

"High Apprentice..."

This title not only meant an improvement in strength but also represented his taking a big step toward deeper extraordinary mysteries.

And this was just the beginning.

Luo En gradually exited the meditation state, his consciousness withdrawing from that starry sky and returning to the physical world.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself still sitting cross-legged in the laboratory.

The surrounding arrays were still running stably, and the faint light exuded by the magic crystal lamp and the moonlight coming through the window intertwined, creating a quiet atmosphere.

Glancing at the position of the moon high in the sky outside the window, Luo En estimated that he had been meditating for a full six hours.

Unknowingly, most of the night had passed.

But the harvest of these six hours far exceeded the accumulation of the past few weeks.

Luo En stood up slowly, stretching his body that was a bit stiff from maintaining the same posture for a long time.

He suddenly remembered Lady Ailan's words:

"Inspiration is both an opportunity and a danger."

This sentence now sounded like it had a deeper meaning.

It was clear that he might be the most special among all those who practiced this set of meditation methods.

After all, he had a soul from another world, and the inspiration that came with it was far higher than that of ordinary people...

Luo En walked to the window, looking at the moonlight and stars outside:

"Since 'true knowledge' must be accompanied by 'heavy burden,' then what I need to do is to constantly strengthen myself until I can bear the most profound true knowledge."

Luo En took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and felt the spiritual power surging in his body.

At the moment of becoming a High Apprentice, his connection with this world seemed to have undergone some fundamental change.

Spiritual power was no longer just passively perceiving external energy, but could actively influence and change the flow of magic power around him.

This feeling was like someone who had been locked in a cage observing the world, suddenly obtaining the key to open the cage.

His thoughts involuntarily returned to Lady Ailan's dim room full of the scent of herbs.

" 'The Whisper of the Star Eater' has an essential difference from other gem-level meditation methods."

Lady Ailan said at the time, her aged fingers tapping lightly on the old scroll, her voice low and mysterious:

"It is not just a simple practice tool, but more like a bridge, connecting mortals with those ancient and great existences. Every wizard who truly masters it has been watched by 'Them'."

"Many ancient books record that the true path of a wizard is to align with those great existences, gradually understanding and approaching their essence."

Those ghostly green eyes looked straight at Luo En, as if they could penetrate his soul:

"And 'The Whisper of the Star Eater' is one of the few keys that can open this door."

Luo En still remembered his question at the time: "So the danger after the first stage does not just come from mental pollution?"

Lady Ailan just smiled mysteriously:

"If an ant suddenly possessed the ability to understand human language, do you think it could bear it? The 'gaze' of those great existences, for mortals, is both supreme glory and an extremely dangerous situation."

This conversation echoed constantly in Luo En's mind, intertwined with a fragment in "Origin of Wizards," an ancient book he had accidentally flipped through in the school library.

There was a passage in that book that left a deep impression on him:

"The original mystics were those who were watched by the starry sky.

They therefore glimpsed some truths that ordinary people could not understand, and tried to collect and organize these passively acquired knowledge fragments through specific meditation methods..."

Luo En still remembered the characteristics of those "watched ones" described in the book:

They usually experience a series of strange hallucinations and trials, the content of which is often related to the starry sky, the abyss, and ancient existences.

Those who pass successfully will obtain a qualitative breakthrough, while those who fail may sink into the abyss of madness forever.

"This experience cannot possibly be ordinary mental pollution or random hallucinations..."

Luo En furrowed his brows:

"That 'gaze' full of doubt, the trial formed by the 'hair' thrown down... all of this is too deliberate."

A bolder guess formed in his heart:

Perhaps the essence of the meditation method "The Whisper of the Star Eater" is a way of practice that allows oneself to be gradually recognized by "Them"?

And every outbreak of inspiration and trial is a step toward that ultimate goal?

Meditation is not the purpose, but the means;

The true purpose is to align with those great existences, gradually understand and approach their essence, or even... incarnate as Them?

"If this is really the case..." Luo En's eyes became complex and deep:

"Then what am I pursuing? And what is the end of this path?"

While pondering, a sharp pain suddenly erupted from his temple, as if someone had stabbed a red-hot steel needle into his brain.

Followed by an indescribable sense of oppression, his entire skull felt like it was being squeezed fiercely by an invisible giant hand.

The complex knowledge fragments in his mind began to collide irregularly, producing violent mental pain.

A familiar chill rose from his spine, and Luo En felt as if he were being bound by a python, his whole body being squeezed tightly.

"Mental pollution..." He immediately realized the problem; the consciousness battle and breakthrough just now brought quite serious mental pollution.

And the intensity of this mental pollution far exceeded any previous time; if this state is not handled in time, it is very likely to cause irreversible damage.

Luo En endured the discomfort, quickly grabbed the "Sobriety" potion on the table, pulled out the stopper, and drank it in one gulp.

The moment the potion entered his throat, a cool sensation spread from his throat to his whole body, like a clear mountain spring washing away those messy thoughts.

【Mental pollution has been temporarily suppressed, current pollution level: near moderate】

The potion took effect, but Luo En knew this was only temporary suppression, not complete removal.

It must be handled immediately, otherwise long-term accumulation will bring unimaginable consequences.

He realized that he must act immediately.

He took out the silver pocket watch from his waist; that was the most reliable guarantee.

His fingertips gently brushed across the black gem on the surface, and the gem immediately lit up with an eerie red light, as if sensing the master's intention, and the faint sound of the internal gears turning also became clear.

【Mental pollution detected, perform reset?】

"Start reset." Luo En gave the instruction without hesitation.

The black gem on the surface of the pocket watch shone brightly, and the gear symbol in the center began to rotate crazily.

A strange suction force was released from it, acting directly on Luo En's spiritual world.

Mental pollution was like being pulled away by an invisible hand, continuously being sucked into the pocket watch.

The black gem gradually became turbid, like crystal stained black by ink.

And Luo En felt an unprecedented sense of relief, as if he had unloaded a heavy burden he had carried for many years.

The whole process lasted for about a few dozen seconds, several times longer than the time usually required for a reset.

He could feel the stubbornness of the mental pollution, like oil stains deep in the skin, needing repeated wiping to be completely cleared.

When the last trace of pollution was pulled away, the light of the pocket watch gradually dimmed and returned to calm.

【Successfully reset negative state: mental pollution, energy -10】

【Current energy quota: 20/30】

Luo En took a long breath, feeling the clarity regained in his mind, like a clear sky after a storm.

Unlike other rare antiques, the pocket watch of the Time Guardian is indeed particularly special in its mechanism.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 174 =====