Chapter 246

Deep in the night, Luo En stood on the watchtower of Ralph Castle, his gaze traversing the galaxy and looking toward the deep universe.

The characteristics of "Star Projection" were particularly active at this moment, and countless star energies, like trickling streams, were continuously injected into his spiritual ocean through some invisible bridge.

When all was silent and only the starlight whispered, Luo En often pondered that ancient proposition—the theory of lifespan.

As an existence that might live for hundreds of years or even longer, he had to face this problem.

In the long passage of time, how many lives of loved ones, how many rises and falls of dynasties, and how many prosperities and withering of civilizations would he witness?

"Still not sleeping?"

A familiar voice interrupted Luo En's contemplation.

He turned back to look; Edmond was walking slowly up the tower, holding two cups of hot tea emitting a fragrant aroma.

"Eldest brother." Luo En nodded slightly and took the teacup.

The tea fragrance was refreshing; it was the sweet flower tea he liked most as a child, a specialty of the family.

"I thought you wouldn't remember." Luo En took a light sip; the taste was just as warm and sweet as in his memory.

Edmond smiled: "How could I forget? When you were little, you pestered old Martin in the kitchen all day just to drink a few more cups of this."

The two stood side by side, looking at the starry sky in the distance, and for a time, they were speechless.

After a long while, Edmond spoke softly:

"At fifteen, you stood here and told me you didn't want to go to the Black Mist Jungle. At that time, I thought you would leave for a few years at most, then come back with some spells and knowledge to continue living the life of a noble."

His gaze carried a hint of emotion: "Who could have imagined... you actually became a legendary wizard."

Luo En looked at his eldest brother, who was about a cycle older than him and had now passed his thirties.

In his perception, because of excessive toil, Edmond's vitality was like a candle that had begun to burn to the middle—bright, but already beginning to fade.

And in just a few years of not seeing each other, his father's hair had already begun to gray, and the traces of time had climbed onto the corners of his eyes.

Yet he, because of bloodline activation and wizard advancement, had vitality within his body that was even more abundant than when he left, and even a bit more vigorous than when he was fifteen.

This paradox, this difference in the essence of life, became so distinct at this moment.

"What are you thinking about?" Edmond asked curiously, interrupting Luo En's thoughts.

"Time." Luo En answered simply, his eyes still gazing into the distance:

"For you, it is fleeting; for me, it is long to the point of being almost eternal."

Upon hearing this, a complex emotion flashed in Edmond's eyes, containing both a longing for the extraordinary path and a helplessness toward the shortness of mortal life.

"I don't know whether to envy you or pity you."

He said softly: "Longevity is a gift that most people dream of, but it also means endless partings."

Luo En smiled slightly, a hint of softness flashing in his eyes:

"Every life has its meaning, regardless of length. Shortness does not mean insignificance; on the contrary, it is precisely because it is short that it appears even more precious."

Edmond was touched by these words and wiped his eyes, not knowing what else to say.

"Eldest brother, I am going to the palace tomorrow to see Andre, and then I will pretty much have to leave the kingdom and head to the Central Lands."

Luo En said suddenly, his tone calm and firm.

"So soon?" Edmond was a bit surprised, but quickly understood:

"Also, for an existence like you, the kingdom can no longer provide more room for growth."

Luo En nodded: "The Central Lands have more knowledge and power; that is the true gathering place for wizards."

Edmond was silent for a moment, seemingly brewing something, and finally gathered the courage to ask:

"When we were little, we often lay here, counting the stars and making all kinds of wishes. Do you still remember what your wish was?"

Luo En closed his eyes, his thoughts returning to that distant night.

Two boys, one big and one small, lay side by side on the top floor of the castle, looking at the starry sky and making that extremely naive wish.

"I hoped that one day I could fly into the sky and touch the stars." He answered softly, a hint of nostalgia appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"And now?" Edmond pursued: "What is your wish?"

Luo En pondered for a long time, a hint of firmness flashing in his eyes: "To understand the essence of this world and become an existence in the sky that truly shines forever."

Edmond nodded slightly and said no more.

The two brothers stood side by side like this, quietly watching the starry sky until the moon set in the west and the first ray of morning light rose from the east.

In the glimmer of dawn, they looked at each other and smiled, as if they had returned to that carefree childhood time.

But both knew that everything was no longer the same.

The next morning, in front of the gate of Ralph Castle, the family stood quietly, seeing off Luo En who was about to travel far.

He looked at these familiar yet strange faces before him, and an indescribable emotion welled up in his heart.

"Father, eldest brother, the future of the family is left to you." Luo En said, his voice carrying a solemn promise:

"No matter what happens, the Ralph family will always have my protection."

The old Count had tears in his eyes and held his son's hand tightly:

"My child, no matter where you go, this will always be your home."

Edmond stepped forward and handed a storage box to Luo En:

"This is a family keepsake, containing portraits of each of us and a strand of hair. I hope that no matter where you are, you can feel the presence of your family."

"Thank you, eldest brother. I will treasure it well."

Luo En carefully put the storage box into his space bag, then took a crystal ball from his bosom:

"This is a gift I prepared for the family. Once the family faces danger, input commands into it, and it can kill all enemies below the formal wizard level."

The old Count took the crystal ball with both hands, as if holding the world's greatest treasure, his eyes filled with emotion.

The moment of parting finally arrived; Luo En took a deep look at the castle, the place that carried countless memories of him, and then turned and stepped onto the carriage.

Ailan leaped lightly onto the driver's seat, and the substitute doll pulled the carriage to start running at high speed.

Luo En's gaze passed through the carriage window and landed on those figures that were becoming smaller and smaller, his heart feeling desolate.

………………

"Finally preparing to leave the kingdom?"

In the palace, Andre felt the familiar pressure approaching and muttered to himself, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

Once upon a time, he was just an inconspicuous thirteenth prince in the royal family, with no power, no allies, and not even a decent fief.

If he hadn't met Luo En, if it hadn't been for that decisive bloodline activation, he might have already been reduced to Cynthia's plaything or died in some dark corner.

But the gears of fate are so wonderful; a chance encounter completely changed the trajectories of two people's lives.

The carriage stopped in the front courtyard of the palace, and Luo En walked down slowly.

He was wearing a black robe, which made his skin look even paler.

"Andre." He nodded slightly, a rare smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"Luo En!" Andre walked up quickly, forcibly suppressing the excitement in his heart and maintaining the dignity a king should have.

The two looked at each other and smiled; no words were needed, everything was understood.

………………

The atmosphere inside the palace was peaceful.

The news of yesterday's victory had spread throughout the city, and people cheered and praised the wisdom of Crown Prince Andre and the power of his mysterious wizard friend.

Under the guidance of a maid, Luo En came to the east side of the palace.

There was an independent building here, surrounded by high gray stone walls.

There was only a heavy iron gate as an entrance, and the gate was engraved with complex protective runes.

Andre was already waiting in front of the gate, wearing formal royal attire, his expression solemn and grave.

"The guardian of the treasury is already in place." He nodded slightly to Luo En: "We can go in."

Luo En's gaze swept over those protective runes, silently analyzing their energy composition and protective principles.

These runes clearly had strong ancient characteristics, slightly different from the rune system he learned in the Black Mist Jungle, focusing more on the connection between bloodline and inheritance.

The iron gate opened slowly, making a dull clicking sound.

A stale and mysterious aura rushed toward them, mixed with some indescribable energy fluctuations.

An old man with white hair and beard stood inside the gate, his eyes vigilant and sharp.

"This is Steward Kulun, the guardian of the royal treasury, and also a bloodline knight."

Andre introduced: "His family has been responsible for guarding the royal treasury for generations and knows every treasure like the back of his hand."

Luo En nodded slightly to the old man, and the other party returned a respectful bow.

"Lord Luo En." Kulun's voice was hoarse:

"His Highness Andre has already informed me of your purpose. The inheritance items for the 'Corona Breathing Method' are ready; please follow me."

The three walked along a narrow corridor, and countless ghostly blue crystal lamps hung on the walls on both sides, emitting a soft and mysterious light.

This kind of light seemed to have been specially treated to suppress the energy fluctuations emitted by certain treasures, preventing them from interfering with each other.

At the end of the corridor was a spacious circular hall, surrounded by dozens of display cabinets and stands, each protected by a special energy barrier.

In the center of the hall was a huge crystal ball, emitting a faint golden light, seemingly monitoring the energy balance of the entire treasury.

"This is the core area of the royal treasury." Kulun explained:

"The extraordinary items collected by successive royal families are stored here, some even dating back to the founding of the royal family."

Luo En's gaze swept over those exhibits, and he was slightly surprised in his heart.

The Faruke royal family's collection was indeed rich, far exceeding his expectations.

Some items carried obvious extraordinary energy fluctuations, and their value could already be considered quite good.

"The inheritance of the 'Corona Breathing Method' is over here." Kulun led the two to a special display stand on one side of the hall.

Three items were placed on the display stand:

An ancient parchment book, a golden circular badge, and two small crystal statues.

The shape of the statues seemed to be human, but they had become blurred due to the passage of time.

"This is the original manuscript of the 'Corona Breathing Method'."

Kulun pointed to the book: "It is said to have been written by the first-generation Corona Knight himself, recording the complete cultivation methods for all four stages."

Luo En could feel the faint energy fluctuations emanating from the book, which had clearly been specially treated to resist the erosion of time.

"This badge is the 'Sun Badge'." Kulun continued to introduce:

"Legend has it that it possesses the ability to guide and purify sun energy and is a must-have item for cultivating the advanced stages of the 'Corona Breathing Method'."

Finally, the old man pointed to the small crystal statue:

"This is the most precious item—the 'Ancestor Model', which is said to contain the movement memory and energy imprint of the first-generation Corona Knight."

Luo En's eyes were immediately attracted by this inconspicuous statue.

He could feel that the energy fluctuations emitted by this small object were completely disproportionate to its appearance.

That energy was ancient and pure, as if it had traversed endless time and still maintained a certain primitive vitality.

"Can I observe it up close?" Luo En asked, his gaze not leaving the statue.

Kulun hesitated for a moment and looked at Andre.

The latter nodded slightly, and the old man carefully removed the protective barrier.

He placed the statue on a special tray and handed it to Luo En.

Luo En cautiously took the tray and immediately cast "Extraordinary Identification" to deeply investigate the energy composition of this mysterious statue.

As his mental power penetrated, a startling discovery emerged in his consciousness.

Inside this seemingly ordinary statue, an extremely complex energy core was hidden!

That core emitted a golden light, like a miniature sun.

The internal energy circuits were unimaginably precise, clearly the masterpiece of an alchemist.

What interested him most was that the energy characteristics contained in this core were surprisingly similar to the incomplete "Sun Blessing" within his own body!

Luo En's heartbeat accelerated involuntarily, and he immediately realized the importance of this discovery.

"The final stage of the 'Corona Breathing Method' mentions a key condition—the cultivator must possess a complete 'Sun Blessing',"

Luo En said slowly, his gaze still locked on the statue:

"But as far as I know, this trait is extremely rare and almost only appears in the royal bloodline."

Andre nodded in agreement:

"That is indeed the case. Our royal ancestors once received the blessing of the Sun God, and this blessing was inherited in the form of the 'Sun Blessing'.

But as generations continued, this trait became thinner and thinner, and now very few people can display a complete 'Sun Blessing'."

Luo En moved his gaze away from the statue and looked at Andre:

"I can feel that this 'Ancestor Model' contains the initial, purest 'Sun Blessing' energy imprint."

A hint of surprise flashed in Andre's eyes: "You mean..."

"That's right."

Luo En nodded slightly:

"The energy core in this model is very likely the 'Sun Essence' extracted by the first-generation Corona Knight from his own bloodline, used to record and inherit the purest cultivation posture."

Andre and Kulun both looked at Luo En in surprise, clearly not expecting him to be able to discern this secret so quickly.

"Wizard Luo En truly has eyes like torches."

Kulun exclaimed:

"This is indeed one of our royal family's most precious secrets.

Legend has it that when the first-generation Corona Knight created this breathing method, in order to ensure that future generations could master the most correct posture, he specially sealed part of his own soul and bloodline essence into this model, forming a permanent memory imprint."

Luo En examined this precious model carefully, his mind filled with thoughts.

If he could extract the "Sun Essence" from the model and fuse it with the incomplete "Sun Blessing" he obtained through the breathing method within his own body.

Theoretically, he could obtain the complete trait, thereby satisfying the key condition for the final stage of the "Corona Breathing Method."

But this process was extremely dangerous; fusing external essence with one's own traits could lead to the collapse of the soul structure if one was not careful.

Luo En carefully observed the two statues.

Although they were extremely similar on the surface, there were subtle differences in energy fluctuations, just like two different interpretations of the same piece of music.

The statue on the left emitted more scorching energy, like a burning flame, as if a miniature sun were sealed inside;

while the statue on the right was more introverted and peaceful, and the rhythm of its energy fluctuations was closer to the natural laws of the sun's operation, like the warm sunshine of spring, warm but not scorching.

(End of chapter)