Chapter 398: Phantoms of the Past

Inside the ritual chamber, a silver network of runes pulsed against the walls like veins.

Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the two figures at the center of the magic circle.

Luo En, deep in meditation, and Eve, surrounded by a halo of life-force enhancement.

The young girl gripped her hands tightly, her knuckles turning white from the strain.

A faint, inaudible prayer escaped her lips—an ancient healing incantation, her voice trembling yet resolute.

Cassandra stood at the edge of the circle, a complex light flickering in her violet eyes.

Suddenly, she withdrew an intricately carved sandalwood box from her spatial storage.

The surface of the box was etched with preservation runes, emitting a faint green glow.

"Crystals from the Fountain of Life, the heart-blood of a pure-blooded Siren, and Moonlight Essence..."

The witch’s voice was soft, yet every Great Wizard present heard her clearly.

She took out the precious materials one by one, each worth a king’s ransom.

Gu Erde’s gaze swept over these materials, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes:

"These things are practically extinct in this modern age. You actually kept them?"

"This is the final insurance I prepared for Eve."

Cassandra did not turn back, continuing to retrieve items from the deeper layers of her storage space.

A slender object, the thickness of a thumb and emitting a pale golden light, appeared in her hand.

It was Ambergris—a precious secretion from a primordial dragon species, possessing the miraculous effect of purifying the spirit and enhancing mental clarity.

In this era, such a material had long since vanished.

"Ambergris..." Saierna gasped: "The value of this thing..."

"I know its value."

Cassandra placed the Ambergris into a specially crafted censer and ignited it without hesitation.

Pale golden smoke rose slowly, carrying an indescribable, refreshing fragrance.

The scent was neither heavy nor pungent, yet it could instantly render one’s mind clear and lucid.

Even the Great Wizards maintaining the projection felt a noticeable improvement in their state.

Their spell control became more precise, and their thoughts sharper.

But the most obvious change was in Luo En, who was immersed in meditation.

The pale golden smoke swirled around his form, pushing his consciousness into an unprecedented state of emptiness and clarity.

And then, Cassandra’s next move made everyone present widen their eyes.

With a flip of her right hand, a card radiating silver light appeared in her palm.

It was the "Extravagance" Authority Card, Silver quality.

"Cassandra..." Youte'er frowned, saying with some suspicion and shock: "You want to use an Authority Card here?"

"That’s right."

The witch’s tone was unusually calm, but the determination in her eyes was chilling:

"The Silver Extravagance card can amplify the effects of the precious resources invested. For Eve, this is necessary."

As she spoke, she activated the card in her hand without hesitation.

Silver light erupted instantly, enveloping all the precious materials she had prepared.

The Fountain of Life crystals began to melt slowly, transforming into pure life essence;

The pure-blooded Siren’s heart-blood emitted a deep blue glow, the oceanic life force within surging like a tide;

The Moonlight Essence turned into specks of starlight, infusing the entire environment with a tranquil and peaceful aura.

But under the influence of the Authority Card, the effects of these materials were amplified manifold.

In the magic circle, Eve’s weak life aura began to rise steadily, and color gradually returned to her pale face.

"This level of enhancement..."

The Eye of Observation’s single eye contracted slightly:

"It has reached the effect of a temporary bloodline transformation."

Gu Erde nodded in agreement, looking at Cassandra with an appreciative gaze:

"Although the method is extreme, it is indeed effective."

Although Saierna remained dissatisfied with Cassandra’s character, her professional integrity led her to evaluate fairly:

"I have to admit, at the critical moment, you truly did not spare any cost."

………………

Meanwhile, deep within the space of Luo En’s consciousness.

The light of the Hermit Star and the Scholar Star had stabilized.

They were like two bright lanterns, providing navigation for Luo En’s mental world.

And in the more distant void, a third star was slowly revealing its true face.

The surface of the Observer Star was not the simple light or rock structure of the other stars, but presented an astonishingly complex mechanical construction.

Countless precision gears rotated slowly on the star’s surface.

The gears were connected by a complex transmission system, forming a massive mechanical network.

In the gaps between these gears, points of light flickered like stars.

These were the lens arrays of the observation device.

Most striking of all was the massive, pupil-like structure at the center of the star.

It was not a dead object, but a real, living eye.

The pupil was as black as an abyss, while the iris displayed the brilliant colors of a nebula.

When Luo En’s consciousness touched this star, the giant eye turned slowly, casting its gaze upon him.

A feeling of being deeply scrutinized struck him instantly, more profound and more... active than the previous scrutiny of the Eye of Observation.

"Another fool seeking power..."

The voice was both distant and close at hand, as if it had crossed countless eras to arrive.

"However..."

The mechanical structure of the Observer Star began to rearrange itself, a hint of warmth seeping through the cold mechanical feel:

"An existence capable of establishing a connection with me through 'The Star-Eater’s Babble' is extremely rare in this current era."

The gears on the star’s surface began to rotate according to a specific rhythm, emitting a harmonious, music-like mechanical sound:

"Most fools who practice this meditation technique are eroded by the 'Devourer’s' will during the visualization process, eventually becoming madmen who know only slaughter. And you..."

The giant eye stared at Luo En more intently:

"Your soul remains quite pure, which is very interesting.

Perhaps I can share some power with you, as a reward for such a rare phenomenon."

Luo En felt the goodwill released by the Observer Star and relaxed slightly.

But just then, the star’s attitude changed drastically.

The giant eye suddenly widened, the pupil shrinking to the size of a needle tip, and the entire mechanical structure of the star began to tremble violently.

"Wait... this aura..."

The voice of the Observer Star became filled with fear and anger:

"'The Star-Eater’s Babble'... No, this isn't just simple practice of the meditation technique... You have 'His' mark on you!"