Chapter 402: The Weather Vane

Luo En walked out of the "Fast Pass" and headed toward the classroom where he was teaching.

After the deep meditation and adjustment of the recent days, the body adaptation period after the Moon-Sun level breakthrough had basically ended.

That surging feeling as if starlight power was flowing in his veins had gradually stabilized.

The moment he stepped into the main corridor, his keen perception immediately captured the subtle changes in the environment.

The air was filled with an indescribable tension, like the calm before a storm.

The footsteps of the Wizards shuttling through the corridor were more hurried than usual.

Occasionally, when people talked, their voices were kept very low, and they would look around vigilantly from time to time.

The Wizards who passed by no longer looked at him with the simple admiration and respect they had before.

Instead, it was a complex scrutiny.

Some had fawning in their eyes, but more showed obvious alienation and wait-and-see attitudes.

Several young apprentices stopped their whispering the moment they saw him.

They hurriedly bowed and left quickly, as if staying for one more second would bring trouble upon themselves.

"Really good at seeing which way the wind blows... these people."

Luo En calmly analyzed this change in his heart.

In front of the bulletin board outside the Academic Hall, a larger crowd than usual was gathered.

They were discussing something heatedly, with obvious anxiety and unease on everyone’s faces.

When Luo En approached, he could hear fragmented snippets of conversation:

"...The Expeditionary Force’s Third Fleet suffered heavy casualties, and even the Dark-Sun level detachment commander was killed..."

"...The Elemental Garden has publicly requested a re-evaluation..."

"...I heard that Great Wizard Melvis of the Tower of Sound publicly questioned the Tower Master’s command ability..."

When the crowd noticed Luo En’s appearance, the discussion stopped immediately.

Everyone turned to look at him, their expressions varied.

Some young Wizards had looks of expectation in their eyes, seemingly wanting to get some inside information from him;

Some senior researchers showed obvious vigilance, as if evaluating the risks of contacting him;

Others simply pretended not to see him and lowered their heads to check the materials in their hands.

This polarized attitude reminded Luo En of the intelligence Elliot had mentioned earlier.

Cassandra’s Expeditionary Force was experiencing an unprecedented crisis.

And as the "new star" publicly recognized by her, he was naturally drawn into this political vortex.

A middle-aged researcher from the Tower of Sound took the initiative to walk up.

Luo En recognized him—Harrison Lei En, a researcher with considerable accomplishments in acoustic spells, usually cautious and low-key.

"Lecturer Ralph, first of all, congratulations on breaking through to the Moon-Sun level Wizard."

Harrison’s tone sounded very formal, but there was a certain probing meaning in his eyes:

"Also congratulations on becoming the chief of the New Star Project; this is a well-deserved honor."

But Luo En noticed that the other party’s eyes flickered when speaking, clearly having other purposes.

"Thank you." He responded politely.

"I wonder what your opinion is on some recent... rumors?"

The researcher probed cautiously: "Regarding the situation of the Expeditionary Force, there are many different versions circulating outside."

This was an obvious trap question.

No matter how Luo En answered, it could be misinterpreted as some kind of stance.

"I focus on academic research and have no say in military operations."

He gave a watertight answer:

"I believe the Tower Master and the Great Wizards will make the correct decision."

A look of disappointment appeared on the researcher’s face, clearly not getting the information he wanted.

He forced a smile and found an excuse to leave.

On the way to the lecture hall, he continued to observe the changes in the surrounding crowd.

Most of those who still showed a friendly attitude toward him had obvious backgrounds in the Conquest Faction.

The eagerness in their eyes was not just admiration for academic achievements, but more of a hope to gain some benefits through him as a "bridge."

And those who showed an alienated attitude mostly came from traditional academic factions or neutral factions.

They were worried that being too close to Luo En would bring them trouble in the current subtle situation.

"Sure enough, the setbacks of the Expeditionary Force have begun to affect the environment of the entire Central Land."

He evaluated the situation calmly in his heart:

"The previous blind optimism for conquest is fading, replaced by more realistic interest calculations."

"And the movements of the Truth Court are also intriguing."

Luo En recalled the information Youte'er mentioned:

"They did not block the news of the 'Awakening of the Great One,' and even fueled the flames to some extent; this is clearly putting pressure on Cassandra."

The complexity of this high-level game left the entire Central Land in a subtle state of wait-and-see.

No one was willing to rashly pick a side before the situation became clear.

But no one dared to completely ignore Cassandra’s still-powerful personal strength and the Crown Clan’s thousands of years of dominance.

"The public protests from the Elemental Garden and the Tower of Sound are just the tip of the iceberg."

He continued to analyze in his heart:

"What is truly fatal is the change in attitude of those neutral forces."

When more and more people begin to question the feasibility of the conquest policy, the foundation of Cassandra’s authority will begin to shake."

………………

The advanced course on Potions was located in the core area of the teaching building.

The magic concentration here was higher than elsewhere, and the crystals embedded in the walls would automatically adjust the color and intensity of the light according to the lecture content.

When Luo En pushed open the door of the lecture hall, he immediately felt an atmosphere completely different from usual.

The audience seats were usually full, with students arriving early to occupy the best spots, their eyes full of thirst for knowledge.

And now, although the seats were still full, the atmosphere felt somewhat subtle.

What surprised him most was that many "uninvited guests" had come today.

Clearly, their purpose was not to learn Potion knowledge, but to observe this "new star" who was closely related to Cassandra up close.

Among these auditors, Luo En even saw several familiar faces.

Sitting in the corner was Associate Professor Carmen from the Elemental Garden, a scholar with considerable accomplishments in elemental fusion.

The other party had also come to his class last time.

Usually, this person was quite friendly to Luo En, but today there was an obvious scrutinizing meaning in their eyes.

On the other side was the "old acquaintance" Associate Professor Minerve, who had attended Luo En’s thesis reviews twice in a row.

Now, this senior associate professor was observing every detail on the podium with a gaze almost like an anatomist.

According to Chester, her seniority in the conservative faction was older than his, but he didn't know if she had brought any "tasks" this time for "auditing."

Regardless, his remarks needed to be as "smart" and "ambiguous" as possible.

By comparison, the real students appeared more pure.

Those young faces sitting in the front row were still full of thirst for knowledge, their eyes not yet obscured by political clouds.

"Today’s topic we are going to explore is 'Research on Potion Stability in Extreme Environments'."

Luo En began his explanation, his voice still maintaining that signature calmness and professionalism:

"In the abyss simulation device improvement project I recently completed, I discovered an interesting phenomenon..."

While outlining the complex potion molecular structure diagram in the air, he explained the experimental process in detail.

"Traditional Potion theory believes that the stability of a potion mainly depends on the balance between components."

The magic composition model rotated slowly in the air, with the position of every particle precise and error-free:

"But under the special magic radiation of the abyss environment, this balance will undergo subtle changes."

Lis, sitting in the front row, immediately raised her hand to ask:

"Mentor, are you saying that magic radiation will directly affect the micro-structure?"

"Very good question." Luo En nodded approvingly:

"In fact, the chaotic energy of the abyss does not act directly on matter, but affects the energy field that maintains its micro-interaction forces; this is like..."

He paused, looking for a suitable metaphor:

"Like oil droplets on a calm lake surface suddenly encountering the impact of an undercurrent.

On the surface, the changes don't look big, but the internal micro-structure has undergone fundamental adjustments."

This vivid metaphor made the students show expressions of sudden realization.

Even some of the auditing lecturers couldn't help but nod in agreement.

While explaining, he was thinking more deeply in his heart.

The Expeditionary Force’s encounter with the obstruction of the Ancient God-level existence not only caused heavy losses but also exposed the fundamental flaws of the conquest strategy.