Chapter 187

Luo En lit the magic crystal lamp in the workshop, the pale blue light dispelling the shadows of the night.

He had recently shifted a large portion of his attention to the "Sonic Oscillation" spell he had been researching.

This spell had already been developed by him in the direction of the "Erosion Movement" through the babble of the star monster: "Zi... Kulu... Niage... Luo Tipu...".

But while constantly using the variant "Erosion Movement," he could feel that the babble produced in meditation seemed to be an extension of that babble from the star monster...

His current research direction was to further expand the "Erosion Movement" based on the babble in meditation while using it to resist the babble.

Allowing it to act directly on the spell model without the aid of musical instruments, applicable in sudden encounter battles.

He stood up and paced the room for a moment, trying to clear his thoughts.

"Master, dinner is ready." Li Liya's voice came from outside the door, interrupting his thoughts.

"Coming soon." Luo En rubbed his temples and turned to open the door.

Li Liya stood at the door, wearing a pale blue apron, the scent of food still lingering in her hair.

She looked curiously at the exhausted Luo En: "Researching that spell again?"

"Hmm, still not going smoothly." Luo En sighed and followed her toward the dining room.

In the dining room, Daier was already impatiently sitting at the table, her large purple-blue eyes shimmering with expectation.

Seeing Luo En enter, she immediately jumped up:

"Master, I trained for a full five hours today without feeling tired! And the webbing between my fingers can be fully retracted too!"

Saying this, she excitedly displayed her small hands.

The webbing between her fingers had indeed disappeared, with only some faint pale blue traces visible at the fingertips.

"Well done." Luo En smiled and stroked her long silver hair, his mood lightening slightly.

Ailan walked in from the courtyard, holding a plate of freshly picked berries.

Compared to her previous tree spirit form, her current appearance showed almost no non-human traits.

Only those emerald green eyes and the vines that occasionally extended from under her dress to replace her arms could make one notice her unusual nature.

"Tonight's berries were all ripened with my own pollen; the taste should be better."

Ailan said softly, placing the fruit plate on the table, then walked to Daier's side, gently helping her tidy her slightly messy hair.

Watching this warm scene, the haze and sense of urgency in Luo En's heart gradually diminished.

Just as they were enjoying dinner, glancing at a six-string lyre he had hung on the wall as decoration after purchasing it, Luo En suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

Since the Erosion Movement was played using a musical instrument, then based on this method, he could continue to expand it, and construct the "Sonic Oscillation" as a musical instrument capable of making sound within the spell construction...

Daier blinked:

"Does Master want to play? I remember you seem to practice the violin often?"

"No, Daier."

Luo En shook his head, his gaze continuing to linger on the six-string lyre on the wall, a bold idea gradually taking shape in his mind.

"Perhaps I have found the breakthrough for spell improvement." His eyes shimmered with the light of inspiration.

Li Liya followed his gaze to the six-string lyre: "Is it about the Erosion Movement?"

"That's right." Luo En nodded, his train of thought becoming clearer:

"I have been trying to consider violin playing and spell models separately, but if I could construct the spell model itself into a resonant structure of a musical instrument..."

Ailan was thoughtful: "You mean to make the spell model not just an energy structure, but to make it capable of emitting sound?"

"Exactly!"

Luo En's eyes shimmered with excitement: "Just like a resonance box, but not in a physical way, but constructed with spiritual power."

He hurriedly finished dinner and immediately returned to the laboratory.

Inside, Luo En stood in the center, took a deep breath, raised his hands slightly, and began to mobilize his spiritual power.

The spell model of "Sonic Oscillation" slowly took shape before him, a complex structure woven from countless energy threads, presenting a gradient of blue-purple.

"If I construct the spell model into the resonance structure of a violin..."

Luo En closed his eyes, recalling the internal structure of a violin—sound box, bridge, strings, resonance board—each part had its vibration characteristics.

His spiritual power began to reshape the spell model according to this line of thought.

First was forming a hollow cavity structure similar to a sound box, then four "strings" of different frequencies, plus a carefully designed "bridge" and "resonance board"...

"The difficulty in composing this structure lies in..."

Beads of sweat seeped from Luo En's forehead: "Each part needs to possess specific energy density and vibration characteristics."

After several attempts, the spell model finally presented a brand new form.

No longer a simple energy aggregate, but a miniature "spiritual musical instrument," its internal structure precisely imitating the resonance principle of a violin.

"Now, try injecting the energy pattern of the babble..."

Luo En recalled those mysterious syllables heard in meditation, integrating their "tone" into the "strings" of the spell model.

With the injection of spiritual power, those "strings" began to vibrate at specific frequencies, producing unsettling, low, babbling sounds.

"Zi-Kulu-Niage... Luo Tipu..."

The sound did not propagate through physical media but formed directly on the spiritual level.

【Sonic Oscillation (Proficient) Experience +1】

The moment the spell was triggered, Luo En felt an unprecedented sense of control.

The entire spell model was like a precision musical instrument, emitting a perfect "tone" under his spiritual control.

But even more exciting was that this structure no longer required the assistance of physical musical instruments and could be fully constructed and released in advance.

"This far exceeds my expectations..."

He adjusted his breathing, deciding to try one step further.

If the first step was transforming the spell model into a musical instrument structure, then the second step was expanding the content of the "musical piece."

Luo En closed his eyes again, entering a meditative state, searching for more mysterious syllables from the depths of the starry sky.

Consciousness sank into the depths of meditation, the familiar starry sky scene unfolding before his eyes, countless stars flickering in the darkness.

But this time, he tried to go deeper, letting his consciousness touch those areas emitting the babble.

"Not seeking to touch the core, just needing to capture more syllable fragments..."

As meditation deepened, those stars seemed to come alive, beginning to move according to some peculiar rhythm, emitting more complex sounds.

"Zi-Kulu-Niage... Luo Tipu... Saliehom..."

New syllable combinations echoed in his consciousness, each syllable carrying an indescribable ancient power.

Luo En cautiously recorded these new syllables while remaining vigilant against potential spiritual corruption.

Fortunately, with previous experience, he was able to better maintain his mental barrier, preventing those dangerous energies from directly affecting his thinking.

Returning to reality, Luo En immediately attempted to integrate the newly acquired syllables into the improved spell model.

"Construct sound box... adjust strings... inject new syllable sequence..."

This time, the spell model became more complex, and when the spell was released, six syllables sounded almost simultaneously, forming a short but terrifyingly powerful "musical piece."

The air in the training room seemed to distort because of this "musical piece," some small objects began to vibrate uncontrollably, and even a few books fell from the shelves.

"The power has indeed increased." Luo En evaluated: "But the difficulty of control has also increased exponentially."

The new, larger syllable structure required extremely high precision in spiritual power control.

"It's working!" Luo En felt a joy in his heart; he arrived at the training ground, an invisible ripple spreading from his palm, striking the target opposite.

The target's surface did not show cracks as usual, but eerily distorted, then began to dissolve in a strange way.

Not physical shattering, but some deeper level of erosion, as if its material structure itself had been corroded by some force.

"Master?" Li Liya's voice came from the other side of the courtyard, carrying a bit of worry:

"It's already very late, are you okay?"

"Come over, Li Liya." Luo En responded with a smile, his voice revealing excitement that could not be hidden:

"I think I've had a major breakthrough."

As soon as Li Liya walked in, she was surprised to find the target slowly dissolving:

"This is... what spell effect?"

"Erosion Fluctuation."

Luo En explained, his eyes shimmering with strange light: "I successfully fused Sonic Oscillation with the babble."

He concentrated his spirit again, constructing the improved "Sonic Oscillation" spell structure, this time pointing at another target.

An invisible ripple spread out again, the target's surface immediately covered by a strange purple-black layer, then began to decompose from the inside.

This decomposition was not ordinary physical destruction; it felt more like the target's own "existence" was being devoured by some force.

"Oh my god..." Li Liya gasped: "This effect... simply unbelievable."

"Not only that." Luo En revealed a faint smile:

"This erosion effect should have additional impacts on living creatures, especially on the spiritual level."

"But, Master..." Li Liya hesitated:

"This power... feels a bit wrong; are you sure it's safe?"

Luo En's expression became serious:

"Any power has two sides; the key lies in the user's control. How to make them harmless through various experiments is also the meaning of research."

Li Liya seemed to want to say something more, but finally just nodded:

"You must be very tired; do you want to rest for a while? I brewed some calming tea."

Only then did Luo En realize that he was indeed exhausted, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his hands slightly trembling.

This high-intensity spiritual control had clearly consumed a large amount of his physical and spiritual energy.

"Thank you, Li Liya." He took the teacup handed by the young girl, carefully sipping the warm liquid, allowing his exhausted body and mind to get a moment of relaxation.

The next morning, Luo En came to the workshop backyard again, preparing to test his new discovery from last night.

Ailan was soothing a rare herb that showed unease because it sensed the residual spell of Luo En.

"This erosive energy does indeed make plants feel uncomfortable."

Ailan said softly, her fingers gently stroking the trembling leaves of the herb:

"They can feel a fluctuation that does not belong to the original world."

Luo En nodded; this precisely confirmed his guess:

The impact of Erosion Fluctuation indeed transcended ordinary physical damage, capable of reaching the deeper existence of living organisms.

"I need a sturdier target to test the effect." He looked around, finally locking his gaze on a stone pier.

That was one of the fixed targets, the material extremely hard and possessing a certain degree of magic resistance, making it difficult for ordinary spells to cause significant damage.

"Is Master going to cast a spell?"

Daier asked excitedly, her large purple-blue eyes shimmering with expectation: "Can I help?"

"Just watch this time." Luo En smiled and touched her head:

"This new spell is not stable enough; for safety, you all stand further away."

The three retreated to a safe distance, Luo En took a deep breath, and began to construct the spell model.

This time, he did not rush to release it, but first sorted out the rhythm of the babble in his heart, letting them naturally integrate into the energy structure of Sonic Oscillation.

When the two energies reached perfect resonance, Luo En suddenly opened his eyes and issued a command to the stone pier:

—Sonic Oscillation Erosion State!

An invisible ripple spread from his palm, striking the hard stone pier.

The surface of the stone pier did not show signs of erosion as expected immediately, but as time passed, a strange change began to manifest:

The texture of the stone pier began to distort, as if it were being rearranged from the inside by some invisible force.

Dozens of seconds later, the entire stone pier suddenly emitted a muffled sound, dense cracks appeared on the surface, and then it imploded in an incredible way, turning into a pile of powder.

"This... simply unbelievable."

Li Liya looked at the pile of powder in shock, her voice slightly trembling: "It looks like it was... dissolved from the inside by some force."

"So amazing!" Daier clapped excitedly, her face full of admiration:

"Master's spell is truly magical!"

Ailan remained silent, but a trace of worry flashed in those emerald green eyes.

As a plant life close to nature, she could feel the terror contained in this spell more deeply.

Luo En himself was also a bit surprised.

This effect far exceeded his expectations, and even he felt that its power had jumped up a bit too fast.

The erosive sound wave not only destroyed the physical structure of the stone pier but also seemed to affect some essence of it, causing it to lose the ability to maintain its form.

"This effect..." he whispered in his heart:

"It's like the 'Conceptual Erosion' described in the 'Abyss Creature Illustrated Guide'."

He recalled the descriptions of the higher abyss regions in that forbidden book.

Certain energies there no longer followed ordinary physical laws but directly affected the concepts and essence of things.

The Erosion Movement seemed to have shown similar traits, although the degree was much weaker.

He nodded to the three, signaling them that they could continue with their own business, and he himself returned to the laboratory alone.

Progressing too fast... is it because the effect of the "babble" and Sonic Oscillation are too compatible?

Or is it that this entry-level method from the so-called "Crown Meditation" has begun to gradually show its unique and terrifying traits?

Regardless, at least for the current stage, the extended erosion effect of Sonic Oscillation undoubtedly allowed him to have the upper hand in battle.

And just six syllables could show such terrifying power; if it were really woven into a complete musical piece and then amplified using an amplifier, the effect would be simply unimaginable...

………………

"Daier, focus!"

On the training ground, Luo En stared seriously at the little sea siren who was constantly distracted.

Daier was trying hard to maintain the stable form of a water ball, but clearly, her attention had drifted elsewhere.

Specifically, to a batch of newly bloomed flowers planted by Ailan at the other end of the courtyard.

"Sorry, Master."

Daier stuck out her tongue, retracted her gaze with some embarrassment, and refocused her energy on the water ball in front of her.

Luo En shook his head and smiled helplessly:

"Alright, today's training is temporarily over. You can go look at those flowers, but don't touch them; some might be irritating to sea siren skin."

"Great! Thank you, Master!"

Daier cheered, the water ball instantly losing control and turning into a puddle of water, but the little sea siren had already hopped and skipped toward Ailan's side.

Watching Daier's departing back, Luo En sighed slightly.

The little sea siren's growth speed was astonishing, but her attention was still so easily distracted; this was an area he needed to focus on training.

"Since that's the case, I can also focus on practicing." Luo En whispered to himself, taking a small bag of fine sand from his pocket.

Ever since learning the "Flowing Barrier" spell from Nahayek, he had invested a lot of time in practice, but progress was relatively slow.

The precision requirements of this first-ring spell far exceeded any spell he had come into contact with before.

Even with a complete spell model, truly mastering its essence remained very difficult.

Luo En poured a small pinch of sand into his palm, took a deep breath, and began to guide his spiritual power to seep into every tiny grain of sand.

Although he had the idea of using soul steel as a medium, at this starting stage, he could only use basic materials for practice.

Spiritual power fell like fine rain, evenly covering every grain of sand, causing them to float and form a small barrier the size of a palm.

"First step successful..."

Luo En maintained this state, then attempted to gradually expand the scope of the barrier while ensuring that the energy density of each area was exactly the same.

This process was an exceptional test of the precision of spiritual power control; with the slightest fluctuation, the entire structure would collapse.

Just as the barrier expanded to a diameter of about half a meter, a voice came from afar:

"Master, there is a guest here to see you."

Luo En's attention was interrupted, the barrier immediately wobbling, but he quickly adjusted his mindset and stabilized the energy flow.

"Who is it?" Luo En did not look back, still focused on stabilizing the barrier.

"His Highness Andre." Li Liya replied: "He said he has urgent news to tell you."

Andre's visit was indeed unexpected, but Luo En knew his old friend wouldn't disturb his research without reason.

There must be something important.

"Tell him to wait a moment, I'll be there soon."

Luo En cautiously dispelled the spell, letting those sand grains slowly fall back to the ground, before turning to face Li Liya.

The young girl was staring curiously at those sand grains, clearly very interested in the spell just now.

"What spell was that, Master? It looks different from ordinary shields."

"Flowing Barrier, a more advanced defensive spell."

Luo En explained briefly: "At your current level, it's too early to come into contact with such spells. Now, let's go see Andre."

In the reception room, Andre, dressed in simple robes, was sipping tea in small mouthfuls.

Seeing Luo En enter, he immediately put down the cup, a rare serious expression appearing on his face.

"Luo En, I've already checked the matter you entrusted me with." He cut straight to the point:

"Lady Ailan's shop has indeed closed, but strangely, there is no official record within the school regarding her departure."

Luo En frowned slightly.

Lady Ailan's departure was clearly more complex than he had imagined.

"There's something even stranger."

Andre lowered his voice: "An anti-peeping barrier has been set up around the herb shop; ordinary apprentices don't even feel the existence of the shop when passing by, as if it had always been an empty lot there."

Luo En and Li Liya looked at each other, both reading the same doubt and worry in each other's eyes.

"Do you need me to continue investigating?"

Luo En thought for a moment and shook his head:

"Not for now. Since Lady Ailan is so cautious, there must be a reason. If we rashly intervene, we might instead bring trouble to her."

He turned to Li Liya beside him and smiled slightly:

"Can you prepare some snacks for us? Andre and I still have some things to discuss."

The two talked for a while, mainly about their respective progress.

Andre also mentioned an important piece of news: his father the King's health seemed to be getting worse and worse recently.

It would be best if he maintained this sick state, making it easier for Andre to kill his way back and inherit the throne...

Sending the Thirteenth Prince away, Luo En couldn't help but think maliciously.

Subsequently, he returned to the training ground, deciding to continue practicing the "Flowing Barrier."

This time, he did not use ordinary sand, but brought a specially made composite powder from the laboratory:

Mixed from micro-particles of various different attributes, theoretically capable of forming a more comprehensive defensive barrier.

"Test this new medium..."

Luo En poured a small pinch of composite powder into his palm and began to guide his spiritual power to seep in.

Unlike ordinary sand, this composite powder was more sensitive to spiritual power, but also more difficult to control.

Each different component required precise energy ratios, as if performing a complex multi-part piece, ensuring every part was perfectly coordinated.

The bonus brought by the linkage of multiple professions showed astonishing effects at this moment.

He could perceive and adjust the fluctuations of every tiny energy point with unprecedented precision.

Slowly and steadily, a rainbow-colored translucent barrier took shape before him.

Different from the monotonous transparency of ordinary barriers, this barrier presented a flowing rainbow luster, each color representing the energy fluctuation of different elements.

When the entire barrier stabilized, Luo En began to attempt shaping—this was another key trait of the Flowing Barrier.

Under the guidance of spiritual power, the barrier changed from a flat shield to a spherical enclosure, then transformed into a hexagonal prism, each transformation fluid and natural, without the slightest stiffness.

In the time that followed, Luo En invested a large amount of time into practicing the Flowing Barrier.

He tried various different medium substances, from simple sand and stone, water flow, to complex metal powder, crystal powder, and even some herb extracts containing special energy.

Each medium required different spiritual power control techniques and would also endow the barrier with different traits.

The barrier formed by water was flexible and elastic;

The barrier composed of metal powder was sturdy and rigid;

Crystal powder could provide specific energy resistance;

And herb extracts could endow the barrier with certain healing or buff effects.

In a joint training session with Daier and Li Liya, Luo En attempted to use the Flowing Barrier to defend against Daier's water arrow attack.

"Are you ready, Daier?"

Luo En held a handful of special iron sand, ready to cast the spell.

"Ready anytime, Master!"

Daier waved her small hands excitedly, the humidity of the surrounding air immediately rising, water molecules beginning to gather.

"Start!"

The little sea siren waved her hand violently, dozens of crystal-clear water arrows attacking Luo En from all directions.

At the same time, Luo En quickly constructed the spell, a circular barrier shimmering with metallic luster unfolding around him.

The water arrows struck the barrier, emitting a series of crisp sounds, but not one could penetrate that layer of metallic protection.

Luo En felt every impact, subtly adjusting the energy density of various parts of the barrier, ensuring the stability of the overall structure.

"Harder, Daier!"

Luo En encouraged, while evaluating the barrier's load-bearing capacity in his heart.

The little sea siren bit her lower lip, a flash of cunning light in her eyes: "Master, be careful!"

She put her hands together, then suddenly separated them, the surrounding air becoming extremely dry in an instant.

All the water condensed into a huge water spear, the volume more than ten times that of an ordinary water arrow.

A thick layer of ice crystals condensed at the tip of the water spear, shimmering with cold light in the sun.

"So amazing!" Li Liya exclaimed from the side; she had never seen Daier use such a powerful attack.

Luo En was also taken aback, but his reaction was extremely fast.

He quickly reinforced the area on the barrier where the water spear was about to strike, while letting the entire structure present an arc shape to better disperse the impact force.

"—Go!" Daier shouted, the giant water spear shooting out like a cannonball, striking the barrier heavily.

Boom!

A muffled sound, energy ripples spreading on the barrier, but it remained intact.

The water spear was deflected, bursting into countless water droplets in the air, scattering all over the ground.

"Success!" Luo En revealed a satisfied smile.

Just then, he discovered a peculiar phenomenon:

The barrier surface began to automatically adjust its structure, becoming sturdier, especially in the area just struck by the water spear.

"Strange... I didn't actively adjust it."

Luo En carefully observed this change, suddenly realizing what had happened.

The barrier seemed to have "remembered" the attack pattern just now and automatically strengthened the corresponding area, ready to deal with the next similar attack.

【First-Ring Flowing Barrier (Entry) Experience +1】

【Breakthrough! First-Ring Flowing Barrier (Entry 50/50) -> First-Ring Flowing Barrier (Proficient 1/100)】

【Obtained additional trait: Memory (The barrier can have limited memory and actively defend against attack types it has defended against before)】

(End of chapter)