Chapter 372: Edge of Danger

Liana wore a light blue long dress, with a necklace made of wind element crystals hanging on her chest.

That crystal would flicker according to the rhythm of her breathing, adding a kind of mysterious beauty to her.

"Lecturer Ralph, please taste our family's specialty cuisine."

Her voice was gentle and elegant, but Luo En could detect some deliberate charm:

"This is an appetizer made from the secretions of deep-sea coral worms, which is said to enhance the perception of magic power."

When handing the plate to Luo En, her fingers brushed across his palm intentionally or unintentionally.

Luo En took the plate, his expression unchanged, as if he hadn't felt that suggestive contact at all.

"Thank you, Miss Liana."

He said casually, then turned his attention to the food on the plate.

The youngest, Lavigne, chose a more direct way.

She pretended to accidentally spill a drop of wine on the table, then bent down to wipe it with a handkerchief.

This action fully displayed the girl's body curves in front of Luo En, and at the same time, she didn't forget to look up and give him a sweet smile.

"Sorry, I'm a bit clumsy."

Lavigne's cheeks flushed, looking pitiful:

"Father always says I lack the elegance of a lady, it seems that is indeed the case."

But Luo En just nodded faintly, then continued to talk with other guests.

Cassius, sitting in the main seat, took all of this into his eyes.

His expression changed subtly, both a bit disappointed and seemingly within expectation.

"It seems the rumors are true." He analyzed in his heart:

"Luo En Ralph is indeed a pure seeker type, almost immune to the temptation of beauty.

And it is said that he already has two beautiful alien maids by his side.

Plus his close relationship with Princess Yi Fu of the Crown Clan, it is reasonable that he doesn't look up to these marriage candidates of ours."

This realization made him adjust his negotiation strategy for what followed.

Since beauty was ineffective, he could only start from the perspective of interests.

"You must have had a fruitful harvest in abyss exploration recently, right?"

Victor took the initiative to start the academic topic, his eyes carrying inquiry:

"May I ask, how do you maintain spell structure in the chaotic environment of the abyss?"

This was a quite professional question.

Luo En thought for a while and decided to share some irrelevant experience:

"The key lies in understanding the essence of chaos, rather than trying to eliminate it."

His tone became professional

"Traditional spells pursue absolute stability, but in an Abyssal environment, this pursuit will instead lead to structural collapse."

A better method is to make certain adaptive adjustments while casting, allowing the spells to adapt to environmental changes."

"Adaptive spell modulation combined with a chaotic environment..."

Victor narrowed his eyes, lost in thought, as this concept clearly triggered some of his inspiration:

"This is indeed a very interesting line of thought. Could you explain the specific implementation method in detail?"

"This involves some relatively complex theories." Luo En politely declined further inquiry:

"If Senior Victor is truly interested, we can find time to discuss it in private."

Hearing this response, Victor nodded, with obvious expectation appearing in his eyes.

Gareth also began his own probing:

"I hear you are also quite accomplished in alchemy? I have been researching a new type of living metal recently and have encountered some technical bottlenecks..."

He moved his metal fingers, emitting a series of crisp sounds:

"Specifically, how to keep the metal structure active while not being rejected by the biological organism's immune system."

This question piqued Luo En's interest.

The refining of living metal was precisely one of the directions he wanted to research next.

"Immune rejection is mainly because the energy signature on the metal's surface is incompatible with the biological organism."

He thought for a moment and said:

"Perhaps one could consider covering the metal surface with a biological membrane, or directly modifying the immune system's recognition mechanism."

"Biological membrane coverage..."

Excitement shone in Gareth's eyes:

"This idea is very interesting, though the specific implementation difficulty should be quite high."

"That is indeed true." Luo En nodded in agreement:

"It requires integrating knowledge of alchemy, bloodline studies, and potion-making, and one must also consider the issue of long-term stability."

The atmosphere of the banquet gradually became harmonious.

Several guests began to communicate with Luo En on various academic topics.

As for the three young ladies of the Storm Clan, they continued their "service" work.

However, after the initial temptation, their behavior became much more restrained, and they no longer engaged in those obvious seductive acts.

When the third course was served, Cassius decided to enter the core topic of the night.

"Lecturer Ralph, I wonder if you currently have a permanent residence in the Central Lands?"

His tone became more formal:

"As far as I know, while the conditions at the Abyssal Observatory are decent, they are ultimately not as convenient as having a private foothold in the Central Lands."

This question caused everyone else at the dining table to cast their gaze over.

Owning a private residence in the Central Lands not only signifies convenience but is also a symbol of status and position.

"It is indeed as you say." Luo En did not deny this need:

"I have been considering this issue, but a suitable residence is not easy to find."

"If you don't mind, I would like to provide a residence for you."

Cassius's proposal slightly startled everyone present:

"It is a three-story building in the North District of Dawn Harbor; the surrounding environment is quiet and very suitable for academic research."

This direct generosity made Luo En frown.

In wizard society, equivalent exchange is the fundamental principle.

"I appreciate Professor Wandeer's kindness."

He did not accept, but responded cautiously:

"However, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If I accept such a gift, I should provide a corresponding return."

This reaction made Cassius even more satisfied.

Insatiable people find it hard to go far in wizard society, while those who know their limits are worthy of long-term cooperation.

"Since you say so, Luo En..."

Elliot interjected at the right moment; he had clearly discussed this topic with his father long ago:

"We do indeed have some ideas regarding cooperation that we would like to discuss with you."

His tone became more formal:

"First, we hope to obtain priority purchasing rights for certain rare materials from the Abyssal Observatory.

With your current status, you should be able to provide us with some convenience."

"That can be considered."

Luo En nodded; such a request was within a reasonable range:

"The Observatory does indeed often have rare materials that need to be sold externally, and I can provide relevant information to the Storm Clan at appropriate times."

"There is also cooperation regarding bloodline modulation."

Expectation appeared in Elliot's eyes:

"Our family keeps some... attendants with special bloodlines. If you have time, we hope you can help us perform some optimization modulation."

The term "attendants" here was clearly a euphemism.

In wizard society, every major family keeps some extraordinary creatures that have undergone bloodline modification.

They are usually called "servants" or "assistants," but in essence, they are no different from slaves.

Luo En carefully considered these conditions.

This cooperative relationship was beneficial to both parties:

The Storm Clan gained the technical support and resource channels they needed.

And he gained a stable cooperative partner and a new foothold in the Central Lands.

"These conditions are all within an acceptable range."

He finally nodded in agreement: "However, I suggest we discuss the specific details of the cooperation in more detail later."

Hearing this response, the atmosphere around the dining table became noticeably more harmonious.

The representatives of the other two ancient clans also began to hint at their own intentions for cooperation, clearly wanting to get on this fast-rising ship.

Amidst this harmonious atmosphere, the communication crystal on Cassius's chest suddenly lit up with blue light.

He nodded apologetically to everyone, checked that the incoming call was not marked as confidential, and activated the crystal without avoiding the others.

"Professor Wandeer, good evening, I am Chester Black."

A slightly nervous voice came from the crystal:

"I am truly sorry to disturb you so late. I heard you are hosting a gathering tonight, and I wonder if you can still accommodate an uninvited guest like me?"

The conversation in the dining room immediately went quiet.

The name Chester Black was not unfamiliar to anyone present.

As one of the most senior associate professors at the Crystal Spire, he was also an important representative of the traditional conservative faction.

His sudden visit would undoubtedly cause a subtle change in the nature of the gathering.