Chapter 145: The "Tracing Mark" Trait

Chapter 145: The "Tracing Mark" Trait

That was a "Boon"—a unique mana link between mentor and student.

It felt like cool, sweet spring water flowing into a parched throat—comforting yet invigorating.

Compared to the last time, this "Boon" felt more even and enduring, like a gentle drizzle instead of a sudden downpour.

Luo En closed his eyes, feeling the mana circulating through his body.

He had already learned to guide this precious energy to where it was most needed.

【Mana: 2.0 → 2.05 (+0.05)】

Though the increase seemed minor, Luo En knew such slow, steady accumulation was the healthiest and most sustainable path to growth.

Just like Liliya's "Diligence Compensates for Inadequacy" innate talent, small progress today would eventually snowball into astonishing achievements.

"Teacher, what's wrong?" Liliya asked, puzzled by Luo En's sudden silence.

"Nothing much", Luo En replied, opening his eyes with a smile.

"I was just reflecting on the inspiration your progress gave me. Sometimes, the most stable path might also be the grandest one."

Liliya nodded vaguely, then turned back to organizing herbs.

Watching the diligent girl, Luo En felt a unique sense of fulfillment.

Teaching was never just one-way giving. The relationship between mentor and student was a wondrous symbiosis—both parties grew through this process.

Shaking off the thoughts, he walked toward the backyard, where Daire's cheerful laughter echoed.

The little siren's transformation was far more dramatic and visible than Liliya's.

Since devouring those failed autophagic slimes, her growth rate had become staggering.

In just three days, Daire had grown nearly ten centimeters taller, her physique approaching that of an eight or nine-year-old human child.

She could now remain active on land for an astonishing four hours—nearly double her previous limit.

Even more astounding was her control over elements.

Once barely able to form tiny water spheres, she now manipulated entire water dragons, dancing freely through the air.

She had even begun to show preliminary perception of other elements, displaying surprising affinity for wind.

"Master, look at my new skill!" Daire excitedly demonstrated her latest ability.

She pressed her palms together, then slowly pulled them apart, forming a spinning water vortex between her hands.

Then, an unexpected phenomenon occurred—

Soft breezes swirled around the vortex, gradually merging with the water to create a miniature wind-water symbiotic entity.

"Wind and water fusion?" Luo En raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That's not an ordinary siren's ability."

Activating his "Transcendent Perception", he carefully examined Daire's transformation:

【Siren Daire
Bloodline Purity: Silver-Ring 99% (nearly reaching Gold-Ring threshold)
Elemental Affinity: Water (primary), Wind (moderate), Fire (faint)
Special Abilities: Water Elemental Control, Wind Element Perception, Elemental Fusion (nascent)
Physical Condition: Exceptional health, vibrant vitality, enhanced growth potential】

"Truly astounding innate talent..." Luo En couldn't help but marvel.

"She's already approaching Gold-Ring bloodline status and has developed elemental fusion as an innate talent."

This development exceeded his expectations. Conventionally, sirens excelled at water manipulation but rarely resonated with other elements.

Daire's wind-water fusion suggested her bloodline was undergoing some unique evolution.

"Master, can I have more of those soft, delicious things?"

Daire asked hopefully, her eyes sparkling with expectation.

"They were absolutely delicious!"

Luo En shook his head gently.

"Those were failed experiments—there's none left. But don't worry, I'm working on a better 'recipe' for you. Once my bloodline formulation ability progresses, I'll prepare more targeted nutritional sources for you."

The greedy little siren left disappointed, continuing her elemental manipulation practice in the courtyard.

Returning to his laboratory, Luo En turned to the remaining two autophagic slime molds.

These tiny lifeforms floated in nutrient solution, unaware of the experiment to come.

"The last experiment helped me reach the critical point of bloodline formulation skills. This time, with extra effort, I should finally breakthrough and gain an additional trait."

Luo En retrieved a detailed experimental plan.

Unlike previous attempts, this time he designed three progressive complex experiments to explore higher realms of bloodline formulation.

For the first experiment, he selected three relatively mild bloodlines:
Grassland wolf fur, mountain goat horn, and flying squirrel dander.

While these creatures lacked transcendent traits, each possessed unique traits—wolf agility, goat resilience, and squirrel dexterity.

"Theoretically, the more ordinary the lifeform, the easier bloodline fusion. Better to start simple and progress gradually."

Luo En carefully introduced the three materials in sequence into the first slime mold.

As expected, this low-level fusion proceeded smoothly.

The slime mold formed a distinct three-layer structure—clear boundaries but no rejection reactions.

"Good, foundational testing successful. Now entering phase two."

The second experiment posed a significant challenge.

Luo En selected a transcendent lifeform—scales from a fire-elemental "Fire Lizard"—attempting to integrate them into ordinary animal bloodlines.

The challenge lay in the natural mana gap between transcendent and ordinary lifeforms. Forced fusion often caused mana overflow, completely assimilating or collapsing the ordinary bloodline.

Luo En's solution involved progressive layering:
First establishing an ordinary bloodline network as a stable foundational framework,
Then diluting the Transcendent Bloodline and injecting it in small increments, allowing time for adaptation,
Finally increasing Transcendent Bloodline concentration once overall stability was achieved.

This process demanded extreme Spiritual Energy Control—experienced bloodline modifiers would find it taxing.

Yet leveraging his deep research into multivariate growth paths, especially alchemical insights, Luo En successfully completed this formulation.

The slime mold exhibited a gentle orange-red hue, with smooth internal mana flow indicating successful fusion.

"Excellent. Now for the final challenge."

The third experiment was the most ambitious attempt—Luo En planned to fuse three entirely different Transcendent Bloodlines within a single slime mold:

Air elemental sprite essence, crystal scorpion stinger, and shadow wolf fur.

The three creatures differed not only in elemental attributes but also in lifeforms entirely.

According to conventional theory, such a combination was almost destined to fail.

But Luo En had his own vision: "The key isn't forcing incompatible bloodlines to fuse, but finding their common ground to establish a unique equilibrium."

First, he constructed a triangular mana flow pattern within the slime, arranging the three bloodlines into a cyclical loop instead of direct contact.

Next, he created a mana buffer zone as a transit hub between the three bloodlines.

This design ensured the three bloodline mana weren't a simple chimera but formed a mutually beneficial symbiosis:

The fluidity of Wind Element helped crystal mana diffuse more effectively, the structural integrity of crystal mana provided a vessel for shadow energy, and the penetrative nature of shadow energy enhanced the Wind Element's permeability.

The entire experiment lasted nearly two hours, draining nearly all of Luo En's spiritual energy.

But when the final wisp of mana stabilized, the slime displayed an unprecedented composite state:

Its surface shimmered with flowing gray-blue hues, while the interior glittered with crystalline lightheartedness, dark shadows weaving through its core. The three mana types coexisted in perfect harmony, never interfering.

【Bloodline Formulation Experience Points +1】

【Breakthrough! Bloodline Formulation (Entry-Level 50/50) → Bloodline Formulation (Proficient 1/100)】

【Acquired Additional Trait: Tracing Mark

(Capable of identifying bloodline traces within organisms and tracing ancestral characteristics)】

Luo En inhaled deeply, feeling the surge of new knowledge and insight within him.

The "Tracing Mark" trait was undoubtedly a precious ability for a bloodline modifier.

Eager to test this newfound power, he immediately turned his attention to the successful slime experiment, attempting to trace the origins of its fused bloodlines.

To his surprise, he could not only perceive the directly introduced bloodlines but even discern their ancient sources:

Within the Wind Elemental sprite's bloodline, faint traces of the "Elemental Lord" faintly emerged—a possible remnant from countless generations ago.

Within the Crystal Scorpion's ancestry, influences from "Earth Vein Crystals" appeared, granting it crystallization abilities unlike ordinary scorpions.

And deep within the Shadow Wolf's bloodline lurked a sliver of the "Multiple Shadows" essence—a rare creature from the Shadow Plane.

"Absolutely incredible..." Luo En mused inwardly.

"This tracing ability surpasses my expectations, not only revealing bloodline composition but uncovering hidden ancestral traits buried by time."

However, he realized that Tracing Mark alone couldn't pinpoint evolutionary traces so precisely—perhaps the Proficient-level "Transcendent Perception" also played a role.

This meant future bloodline formulations for Daire or other creatures would allow him to grasp their fundamental bloodline essence more accurately, bypassing trial-and-error to identify optimal pathways.

Even more excitingly, this tracing ability seemed applicable beyond experimental subjects—it worked on ordinary living beings too.

Testing this theory, Luo En shifted focus to his own Crimson Bloodline, immediately receiving an unprecedentedly clear bloodline map:

【Crimson Bloodline Ancestry:

Yangyan Dragon (Stellar Ring)

→ Scarlet Flame Dragon (Quasi-Stellar Ring)

→Crimson Blood Sky Dragon (Gold-Ring)

→Volcanic Lizard Dragon (Silver-Ring)

→Fire Lizard (Copper-Ring)】

This clear lineage revealed the entire degradation process of his bloodline, pointing toward potential future activations:

Refining the Crimson Bloodline theoretically offered chances to restore it to the Flame Dragon form or even higher tiers.

"Let me try applying this ability to Daire first..."

Luo En left the laboratory and walked into the courtyard.

Daire was helping Ai Lan tend the flowerbeds, the little siren moving with surprising agility as if perfectly adapted to land life.

"Daire, could you come here for a moment?" Luo En called gently.

The siren skipped over joyfully. "Master, what's the matter?"

Without explanation, Luo En simply placed his hand on Daire's shoulder, activating the "Tracing Mark" ability.

The siren, thinking her master wanted to play, sweetly leaned her icy-cold cheek against his hand, her skin smooth as jade.

But Luo En barely noticed the tactile sensation as an astonishing bloodline map unfolded in his mind:

【Siren Daire Bloodline Ancestry:

Ocean Current God (Moon-Ring)

→Singer of the Abyss (Stellar Ring)

→Pureblood Siren (Gold-Ring)

→Ordinary Siren (Silver-Ring)】

"Incredible..."

Luo En's eyes widened in shock.

"Daire's ancestry actually contains a Moon-Ring-level mythical bloodline! Such bloodline purity explains her remarkable growth potential."

Even more excitingly, he discovered an unactivated special ability branch within Daire's bloodline—"Sonic Resonance."

This appeared to be a unique transcendent ability inherent to sirens, related to sound and mana resonance, potentially awakening through specific training methods.

"Daire, I have some good news", Luo En said, withdrawing his hand with a smile.

"I've found a method to dramatically enhance your abilities—one perfectly suited to your nature."

The little siren blinked curiously. "What kind of method, Master?"

"Singing", Luo En answered simply.

"Among your ancestors were beings called 'Singers of the Abyss.' They could manipulate elements through special songs, even influencing others' emotions and thoughts. This ability still sleeps within your bloodline, waiting to be awakened through the right methods."

Daire's eyes lit up immediately. "Really? I've always loved singing! When I was in my crystal tank, I'd often hum little melodies to myself!"

"Perfect", Luo En nodded. "Starting tomorrow, I'll design a special vocal scale regimen to help awaken this innate talent."

And speaking of tomorrow—after finishing this task, he'd be right on time for the Backup Mage Sequence's quarterly meeting...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end