Chapter 224: Has Arrived

The workshop in the dead of night was quiet and silent, with only the lava core of the alchemy furnace making a rhythmic "gurgling" sound, like the heartbeat of some ancient creature.

Luo En sat cross-legged in the center of the meditation room, slowly opening his eyes, the red-gold light in his pupils gradually fading and returning to normal.

He took a deep breath, feeling the flow of spiritual power in his body.

Now it was close to the edge of the critical point, like a river about to burst its banks, just waiting for the addition of the last trace of rain.

【Experience value of "Whispers of the Star Eater" +1】

【Current progress: "Whispers of the Star Eater" (Proficient 295/300)】

"Still missing five points." Luo En muttered to himself, a light of both expectation and caution flashing in his eyes.

Just at the moment he was about to stand up, a strange feeling suddenly struck his heart.

It was as if countless tiny ants were crawling on his spine, or as if some sharp gaze was piercing from afar, through the walls and air, reaching deep into his soul.

Luo En instinctively tensed all his muscles, and the keen perception brought by the Hunter Knight was instantly activated.

His senses, several times beyond that of ordinary people, keenly captured every fluctuation around him.

But strangely, no matter how he sensed, he could not determine the source of that prying.

That feeling was both elusive and incomparably real.

It was like a flickering ghost wind, dissipating without a trace the moment you were about to capture it.

"Is someone monitoring me?" Luo En frowned, slowly standing up.

His fingertips quietly brushed across the silver pocket watch at his waist, feeling the cold touch, and his heart settled slightly.

No matter what kind of enemy it was, at least he still had this final insurance.

Then he lightly brushed the inside of his left arm, where the Thousand-Change Phantom resided.

This "Glorious Heritage" that had already completed advancement was now one of his most powerful trump cards.

Outside the window, the Black Fog Jungle appeared exceptionally deep under the moonlight.

The magic crystal light in the central area of the school in the distance was also dimmer than usual, as if the entire Black Fog Jungle was shrouded in a layer of invisible shadow.

That feeling of being watched still existed vaguely, but he could never determine the specific direction.

This feeling was more unsettling than direct hostility—it was like being targeted by some existence beyond understanding, and you couldn't even confirm its existence.

Luo En took a deep breath and decided to put this doubt aside first.

The day of the star ring convergence was approaching, and he could not let this unclear interference affect his final preparations.

Walking out of the meditation room, he noticed that the magic crystal lights in the corridor had also become dimmer than usual, shrouding the interior of the workshop in a layer of dim yellow halo.

In the hall, Li Li Liya was focused on organizing several bundles of newly collected herbs; hearing footsteps, she looked up, a faint smile appearing on her face.

"Teacher, has your meditation ended?" She asked softly, her voice carrying undisguised fatigue.

Luo En nodded, his gaze falling on those herbs: "Were these collected today? They look of average quality."

Li Li Liya sighed lightly and put down the herb bundles in her hand:

"Yes, going out today was very unsuccessful. There are fewer and fewer vendors in the market, and the medicinal materials that can be found are not fresh enough."

She looked up at Luo En, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes:

"Teacher, the atmosphere in the school has been very strange recently. Fewer and fewer apprentices go out, and even the usually lively market has become deserted. I passed by the Slave Chamber of Commerce today and found it empty, not even a gatekeeper was to be seen."

"Empty?" Luo En raised his eyebrows; this was indeed unusual.

That Slave Chamber of Commerce had always been one of the busiest places in the Black Fog Jungle, even on days when the school was under martial law, there were often alien caravans coming and going.

Now that it was completely closed, this was by no means a coincidence.

"Any other abnormalities?" He asked in a deep voice.

Li Li Liya pondered for a moment and answered softly:

"The patrols of the law enforcement team have become more frequent, but they don't seem to be looking for anything, but..."

She hesitated, as if looking for appropriate vocabulary:

"But are guarding against something. Every time two law enforcement teams meet, they confirm each other's identities, very cautiously."

"Guarding against..." Luo En repeated the word thoughtfully, his doubts deepening.

At present, there were less than two weeks left until the star ring convergence, but the tense atmosphere within the school was increasing day by day.

This practice of deliberately suppressing all outdoor activities was like preventing some disaster from happening.

"Is there any reaction within the school?" He asked calmly.

"The mentors seem to be staying behind closed doors, and even Mentor Suo Lun, who is usually the most common, rarely appears."

Li Li Liya answered softly:

"And, I heard that the Vice Dean has deployed additional protective arrays around the school, and even used some alchemy items that are usually sealed."

Luo En frowned, quickly analyzing various possibilities in his heart.

This abnormal phenomenon was by no means without cause; either some external threat was approaching, or some major event was about to happen within the school.

And no matter what the situation was, it was very likely related to the upcoming star ring convergence.

"You did well."

Luo En nodded at Li Li Liya, his tone carrying rare approval:

"For the next period of time, try to go out as little as possible. If you must leave the workshop, at least have Xi Wa Na accompany you."

Li Li Liya nodded, a hint of joy flashing in her eyes.

Trying to find useful information for Luo En was perhaps the most meaningful thing she could do in the limited time.

"Two more weeks." Luo En muttered to himself, his eyes becoming deep.

The day of the star ring convergence was getting closer, and his meditation was about to reach a critical point.

At this critical moment, any variable could affect his breakthrough attempt.

"Must speed up preparations." He made up his mind in his heart and turned to walk toward the laboratory.

That feeling of being watched still lingered, like an invisible thread, firmly connecting him to some unknown existence.

Luo En came to the laboratory again, glanced at the gloomy sky outside the window, and frowned slightly.

That feeling of being watched still lingered, but he had learned to temporarily cast it aside and focus on the task at hand.

"Continue yesterday's experiment." He muttered to himself, taking out his record book and flipping to the latest page.

It was densely recorded with various parameters and observation results, almost every gap filled with various symbols and notes.

This was all his hard work on the research of "Flowing Barrier" for many days, from the initial simple concept to now being on the verge of proficiency.

According to Ka La Ze Ke's teaching, one of the advanced applications of "Flowing Barrier"—"Structural Differentiation"—is an extremely complex technique.

It requires building a multi-layer defense system within the barrier, each layer having its specific functions and characteristics.

This structure is not a simple stacking of layers, but an organic collaborative system, where each layer supports and supplements each other through specific energy channels.

"First build the basic model." Luo En closed his eyes and entered the spiritual world.

In his consciousness space, a barrier model composed of spiritual power slowly took shape.

At first, it was just a simple spherical structure, but soon, it began to layer and differentiate, gradually becoming complex.

The outer layer presented a steel-like luster, symbolizing solid physical defense;

the middle layer flickered with starlight-like micro-light, representing the energy conversion system;

the innermost layer changed constantly like flowing water, responsible for the adjustment of the overall structure and energy redistribution.

Each layer was connected by energy channels as thin as hair, forming a complex network.

These channels were not only bridges for transmitting energy and information between layers but also the key for the entire barrier to adjust defense strategies when facing external attacks.

"Theoretical model construction completed, start actual transformation."

Luo En opened his eyes and slowly threw up the mixed medium materials in front of him.

The mixed medium suspended in the air, and with the injection of Luo En's spiritual power, began to layer and arrange according to the preset model.

But this process was much more difficult than he had anticipated.

The energy distribution and flow pattern of each layer required precise calculation; any slight mistake would lead to the collapse of the entire structure.

The first attempt, the outer layer had just formed, and the middle layer collapsed due to uneven energy distribution.

The second attempt, all three layers formed, but the energy channels were too fragile to withstand the flow of energy.

The third attempt, the structure stabilized for a few seconds, but then disintegrated due to the imbalance of energy between the inner and outer layers.

"Where is the problem?" Luo En frowned and pondered, then closed his eyes again and called up the memory of Ka La Ze Ke's demonstration.

In countless spiritual replays, he gradually discovered his mistake—it was not that the model itself had a problem, but the way and order of energy input.

When Ka La Ze Ke demonstrated, he did not build the three-layer structure simultaneously.

Instead, he first stabilized the outer layer, then gradually built inward, and finally established the energy channels between the layers.

"So that's it." A hint of realization flashed in Luo En's eyes, and he immediately adjusted his strategy.

This time, he first built a solid outer layer, and after it was completely stable, he began to build the middle layer.

After each layer reached a basic stable state, he continued to extend inward.

After the three basic structures were formed, he began to carefully build the energy channels between the layers, making the entire system form an organic whole.

"Success." Luo En muttered to himself, looking at the three-layer barrier structure suspended in front of him.

This barrier looked thicker and more complex than the ordinary version.

Precise energy patterns flowed on the surface, and inside were complex energy flow paths, like a miniature energy circulation system.

"Test strength."

Luo En activated the laboratory's attack simulation device, and a series of energy bullets and physical impacts struck the barrier.

This time, the barrier's performance was even more outstanding.

The outer layer successfully absorbed most of the physical impact, the middle layer converted and redistributed the energy attack, and the inner layer constantly adjusted the energy distribution of the entire structure, keeping the barrier in the best state at all times.

"The effect is significant, but the energy consumption is also higher than expected." Luo En frowned and recorded this observation:

"Need to further optimize the energy flow path to reduce unnecessary loss."

He carefully checked the distribution and flow pattern of the energy channels and found that energy flow in certain areas had redundancy and crossover, leading to unnecessary loss.

He began to redesign these paths, making energy flow at the shortest distance and highest efficiency.

【Flowing Barrier experience value +1】

【Current progress: Flowing Barrier (Proficient 97/100)】

"The second stage of the experiment is also basically completed." Luo En stretched his slightly tired body:

"Next is the experiment of the 'Active Counterattack' function."

According to the Ka La Ze Ke demonstration recorded, the "Active Counterattack" function requires building specific energy protrusion points on the barrier, automatically triggering attacks when enemies touch the barrier.

This part of the experiment needs to be more cautious because once energy control is improper, these "attack spikes" may hurt the user themselves.

Luo En carefully set several key nodes on the surface of the barrier, each connected to a fine energy channel leading to the barrier's core control center.

This design ensures that attacks are only triggered when external threats appear, avoiding accidental injury.

After several adjustments, this function also tended to be perfect.

When the simulated attack object touched the barrier, dozens of sharp energy spikes immediately appeared on the surface, accurately piercing toward the source of the attack.

【Flowing Barrier experience value +1】

【Current progress: Flowing Barrier (Proficient 98/100)】

"According to normal development, breaking through to mastery is just a matter of time."

Luo En looked at the panel prompt, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

………………

After Holy Plate returned to the surface world, he immediately felt the loss of Apostle power.

His body began to quickly return to its original state, those deformed parts gradually shrinking, but still retaining stronger traits than before.

"Truly amazing power."

He muttered to himself, feeling the existence of the "Wang Zuo Seed" in his body.

The seed was placed in a special pouch in his body, exuding weak but heart-palpitating energy fluctuations.

Every fluctuation made him feel an irresistible temptation, as if as long as he was willing, he could immediately trigger the seed and obtain power beyond imagination.

But he didn't do so. Ma Genusi's warning still echoed in his ears:

"Power is only temporary, and even with this power, you are still unlikely to be a match for a true Dark Sun wizard."

Holy Plate looked around, confirming his location.

He was now standing on the edge of the Black Fog Jungle, about half a day's journey from the school's central area.

But he didn't intend to risk going directly.

Even with the blessing of the "Wang Zuo Seed", he was not sure if he could deal with that large group of formal wizards, especially special existences like Ailan.

"Observe first, find the target, and then act."

He muttered to himself, squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil from the ground, and slowly sprinkled it in front of him.

The soil formed a specific pattern in the air, then began to glow, turning into a miniature positioning array.

"Luo En La Er Fu." Holy Plate chanted the name in a low voice, dripping a drop of his own blood into the center of the array.

The blood spread rapidly, forming a thin line, pointing to a certain direction in the school's central area.

"Found you."

Holy Plate's voice carried a kind of morbid excitement. His fingers gently stroked his chest, where the "Wang Zuo Seed" was located:

"Successor to the throne, let me see if you are really as special as Lord Ma Genusi said."

With this sentence, his body began to change, his skin becoming paler, almost transparent, able to see the squirming blood vessels underneath.

His eyes turned into a strange gray, the pupils almost disappeared, leaving only a vortex-like pattern.

His outline became blurry, as if he could merge into the surrounding environment at any time; this special camouflage ability was clearly from the Apostle's blessing.

His figure began to gradually dissipate, finally completely merging into the shadows of the Black Fog Jungle.

Leaving only a trace of barely audible laughter, echoing in the silent forest.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 225 =====