Chapter 100: Escalating Pollution, The Tipping Point

Chapter 100: Escalating Pollution, The Tipping Point

The first wisp of dawnlight filtered through the windowpanes as Luo En sat cross-legged at the center of the small Experimental Site on the second floor of his Workshop.

The air carried a faint incense aroma—a specialized blend designed to stabilize spirit, crafted from Tranquil Spirit Grass, Calm Heart Leaf, and Cinnabar Powder.

This was a custom meditation aid he had recently formulated himself, capable of resisting the spirit pollution from The Murmuring of the Star Devourer to some degree.

Since establishing his Workshop, Luo En had maintained an unshakable routine of meditation cultivation.

He rose at 4 AM, began his first meditation session at 5 AM, and sustained it for at least an hour before commencing his daily tasks.

Such discipline would have left most people collapsing from exhaustion—without the Timekeeper Pocket Watch, he might have shared their fate.

“Breathe deeply, empty your mind…” he murmured, closing his eyes as spiritual energy pulsed steadily through his body.

Within his Consciousness Space, the intricate structure woven from dozens of runes had grown increasingly clear and stable.

Compared to its wobbly, infantile state when first constructed, the Stellar Rune now maintained long-term stability, like a precision-engineered clockwork mechanism.

Countless stars shimmered in the darkness—not mere points of light, but entities pulsing with latent vitality.

Guided by the rune, Luo En’s spiritual energy flowed like a fish darting through a starry sea, each movement deepening his understanding and refining his power.

[Current Progress: The Murmuring of the Star Devourer (Proficient 147/300)]

“Halfway there…” Luo En calculated silently, his brow furrowing.

Time had passed faster than anticipated. His relentless cultivation had accelerated his progress, yet the first stage’s completion still lay far ahead.

“If I maintain this pace, I’ll reach the tipping point in about six months and attempt a breakthrough to High Apprentice.”

He mused, “Madame Ellen mentioned ordinary apprentices require years to master the first stage. Seems I’ve surpassed them significantly.”

Still, curiosity prickled him—what exactly defined “ordinary”? Surely not those with Fifth or Sixth Class Star Qualifications…

As he pondered, a low vibration pulsed from a shadowed corner of his consciousness. Something writhed there, unseen.

This was accumulated spirit pollution—settling like silt in his spiritual sea.

With deeper meditation, the pollution had become harder to ignore, creeping into his daily thoughts.

Luo En sensed the murky residue building in his spiritual ocean, like black sludge darkening a once-clear lake.

Initially negligible, the grime thickened over time, tainting the waters themselves.

[Warning: Detected mild spirit pollution]

He tried refocusing on his meditation, but the oppressive weight intensified.

Even with incense and stabilizing elixirs, even with weekly resets via his pocket watch, the pollution’s accumulation rate kept rising.

More troubling—the Timekeeper Pocket Watch’s purification effect was waning. Initially, a single mana point effortlessly cleansed all contamination, like a blade slicing through butter.

Now, eliminating mild pollution required three mana points, leaving stubborn traces—a stain etched into fabric, resisting all scrubbing.

“I must find a way to advance the pocket watch…”

Luo En’s frown deepened as unease gnawed at him. “Otherwise, the pollution will overwhelm me eventually. All this effort would be for nothing.”

To control the contamination, he’d adjusted his routine—ending meditation sessions before pollution reached critical levels and increasing auxiliary elixirs.

This significantly raised cultivation costs.

He’d calculated that monthly expenditures on meditation aids alone now exceeded twenty Mana Shard Fragments, excluding the pocket watch’s mana consumption.

Though manageable for a Professional Potion Master, the expense was far from trivial.

[The Star Devourer’s Murmuring (Proficient) Experience Points +1]

Another successful cycle completed. Luo En felt his spiritual energy purify further, like murky water filtered into crystal clarity.

Yet simultaneously, the sensation of countless unseen eyes watching him intensified—a chilling, hair-raising awareness.

“That unique Inspiration grants tenfold experience, but tenfold pollution too… I can’t afford to misuse it recklessly.”

As the final threads of energy receded, Luo En slowly opened his eyes.

He inhaled deeply, feeling the chest-tightening residue of spirit pollution—a physiological reaction.

Post-meditation fatigue and heart palpitations had grown stronger with each session, worsening as pollution accumulated.

Fingers brushing the Silver Pocket Watch at his waist, he noted its remaining mana reserves—no need for a reset today. He could allocate the stored mana to other cultivation recovery processes, purifying all accumulated impurities once pollution levels crossed a critical threshold in a few days.

“That ‘Boon’ I shared in class yesterday…”

The memory warmed him, like a refreshing stream soothing his mind. He whispered, “Though minor, it eliminated accumulated pollution equivalent to ten days of regular meditation.”

This reinforced his resolve to share experiences actively.

Helping others while gaining tangible benefits? A win-win.

——————

After a brief rest, Luo En shifted to spell practice.

Lately, he’d focused on two skills under the Paid Courses system: spell construction and spirit interference.

“Focus…” He gently lifted a crystal sphere, channeling spiritual energy to construct a Sound Wave Oscillation spell model.

Crystal spheres were ideal for spell practice, visually displaying mana flow stability.

A refined spell model produced rhythmic, stable mana currents within the sphere, while immature ones caused chaotic fluctuations.

Guided by Ai Li Ke’s teachings, he’d gained new insights into optimizing mana circuits.

Rather than brute-forcing spiritual energy into the spell, he now directed it through specific pathways, maximizing efficiency.

It was like transforming wild rivers into orderly canals—reducing mana waste while enhancing spell stability.

A swirling mana vortex formed inside the sphere. As Luo En infused more energy, the vortex stabilized—from initial turbulence to near-stillness, save for a faint pulsing glow at its core.

Each successful spell construction brought satisfaction, like imposing order on chaos.

[Spell Construction Experience Points +1]

Next, he attempted a Spirit Interference spell model.

Under Li Ya’s training, this skill now allowed precise manipulation of small creatures’ perceptions, inducing temporary confusion or fear.

More delicate than Sound Wave Oscillation, Spirit Interference required shaping spiritual energy into specialized “ripples” disrupting targets’ thought processes.

It was like playing a complex melody—each note precise to achieve the desired effect.

Luo En targeted a moth resting on the windowsill, sending out a ripple of spirit interference.

The moth froze mid-wingbeat, then erupted into frantic flight, as if fleeing invisible horrors.

[Spirit Interference Experience Points +1]

“At this pace, I’ll master one skill to proficiency within a month.”

Analyzing his progress, Luo En considered his third spell choice.

As an Intermediate Apprentice, he needed at least three zero-ring spells to complete his mana circuit’s foundational thought network.

He already had Sound Wave Oscillation and Slime Splash, requiring one more.

“A light-heat affinity spell might work well…”

Recalling his mastery of the Solar Corona Breathing Technique and the unique “Solar’s Blessing” within him, he mused:

“Perhaps a defensive heat field or a repelling fire ring. These would synergize with the Solar Corona Breathing Technique, creating balanced offense and defense.”

Deciding his next focus, Luo En rose, retrieving the ironwood sword in the corner for today’s second cultivation session.

The blade carved an elegant arc through the air, each movement perfectly synchronized with his breath.

“Inhale for seven counts, hold for three, exhale for five…”

Following the Solar Corona Breathing Technique rhythm, his swordplay flowed like drifting clouds—seamless and unbroken.

Once requiring conscious effort, the motions now felt instinctive, ingrained in muscle memory.

Each strike harmonized muscle and bone into a precision machine, every component functioning flawlessly.

[Foundational Swordsmanship Experience Points +1]

Luo En furrowed his brow, slowing his movements to analyze the sword technique’s transformation.

Though his Potion Master career synergized well with knightly Squire training, the final sliver of experience for Foundational Swordsmanship remained maddeningly elusive.

“Just a hair’s breadth from breakthrough…” He muttered, frustration creeping in as he stared at the interface.

[Current Progress: Foundational Swordsmanship (Proficient 99/100)]

One point shy of mastery—a limbo of agonizing nearness.

Like a starving man staring at food he couldn’t reach, or a parched traveler spotting an oasis forever out of reach.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end