Chapter 213: True Path

Luo En nodded slightly: "Indeed, the 'Grace' I feel from her is quite pure."

He admitted this straightforwardly; there was no need to pretend in front of Lady Allen.

"Not just pure, but also has a rare persistence."

Lady Allen said thoughtfully, her fingers gently toying with a strand of pink-purple curly hair:

"Her talent should have a cumulative effect; in the long run, this 'Grace' will only become stronger and more stable. It's almost like an inexhaustible source."

Luo En raised his eyebrows: "You mean..."

"In the future, she might become an outstanding Official Wizard."

Lady Allen said straightforwardly, her tone carrying rare seriousness:

"Of course, provided there is appropriate guidance. Only correct guidance can allow her talent to be brought into full play."

A subtle atmosphere flowed between the two.

"However, now is not the time to discuss this."

Lady Lady Lady Ailan halted the extension of this topic, a flash of solemnity crossing her dark green eyes:

"You came for that 'path to advance without using the Key Potion,' right?"

Luo En nodded frankly: "Yes, I hope to learn more details."

He stopped pretending and looked directly into Lady Allen's eyes; for him, the top priority would always be the thirst for knowledge and power.

Lady Allen took a deep breath.

A complex expression that was hard to describe appeared on her face, both nostalgic and vigilant, and carried a hint of imperceptible pain.

The pink-haired witch stood up, walked to a bookshelf in the corner of the room, and took down an ancient classic.

The book cover had faded due to God God Age, and only a few blurred gold-stamped runes could be faintly seen.

"This is 'The Forgotten Path,' which records a long-lost path to becoming a wizard—the True Path."

Lady Allen's voice was low and full of awe, as if talking about some forbidden object.

Luo En's gaze was attracted by the ancient book, and he could feel the faint energy fluctuation emitted from the surface of the book.

That was not ordinary magic power, but a more ancient, deeper power.

"In the early First Era, when the profession of wizard was just born, there was no so-called 'Key' potion."

Lady Allen gently stroked the cover of the book:

"At that time, practitioners relied entirely on meditation to establish a connection with the power they contemplated, directly triggering qualitative change and opening the door of wisdom."

A flash of surprise crossed Luo En's eyes: "Directly establish a connection? No medium required?"

"Yes."

Lady Allen slowly opened the ancient book and turned to a yellowed page of parchment, on which a complex star map was drawn, with a huge shadow in the center that made one feel uneasy:

"The 'Whispers of the Star Eater' you are practicing is precisely one of the few Wang Guan-level meditation introductory methods capable of opening the True Path."

"Wang Guan-level?" Luo En raised his eyebrows; he had seen this level classification in "Extraordinary Creature Illustrated Guide" before, but hadn't studied it deeply.

"Meditation methods have strict level classifications, each corresponding to different contemplation objects and power levels."

Lady Allen explained, her fingers gently brushing across the page:

"The most basic is the 'Basic Meditation Method' you used during your junior apprentice period, which has no level classification and is just a tool for guiding the operation of mental power."

"Moving up are advanced meditation methods, contemplating some relatively simple natural spirits, elemental spirits, etc., which can reach the level of a Morning Star Wizard at most;

the next level up is the Gem-level meditation method, contemplating those ancient and powerful individuals, or the remains of some Wizard Kings, theoretically capable of breaking through to the level of a Great Wizard;

while the Wang Guan-level meditation method is to directly contemplate those most powerful existences, with a limit reaching the realm of a Wizard King."

Lady Allen's voice lowered, a flash of awe in her eyes:

"I have heard of even higher-level cultivation methods, but that has already exceeded the scope we can involve. The knowledge of that level itself carries weight, and even mentioning it could trigger disaster."

Luo En nodded thoughtfully; this information gave him a brand-new understanding of the "Whispers of the Star Eater" he was practicing:

"Then, can meditation methods starting from the Gem-level obtain meditation method characteristics during breakthroughs?"

"Precisely." Lady Allen looked at Luo En approvingly:

"Meditation method characteristic is the concrete manifestation of mental qualitative change, and it is also the key to distinguishing an ordinary wizard from a powerful wizard. The meditation method characteristics obtained through the True Path are often purer and more powerful than those obtained through the 'Key' potion."

"This is one of the reasons why some wizards, even with the same promotion path, have vastly different strengths."

Lady Allen continued to flip through the ancient book, pointing to an unsettling illustration—a human figure entangled by countless tentacles, the face twisted into an expression of pain:

"The core of meditation is actually to establish a connection with the contemplated existence through mental power and absorb the essence of its power. The more powerful the contemplated existence, the higher the level of the meditation method, and the stronger the power it brings—but the price is equally greater."

Luo En recalled the huge existence devouring stars he saw in his meditation, and his body couldn't help but tremble slightly:

"So what 'Whispers of the Star Eater' makes me contemplate is..."

"Correct, it is the existence known as the 'Devourer' in ancient books."

Lady Allen's voice lowered:

"Legend has it that it wanders between galaxies, devouring one star after another, absorbing energy to maintain its own existence. No one knows its true purpose, and no one knows where its limit lies."

"This kind of existence should have surpassed the level of a Wizard King, right?" Luo En couldn't help but ask.

Lady Allen shook her head:

"No, the 'Devourer' contemplated by 'Whispers of the Star Eater' might be much stronger than most Wizard Kings, but it is roughly at the same level. Higher up, there are 'Demon Gods' that transcend everything..."

Luo En was silent for a moment, digesting the massive flow of information.

Then he looked up and asked the most critical question: "Then, how to advance to an Official Wizard through the True Path?"

Lady Allen smiled slightly and turned the ancient book to another page.

This page was almost entirely occupied by a complex rune, with a grand star gate pattern in the center:

"The traditional promotion method is to use the 'Key' potion as a medium to allow apprentices to slowly and safely open the door of wisdom.

The 'Key' potion is like a... well, it is indeed a key, capable of slowly opening the door to higher levels. This method has a high success rate; almost seventy or eighty percent of candidate wizards can pass smoothly."

"The True Path is different—it is to directly contact the contemplated existence through meditation.

At the moment of breaking through the critical point, let the will fragment of that existence be directly imprinted into your mental structure, forming a higher-level meditation method characteristic, thereby triggering qualitative change."

Speaking of this, Lady Allen's eyes became extremely solemn:

"This method is much more dangerous, without buffers, without safety nets. Once started, either succeed in breaking through, or..."

She made a throat-slitting gesture:

"In the ancient era, one in ten people who took this path succeeded."

"But the power obtained after success is stronger?" Luo En asked keenly.

"Of course." A flash of approval crossed Lady Allen's eyes:

"Wizards promoted through the True Path have a similarity in their mental structure to the contemplated existence and can obtain purer and more powerful meditation method characteristics. Such wizards often possess power beyond human imagination at the same level."

Luo En pondered for a moment: "Do you know the specific breakthrough method?"

Lady Allen seemed to have been waiting for this question; she took out a small crystal bottle from her bosom.

Inside was a silver-blue liquid, shimmering with subtle light under the lamp:

"Do you still remember the materials I asked you to help me collect before?"

Luo En nodded; of course he remembered that inexplicable "list."

"Those materials, plus several rare medicinal herbs I have treasured for many years, are just enough to refine this 'Star Dew Morning Glow'—an extremely rare auxiliary potion.

It is not a 'Key' potion and cannot directly help you open the door of wisdom, but it can enhance the connection between you and the contemplated existence, increasing the success rate when impacting the critical point."

She carefully handed the crystal bottle to Luo En:

"When your mental power reaches the critical point, take this potion, and then perform the deepest level of meditation.

If all goes well, you will directly establish a connection with the 'Devourer,' obtain the meditation method characteristic, and complete the qualitative change."

Luo En took the crystal bottle, feeling the energy pulsing slightly within, like a miniature star tossing and turning in the bottle:

"What is the success rate?"

"With your talent and the compatibility of 'Whispers of the Star Eater'..." Lady Allen pondered slightly: "About fifty percent."

Luo En raised his eyebrows: "Higher than I imagined."

"Don't be happy too soon." Lady Allen warned:

"Once you step onto the True Path, there is no turning back.

If the attempt fails, it not only means death but may also face a fate worse than death—mental shattering, soul devoured by those great existences."

Luo En took a deep breath and carefully tucked the crystal bottle into his bosom:

"Sounds worth a try."

Lady Allen showed a meaningful smile: "I knew you would be interested. But don't rush to make a decision; first listen to the lessons learned by predecessors."

She reopened the ancient book, pointing to several cases recorded on another page:

"Grimm Aust, born in a common fishing village in the early Third Era, was discovered at fifteen by a passing wizard to have rare fourth-class star mental aptitude and was brought back to the school for cultivation.

He performed mediocrely in the school, but had an abnormal obsession with astrology, often observing the starry sky all night."

"At the God God Age of twenty, he accidentally came into contact with an ancient book recording the 'Black Sun' and began his research on this mysterious celestial body.

Three years later, he chose to contemplate the 'Black Sun' to promote directly. At that time, no one in the school was optimistic about him, and even mentors advised him to give up this suicidal attempt."

Lady Allen's tone gradually became mysterious:

"But Aust insisted on his own opinion; he climbed the school's highest observatory alone and began that astonishing attempt.

For three full days, his painful howls and crazy laughter came from the tower; no one dared to approach."

"On the fourth morning, when the school's mentors opened the tower door, they found Aust sitting there quietly, his eyes having completely turned black, no whites, no irises, only endless darkness.

But he had succeeded—after enduring three days of madness, he obtained the meditation method characteristic named 'Eternal Night Vision'."

"Since then, Aust's strength advanced by leaps and bounds; in just twenty years, he reached the level of a Moon Luminary Wizard, spent another fifty years becoming a Dark Sun Wizard, and finally broke through to become a Great Wizard in less than two hundred years."

Luo En was fascinated; this detailed record of predecessors' deeds was far more convincing than dry theory.

Lady Allen saw him listening attentively and continued to flip the page:

"Look at this one—Eleanor Hell, one of the most famous geniuses of the Crystal Spire in the last era, measured with second-class star mental aptitude at twelve, and completed the improvement of three complex spells before twenty, hailed as a candidate Great Wizard."

"Her mentor had high expectations for her and arranged a promotion plan using the 'Key' potion. But Eleanor scoffed at the traditional path, believing that only the True Path could create a true wizard."

"On her twenty-first birthday, she chose to contemplate 'Abyssal Touch' and attempted to promote directly. The school sent two Official Wizards to supervise the process to prevent accidents."

Lady Allen's voice sank:

"She failed in the process, not death, but worse—her spirit was occupied by a wisp of that existence's will, turning into a shell walking in the human world, no longer herself inside."

"For the first few days, this change was not obvious; she just occasionally spoke in a strange tone or stared at a certain direction in a daze.

But as time passed, the abnormalities became more and more obvious—she began to go out at night and sleep during the day, fine scales grew on her skin, and her eyes turned into vertical pupils.

Most terrifyingly, she began to hunt and devour living creatures, including other apprentices in the school."

"The Crystal Spire sent three Official Wizards to completely eliminate her, and that battle almost destroyed half of the school's area."

Hearing this story, Luo En felt a chill, but his face did not show the slightest intention of retreating.

Lady Allen nodded with satisfaction and continued:

"The last one—Victor Reinhardt; you might have heard this name?"

Luo En nodded: "One of the few younger Great Wizards in history."

"Precisely." A flash of awe in Lady Allen's eyes:

"Victor was born into a declining wizard family, with mediocre aptitude, and was once even considered unable to become an Official Wizard. But he had extraordinary perseverance and wisdom, and never gave up lightly."

"At the God God Age of twenty-five, the last Official Wizard in the family—his grandfather—passed away, and the family fell into an unprecedented crisis. Young Victor decided to gamble everything and chose to contemplate 'Star Aggregation' directly, a terrifying existence on the same tier as the 'Devourer'."

Lady Allen's voice carried a hint of admiration:

"At that time, no one believed he could succeed, and even his own family considered it a self-destructive act. But to everyone's shock, Victor not only succeeded but also obtained an unprecedented characteristic during the promotion process—'Fate Thread,' capable of briefly seeing branching paths of the future."

A flash of awe in Lady Allen's eyes:

"With this ability, Victor could almost make the optimal decision in every critical choice, leaping from a Morning Star Wizard to a Great Wizard in just a few decades, creating one of the most astonishing promotion speeds in wizard history."

"But what was the price?" Luo En asked keenly; he knew that such powerful ability must be accompanied by an equally heavy price.

Lady Allen showed a bitter smile:

"Smart. Correct, the price is huge—after Victor passed the initial power leap period, he would fall into a state similar to madness for three days every month.

And as time passed, the duration of this state became longer and longer. It is said that in the last few years of his life, his clear time was less than his mad time."

She sighed, a flash of compassion in her eyes:

"That Great Wizard who once shook the wizard world eventually had to secretly imprison himself in a secret room to prevent causing disaster in a mad state.

It is said that in his last moment of clarity before death, he once said this to his descendants: 'Power is never given for free; it always takes back its share.'"

Luo En nodded thoughtfully, slowly digesting this information.

In the wizard's world, power and price are always directly proportional; this seems to be an eternal law.

"Do you understand now?"

Lady Allen's voice was serious and low:

"The True Path provides huge power, but it is also accompanied by equally huge risks.

This is not a path suitable for everyone; only those who are willing to sacrifice comfort, and even gamble their lives and minds, will choose this path."

Luo En was silent for a moment, then looked up:

"I understand these risks and am willing to bear the consequences. But I need to know more details—to what extent does mental power need to reach to be considered a critical point?

Also, are there other methods to improve the breakthrough success rate besides auxiliary potions?

After taking 'Star Dew Morning Glow,' what kind of specific meditation should be performed? What are the key indicators of success?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 214 =====