Chapter 105: Ai Lan "Yang Flame Essence"

Chapter 105: Ai Lan "Yang Flame Essence"

He carefully extracted this portion and placed it into a specially crafted small vial.

The liquid shimmered faintly within the vial, like imprisoned stars.

Then he resumed processing the other ingredients, fully immersed in this intricate and delicate process.

As Luo En concentrated on his experiment, a faint rustling sound interrupted his focus.

He looked up to see the tree spirit using its vines to spell out words in midair: "Guests have arrived."

Luo En felt surprised. He hadn't expected the tree spirit to communicate this way.

Over the past few days, it had remained nearly motionless, like a sculpture, leading him to mistakenly believe it was a simple, mindless creature.

"Thank you for the warning", Luo En nodded to the tree spirit, carefully sealing away the ongoing experiment. "Watch over these for me. I'll return shortly."

The tree spirit nodded in understanding, its vines retracting as it resumed its statue-like stillness.

But Luo En noticed a subtle difference—its eyes now flickered with comprehension and obedience, no longer the vacant emptiness of before.

After tidying his robes to ensure no traces of reagents remained, Luo En entered the workshop's reception room.

A short, stout merchant dressed in fine clothes stood there, holding a small basket and pacing anxiously.

"Master Luo En!" The merchant greeted him enthusiastically, his round belly jiggling as he hurried forward, his face stretched into an exaggerated smile.

"I've long heard of your workshop's reputation! I came especially to visit!"

Luo En had assumed it would be someone else, but it turned out to be the slave merchant from the exotic race exchange.

"Ah, Merchant." Luo En nodded slightly, gesturing for the man to sit. "What brings you here?"

His tone remained calm and distant, though inwardly he grew cautious.

The merchant wouldn't visit without purpose.

"Oh, you flatter me!" The merchant chuckled, placing his basket on the table while his eyes darted around, evaluating the workshop's worth.

"Primarily, I wanted to check how well the tree spirit has adapted to its new home. Such a rare commodity requires proper after-sales service from our Blake Trading Company."

He opened the basket, retrieving two vials of soil emitting a faint glow.

"These are our company's specially formulated Nutrient Soils", he explained. "They'll help the tree spirit better adapt to its new Environment. Just sprinkle a handful around its roots weekly, and it'll maintain optimal condition."

Luo En accepted the Nutrient Soil, inspecting it carefully before storing it away.

"Thank you for your concern. The tree spirit has already fully integrated with the workshop's Environment."

"Excellent, excellent."

The merchant rubbed his hands together, his eyes darting as he considered how to broach his true purpose.

"By the way, Master Luo En, I have some good news for you."

"Oh? What good news?" Luo En raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp and direct.

"Next month, our company will receive a new shipment."

The merchant lowered his voice, adopting a conspiratorial tone. "Rare Species collected from various regions, including some with Special Bloodlines."

Luo En's interest piqued immediately, though he quickly masked his expression.

"Is that so?" He asked casually.

For bloodline research, samples from exotic races were invaluable resources. Especially now, as he ventured into the field of bloodline formulation, experimental materials were crucial.

"You see, our Blake Trading Company isn't just some small shop in the Black Mist Jungle."

The merchant thumped his chest proudly, his voice brimming with bragging. "We're a vast organization spanning multiple regions, with extensive channels and resources."

He leaned closer, lowering his voice further. "If you have any special needs, feel free to inform me in advance. I'll prioritize them personally."

Luo En picked up his teacup, sipping slowly as he pondered.

The tea's temperature was perfect—bitter with a sweet aftertaste that sharpened his thoughts.

If the merchant's claims were true, this company might help him acquire rare materials or bloodline samples from unique Species.

Especially for his current research on bloodline activation and formulation, diverse bloodline references were essential.

"I do have some specific needs."

Luo En set down his cup, meeting the merchant's eyes with calm determination.

"I'm seeking suitable opponents for swordsmanship training—multi-armed serpent demons, sirens, and ideally various dragonkin."

The merchant's smile faltered slightly, his brows furrowing with confusion.

But he quickly regained his cheerful demeanor, though his smile now seemed strained.

"Ah, Master, your requests are quite demanding!" He forced a laugh, his fingers nervously tapping the teacup.

"These Species are extremely rare in the market. Multi-armed serpent demons and dragonkin possess power nearing the Full Mage tier."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "With my current channels... well... it would be difficult to find such high-tier goods. However, for Master Luo En's request, I'll certainly try my best!"

Luo En detected the merchant's wavering resolve—clearly doubting his ability to fulfill the request but unwilling to lose a potential major client.

The forced smile and evasive words spoke volumes about the emptiness of his promise.

"No problem. I understand these are high demands." Luo En said casually.

"However, I have another request that might be easier to fulfill."

"Please, speak!" The merchant brightened, eager to secure any business.

"I've recently become deeply interested in bloodline formulation and am seeking juvenile embryos for research. If your company can bring some viable embryos next month, I'll consider bulk purchases."

"Embryos?" The merchant's eyes lit up, his smile now genuine.

"That's much simpler! Our company regularly collects various exotic race embryos for trade. Bulk purchases naturally come with better pricing."

He rubbed his hands together excitedly, leaning forward with genuine enthusiasm.

"For non-rare Species, each embryo could drop to around fifteen Mana Shard Fragments in bulk—saving at least thirty percent compared to individual purchases!"

"Then next month, once your shipment arrives, send someone to notify me." Luo En nodded, his plan already forming.

After seeing the merchant out, Luo En returned to his lab. The tree spirit stood exactly as he'd left it, vines swaying gently as if silently welcoming him back.

Recalling yesterday's research from the School Library about tree spirit habits, he decided to improve its living Environment according to the book's recommendations.

He first loosened the soil in the workshop's small garden, allowing the tree spirit's roots to extend more comfortably.

After watering it, he added special nutrient solution to the water—formulated based on the book's instructions, containing essential microelements and mana factors.

"This should make you more comfortable."

As he spoke, he watched the tree spirit's vines stretch in the sunlight like someone yawning, expressing quiet satisfaction.

The tree spirit gently touched Luo En's arm with its vines—a silent thank you.

Then it spelled out words in the air: "Thank you, Master."

"Can you speak?" Luo En asked curiously, having never heard the tree spirit produce any sound.

The tree spirit shook its vines, forming: "Cannot speak. Only communicate this way."

"I see." Luo En nodded, then asked, "Do you have a name? Or how would you prefer I address you?"

The tree spirit hesitated, its vines trembling slightly as if pondering. Finally, it spelled: "Ai Lan."

"Ai Lan", Luo En repeated thoughtfully. "A gentle name, fitting for you. From today, I'll call you Ai Lan."

Ai Lan—the tree spirit now known by this name—nodded slightly, its vines trembling with what seemed like quiet joy.

As Luo En turned to leave, Ai Lan spelled another message: "Master, may I assist with your experiment?"

Luo En paused, looking back.

He knew the tree spirit possessed unique perception abilities regarding plants, directly sensing their vitality and characteristics—a rare gift in potion brewing.

"Of course", he smiled, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Let's continue the experiment together. With your help, I'm sure we'll achieve twice the result with half the effort."

...

Luo En now frowned at the bloodline activation potion sample on the table.

"No, not right... Still not working."

The liquid glowed an eerie orange-red, tiny golden particles floating on its surface, occasionally shimmering beautifully.

But beauty didn't equate to success. The energy fluctuations remained unstable, indicating a fatal flaw in the formula.

Though significantly improved through preliminary bloodline formulation principles, the critical step—precisely guiding the bloodline activation direction—remained unsolved.

"If used like this, the activation direction is better than before, but still not precise enough."

Luo En muttered, his fingers rhythmically tapping the table.

"And stability remains an issue—the higher the Vitality, the greater the mutation risk."

As he pondered, Ai Lan's vines swayed, interrupting his thoughts.

Words formed in the air: "An extremely distinguished guest has arrived—a senior individual."

Luo En immediately realized Ai Lan could not only perceive visitors' arrivals but also discern basic characteristics.

What a precious perception ability! The tree spirit's value might far exceed his initial estimation. This investment had indeed been worthwhile.

"I'll greet them. Watch over these experiments for me."

Carefully returning the test tubes to their rack to avoid wasting painstakingly prepared samples, he quickly headed to the reception room.

Opening the door, he saw Magnus standing outside, his white beard gently swaying in the breeze.

"Master Magnus!" Luo En exclaimed, bowing respectfully. "I didn't expect you to visit personally. This truly honors my humble workshop!"

He hadn't anticipated this esteemed Potion Master from the School would personally visit a newcomer like himself. Such treatment exceeded what a junior Potion Master could reasonably expect.

"Haha, young man, no need for such formality."

Magnus waved a hand, entering the room with the calm warmth of an elder. "I came to congratulate you on your new workshop and brought a small gift."

After Magnus sat, he retrieved a small wooden box from his robes.

Opening it revealed a yellowed parchment scroll adorned with faintly visible complex rune borders—a hallmark of advanced potion recipes.

"This is a new Blood Potion formula, one of my early research achievements."

The old man pushed the scroll toward Luo En, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"I heard you're interested in knight cultivation, and your friend An Di is a promising knight prodigy. This formula should prove helpful for both of you."

Luo En accepted the scroll with reverence, carefully unrolling it.

The parchment felt uniquely textured, clearly treated for long-term Preservation.

It detailed an advanced Blood Potion called "Yang Flame Essence"—capable of enhancing physical attributes and amplifying yang mana flow, ideal for those cultivating yang attribute breathing techniques.

"This... this is too valuable", Luo En said sincerely, astonished.

He knew Potion Masters guarded their research jealously; they rarely shared it.

"No need for thanks", Magnus sipped his tea, nodding approvingly.

"Your innate talent during the Certification Examination left a deep impression. Knowledge gains value only through sharing. We old folks should support the new generation."

The elder continued, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "When I was young, I also received guidance. Now I'm simply passing on that spirit of mutual aid..."

Luo En understood the unspoken meaning—this was the very purpose of the "Boon" rule, preventing the mage world from becoming a dark forest...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end