Chapter 346

Luo En could read the basic information of that knowledge through the images the other party specifically displayed:

Reality-Illusion Conversion—the ultimate technique capable of switching between material and illusory forms;

Spell Reversal—a forbidden technique that can reflect the effects of any harmful spell or contract back onto the caster...

"The Chimera bloodline in you... comes from the Age of Gods... my kingdom... also preserves complete samples..."

The last promise made Luo En's breath hitch.

In the image, a massive bloodline sample repository appeared before his eyes.

Countless crystal containers were neatly arranged, each preserving the bloodline essence of a different creature.

In one of the containers floated blood emitting colorful light, containing the greatness and terror of the primal creation.

Just by looking at it, Luo En felt a strong yearning from the source of life.

Every promise was extremely tempting, especially the part about the Chimera bloodline.

Luo En knew very well that with his current abilities, obtaining a sample of the Age of Gods bloodline was almost impossible.

Such high-level rare samples were usually held by the Court of Truth and would never easily circulate to the outside world.

But at the same time, he maintained the necessary vigilance.

There is no such thing as a free lunch in the world; behind every promise of the King of Illusions, there must be a corresponding price.

"What do you need me to do?"

Luo En asked directly, his eyes devoid of greed, only calm weighing:

"At your level, these things might not count for much to you.

But to me, they are priceless treasures. You certainly wouldn't provide this kind of help for no reason."

The King of Illusions emitted a blurred laugh, the laughter carrying appreciation for Luo En's rational attitude:

"Smart child... I just hope... you can continue to walk on the correct path..."

"The correct path?" Luo En keenly captured this keyword:

"Are you referring to the research on virtual reality technology, or... something else?"

"You have already seen... those corrected civilizations... through the astrology ritual..."

The King of Illusions' voice became deeper:

"Every timeline... has its inherent development trajectory... but also exists... the possibility of deviation..."

The surrounding space began to reveal more complex images.

Luo En saw countless trajectories like rays of light.

They started from the same origin point, then branched, converged, and broke at different nodes.

Each trajectory represented a possible development path, and most of them ended in some catastrophic conclusion.

"Cassandra's conquest route... the conservative strategy of the traditionalists... and other radical attempts..."

In the image, several particularly bright trajectories were marked, each emitting light of different colors:

"They all have their own value... but all exist... fatal flaws..."

"And in you... I see a different possibility..."

The image of the King of Illusions struggled to stabilize, his eyes flickering with deep expectation:

"A path that is neither blindly conquering... nor passively conservative... a truly sustainable development path..."

Luo En outwardly expressed expectation for these empty promises, while carefully considering their true intentions in his heart.

An existence of this level would never provide such massive help simply because they "favored" a junior.

There must be deeper interest considerations.

But regardless, the other party's suggestions and resources were of immense value and worth serious consideration.

"Regarding the development direction of my bloodline..." He followed the other party's lead, seizing the opportunity to raise the question he cared about most:

"Do you have any suggestions for the enhancement of the Yang Flame Dragon bloodline? And the choice for the second head of the Chimera bloodline..."

This was the critical decision he was currently facing.

Further strengthening of the Yang Flame Dragon bloodline undoubtedly required specific rare samples and higher modulation techniques;

And the choice for the second head of the Chimera bloodline was even more fundamental to the direction of his future bloodline development.

Facing Luo En's inquiry about bloodline choices, the King of Illusions did not answer directly, but gave a more valuable suggestion:

"Since you have already become an Astrologer... many doubts... can be solved through divination..."

This sentence was like a sudden enlightenment, making Luo En realize.

He had been relying on external information sources, but ignored the class bonus he had just gained:

The Astrologer's divination ability had extremely high accuracy for matters related to oneself.

"Regarding your own affairs... the divination results will be clearer... and no need to worry about... the motives of the information source..."

"Thank you for the reminder." Luo En gave high praise to the value of this suggestion:

"I should indeed rely more on my own abilities, rather than blindly seeking external guidance."

"No need to thank... I also have my own calculations..."

The King of Illusions' voice became more profound, and the surrounding space began to reveal various images:

"And... I do see hope in you... the hope for the continuation of this timeline..."

Countless broken worlds appeared in the image.

Each had once been the cradle of a prosperous civilization, but now only ruins and dead silence remained.

In these scenes of destruction, only a few points of light still flickered with the radiance of life, like candles in the dark.

"Most timelines... eventually head toward destruction..."

The King of Illusions' voice carried deep fatigue: "I have witnessed too many rises and falls... too many hopes shattered..."

"But you..." The image turned to Luo En himself, his figure appearing exceptionally bright amidst the countless broken world fragments:

"You possess some... trait... a possibility that can break the established track..."

The frequency of the surrounding images and scenes being disturbed became more frequent, and Luo En also felt his consciousness about to return to chaos.

This was a sign that the dream was about to end...

But at this very moment, the King of Illusions threw him another more critical piece of information:

"In wizard history... every era change... is because a King of the Era was born..."

This term struck Luo En's soul like thunder.

King of the Era... what did that mean?

"The Progenitor, the Creator, the Apocalypse, the End of Death... they were all Kings of the Era of some age..."

The surrounding space suddenly revealed a magnificent and terrifying image:

Four massive figures stood in the universe, each emitting a greatness that transcended understanding.

They were clearly existences of a more essential nature.

"The four Kings of the Era eventually all became the cornerstones maintaining the balance of the universe..."

In the image, the four figures gradually merged into the basic structure of the universe, becoming the incarnations of basic concepts like space-time, creation, life, and death.

This information struck Luo En's consciousness like a heavy hammer.

King of the Era... Four Cornerstones... that meant...

"To transcend... one cannot rely solely on plundering; more importantly, it is about spreading, communication, and inheritance..."

With these words, the dream began to collapse.

Those floating islands dissipated like bubbles, and the image of the King of Illusions gradually blurred.

But his final sentence was clearly transmitted to the depths of Luo En's consciousness:

"When you are ready to accept this burden... I will provide you with the necessary support..."

"But remember... becoming a King of the Era... means you will no longer belong to yourself..."

The morning light of the Abyss Observatory never made one feel warm.

Through those specially reinforced glass windows, the projected light carried a strange red-purple hue, a distorted spectrum produced by the friction between the abyss aura and the atmosphere.

This light shining on the skin caused a subtle stinging sensation, as if countless tiny tentacles were stroking the blood vessels.

When Luo En woke from deep sleep, he found the sky was already bright.

The light shining through the reinforced glass windows cast mottled shadows on the laboratory floor.

The environmental control system inside the sleep pod was working hard to regulate temperature and humidity, trying to provide him with the most comfortable environment.

But at this moment, his heart was surging like a storm.

King of the Era... transcend everything... no longer belong to yourself...

These words echoed repeatedly in his mind.

"If this statement is true..."

Luo En sat up slowly, his eyes flickering with complex radiance:

"Then the path I am currently walking does not point to personal strength, but to some heavier responsibility."

He remembered the scenes of destruction he saw in the astrology ritual, remembered the cold correction of the Anomaly Catchers, remembered the countless broken civilizations.

If there was truly anything that could break this cycle, it might be the "King of the Era" mentioned by the King of Illusions.

But what kind of price did that mean?

Giving up personal freedom, bearing the weight of the entire civilization and even the entire universe?

Must a savior sacrifice everything?

Then whoever loves being this kind of savior can go be one...

"Don't think about such distant things for now." Luo En forced himself to return to the reality level:

"The top priority is to improve strength, perfect research, and... perform divination."

He remembered the suggestion of the King of Illusions.

Indeed, as an Astrologer, many problems that troubled him could be answered through divination.

Especially regarding the choice of his own bloodline development, the divination results would be more reliable than any external suggestion.

"Master... you are finally awake."

Ailan's voice came from the other end of the laboratory, carrying unconcealable relief.

Her emerald branches were swaying gently, with tiny water droplets condensed on the leaves.

That was the special body fluid secreted by the dryad when worried. "You have slept for ten hours and thirty-seven minutes."

The dryad reported with exceptional precision; this was her habit, always recording every detail:

"Your breathing frequency was unstable in the middle of your sleep; I was worried about some aftereffects..."

Seeing Luo En's long-term high-intensity research and irregular schedule filled the dryad's heart with worry.

Daier on the side also heard the movement, her long silver hair drifting in the water like seaweed.

When she transformed into human form and stepped out of the pool, those water droplets did not drip, but formed a thin protective film on her skin.

The siren girl's golden eyes were full of expectation: "Master, did my lullaby have an effect?"

After talking to Ailan last night, she sang a lullaby for Luo En all night with her natural siren voice.

Luo En looked at the two partners who cared about him, warmth surging in his heart.

He reached out to stroke Daier's silver hair, feeling the silk-like smoothness:

"Of course it was very effective; I feel like I slept very deeply."

He revealed a sincere smile, a rarity: "Thanks to your care..."

Daier felt the temperature of her master's palm, her heartbeat accelerating involuntarily.

This gentle touch made her almost melt.

She moved closer quietly, almost sticking to Luo En, yearning for more intimate contact.

But Luo En quickly realized the inappropriateness of this intimate act.

He withdrew his hand unobtrusively, while gently pushing away the siren girl who was too close, his movements gentle but firm.

A flash of loss crossed Daier's eyes, but it was quickly covered up.

She understood that her master's care for her was pure, without any other colors.

This realization made her heart both sweet and bitter, like tasting a bitter medicine with honey added.

Ailan noticed the subtle change between the two, but wisely didn't say much.

She silently prepared breakfast, her emerald branches flexibly manipulating various tableware and ingredients.

Breakfast was rich and exquisite, including fresh vegetables, nutritious beast meat soup, and Daier's favorite seaweed pastries.

Everything emitted an alluring aroma, showing Ailan's talent in cooking.

"Does Master have any plans for today?" Daier asked, while pretending to taste the food in small bites.

The little adult-like pretense, paired with her exquisite face, looked exceptionally cute.

This contrast made Ailan on the side cover her mouth and giggle, her eyes full of maternal love.

"I plan to perform a divination." Luo En thought about the revelation obtained in last night's dream:

"You two just continue your ability practice and daily maintenance of the laboratory; don't worry about me."

The newly acquired Astrologer class brought various bonuses and synergy effects.

He needed time to familiarize himself with these new abilities.

Especially the Astrology skill after gaining the Astrologer class bonus, and the specific application method combined with the "Precognition Star" trait.

Just then, the magic communicator suddenly rang, interrupting the warm breakfast time.

Elliot's face was projected from the communication crystal; he looked a bit anxious.

His golden curly hair was a bit messy, and those blue eyes that always carried a confident radiance were full of urgency at this moment, clearly contacted in a hurry.

"Luo En, sorry to bother you, but some important news must be told to you immediately."

Elliot's voice carried obvious urgency, even forgetting his usual pleasantries:

"The detailed rules for the Nova Project were just announced, and the situation is much more intense than we imagined."

"Tell me specifically?" Luo En put down his tableware, his expression becoming serious.

He activated "Hermit's Knowledge," keenly capturing every subtle change in Elliot's expression.

"A total of one hundred seats, ranking updated once a year."

Elliot pulled up a detailed data projection, which was a complex 3D chart:

"And the scoring system is much more complex than imagined."

The scoring criteria shown in the projection were dazzling:

1. Academic Achievement (35%): including paper publication, technological innovation, theoretical breakthroughs, etc.;

2. Combat Ability (25%): abyss exploration records, combat performance, survival ability, etc.;

3. Influence (20%): reputation in the academic world, disciple cultivation, social contribution, etc.;

4. Potential Assessment (20%): comprehensive assessment of age, talent, growth speed, etc.

It had to be said that the Conquest Faction indeed brought great changes.

If it were before, academic achievement would have accounted for at least 60-80% of this ranking, but now it only accounts for about one-third.

"Now let's talk about the rewards..."

Elliot's voice became more excited, his eyes igniting with fiery yearning: "This aspect is completely beyond imagination!"

He began to display the reward system of the Nova Project in detail, each one enough to make any ambitious young wizard feel moved:

"Those who maintain their seats can receive basic rewards, including monthly resource rations, special access to the Central Library, monthly guidance from Associate Professor-level mentors, etc."

"The top ten can receive special rewards, including borrowing rights for ancient classics, priority purchasing rights for rare materials, professional consultation from full professors, etc."

"Of course these are just the basics..."

Elliot's voice became shaky, clearly shocked by the content that followed:

"Those who maintain a top-three seat for ten consecutive years can also receive one treasure of the Crown Clan;

Maintaining the top seat for thirty consecutive years can earn a complete coordinate of a resource plane!"

With his operation, the communication crystal began to project the real images of the treasury being announced.

But that was not some gorgeous exhibition hall, but a subterranean space full of strange auras.

The walls were composed of some kind of living stone that could crawl autonomously, embedded with hundreds of transparent containers.

In each container floated different "collectibles":

A still-beating heart, surrounded by a vortex of time, every beat causing subtle distortions in the surrounding space-time;

Dozens of crystal bottles filled with unknown liquids, in which floated some unspeakable organs, slowly crawling in the nutrient solution, as if still maintaining some primal life vitality;

Rows of ancient parchment scrolls, recording the knowledge of lost civilizations, but those words would actively reorganize when watched by an observer, as if possessing their own consciousness...

"Those in the top three seats for ten years can choose one from these collections."

Elliot's voice was very low, as if speaking of some forbidden secret:

"What follows is the... image of that complete resource plane."

The projection suddenly switched, showing a world floating in the void.

The surface of that world was covered with brilliant crystal forests, the underground contained countless rare minerals, and pure magic clouds floated in the sky.

This was a virgin world that had not been tainted by any force...

"A complete resource plane..."

Luo En repeated softly, his eyes full of deep thought.

That meant being able to independently develop all the resources of a world, meaning possessing the foundation to establish an independent force.

The temptation of this reward was enough to make any ambitious wizard go crazy.

"What is the current ranking situation?"

Luo En asked, simultaneously activating the newly acquired divination bonus, trying to better perceive future possibilities.

Elliot pulled up the latest ranking table, his expression becoming exceptionally heavy:

"You are currently still in the second seat, but the situation is not optimistic. The score gap is shrinking rapidly, and..."

He paused for a moment, his voice carrying worry:

"Major clans and schools have all started to get serious, and those young wizards who were kept in the dark have all appeared."

A series of detailed data appeared in the projection:

【Current Third Seat - Euphemia Pelay (Blood Moon Clan)

Spiritual Power: Approaching 6 scales (already reached the Morning Star level critical point)

Possibly possesses First-Tier Talent: Bloodline Domination (can forcibly control creatures with lower bloodline levels than oneself)

Meditation Trait: Bloodline Reconstruction (can temporarily gain the abilities of controlled creatures)

Recent Achievement: In the "Labyrinth Domain" of the sixth layer of the abyss, successfully subdued a powerful Blood Demon approaching the Moon-level】

A white-haired witch with a gorgeous appearance appeared in the projection.

Her skin was as white as porcelain, but her eyes were strangely dark red, like congealed blood clots.

Beside the witch, several Blood Demons of various shapes were waiting quietly.

These abyss creatures, which should have been extremely violent, were now as docile as tamed pets.

The largest one among them was over eight meters tall, covered in pulsing blood vessels, every heartbeat causing the surrounding air to tremble.

"Spiritual power approaching 6 scales, already close to the threshold of the Moon-level."

Elliot's voice carried deep dread:

"But what is truly terrifying is her First-Tier special talent—Bloodline Domination.

Any creature with a lower bloodline level than her will involuntarily submit to her."

(End of Chapter)