Chapter 33

"I... I thought you might be Lady Ailan's daughter or a relative." Luo En shifted his gaze awkwardly, his voice carrying obvious confusion.

She laughed again, this time more unreservedly: "Daughter? This old bag of bones has lived for hundreds of years; where would I get a daughter from?"

Only then did Luo En notice that although her appearance was completely different, the way she spoke and the sharpness in her eyes were indeed exactly the same as Lady Ailan's.

"But you..." He did not know how to describe the change before him.

"You don't need to be too surprised." Lady Ailan turned her body slightly and explained: "During the few days each month when magic power fluctuations are most active, I can briefly return to the appearance of my youth."

She stretched her body, seemingly enjoying the comfort brought by this young physique:

"This is also why I closed the shop early today. During these few days, I usually close the shop to focus on potion research and rush to finish the month's backlog of orders; old customers like Huo Huo Erte know a little about it, more or less."

Luo En nodded, but his perception had already captured more information.

As his spiritual power as an entry-level apprentice increased, he could clearly feel the terrifying magic power fluctuations emanating from Lady Ailan—

—that dark and powerful energy field, like an abyss, was something no ordinary apprentice, or even a high-level apprentice, could possess.

A shocking thought flashed through Luo En's mind: Lady Ailan's strength at this moment had likely reached the level of a formal wizard!

"I had originally intended to tell you about this before." The beautiful pink-haired witch continued, seemingly unaware of Luo En's internal activity:

"But your conflict with Ma Kusi landed you directly in solitary confinement, so..."

At this moment, Luo En was somewhat curious about why Lady Ailan usually had weak magic power and why her appearance was so aged, but he tactfully did not ask.

Everyone has their own secrets, and rashly prying is often not a wise move.

"However, you came at just the right time." Lady Ailan's tone became a bit more relaxed: "Although it surprised me a little, since you're here, let's talk business."

"Yes, my lady."

Seeing that they had returned to their familiar way of interacting, Luo En's internal awkwardness dissipated a little, and he replied respectfully:

"I came to tell you that I have finished my solitary confinement early. Also, I wanted to ask you some questions."

Lady Ailan looked him over with interest, her deep green eyes flashing with the light of insight:

"It's not just that your confinement is over, is it? The change in your aura is very obvious; have you already broken through to an entry-level apprentice?"

Luo En nodded slightly: "Yes, I broke through by chance in the solitary confinement room."

"By chance?" Lady Ailan raised one of her exquisite eyebrows, a playful smile on her lips:

"Breaking through in that kind of environment is not something that can be explained by 'chance'."

She walked around the counter and took a few steps forward.

Her young body made her movements exceptionally light and graceful, a completely different person from her usual hunched posture.

"Your aura is very stable, and the fluctuations of your spiritual power are also even." Lady Ailan evaluated:

"Better than most apprentices who have just broken through; it seems the environment of the solitary confinement room actually did you a big favor."

Luo En did not deny it: "That is indeed the case; the environment isolated from the outside world allowed me to focus more on meditation and cultivation."

"Then, what questions do you want to ask?" Lady Ailan crossed her arms over her chest, a posture that made a certain part appear more prominent.

"I have two questions."

Luo En looked straight ahead, trying to reply with brief words; he knew the other party always valued efficient communication:

"The first question: I want to learn about higher-level meditation methods; the basic meditation method can no longer meet my needs."

Lady Ailan nodded, seemingly not surprised by this question:

"The basic meditation method is like a phonetic dictionary used by toddlers; there is always a day to set it aside after learning it. Your spiritual power has indeed reached the level where it needs more advanced guidance."

"And the second question?"

Luo En hesitated for a moment, but decided to ask directly: "How much do you know about Ao Li Fu?"

Hearing this name, Lady Ailan's expression instantly became serious, and a solemnity and sophistication inconsistent with her appearance emerged on her young and beautiful face:

"Ao Li Fu? Did he find you?"

Luo En briefly described Ao Li Fu's visit and the fact that he had spent magic stone fragments to release him from solitary confinement.

"This is not a good thing. That kid never does 'favors' for no reason; every time he gives something, there is careful calculation behind it."

Her fingers tapped lightly on the counter, the rhythm scattered and without pattern.

A moment later, Lady Ailan walked slowly back to the counter, her slender fingers passing over a row of locked drawers, finally stopping in front of one that looked plain but had a micro-sealing rune stuck to it.

"Regarding your first question..." A small silver key had appeared in her hand at some point.

The key was inserted into the keyhole, and with an almost imperceptible "click," the drawer slid open quietly.

Lady Ailan took out a small notebook bound in dark leather, with an irregular blood-red gemstone embedded on the cover, which glowed with an eerie light under the lamp.

"I do have some higher-level meditation method materials; here, it's this one."

When her fingers brushed over the cover of the notebook, the gemstone seemed to react to her touch and flickered.

Her eyes also became deep and distant at this moment, as if piercing through the long river of time:

"'The Star-Eater's Mutterings,' also known as the 'Star Cluster Meditation Method'—this is a gemstone-level meditation method one level higher than the basic meditation method. It is said to have been created by an ancient traveling wizard whose mind was shattered by those terrifying existences between the stars, on the edge of madness and sobriety."

Lady Ailan's finger stopped on a page in the book, on which a complex rune structure was drawn.

It looked like dozens of basic meditation runes intertwined in an incredible way, forming a larger, more complete energy circuit.

"It allows spiritual power to flow according to the trajectory of the stars, achieving twice the result with half the effort. Of course, it also comes with corresponding risks." The beautiful pink-haired witch continued to introduce:

"It is very suitable for those who have already broken through to an entry-level apprentice, and can even help you break through all the way to a formal wizard..."

Luo En almost held his breath, his gaze involuntarily attracted by that rune structure.

Even just a brief glance, he felt an inexplicable attraction, as if the rune itself contained some kind of summoning.

(End of chapter)