Chapter 170: His "Gaze"

Chapter 170: His "Gaze"

The moment he turned back, Soren was watching him with a subtle, piercing gaze.

The look held both scrutiny and an elusive spark of interest — like an art connoisseur admiring a masterful sculpture.

Luo En bowed respectfully to the Mentors before stepping out of the Central Tower.

As he walked back to his Workshop, twilight deepened, and the oppressive atmosphere of Black Mist Jungle thickened around him.

Strange shrieks echoed from the distance, sending icy shivers down his spine.

Yet none of this could distract Luo En from his thoughts.

"The Lion Scorpion's bloodline does possess unique value", he mused, evaluating his findings from the day.

"The dual-heart system allows separate processing of material mana and spiritual mana, giving it a significant advantage in abyssal environments. Its distributed nervous system grants incredible survival resilience — even severe damage won't disable basic functions."

But he didn't overlook the risks.

"Abyssal Creatures' traits often carry 'pollution' or 'corruption.' Strict isolation measures are necessary to extract useful traits while avoiding harmful contamination."

This was Luo En's research philosophy — insatiable curiosity tempered by methodical experimentation.

As golden sunlight faded into dusk, Luo En returned to his Workshop.

"Teacher!" Liliya rushed forward, concern in her eyes.

"I heard there was controversy over the Gladiator Guild's final rewards. Was everything alright?"

"Master's back!" Daire bounced up and down, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Did you get the prize? Did you?"

Luo En smiled, gently ruffling Daire's silver hair.

"Everything went smoothly. I received all rewards and even acquired some rare research materials."

He briefly summarized his day's experiences but omitted overly technical details.

"And this..." His voice betrayed barely concealed excitement. "I've obtained this."

Carefully, he opened a sandalwood box containing the Puppet Substitute, revealing the precious Abyssal Treasure.

"Wow! What a strange puppet!" Daire leaned closer, eyes wide with curiosity but keeping her hands to herself — she'd been taught never to touch potentially dangerous transcendental items.

"Those eyes..." the little siren whispered, instinctively wary. "It feels like they're watching us."

Liliya's expression turned guarded, lips pressed into a thin line.

"This is the Abyssal Treasure that creates substitutes? It feels ominous. This aura reminds me of cursed puppet legends."

Indeed, even inside the wooden box, the ashen puppet exuded an eerie chill, as if whispering memories from the abyss flowed from it.

Especially the crimson gemstone eyes — even motionless, they seemed to pierce through everything.

"Don't worry", Luo En reassured them.

"Abyssal items often carry unsettling auras, but that's usually superficial. What matters is their function."

Closing the box reduced the eerie presence significantly, as if sealing away the abyssal whispers.

"Still, studying and activating it requires a safer environment. I'll handle it within the Isolation Formation in my laboratory."

His gaze swept the Workshop as he mentally outlined his next steps:

First, studying the Puppet Substitute's usage was critical for realizing his "Furnace Conceptualization."

When possible, apply the dissection knowledge and samples to improve bloodline formulation research.

Most importantly, he needed to fully breakthrough his meditation technique to reach High Apprentice — the key to ascending to higher realms.

"Liliya, prepare some spirit-stabilizing potions tonight — especially 'Clarity' and 'Spirit Shield.'"

He efficiently delegated tasks.

Liliya nodded, accustomed to following orders without questions.

"I'll prepare them immediately. You still have three 'Clarity' potions and two 'Spirit Shield' potions in the cabinet."

Turning to Daire, his tone softened.

"Sweetheart, rest well today. Tomorrow I'll create new 'food' to help you digest the absorbed mana better. This time I'll add some special ingredients — it might taste a bit strange."

Daire beamed, her violet-blue eyes shining.

"I'll be good! Master's 'food' is always the best tasting, even if it's weird!"

Her trust in Luo En was absolute — like a stream clinging to its riverbed, unconditional and unwavering.

After finalizing arrangements, Luo En ascended to his second-floor laboratory, placing the Puppet Substitute carefully at the center of a specialized formation.

All ritual formations inside and outside the Workshop activated simultaneously.

Runes glowed like fireflies in darkness, weaving an invisible barrier that completely isolated internal energy fluctuations from the outside world.

Sitting cross-legged at the lab's center, Luo En faced the eerie puppet — now removed from its box and resting on a silver pedestal.

Flickering candlelight cast unstable shadows, as if the flames might extinguish at any moment.

"Everything prepared."

He inhaled deeply, locking eyes with the puppet's crimson gemstones.

Through his Transcendent Perception ability, he'd already grasped the Abyssal Treasure's working principles and activation method.

Like other rare relics, activation required his blood as a medium — only his blood would work.

But unlike the Shapeshifter's Skin and pocket watch, the Puppet Substitute demanded the user channel part of their consciousness or soul for true binding.

This was a deeper, more dangerous process requiring utmost caution.

Luo En drew a small silver dagger, slicing his fingertip.

Crimson blood welled from the wound like tiny pearls.

He squeezed the cut, letting a single drop land precisely on the puppet's forehead — into an almost imperceptible shallow depression.

The moment the blood touched the puppet, the runes on its surface greedily absorbed it like a desert drinking rainwater, vanishing instantly.

Once fully absorbed, the puppet emitted a faint buzz — like distant sighs carried on the wind.

Soon, the previously dull runes began glowing faintly red.

Pulsing steadily like a heartbeat, they imbued the lifeless object with an eerie semblance of life.

Channeling mana, the puppet began inflating like a balloon.

"Next — consciousness transfer."

Luo En watched the now human-sized puppet, brow furrowed, as he reached out to touch its forehead.

Coldness surged through his fingertips — not merely physical, but a spiritual void.

Yet as contact continued, the chill transformed into familiarity, as if reconnecting with a lost fragment of himself.

Closing his eyes, he began channeling consciousness through his fingertips.

Resistance grew with each passing moment — like pouring water into an almost full cup, each additional drop harder than the last.

"As expected, the limitation isn't compatibility but capacity."

As Hayaek warned, the Puppet Substitute strictly limited consciousness transfer.

Too little — ineffective control.

Too much — adverse effects on the original consciousness, like tearing paper in half — each piece unable to function as the whole.

This limitation likely explained why even Full Mages struggled to use this treasure effectively.

Luo En carefully adjusted the flow, his Spiritual Energy Control precision far surpassing ordinary cultivators.

Suddenly, a strange "splitting sensation" emerged — as if an invisible blade cleaved his consciousness in two.

【Puppet Substitute Activated Successfully!】
【Current Mana: 0/100%】
【Effect: Creates a substitute sharing partial capabilities, currently in basic simulation mode】
【Maximum Distance: 100 meters】
【Trait: Dual Consciousness (User can control both body and substitute simultaneously)】

Testing his control, Luo En willed the puppet to raise its arm.

The puppet obeyed, but movements were stiff and mechanical — like a newborn learning to walk or a rusted tin man, every joint moving with visible rigidity.

"Harder to control than expected." A flicker of dissatisfaction crossed his eyes before calm returned.

He sensed his divided consciousness could control the puppet, but far less naturally than his original body.

"So this is what Hayaek meant by 'divided attention' difficulties."

Understanding dawned — ordinary apprentices struggled with this dual-control challenge.

Without immense spiritual energy and consciousness control, managing two bodies risked coordination failures, mental exhaustion, or even injury.

But thanks to his "Dual Soul" innate talent, Luo En held a clear advantage over ordinary apprentices.

"The puppet only simulates a physical body, not truly recreates one."

Through meticulous experimentation, Luo En gradually understood the puppet's nature.

Rather than splitting consciousness, it operated through a "transmission-imitation" mechanism.

The user must expend significant mana to transmit information to the puppet, which then mimics actions and abilities with some information loss and delay.

This explained why the puppet's capabilities always felt diluted — like movements passing through a damping mechanism.

"This means my vision of doubling cultivation effectiveness won't work immediately."

He felt momentary disappointment.

He'd hoped to cultivate simultaneously through both bodies for accelerated progress.

But now, the puppet felt more like a remote-controlled automaton — slightly more flexible, yet far from achieving true "dual cultivation" synergy.

Information flowed only one way — the puppet couldn't transmit experiences back.

This also meant his plan to let the puppet bear Demon Hunter route risks while his original body enjoyed benefits remained temporarily unfeasible.

Demon Hunter class advancements required physical transformations, not just superficial simulations.

He checked the interface information again:

[Note: When Charging reaches 50%, the "Deep Binding" function will unlock, enabling two-way information transmission between puppet and original body.]

"This might solve our current problem." Luo En mused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"If the puppet can transmit status feedback to the original body, then the concepts of 'Dual-Body Cultivation' and 'Risk Containment' become feasible."

But currently, the puppet's charging gauge showed zero. Reaching 50% would take significant effort.

He had previously inquired with Shapeshifter - the high-concentration mana within Mana Stones was actually compatible with all "Rare Relics".

However, with the Workshop just entering production phase, his Mana Stone reserves remained limited.

After several test runs, he found one complete Mana Stone only replenished 1% charge. He had earmarked these for recording capability in "Thousand Shifting Shadows".

This "Puppet Substitute's" charging would need to wait.

With that thought, Luo En resumed several sets of precision experiments, testing the puppet's functional limits.

"As a starting point, this is already quite impressive." He concluded, "While there are many limitations, the Puppet Substitute's tactical value remains undeniable."

In combat, a body capable of damage absorption and auxiliary tasks would undoubtedly boost survival capabilities and tactical Spirit Vitality. Using the puppet for pathfinding, diverting enemy attention, executing feints, or acting as a last-minute decoy - all practical applications.

Most crucially, this Abyssal Treasure genuinely resonated with his "Dual Soul" innate talent. The synergy far surpassed Hayaek's description of merely "mechanical stiffness".

But to fully harness the puppet's potential, Luo En knew what needed doing - breakthrough to High Apprentice stage and obtain stronger spiritual energy. Only when his spiritual energy reached sufficient power could he better control this complex consciousness division. Two bodies moving as effortlessly as arms and legs, rather than the current precarious balancing act.

"Breakthrough has become urgent."

Luo En withdrew his spirit from the experiment, retracting the consciousness portion infused into the puppet.

The puppet immediately stopped moving, like a marionette with severed strings. The glow in its eyes faded as it returned to its sealed, inert state.

Yet a subtle connection had been established.

Carefully, he placed the now-shrunken, mana-depleted puppet back into its ebony box, ensuring the containment seals remained intact to prevent mana leakage.

Then he headed to the preparation chamber to inspect the auxiliary potions Liliya had readied.

The vials stood neatly arranged on shelves, each bearing detailed labels specifying formulas, effects, and applications. The key "Clarity" and "Spirit Shield" potions particularly stood out, glowing faint blue and gold respectively, awaiting their moment.

"Time to begin the final push."

Looking at the potions prepared for his breakthrough, Luo En's gaze held both anticipation and caution.

Meditation technique breakthroughs always carried risks. The quantitative-to-qualitative transformation of spiritual energy resembled water reaching boiling point - simultaneously a threshold and most unstable state.

A single minor mistake could lead to total failure, even irreversible spirit damage.

Madame Ellen had warned him before:

"Inspiration is both opportunity and danger. Many promising mage talents were lost at this very junction."

Ironically, he was precisely the type with excessively high Inspiration.

He exhaled slowly, eyes lingering on the potions as if confirming final safety measures.

Picking up the first vial - "Ambra Mind Elixir" - capable of temporarily clearing mental clutter and enhancing spirit concentration. It helped users enter meditative state faster while reducing external interference.

Carefully uncorking the bottle, the potion immediately released a faint grassy aroma, like the first wisps of dawn breeze.

He tilted his head back and downed it in one motion.

Coolness spread from his throat throughout his body, like a clear stream cleansing every cell. The usual chaotic thoughts dissipated like fog in wind, leaving only pure focus.

Next came the second vial - "Spirit Amplification Serum" - temporarily boosting spiritual energy activity.

Its side effects included mild headaches, with excessive use potentially causing brief hallucinations.

He cautiously took a medium dose, avoiding overstimulation-induced accidents.

The slightly spicy liquid burned as it slid down, like spreading flames igniting his body.

He felt his spiritual energy surge with renewed vigor, sharpened senses heightened.

Finally, he consumed the third "Spirit Shield" potion - his ultimate safeguard against potential high-intensity spirit pollution.

Preparations complete, Luo En settled cross-legged.

As his body relaxed, consciousness gradually detached from physical perception, descending into his familiar meditative state.

With deeper focus, his spirit world unfolded - an endless star chart.

Complex Stellar Runes naturally formed within his consciousness space, resembling a precise cosmic model.

Each node emitted steady, faint light, interconnected in perfect harmony.

This was "The Murmuring of the Star Devourer" core structure. Through prolonged cultivation, Luo En could now effortlessly construct this intricate model while maintaining stable operation.

Compared to its initial fragile, wobbling state, the current rune structure was robust yet flexible, capable of channeling greater spiritual energy flow.

His spiritual energy coursed along rune pathways like star-river currents, forming a perfect cycle.

Each cycle deepened his understanding of cosmic and spiritual energy essence - every circulation akin to a small death and rebirth of thought.

Gradually, Luo En sensed his consciousness drifting from physical form into a vaster realm.

Surrounding him stretched infinite cosmic stars, countless celestial bodies sparkling in darkness.

Now more than mere light points, they lived - each containing unique mana and information, as if innumerable eyes watching this intruder.

Though he'd experienced this before, each time brought new sensations and insights. Stars' appearances subtly changed each session, like living entities transforming rather than static background.

"Today's meditation state remains stable."

Mentally noting this, he continued guiding spiritual energy circulation.

From past experience, maintaining deep meditation required sufficient duration.

Time became both abnormally slow and immeasurably vast.

He couldn't tell if minutes or hours had passed. In this state, time concepts blurred, even disappearing entirely.

Only spiritual energy flow and accumulation remained tangible - like a sponge gradually soaking full, growing heavier and more vibrant.

[The Murmuring of the Star Devourer (Proficient) Experience Points +1]

[Current Progress: The Murmuring of the Star Devourer (Proficient 197/300)]

Just a few more experience points would complete the first stage cultivation of "The Murmuring of the Star Devourer", officially granting him High Apprentice status.

He focused more intently, completely immersing himself in meditation.

Spiritual energy flowed faster along rune pathways, like water nearing boiling point.

With growing energy accumulation, his consciousness sea gradually surged.

Something felt on the verge of erupting.

This sensation combined anticipation and fear - like standing at a cliff's edge, both dreading the fall and craving flight.

[The Murmuring of the Star Devourer (Proficient) Experience Points +1]

[Current Progress: The Murmuring of the Star Devourer (Proficient 198/300)]

As the numbers approached critical mass, surrounding stars brightened.

Their light gained rhythm, no longer static flickers but pulsing patterns conveying information.

An ancient, mysterious language - silent, expressed through light-shadow transformations.

[The Murmuring of the Star Devourer (Proficient) Experience Points +1]

[Current Progress: The Murmuring of the Star Devourer (Proficient 199/300)]

Spiritual energy surged stronger than ever. Luo En felt unprecedented pressure, as if the entire universe compressed to crush him into dust.

The starry realm seemed alive with indescribable vitality. Lights fluctuated faster, forming mysterious drumbeats vibrating through Luo En's consciousness core.

This was "The Murmuring of the Star Devourer's" most dangerous and precious phase - the "Crowning" trait had activated.

[Current Inspiration Activated - Maintain Maximum Caution!]

Previously orderly stars suddenly swirled violently, as if stirred by an invisible hand, forming a colossal vortex.

Luo En's consciousness got drawn into the swirling depths.

The vortex center revealed profound darkness - darker than surrounding cosmos, capable of devouring all light.

The darkness stirred, like a giant eyelid slowly lifting.

A massive, indescribable "eye" opened in the void, fixing its gaze on Luo En.

This wasn't a human-concept eye, but rather a phenomenon, a higher-dimensional existence.

It possessed no definite form, yet radiated overwhelming presence.

Unlike previous encounters, this time the "eye" truly looked at him, not just scanning aimlessly.

Its gaze contained indescribable emotions - not anger, not curiosity, not indifference...

But something... questioning?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end