Chapter 123: Interstellar Silver, Void Gem

The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the workshop’s window lattice, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow upon the floor.

Roan sat upright at his desk, eyes slightly closed, as his Crimson Blood Flying Dragon bloodline pulsed gently to the rhythm of the "Solar Corona Breathing Technique." Each breath was accompanied by a faint surging of Qi and blood within his body.

Since completing the bloodline activation and successfully replicating Andre’s Crimson Blood Flying Dragon bloodline, he could clearly feel his affinity for fire and light elements significantly increase.

The power of the bloodline flowed through his meridians like a scorching golden-red river, nourishing every inch of his muscles and bones.

[Bloodline Activation EXP +1]

[Current Progress: Bloodline Activation (Initiate 28/100)]

"Progress is slower than I imagined."

Roan opened his eyes, his fingers subconsciously brushing the inside of his left arm, where fine, dense scale patterns were faintly visible beneath the skin, appearing only under specific angles of light.

Bloodline activation was a long process, requiring day after day of patient cultivation to truly allow the replicated bloodline to perfectly integrate with his own.

Fortunately, he possessed the Alchemist’s synergy effect, allowing him to better absorb the effects of various auxiliary potions and accelerate this process.

With the acquisition of the "Transcendental Identification" fusion skill, his understanding of transcendental substances had reached a whole new level.

He could not only see the surface structure but even perceive the internal energy flow and trace element composition.

"Let’s test the actual effect of this new ability first." Roan pondered, his gaze sweeping across the workshop.

He first picked up a withered herb drying on a shelf, his spiritual power touching it lightly, and a series of information immediately flooded his mind:

[Twilight Grass, harvested three weeks ago, medicinal efficacy retained at approximately 60%...

Suitable for making soothing potions, but no longer suitable for advanced mental-type potions.

Contains trace magical elements, mainly concentrated in the root and stem parts.

Harvested in the northeastern region of the Black Fog Forest, soil is slightly acidic.]

This level of detailed information far exceeded his previous "Herb Identification" ability.

The latter focused mainly on judging medicinal properties and purity, whereas now he could even infer the plant’s growth environment.

"This is about the same as the appraisal ability in games, though I don't know if it can still read such accurate information when scanning higher-tier items."

However, there were some high-tier secrets in this world that one shouldn't look at blindly.

Just like the "Devourer" recorded in the meditation visions; if one were to accidentally cast the identification skill on It...

Roan shook his head, not daring to imagine such a terrifying consequence, and turned his gaze to a potion he had concocted himself:

['Amber Mind Liquid' improved version, purity 92%.

Main ingredients: Moonlight Grass essence, Silver Star Vine extract, and Mind Worm brain fluid.

Medicinal effect expected to last 4 hours and 12 minutes, side effect index 1.3, far lower than the 3.7 of the standard formula.

Suitable for continuous use, should not be used more than 3 times within 72 hours.

Stable composition, excellent architecture, suggested retail price: 15 Magic Stone Fragments.]

[Transcendental Identification EXP +1]

【Current Progress: Extraordinary Identification (Proficient 4/100)】

It seems the higher the tier of the transcendental item identified, the faster the EXP grows. Perhaps he could really develop a side career as an appraiser in the future?

Moreover, this deep understanding of his own work gave Roan a sense of control he had never felt before.

He could even point out which parts of the potion had room for improvement and which ingredients could have their ratios adjusted to obtain better results.

Suddenly, he realized that the Time Guardian pocket watch on his wrist was emitting a faint energy fluctuation, seemingly calling for his attention.

Roan carefully picked up the pocket watch, focused his attention, and used the "Transcendental Identification" ability to examine it:

[Time Guardian’s Pocket Watch (Initial Stage).

Special artifact, materials are 'Interstellar Silver' and 'Void Gem'.

Energy storage is depleted; it will unlock new functions only after absorbing enough charge on its own.

Charging medium must match 'Time' attribute energy; under standard plane flux units, 70 to 90 units are required to complete one basic charge.

Specific detailed information cannot currently be identified.]

[Transcendental Identification EXP +3]

[Current Progress: Transcendental Identification (Proficient 7/100)]

"Interstellar Silver? Void Gem?" Roan frowned; these were material names he had never heard of.

But more importantly, the information regarding charging and unlocking functions undoubtedly pointed him in the direction of enhancing the pocket watch's capabilities.

"'Time' attribute energy... It seems I need to find a location or material that can provide this special energy."

Roan pondered, carefully putting the pocket watch away.

"Let's go to Lizard Alley first to find out where exactly it was excavated; maybe there will be some clues..."

After a moment of contemplation, Roan organized his thoughts, preparing to set off for the central area of the school to attend today's alchemy weekly test.

Several days had passed since he transferred to [Alchemy Apprentice], and today happened to be the weekly test time arranged by Mentor Tang Pusen.

"Xiang Ailan, I'm going to attend the weekly test; I should be back before noon."

Roan said to the tree spirit who was tending to the plants in the courtyard.

Xiang Ailan nodded, her vines swaying faintly:

"I wish Master all the best; I will look after the workshop."

Roan smiled and nodded slightly at the tree spirit.

Leaving the workshop, he walked quickly toward the central area of the school.

The morning mist of the Black Fog Forest had not yet dissipated; occasionally, the figures of apprentices could be seen walking hurriedly through the thin fog, but most remained silent, focused on their own thoughts.

In the world of wizards, time and energy were the most precious resources; no one was willing to waste them on meaningless socializing.

Arriving at the central area, Roan went straight to the alchemy testing room.

Pushing open the heavy oak door, six or seven apprentices were already waiting inside, and Mentor Tang Pusen was organizing the test materials at a long table.

"Ah, Roan, you've come just in time."

Tang Pusen saw him, a satisfied smile appearing on his face:

"Today's test is alchemy energy sealing. As you know, this is the most basic but also the most important technique in elementary alchemy."

Roan smiled slightly: "Yes, Senior Tang Pusen, I am ready."

"Very good, your spot is over there, the materials are already prepared."

Tang Pusen nodded, pointing to a workbench:

"The requirement for this test is: complete the sealing of a standard energy core within one hour; stability and purity will be the main criteria for grading."

Roan arrived at the designated spot and saw various alchemy materials placed on the workbench:

A common stone as the base, several types of basic mineral powder as conductors, and a small bottle of refined magic liquid to provide initial energy.

These were standard configurations, and the core difficulty lay in how to construct the energy sealing array and maintain its stability.

"Is everyone ready?"

Tang Pusen scanned the room, and seeing no objections, announced:

"The test begins now, one hour on the clock."

Roan took a deep breath and immediately entered a focused state.

Unlike his previous private attempts in the workshop, this time he had already successfully completed energy sealing and had thus been promoted to [Alchemy Apprentice], mastering deeper-level techniques.

He first used "Transcendental Identification" to carefully examine the stone base, confirming its energy structure and elemental composition, then precisely calculated the optimal layout for the energy pathways.

"Three cycles, nine-fold rhythm."

Roan chanted in his heart, his fingers brushing lightly over the stone surface, his spiritual power weaving a complex energy network like fine threads.

Under the blessing of the "Resonance" additional trait, his control over energy became more precise, just like an experienced pianist who could feel the subtle changes in every note.

The energy balance points that previously required repeated attempts could now be found almost instinctively.

The mineral powders were added one by one, each according to a specific ratio and order, forming dense energy conduits on the stone surface.

Roan noticed that compared to his last experiment, his understanding of the materials was much deeper, allowing him to control the addition amount and order more precisely, making the energy flow of the entire system much smoother.

The refined magic liquid was carefully dripped into key nodes, providing basic energy for the entire system.

As the last drop of liquid fell, the stone surface began to flicker with a faint blue light, and the energy was circulating along the preset path.

Half an hour later, Roan had completed all the preparatory work, and the next step was the most critical sealing step.

This required extremely high spiritual power control and precise grasp of energy balance; any slight carelessness would cause all previous work to fall short.

Closing his eyes, he mobilized all his spiritual power to construct the final sealing structure.

This was a process that required precision down to the micro-millimeter; any tiny deviation could cause the entire structure to collapse.

"Seal!"

As Roan's spiritual power was injected, the stone base suddenly lit up with a bright blue light, and the energy fluctuations formed visible ripples in the air, then quickly converged, finally condensing into a stable core.

The entire process was smooth and fluid, finishing nearly twenty minutes ahead of the expected time.

Roan opened his eyes, looking with satisfaction at his work—a perfect energy core emitting a uniform blue light.

This finished product was more stable and pure than any of his previous attempts, showing a further deepening of his understanding of alchemy.

[Alchemy EXP +1]

[Current Progress: Alchemy (Proficient 4/100)]

"Finished?" Tang Pusen walked to Roan's side, looking at his results with some surprise: "So fast? Let me see..."

The old alchemist carefully picked up the energy core, checking every detail meticulously.

His brow first furrowed slightly, as if looking for possible flaws, then gradually smoothed out, and finally, a rare appreciation appeared in his eyes.

"Stability is near perfect, purity is at least 30% higher than the standard requirement, and most rare is the harmony of the energy flow... This is completely beyond the level of a beginner's work, Roan."

Tang Pusen's praise drew surprised looks from other apprentices; some even stopped their work to look over curiously.

"Thank you for your affirmation, Mentor." Roan simply said:

"This is all thanks to your careful guidance, as well as some extra effort I've put into theory recently."

Tang Pusen shook his head, a certain determination flashing in his eyes:

"No, guidance alone cannot achieve this level. Roan, I believe you are ready to enter higher-level learning. Your perception and control of energy have already exceeded the scope of the basic courses."

He examined Roan's work carefully, then took out a small crystal instrument and moved it around the energy core.

The numbers on the instrument changed constantly, finally stopping at a high value that even surprised Tang Pusen.

"Speaking of learning ability..." Tang Pusen looked at Roan meaningfully:

"I noticed that you seem to have a more acute perception of materials recently; is this pure talent, or have you learned some new technique?"

Roan's heart tightened; he didn't expect Tang Pusen's observation to be so sharp.

He pondered for a moment and decided to reveal some information moderately, neither completely concealing nor telling the whole truth.

"Indeed, Mentor. With my in-depth study of potion-making and alchemy, I found that my perception of materials has become more acute. This may be the result of the two disciplines promoting each other, allowing me to understand the essential properties of materials more comprehensively."

Tang Pusen nodded thoughtfully:

"An interesting development. Indeed, there are often deep connections between different disciplines that can produce unexpected synergistic effects. And you, Roan, seem to be born with the talent to discover and utilize these connections."

After the test ended, Roan packed up his energy core and the alchemy activator awarded for being first in the weekly test, and left the testing room in a pleasant mood.

Just as he was about to head to the library, a large-mouthed parrot with black-gray plumage fluttered down from the sky:

"Apprentice Roan... Apprentice Roan... Lady Laila requests that you go to the Elemental Affinity classroom immediately."

Seeing this parrot call his name, he wasn't particularly surprised; this was one of the public messengers raised by the school.

However, today was not the day for the Elemental Affinity class, so Roan frowned and asked:

"May I ask what is the matter?"

"Lady Laila did not specify the exact reason, only saying it was... regarding the adjustment of your elemental course schedule."

The large-mouthed parrot replied respectfully, its attitude much more polite than toward ordinary apprentices, clearly because Roan had already entered the candidate wizard sequence.

"I understand, thank you for the notification."

Roan nodded politely to it, receiving a flattered look from the parrot.

He then changed direction and walked toward the Elemental Affinity classroom.

Along the way, he pondered the possible reasons for Mentor Laila's temporary summons.

Since acquiring the Crimson Blood Flying Dragon bloodline, his affinity for fire and light elements had indeed significantly improved, and his performance in recent classes had also earned her praise.

But being called suddenly—was there some special task, or was there a problem with his performance?

Roan couldn't be sure and could only quicken his pace to reach the classroom as soon as possible.

Arriving at the Elemental Affinity classroom, the door was already open, and Laila was standing by the window, sunlight filtering through the stained glass and casting a halo over her long hair.

"Roan, I heard you were taking Tang Pusen's weekly test in the teaching area today, so I thought I'd just have the messenger notify you to come over while you were on the way."

She turned and smiled, her eyes filled with appreciation:

"I have been paying attention to your recent course performance, especially your control over light and fire elements; the progress is very obvious."

"Thank you for your affirmation, Senior Laila." Roan responded politely.

Laila walked to the elemental pool in the center of the classroom, where elemental light spots of various colors floated like a miniature galaxy:

"Do you know, elemental affinity is not just the ability to master a single element; more importantly, it is understanding the connections and transformations between elements."

She waved her hand gently, and the light and fire elemental spots in the pool began to move toward each other, finally merging into a brighter golden-red glow:

"For example, the combination of light and fire can produce more powerful effects. This is a high-tier elemental manipulation, usually only involved in advanced courses."

Roan observed intently, having already guessed the other party's intention—she might be about to teach him more advanced elemental knowledge.

"I originally intended to wait until you finished all the basic courses before having a mentor guide you into the study of elemental fusion."

Laila looked directly into Roan's eyes, her expression becoming more solemn:

"But your progress speed exceeded our expectations, especially your dual affinity for light and fire elements; this is a quite rare talent."

She walked to the bookshelf, took out an ancient book, and opened it gently, revealing a page with a complex elemental fusion diagram:

"Among all the students I have taught, very few can naturally demonstrate such affinity for two complementary elements as you do. This reminds me of an ancient theory—Elemental Dual-State Resonance."

Roan listened carefully; although he was not familiar with this theory, he could feel that this was some important knowledge.

"The so-called Elemental Dual-State Resonance refers to when a person simultaneously possesses high affinity for two complementary elements, they can establish a special energy circuit between the two elements, causing the elemental powers to enhance rather than cancel each other out."

Laila explained, her fingers stroking the diagram on the page:

"In ancient times, some great elemental wizards created many astonishing spells precisely through in-depth research into Elemental Dual-State Resonance."

She took out a crystal ball from the inside of her robe, sealing a spell model inside, where a complex golden-red energy structure floated like a solidified flower of flame:

"Normally, even if you enter advanced courses, you need to pay a considerable amount of Magic Stone Fragments to obtain a complete spell model, but considering you have already demonstrated sufficient value and potential..."

Laila handed the crystal ball to Roan:

"This is a prototype spell called 'Ring of Radiance', which combines the blinding effect of light elements and the burning ability of fire elements; it is an extremely practical defensive and offensive spell."

Roan took the crystal ball with both hands, feeling the energy fluctuations emitted by the spell model inside; it was both warm and bright, as dazzling as a miniature sun.

At this moment, his heart was somewhat excited; the spell model was the foundation of spell construction, and having a ready-made model could greatly shorten the time to master new spells.

Moreover, this kind of composite spell that fuses two elements was usually only eligible for study by high-level apprentices.

Just as Roan was about to express his gratitude sincerely, Laila smiled slightly, blocking his words:

"No need to be too polite; we wizards have always believed that 'knowledge should flow to the place where it can best exert its value'; your talent and effort make you qualified to obtain this knowledge."

"However, the spell prototype is only a basic framework; you need to perfect and adjust it according to your own understanding and ability."

Her expression became serious:

"This process may take weeks or even months, especially for a fusion-type spell; the balance of every link is crucial."

Roan nodded: "I understand, Mentor. I will study this spell model with all my might and not let down your trust."

"Very good." Laila nodded with satisfaction, then added:

"Additionally, I have already suggested to the mentor to promote your Elemental Affinity course directly to the advanced stage. If you can successfully master the 'Ring of Radiance', that will be the best support for this decision."

Because he had already experienced one grade skip, he only felt a slight joy in his heart, thanked her politely, and after learning the specific teaching arrangements, he took his leave.

The course arrangements for the advanced stage were different from the basic stage, focusing mainly on two aspects:

First, elemental fusion; second, practical application of elemental spells.

Because there were fewer people studying, the courses would be more sparse, generally once every two weeks, but the density and difficulty of the content each time would be greatly increased.

And after he left, Laila used a reagent to detect spiritual pollution, and seeing the much lighter color on it, a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

It was a pity that, as a high-level apprentice, she could only get a share of the pie at the basic course stage; if only there were more such geniuses...