Chapter 174: Zikruniag Luo Tipu

The pocket watch is not "charging" in the true sense, but displaying an "energy quota."

After these quotas are used up, he does not need to deliberately replenish them; as long as it reaches midnight, it will automatically refresh to the maximum value.

Its energy mechanism is more like a "quota" system.

And the role of Time Sand is to expand the maximum energy quota of the pocket watch, rather than simple charging.

It is precisely this characteristic that makes the pocket watch the most stable and reliable piece among all his rare antiques.

"It seems that Time Sand is indeed the key..."

Luo En touched the surface of the pocket watch thoughtfully:

"If more Time Sand can be obtained to raise the maximum quota to a higher level, the potential of this glorious legacy will be even more astonishing."

He carefully put away the pocket watch, calmed down, and began to feel in detail the various changes after becoming a High Apprentice.

Unlike the blurriness of the Early Apprentice period and the elusiveness of the Middle Apprentice period, he can now perceive the flow of magic power around him with unprecedented clarity.

This feeling is like someone who could only observe the outside world through a muddy window, suddenly obtaining a pair of glasses that can see the details of all things.

Every wisp of energy fluctuation in the room, the faint magic power residue contained in the walls.

Even the tiny magic power particles floating in the air are clearly presented in his perception.

These details, which previously required full concentration to perceive vaguely, can now be captured with just a single thought.

A more significant change occurred in his spellcasting ability.

Luo En can clearly perceive that the three proficient spells he has mastered:

Sonic Oscillation, Slime Splash, and Ring of Radiance, have formed stable "thought circuits" in his spiritual ocean.

This is exactly as described in "Apprentice Ladder":

"When an apprentice masters more than three spells and reaches a proficient level, these independent thought circuits will begin to intertwine, forming an organic whole. This is not just an accumulation of quantity, but a qualitative leap."

Luo En tried to construct the spell model of "Sonic Oscillation" and was surprised to find that the construction process, which originally took more than ten seconds, now only takes a few seconds.

Spiritual power flows naturally along the already formed thought circuits, just like water rushing down a pre-cut channel, easy and efficient.

In the past, when constructing spell models, he needed to repeatedly check the precise position of every node and energy flow, and a slight carelessness would lead to the collapse of the entire model.

But now, this process has become almost intuitive, as natural as muscle memory.

"Is this the 'thought network' mentioned in 'Apprentice Ladder'?"

Luo En's eyes flickered with surprise and curiosity.

"Apprentice Ladder" once described it like this:

"Those who meet the conditions to advance to High Apprentice will form a complex 'thought network' in their spiritual ocean, where various spell models act as nodes, connecting and supporting each other.

Once this network is formed, spellcasting efficiency and success rate will be greatly improved, and it also lays the foundation for mastering more advanced composite spells in the future.

The denser and more perfect this network is, the higher the wizard's talent is considered to be.

Many great wizards had already formed abnormally complex thought networks during the High Apprentice stage, laying a solid foundation for their later achievements."

This change is not only reflected in spellcasting speed but also in the precision of magic power control.

Luo En found that he could control the amount and direction of magic power output more precisely, just like a reckless man who only knew how to swing with all his might turning into a sword master proficient in controlling force.

Besides these standard changes, Luo En also noticed a unique phenomenon—after hearing the "whisper" only a few times, these syllables left indelible traces in his mind.

In that consciousness battle, in order to counter the whisper attack of the sea urchin monster, he had to carefully analyze and record those strange syllables.

This process made him realize that the whisper was not a meaningless sound without rules, but a spiritual fluctuation with a certain specific structure and internal logic.

"'Zi... Kruni... Niag... Luo Tipu...' these syllables seem to imply a certain grammatical structure..."

As long as Luo En recalled slightly, he could accurately remember the arrangement rules of those syllables:

Whenever the sea urchin monster emitted the syllable "Zi," his mental defense would feel a specific frequency of stinging pain;

And "Kruni" would bring a sense of distortion, as if spiritual power were being forcibly stretched;

"Niag" triggered a sense of dizziness, as if being rolled into a vortex;

As for "Luo Tipu," it would produce a hallucination, making him briefly see some non-existent scenes.

These effects were not simple mental interference, but spiritual power manipulation techniques with certain unique rules.

Especially when the Thousand-Change Phantom recorded and reflected the whisper, the obvious interference caused to the sea urchin monster made him more convinced that this whisper was indeed a kind of energy transmission method with substantial effects.

"If the characteristics of the whisper could be integrated into Sonic Oscillation..."

Luo En muttered to himself, a gleam of excitement flashing in his eyes:

"Perhaps a brand new, more penetrating attack method could be created."

Conventional Sonic Oscillation mainly relies on physical vibration to cause damage to the target, much like an invisible hammer, violently striking the target's physical structure and causing damage from the outside.

But the whisper seems to be able to act directly on the opponent's spiritual level, bypassing physical defense and directly interfering with the core.

If the two could be combined to create a composite attack that can both cause physical oscillation and trigger mental shock, its power would far exceed that of a single Sonic Oscillation.

Luo En began to construct the prototype of this new spell in his mind.

He tried to use the basic structure of Sonic Oscillation as a carrier, and then integrate the specific frequency and fluctuation pattern of the whisper into it.

This process was extremely complex, just like fusing two completely different languages into a brand new communication method.

But with the support of the thought network, this attempt was no longer as incredible as before.

"Perhaps, this is the first step for me to move toward spell specialization."

Luo En's gaze was firm, and his heart was full of expectation.

A High Apprentice who wants to advance to a formal wizard must have at least one fully specialized personal spell.

And right now, he seems to have found a direction with great potential:

A sonic spell that integrates whisper characteristics might become his signature ability.

Luo En sat quietly at the workbench, beginning to record in detail his understanding of the whisper and his conception of the new spell.

As he constantly conceived its specific prototype in his consciousness, a brand new possibility was unfolding.

That was his own, unique spell system.

"'The Whisper of the Star Eater' is indeed a double-edged sword."

He muttered to himself: "It brings danger, but also opportunity."

This also happened to correspond to the sentence: "True knowledge is a heavy burden, and wisdom is often accompanied by madness."

The cognitive boundaries of humans are so fragile that a single gaze from a great existence is enough to bring such profound influence.

Then, as he continues to deepen along "The Whisper of the Star Eater," what will be waiting for him?

Luo En's gaze turned to the window, where the starry sky was obscured by black mist, appearing and disappearing.

In that endlessly deep universe, perhaps those ancient existences are watching this world, and also watching him.

And he has only just begun to understand the meaning of this gaze.

………………

In the laboratory, Luo En picked up the Soul Steel again.

The crystal lattice structure inside the metal, the energy flow path, and even the distribution of trace elements were clearly presented in his perception.

"Alchemist..." he thought of the two-star profession he had just completed his job change for not long ago.

Alchemists can not only make various alchemical items.

More importantly, their understanding of the essence of matter transcends ordinary people, and they can perform deeper material changes and energy conversions.

Especially the special bonus of "significantly improved material perception ability."

Allowing him to intuitively perceive the internal structure and characteristics of matter, which has a decisive help for making high-level alchemical items and improving existing formulas.

To further test, Luo En took out an ordinary iron sheet and tried to perform an alchemical transformation.

He injected spiritual power into the iron sheet, guiding the rearrangement of its internal molecules.

With the assistance of the "Material Transmutation" skill, this process became abnormally intuitive and easy, just like shaping a lump of soft clay with both hands.

The originally hard iron sheet gradually became flexible under his guidance, while maintaining the strength of the metal.

What is even more surprising is that this transformation did not consume much energy; the whole process was efficient and precise, with almost no energy loss.

"The linkage effect is even more powerful than I imagined."

Luo En looked at the perfectly transformed metal in his hand, somewhat amazed:

"This efficiency and precision are simply a qualitative leap."

Luo En picked up the Soul Steel again, feeling its temperature and rhythm in his hand.

The Soul Steel had reached a perfect fit with him, and the Soul Imprint ritual successfully carved his unique spiritual imprint inside the metal.

This means that the magic sword forged from this piece of Soul Steel will possess unprecedented affinity and stability, making it an ideal carrier for realizing the "Furnace Concept."

Now, with the skill bonus of an Alchemist and the linkage ability of "Material Transmutation," he has greater confidence in the forging of the magic sword.

Those complex crafts that seemed almost impossible to complete before now seem to be within reach.

Luo En turned to the workbench and began to draw the detailed design drawing of the magic sword.

With the blessing of an Alchemist, his conception ability reached a new height.

Complex designs that might have taken weeks to complete in the past can now be refined to an astonishing degree in just a few days.

"Furnace Sword..." Luo En wrote this name at the top of the design drawing, his eyes flickering with expectant light.

This sword will not just be a weapon, but a miraculous furnace capable of purifying mental pollution and converting it into pure power.

Of course, there is one more important point:

It is an important tool leading to that higher level and the key to his realization of the "Furnace Concept."

"Time will prove everything."

Luo En stood up and walked to the window, looking at the Black Mist Jungle outside.

"In a month, there will be the quarterly meeting evaluation, which will decide who can finally obtain the quota for the Bloodline Altar..."

His gaze became deep, and he began to calculate the next plans and arrangements.

The quarterly evaluation meeting is crucial, and he already has a complete plan:

Apply for High Apprentice certification in half a month, and at the same time certify the Bloodline Modulator qualification, thereby rushing into the top five of the sequence in one fell swoop and striving for the greatest possibility of obtaining that key quota.

"First, I need to sort out the current resources and tasks."

He began to systematically list the next plans in the consciousness library:

1. Refining Trish's Natural Affinity Potion (high priority, promise made)

2. High Apprentice certification preparation (to be completed within two weeks)

3. Bloodline Modulator qualification certification (to be carried out simultaneously with High Apprentice certification)

4. Soul Steel Magic Sword sketch creation (ongoing)

5. Substitute Puppet and Furnace Concept practice (ongoing)

6. Rare ancient book selection (can go whenever there is time)

The plan is clear, and the next step is to execute it in an orderly manner.

Just as he was about to start the first task, a soft knock on the door sounded.

"Master, breakfast is ready."

Li Li Liya's gentle voice came from outside the door.

Luo En smiled slightly; over this period of time, Li Li Liya had unknowingly become an indispensable part of the workshop.

She not only showed astonishing talent in pharmacology but also handled the daily chores of the workshop in an orderly manner with her unique care and thoughtfulness.

From material procurement to utensil cleaning, from workshop environment maintenance to document organization.

These miscellaneous tasks that once took up a lot of Luo En's time were now all efficiently taken over by her.

What is most rare is that she also established a perfect material classification and recording system, making the workshop run more smoothly.

Luo En opened the door; Li Li Liya was standing outside the door holding an exquisite tray, on which were a cup of steaming herbal tea and a few perfectly shaped snacks.

"Master looks in good spirits."

Li Li Liya said with a smile, handing the tray to Luo En:

"I noticed that several key materials in the warehouse are running low. I plan to go to the market to purchase them this morning. Is there anything special you need?"

"There are indeed a few."

Luo En took the tray and took out a list from his pocket:

"These are the materials needed for Trish's Natural Affinity Potion. Some are quite rare, and you might need to go to a few specific shops."

Li Li Liya took the list, read it carefully, and nodded:

"I know where to buy Moon-Seeing Orchid and Star-Shine Flower, as for Elf Bark..."

She frowned, pondered for a moment, and then returned to a confident expression:

"I saw it at the Camp Shop last time, so I should be able to buy it."

Luo En felt gratified by her increasingly proficient professional quality:

"It seems your familiarity with the market has surpassed mine."

"This is all thanks to Master's good guidance."

Li Li Liya said modestly, a faint blush appearing on her face:

"I just try my best to remember the experience of each purchase, hoping to save more time for Master."

Luo En nodded: "You did very well. By the way, help me keep an eye out for 'Star Crystal Sand'; this is a special alchemical material, which is relatively rare."

"I will definitely keep an eye out." Li Li Liya nodded solemnly, keeping this request firmly in mind.

After sending Li Li Liya away, Luo En began to check the magic sword design drawing he had drawn.

In his conception, this "Furnace Sword" will be one of his most important power carriers.

But for now, he must first fulfill his promise to Trish, after all, he had already promised others.

Luo En walked to the dedicated potion work area and began to prepare to refine the first batch of Natural Affinity Potion.

The formula provided by Trish is indeed precious; just seeing those complex proportions and special refining requirements, one can understand why this potion is regarded as a treasure.

The formula not only contains conventional plant materials but also requires several rare natural element crystals and the essence of fairy creatures.

For ordinary potion masters, such a formula is almost an insurmountable chasm.

Just precisely controlling those fairy essences that are extremely volatile is enough to make most potion masters flinch.

But Luo En is of course not an ordinary potion master.

He first habitually arranged all kinds of materials in the order of use, preparing to start the familiar refining process step by step.

But just as he was about to start, he suddenly realized that he had just acquired the "Material Transmutation" skill.

"Perhaps I should try a new method in potion refining too; there were too many things before, and I almost forgot."

Luo En took a deep breath and began to mobilize the brand-new perception ability in his body, focusing his attention on the materials in front of him.

In an instant, it was as if a brand-new world unfolded before his eyes.

The microscopic structure of each material, the flow trajectory of each wisp of energy, and the interaction between each molecule were presented in his perception in a peculiar way.

"This is the true power of 'Material Transmutation'..."

Luo En exclaimed in his heart and began to try to guide the potion refining process in a brand-new way.

Step one, process Moon-Seeing Orchid.

In the past, he needed to carefully extract its essence according to strict cutting methods and time windows, and the whole process required at least half an hour of focused operation.

But now, with just a light thought, he could feel the energy nodes inside the Moon-Seeing Orchid.

His fingers pressed lightly on specific positions almost out of instinct, and a silver light flowed out naturally, easily pouring into the container that had been prepared long ago.

The whole process took less than five minutes, the efficiency was increased several times, and the purity of the Moon-Seeing Orchid essence extracted was far better than before.

The same miracle happened in every subsequent step.

In the traditional refining method of the past, the most difficult-to-process Forest Elf Bark required extremely complex preliminary processing and slow energy guidance in ordinary potion refining.

A slight carelessness would lead to the disorder of the natural elements inside, causing the whole bottle of potion to be abandoned.

But now, Luo En could directly "see" the energy network inside the bark, allowing them to establish stable connections between different materials.

Three hours later, when the first bottle of Natural Affinity Potion was successfully completed, Luo En couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.

The entire refining process was not only more than twice as fast, but what was even more surprising was the quality of the finished product.

The potion in the bottle presented a near-transparent emerald green color, with tiny light spots floating slowly inside like fireflies, exuding a fresh and vibrant aura.

This purity and stability far exceeded the standards that the formula itself could achieve.

"This is not just an increase in quantity, but a qualitative leap."

Luo En carefully sealed the potion and pondered the huge changes brought by this new ability.

"Material Transmutation," as a product of the fusion of pharmacology and alchemy, not only inherited the advantages of both but also achieved a fundamental breakthrough at the technical level.

Potion refining in the past, no matter how exquisite the technique, was essentially still a kind of "external guidance."

Potion masters used spiritual power and technique to guide materials to change in a preset direction.

And now, "Material Transmutation" is a kind of "internal resonance"—the characteristics and potential of the materials themselves are directly awakened and guided, forming a more natural and harmonious energy fusion.

This is like changing from forcing materials to obey to talking to materials, so the improvement in efficiency and quality is logical.

"With such high quality, perhaps I should let Trish pay extra fees... hehe."

Just as Luo En was immersed in the amazement of his new ability, Li Li Liya returned with a basket full of materials, her face full of joy.

"Master, I have purchased all the materials on the list!"

She said excitedly, carefully placing the basket on the table:

"And, I discovered a newly opened material shop. They have the Star Crystal Sand you mentioned, so I bought a small bag."

Luo En raised his eyebrows in surprise: "Star Crystal Sand? Usually, that kind of material is very hard to find. You are quite lucky."

"It's not all luck." Li Li Liya explained with some pride:

"Following the method you taught, I observed the supply channels of several shop owners and found that the owner of this new shop seems to have a background in the Dwarf City-States, specializing in some rare materials."

She took out a carefully packaged small bag from the bottom of the basket:

"They asked for a high price, but I used the bargaining techniques you taught and successfully cut 30% off the price."

Luo En took the bag and felt the unique energy fluctuation inside; it was indeed high-purity Star Crystal Sand.

This material is crucial for the casting of the magic sword and can enhance the affinity between metal and magic power.

"You did very well, Li Li Liya."

He praised sincerely, "Your procurement ability can already fully stand on its own."

Li Li Liya felt a bit shy because of this praise and hurriedly changed the subject:

"I just followed Master's guidance. By the way, I see you have already finished a bottle of potion. Is the progress going smoothly?"

She looked curiously at the potion:

"It looks very pure, much better than the samples I saw in the basic pharmacology book."

Luo En did not pick up on this topic, just letting Li Li Liya go to check on the ancient tree in the yard when she had time.

Through the observation of "Extraordinary Identification," Ailan should wake up in a few days...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 175 =====