Chapter 124: Other World
Chapter 124: Other World
Luo En straightened his robes and strode slowly toward the guest hall.
The moment he pushed open the door, his gaze flickered with mild surprise before settling into calm.
Cui Xi had clearly made an effort to dress up today:
A light green silk gown hugged her increasingly statuesque frame, its hem embroidered with silver threads depicting a forest and starry constellations. Her long chestnut hair was pinned back with a silver leaf hairpin, a few loose strands framing her face and accentuating her delicate beauty.
"Luo En!" she smiled shyly upon seeing him, her soft red lips parting slightly.
“It’s been a while, Cui Xi.”
Luo En noticed the Panther Girl standing respectfully behind Cui Xi and nodded briefly before turning back to her.
“Time flies. I almost thought you’d forgotten me, your hometown friend.”
His tone carried equal parts teasing and mild complaint, though no real anger lurked beneath it.
Cui Xi’s face flushed with guilt as she bit her lip.
“I—” She hesitated, then drew a deep breath. “I’ve been swamped. So much to handle lately… I just never found the time to visit.”
Luo En waved a hand dismissively, guiding her to seats while Li Yue retreated to a corner, her beast-like eyes scanning the environment like a vigilant guard.
Ai Lan silently served tea. Cui Xi thanked her, momentarily startled by the tree spirit’s humanoid grace before refocusing on their conversation.
“I heard you’ve joined the Backup Mage Sequence—as an Intermediate Apprentice, no less.” She sipped her tea, admiration mingling with a hint of complexity in her voice. “Your progress rate is… incredible.”
Luo En lifted his cup, unperturbed. “Thanks to you. The potion orders you arranged gave me steady income to focus on cultivation.”
“Mutual benefit,” she smiled. “Your potions helped me too…” She paused, as if weighing her next words. “How have you been lately?”
Luo En raised an eyebrow, curiosity perfectly calibrated.
“I’ve been assisting Kelinnamentor with a Bloodline Awakening experiment,” she admitted. “That’s why I’ve been so busy.”
His interest spiked instantly, though his demeanor remained relaxed. “Bloodline Awakening? Sounds intriguing. Tell me more.”
As a newly Bloodline Activated Bloodline Knight with three Chimera Bloodline cores still unfilled, any bloodline-related information was invaluable.
Cui Xi nodded, pride flickering in her eyes. “Kelinnamentor’s helping me awaken my Forest Elves bloodline. It’s early days, but already some visible transformations…”
Her hand instinctively brushed her ear, drawing his attention to the subtle pointed curve now shaping its tip—the unmistakable mark of elven heritage. Her eyes, catching the Mana Crystal Lamp’s glow, shimmered with emerald hues.
Luo En studied the changes, curiosity mingling with envy.
“Notice something?” she tilted her chin, half-teasing.
“Remarkable,” he admitted. “Any practical abilities yet?”
Her eyes lit up—exactly the question she’d hoped for. Rising, she approached a potted plant by the window.
Fingers grazing a sprouting seedling, she closed her eyes, focusing. Seconds later, a faint green aura pulsed from her fingertips to the plant.
It erupted into growth—stems elongated, leaves unfurled, and pale pink buds bloomed before their eyes.
“Nature Affinity—one of the Forest Elves’ signature gifts.” She withdrew her hand, pride evident yet tinged with frustration. “Still limited to small plants like herbs and flowers. Trees? Not yet.”
“Even this is extraordinary,” Luo En said sincerely, already envisioning potion ingredients of unmatched quality. “Your future cultivation materials will dwarf market-grade ones.”
A rustling sound interrupted them. Ai Lan approached from the sunlit courtyard, vines swaying as if responding to an unheard call.
“Master,” the tree spirit’s leaves traced words in the air, “I sense a strange kinship… yet also instinctive wariness.”
Cui Xi’s eyes widened—first with shock at a writing tree spirit, then with burgeoning fascination.
“Ancestral Reversion Activated tree spirit?!” She stepped closer, eyes gleaming like a scholar spotting a relic. “You’ve achieved deep Vitality Activation! This transformation stage…” Her voice wavered with envy. “A rare, self-activated Ancestral Reversion tree spirit? Pure bloodline heritage… sheer luck!”
Luo En smirked inwardly—luck indeed, though sourced from Blake’s seventy Mana Shard Fragments, not divine favor.
“Familiar with tree spirits?” he asked.
“We Forest Elves consider them symbiotic species.” Her voice softened, nostalgic. “Ancient Forest Elves revered them as ‘Guardians of the Forest’—closest allies.”
Hesitant, she reached toward Ai Lan’s vines, then paused. Luo En nodded.
Ai Lan inclined gracefully, allowing Cui Xi to stroke her branches—like sunlight bending toward warmth.
“Marvelous…” Cui Xi whispered. “Her bloodline vitality far surpasses ordinary tree spirits. You’ve struck gold, Luo En.”
“Back to your Awakening,” he redirected. “Ritual? Potion?”
Her eyes sparkled. “A specialized meditation technique tailored for my Forest Elves bloodline.” She leaned in, voice lowering. “But Kelinnamentor aims higher—toward Moon Elf lineage.”
“Moon Elves?”
“World Tree royal clan,” she breathed. “Possessing life and moonlight mysteries—anciently revered!”
Luo En noted her yearning—mirroring Andie’s longing for Yangyan Dragon heritage. Bloodline tracing was an instinctive hunger for the gifted.
“But,” her brow furrowed, “the meditation technique imposes immense spiritual pressure. That’s why I kept buying protective potions from Li Yue.”
Luo En tensed.
“Hearing you mastered potion-making to suppress spirit pollution… I wanted to visit even more.”
“Recent research,” he deflected. “Only temporary relief, no cure.”
Ai Lan replenished their tea silently.
“So,” Luo En sipped, probing, “how effective is the Awakening?”
Cui Xi’s expression darkened—hope, frustration, and stubbornness warring.
“Slower than expected. Kelinnamentor believes we need a stronger catalytic environment to breakthrough.” She hesitated. “Ever heard of a ‘Bloodline Altar’?”
Unfamiliar—and absent from Luo En’s Compendium of Transcendent Bloodlines.
“Crystal Spire’s remote jungle campus—rich resources?” he guessed. “Secrecy?”
“Partly,” she shook her head. “Primarily, a rift to an Exotic Rift exists here—a gateway to the Bloodline Altar.”
Luo En’s pupils contracted. Other World!
As a reincarnator, he grasped its value—an irreplaceable resource for any cultivator.
(End of Chapter)
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