Chapter 121

"Mental circling, magic aggregation, structural stability..."

Mental power condensed into a complex structure at Luo En’s fingertips.

This was the core exercise of the third-phase "Mental Power Control" course—constructing a triple stable model and injecting a specific magic sequence into the model.

In the classroom, more than a dozen other students were equally focused, each with a crystal ball floating in front of them, flashing with various colors of light, reflecting their respective progress in mental construction.

Tutor Eric stood at the front, his gaze sweeping over every student like a hawk, his eyes revealing a mix of praise and severity.

"Pay attention to your structural stability." He warned sternly: "Circuits that are too complex will lead to energy leakage, while those that are too simple will not be able to carry enough magic. The key lies in balance."

Inside Luo En’s crystal ball, a three-layer nested geometric structure gradually took shape. The outermost layer was a dodecahedron, the middle layer was an octahedron, and the core was a perfect sphere.

The layers were connected by tiny energy bridges, forming a coordinated and unified whole.

This triple structure is called the "Starlight Model" and is an advanced version of basic spell construction, with a sharp increase in difficulty.

But for Luo En, who already possessed "Spell Construction (Mastery)," this challenge was not too great.

After the structure inside the crystal ball stabilized, Luo En began the second stage—magic injection.

This tested control even more than the construction itself; a slight carelessness would cause the entire model to collapse.

He took a deep breath, mobilized the magic within his body, and let it slowly inject into the model along the preset path.

Magic flowed into every layer of the structure like a thin stream, from the outside to the inside, finally converging into a ball of bright starlight in the core sphere.

"Very good, Luo En." Eric stopped beside him and nodded with satisfaction: "Your structural stability and magic control have reached a quite high level."

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Eric." Luo En responded humbly.

"Next week we will enter practice for casting spells in more complex environments, such as model construction in a mental interference field."

Eric reminded: "I hope you can maintain this level."

As he walked toward the next student, Luo En breathed a slight sigh of relief.

From the first day he became a mid-level apprentice, he had devoted himself entirely to the third-phase course.

At the same time, alchemy and elemental affinity courses were also advancing steadily.

Especially alchemy, under the special guidance of Tutor Thompson, his progress was extraordinarily rapid.

After the course ended, Luo En did not leave immediately but continued to practice the variant forms of the Starlight Model for a while.

This was his habit—extra practice after class to seek deeper mastery.

When he was the only one left in the classroom, Eric returned to tidy up the teaching tools and couldn't help but smile when he saw him still practicing earnestly.

"Your progress speed is impressive, Luo En." Eric walked over and said: "In just two weeks, you have basically mastered the core content of the third-phase course."

Luo En put away the crystal ball and responded respectfully: "This is all thanks to the tutor’s careful guidance."

Eric shook his head: "Don't be too humble; your talent and hard work are the main reasons. Leah and I have discussed it. If you can maintain this progress, you can obtain eligibility for advanced courses next month."

Luo En’s eyes lit up: "Advanced courses?"

"Yes." Eric explained, "The course content will be more in-depth and taught by our tutors personally."

"That would be a great honor." Luo En said sincerely.

"By the way, I heard that you have also performed well in alchemy and elemental affinity courses recently?" Eric asked.

"Just maintaining steady progress." Luo En said humbly: "Tutor Thompson and Tutor Laila have given a lot of guidance."

Eric smiled slightly: "Diverse development is not a bad thing, as long as you can handle the balance in all aspects. The wizard path is ever-changing, and finding the path that suits you best is the key."

Leaving the classroom, Luo En already had a clear plan in his heart: go all out and strive to obtain eligibility for advanced courses within a month.

This would open the door to higher-level knowledge for him.

Returning to the workshop at night, Luo En found Ailan focusing on recording something at the desk.

"Welcome back, Master." Ailan looked up and greeted him with her leaf writing board, wisdom shining in her green eyes.

"What are you doing?" Luo En asked, walking closer.

"Organizing the accounts for this month, according to the Master’s instructions."

Ailan replied, showing her neat records:

"Last week’s income totaled 173 magic stone fragments, expenses were 86, net profit was 87, plus all previous income, our current total funds are 400 magic stone fragments."

Luo En nodded, satisfied with Ailan’s performance.

Recently, he had begun teaching Ailan basic bookkeeping and material management, which not only reduced his burden but also allowed Ailan’s abilities to develop further.

"Well done, Ailan." Luo En said with a smile: "Tomorrow we need to purchase a batch of new materials. Can you prepare a list?"

"Already prepared, Master." Ailan quickly displayed another sheet of paper, which listed various potion materials and alchemy raw materials in detail, even marking the estimated prices and priorities.

Luo En picked up the list and checked it carefully, impressed by Ailan’s meticulous work.

"When my bloodline replication ability becomes more proficient, I will try to help you activate more ancient bloodlines."

He promised: "I believe you possess extraordinary potential within you, Ailan."

A flash of gratitude and anticipation appeared in the tree spirit’s eyes.

Feeling the emerald eyes full of anticipation, he felt a hint of guilt in his heart, feeling that this promise of his was like a carrot dangling on a stick.

………………

A week later, Luo En stood in front of an exquisite conference hall named "Cedar Hall," holding an invitation letter, feeling slightly nervous.

This was his first time attending such a formal Potion Master gathering, and the attendees were all Potion Masters with a certain status in the school, including several tutor-level figures.

Taking a deep breath and tidying up his collar to ensure that the professional Potion Master badge and mid-level apprentice badge on his body were clearly visible, Luo En pushed open the oak door carved with complex patterns.

The interior was elegant and solemn, with delicate plant patterns painted on the light green wallpaper, and several magic crystal lamps hanging from the ceiling, casting soft light.

Several long tables were placed in the center of the venue, displaying various bottles and jars—these were the potion samples and formulas brought by the participants.

Around them were several comfortable chairs and small tea tables, convenient for participants to communicate and discuss.

More than a dozen Potion Masters were already chatting enthusiastically at the venue, and the atmosphere was relaxed and highly academic.

As soon as Luo En stepped into the venue, Magnus noticed him and walked over with a smile.

"Ah, Luo En! You’re here." The old Potion Master greeted him warmly: "Come, let me introduce you to a few peers."

He led Luo En toward several Potion Masters with extraordinary temperaments and made brief and appropriate introductions.

"This is Adrian, specializing in healing potions;

This is Sophia, who has unique research on mental enhancement potions;

And this is William, a master of combining alchemy and potions."

Luo En greeted each Potion Master politely, secretly noting their respective specialties and characteristics in his heart.

These were all potential sources of knowledge and partners for cooperation.

"Everyone, this is Luo En, the young genius I mentioned before."

Magnus said with a smile: "He only became a professional Potion Master not long ago, but he has already shown extraordinary talent, especially in potion improvement."

The gazes of several senior Potion Masters immediately became more focused, with some appreciation and a hint of scrutiny.

"Young man, I heard you have the special talent of 'Potion-Body Resonance'?" Adrian asked, full of academic curiosity; clearly, the news had spread long ago.

Luo En showed a moderate degree of humility: "Yes, my perception of potion ingredients seems to be sharper than ordinary people, which gave me some advantages in potion improvement."

He paid attention to his wording, not exaggerating his abilities too much, but also showing enough confidence.

Sophia nodded, her expression thoughtful:

"This kind of talent is indeed rare. I once read relevant records in ancient books, which said that Potion Masters possessing 'Potion-Body Resonance' ability often achieve eye-catching achievements in a very short time."

Luo En smiled slightly: "You flatter me. I still have a long way to go and hope to learn more from all the seniors."

"Come to think of it, what works did you bring to share with us?" William asked curiously.

Luo En took several crystal bottles from the exquisite wooden box he was carrying and placed them carefully on the display table:

"These are some formulas I recently improved, including Gray Scale Protection Ointment and an improved version of 'Amber Thinking Liquid'."

He briefly introduced the characteristics and innovations of each potion, his tone calm but full of confidence.

Several senior Potion Masters gathered around, showing strong interest in these potions.

Especially "Amber Thinking Liquid," its unique formula design and effects sparked widespread discussion.

"This formula structure is very creative." Sophia praised, carefully checking the formula drawings provided by Luo En:

"How did you think of combining Moon Grass and Silver Star Vine, two ingredients that seem to conflict?"

Luo En explained his thinking, how he neutralized their repulsion through special processing methods while retaining the beneficial components of each.

"Interesting, very interesting!" William said excitedly: "This way of thinking is very close to some principles of alchemy. Young man, do you have research on alchemy?"

"I have indeed been learning some basic knowledge recently." Luo En admitted: "I think potion studies and alchemy have many places where they can learn from each other."

"Absolutely correct!" William patted him on the shoulder enthusiastically:

"I am one of the practitioners of this path. If you are interested, you can come to my workshop for exchange. Cross-disciplinary research often leads to unexpected breakthroughs."

This was exactly what Luo En hoped to hear, and he expressed his gratitude and anticipation sincerely.

As the exchange deepened, Luo En not only shared his insights but also obtained a lot of precious advice and information.

Several senior Potion Masters were quite satisfied with the performance of this young junior and expressed their willingness to communicate further in the future.

Halfway through the gathering, Magnus found an opportunity for a private conversation.

"Luo En, your performance was excellent." The old Potion Master praised: "Especially your humble attitude and enthusiasm for learning, which left a very good impression on everyone."

"Thank you for your guidance and introduction, Master Magnus." Luo En said sincerely: "I have gained a lot from this gathering."

Magnus nodded and then lowered his voice: "I have good news for you. Corinna mentioned you recently, and she is very interested in your progress."

Luo En’s heart skipped a beat. Corinna was the powerful wizard who had brought him from the kingdom to the Black Mist Forest, and also Trish’s tutor.

"What did she say?" Luo En asked cautiously.

"She seems very interested in your special talent and rapid growth."

Magnus said meaningfully:

"At the quarterly meeting of the candidate wizard sequence, she might observe you more carefully. This is a rare opportunity to be noticed by an official wizard."

Luo En felt a bit nervous; Corinna’s attention was undoubtedly a double-edged sword—both an opportunity and a potential danger.

"Thank you for the reminder, I will be prepared."

Magnus patted him on the shoulder, his eyes full of encouragement:

"Don't be too nervous. Just be yourself and show your ability and potential. Wizards appreciate real talent, not deliberate performance."

When the gathering ended, Luo En exchanged formulas and insights with several Potion Masters and gained a lot.

On the way back to the workshop, his mind had already flown to the upcoming quarterly meeting of the candidate wizard sequence.

………………

As the first ray of morning sunlight just pierced through the eternal fog of the Black Mist Forest, Luo En was already sitting cross-legged in the meditation room, immersed in the deep meditation of 《The Whisper of the Star Devourer》.

Since the bloodline activation was successful, the constitution improvement had led to his mental power flowing more smoothly, and the depth of meditation had also increased accordingly.

That starry sky became increasingly clear in his mental world, the starlight twinkling, seemingly within reach.

Compared to before, although the accumulation speed of mental pollution had not slowed down, the constitution improvement had increased his tolerance limit.

Just as Luo En was wandering between the star maps, a faint fluctuation entered his perception.

It was not an ordinary disturbance, but the special frequency of vines lightly touching the ground—Ailan’s warning.

Luo En exhaled gently and slowly withdrew his drifting consciousness, opening his eyes.

"Master, a guest has arrived." Ailan’s vines swayed gently outside the door, and neat characters appeared on the leaf writing board.

"Who?" Luo En felt a bit curious; usually, there were very few visitors at this time.

"It is a beautiful lady with brown hair, followed by a leopard woman..."

Ailan’s leaves trembled slightly, seemingly quite interested in this visitor.

Luo En raised his eyebrows, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

The brown-haired girl he knew could only be Trish.

Since the establishment of the workshop, although news had spread, she had never come to visit, and now she had actually dragged it out for a month before appearing.

"Please have her wait in the reception room, I will be there shortly." Luo En stood up and tidied his robe, brushing off the non-existent dust on his cuffs.

Ailan nodded and left, her vines drawing an elegant arc in the air.

Luo En stood in front of the mirror, carefully examining himself.

Although the changes after bloodline activation were subtle, careful observation could still reveal some anomalies:

His pupils would show subtle changes under the light, and his skin was also more resilient and lustrous than before.

These details were difficult for ordinary people to detect, but for a mid-level apprentice, they might be seen through at a glance.

"I don't know what her purpose is for this trip." Luo En muttered to himself: "And why she chose to come at this time."