Chapter 356: On the Edge of Danger

Liana wore a light blue dress with a necklace made of wind element crystals around her neck.

That crystal flickered according to the rhythm of her breathing, adding a mysterious beauty to her.

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

Her voice was soft and elegant, but Luo En could detect a deliberate seductiveness in it:

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

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 she didn't forget to give him a sweet smile while looking up.

"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 to 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 expected.

"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 Her Highness Eve of the Crown Clan, it is reasonable that he doesn't look down on our specialized marriage candidates."

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 pick up the academic topic, his eyes carrying inquiry:

"May I ask, how do you maintain spell structures 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 the abyss environment, this pursuit instead leads to structural collapse.

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

"Adaptive spell modulation combined with chaotic environments..."

Victor narrowed his eyes, thoughtful, obviously this concept triggered some of his inspiration:

"This is indeed a very interesting idea, can you explain the specific implementation method in detail?"

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

"If Victor senior is really interested, we can find time to discuss it in detail privately."

Hearing this response, Victor nodded, and obvious anticipation appeared in his eyes.

Gareth also began his own probing:

"I heard you also have quite a lot of attainments in alchemy? I have been researching a new type of living

He flexed his metal fingers, producing a series of crisp sounds:

"Specifically, how to keep the metal structure active while avoiding rejection by the organism's immune system."

This question piqued Luo En's interest.

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

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

He said, deep in thought:

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

"Biological membrane coverage..."

A gleam of excitement appeared in Gareth's eyes:

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

"Indeed." 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 engage 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 evening.

"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, although the conditions at the Abyss Observatory are decent, they are ultimately not as convenient as having a private foothold in the Central Lands."

This question drew the attention of everyone else at the dining table.

Owning a private residence in the Central Lands not only meant convenience but was also a symbol of status and prestige.

"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 surprised everyone present:

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

This direct generosity made Luo En frown.

In wizard society, equivalent exchange is a fundamental principle.

"I appreciate Professor Wandel's kindness."

He did not accept, only responding cautiously:

"However, there is no such thing as a free lunch; if I were to accept such a gift, I should provide a corresponding return."

This reaction made Cassius even more satisfied.

Insatiable people rarely go far in wizard society, and those who know their limits are worth 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 explore with you."

His tone became more formal:

"First, we hope to obtain priority purchasing rights for certain rare materials from the Abyss 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 'servants' with special bloodlines; if you have time, we hope you can help us perform some optimization modulation."

The term "servants" here was clearly a euphemism.

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

They are usually called "attendants" 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 partner and a new foothold in the Central Lands.

"These conditions are within an acceptable range."

He finally nodded in agreement: "However, for the specific details of the cooperation, I suggest we discuss them in 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.

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

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

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

A slightly nervous voice came from the crystal:

"I am truly sorry to disturb you so late, but I heard you are hosting a gathering tonight; 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.