Chapter 81

In Li Yue's pair of golden beast pupils, no emotional fluctuation could be seen; there was only absolute obedience to Trish's orders.

Under the sunlight, the leopard woman's slender figure exuded a temperament where wildness and tameness were strangely fused—beautiful and deadly, yet tragically devoid of a self.

………………

When he returned to the dormitory area, the sky had already gradually darkened.

Night in the Black Fog Jungle always arrived particularly quickly, as if darkness were the true nature of this land.

Luo En walked along the corridor leading to his room, the faint light of the magic crystal lamp spilling in and casting mottled shadows on the ground.

From afar, he saw a familiar figure standing before his door; the person immediately raised their head upon seeing him.

"Andre?" Luo En was somewhat surprised and quickened his pace as he walked over: "Is there anything urgent?"

The blond youth's complexion appeared exceptionally pale in the moonlight, his eyes flickering with anxiety and helplessness.

He clutched an opened letter in his hand, the wax seal on the parchment still clearly visible under the dim light.

"Luo En." Andre spoke with difficulty: "I've run into trouble, and it's from the royal family."

"What kind of trouble?" Luo En hurriedly took out his door key, ushered Andre into the room, and closed the door behind him.

The magic crystal lamp in the room lit up automatically upon the master's return, its dim yellow light reflecting off the blond youth's haggard face, making him look even more exhausted than usual.

Luo En glanced at Andre; his enhanced spiritual tentacles could easily capture the intense blood energy on the other party that had not yet fully calmed down after a breakthrough.

"Looking at your aura, it seems you've just made a breakthrough?"

He asked while pouring a glass of water and handing it to him.

Andre took the glass and drained it in one gulp, a forced smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, but the smile could not mask the deep anxiety in his eyes.

"That's right." He replied softly, his tone carrying a hint of pride: "Thanks to that bottle of blood-Qi potion of yours, I finally broke through to the third stage of the breathing method for body tempering."

"That's good news, so why are you so dispirited?" Luo En patted his shoulder, sincerely feeling happy for his friend.

The so-called third stage should correspond to the "proficient" layer displayed in his skill list for 【Breathing Body Tempering】; after completing the bloodline activation ritual, there would be a chance to advance to a formal Knight.

"Yes, logically I should have come to you to celebrate properly."

Andre gave a bitter laugh and pulled the crumpled letter from his bosom: "But the news from the royal family makes it impossible for me to be happy."

Luo En took the letter and quickly browsed through it.

Although the wording in the letter seemed polite, it actually revealed an irresistible command between the lines.

"They want you to meet Cynthia?" Luo En frowned, recalling the arrogant female apprentice he had seen in the plaza today, as well as Nuo Ke Tu En's description of her.

"That's the crazy woman you mentioned before, right? The royal family can't wait to send you over?"

"It's her." Andre sat down on a chair, his voice carrying undisguised fear and disgust:

"Around this time every year, Cynthia needs to replenish the male slaves in her hands, and of course, the royal family wants to take this opportunity to suck up to her..."

Luo En pondered for a moment: "Who sent this letter? Does your father know about this?"

Andre laughed self-deprecatingly:

"What if he knows? My father's current situation is also very difficult. It's likely the handiwork of my brothers and sisters; they would love for me to stay in the Black Fog Jungle forever."

He paused for a moment, his gaze dimming:

"They are probably afraid that if I become a formal Knight and return to the kingdom, it might affect the succession to the throne. That's why they arranged for me to come here in the first place, hoping I could never go back."

The blond youth stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the night outside:

"Actually, I've already replied to them, using the excuse that I need a month of quiet cultivation after this breakthrough to prepare for the 'Bloodline Awakening Ritual' to break through to a formal Knight, which can delay things for a while. But this is only a stopgap measure; in a month..."

Luo En thought for a moment and suddenly interrupted: "A month's time should be more than enough."

Upon hearing this, Andre hurriedly turned to look at Luo En, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes: "Do you have a plan?"

"I happen to be preparing for the potion master certification exam," Luo En said with confidence:

"If I pass successfully, not only will I gain an independent workshop and residence, but my status within the school will also be significantly elevated. By then, I will collect materials to assist you in becoming a formal Knight, and our situation in the Black Fog Jungle will be completely different."

"A professional potion master! Your potion-making level has already reached this stage!" Andre was both surprised and delighted, the anxiety in his eyes slightly reduced:

"If you really become a professional potion master, then even the royal family would definitely not dare to offend you easily. After all, the value of a professional potion master is sometimes higher than that of an ordinary high-level apprentice."

"So, the most important thing for you right now is to stay calm and focus on your own cultivation."

Luo En's tone was firm: "Once I pass the exam, the situation will be completely different. You must also seize this month to prepare for the final 'Bloodline Awakening Ritual'."

Andre let out a sigh of relief: "You're right; focusing on improving our own strength is the only way."

He suddenly remembered something and took an exquisite brocade box from his bosom: "Almost forgot the main point; the messenger asked me to bring this to you."

Luo En took the brocade box and opened it to see a gold badge inlaid with the Fa Lu Ke corona; the workmanship was exquisite, and one could tell at a glance that it was extraordinary.

"This is..."

"A noble title conferred by the Fa Lu Ke royal family." Andre explained, casually placing the brocade box into his hand:

"My father has already reserved a hereditary title for you, complete with your own fief and castle. As long as you want to go back, you can become one of the core nobles of the kingdom at any time, though I suppose you don't care for it now..."

Luo En examined the badge carefully without saying much; although he couldn't use it himself, it wouldn't be bad to obtain more titles and land fiefs for his family later on.

"Then I'll accept it." He carefully put the badge away: "But the top priority is to solve the current problem first."

Andre nodded, as if remembering something: "By the way, you said earlier that you saw Cynthia and Trish at the market?"

Luo En nodded and recounted in detail what had happened in the plaza today.

"... Trish's leopard woman launched a surprise attack from behind the half-orc and eventually defeated it. Cynthia looked furious; who would have thought she would lose to an apprentice who had just advanced to the intermediate level."

Andre listened intently, obvious surprise appearing on his face:

"Has Trish reached this level now? The resources required to cultivate a qualified combat slave are not a small amount. Or is it that Cynthia is actually not as good as her reputation?"

"No, the strength of Cynthia's half-orc is actually quite good; if she had played it steady, she might have had a better chance of winning, but she was too anxious and used a forbidden berserk crystal in advance."

Luo En shook his head and stated his judgment:

"Moreover, Trish's leopard woman used the potion I prepared for her before. The formula has been improved many times, and the effect is far superior to ordinary potions. As soon as the battle reached a stalemate, the victory tilted toward Trish's side."

(End of chapter)