Chapter 210: Casting Medium

Chapter 210: Casting Medium

"Don’t worry. It’s just making optimal use of resources", Luo En said with a smile, nudging the box closer.

"Ai Lan is delighted that part of her essence can assist you, and crafting this level of alchemy item isn’t difficult for me now", he added.

He paused slightly, then continued with a touch of regret:

"Unfortunately, the black mist School lacks Enchanters. Otherwise, inscribing amplification runes would elevate its effect further. Perhaps when you reach the Crystal Spire, you can seek an Enchanter to engrave additional runes onto it."

Cui Xi carefully accepted the box, her eyes flickering with emotion.

She gently traced the vine-patterned staff. When her fingertip brushed the emerald leaf, it glowed faintly, resonating with the forest power within her bloodline.

"This is absolutely perfect", she murmured, her voice brimming with unrestrained joy. "It feels tailored specifically for me—I can feel its resonance with my bloodline."

"Actually, there’s a small favor I’d like to ask", Luo En said, watching Cui Xi glance up in surprise.

He hesitated momentarily, nearly bringing up his request for Cui Xi’s blood sample before swallowing the words.

In a mage’s world, blood was the most private and perilous substance. It contained life’s essence and served as the ideal medium for curses. Even between blood relatives or lifelong partners, no one would recklessly let their blood fall into another’s hands. This was the most fundamental caution in the magical world—no one could predict when an ally might become an enemy.

Possessing someone’s blood meant holding the key to their life. This was precisely why bloodline modifier clients were almost exclusively supernatural slaves or non-human beings.

Luo En had never heard of a mage willingly undergoing bloodline enhancement via a modifier, for it meant surrendering control of one’s fate to another.

His gaze flickered as he shifted his request: "I’d like to collect more of Li Yue’s blood samples for my bloodline experiments. The previous ones are exhausted, and my research is at a critical stage."

Though Cui Xi’s Forest Elves bloodline held greater value for his studies, he recognized this unbreakable boundary. Even as a farewell gift, requesting her blood would instantly shatter the fragile trust they’d built.

Moreover, Kelinna had surely warned Cui Xi about this—never let one’s blood fall into anyone’s hands, not even close friends.

Cui Xi blinked, then smiled knowingly. "That explains why you prepared such an extravagant gift."

She chuckled softly, her eyes betraying relief rather than displeasure.

Luo En caught the fleeting relaxation in her expression. She’d likely feared a more intrusive request that might spoil their cordial atmosphere.

"Simple enough. Li Yue’s waiting outside for me", Cui Xi said easily, her tone visibly lighter.

A servant’s blood was merely expendable—a harmless request. From her sharp observation, she also sensed Luo En’s fascination with non-human bloodline research, making this demand quite reasonable.

"Appreciate it", Luo En said with a grateful nod, secretly pleased.

This exchange benefited both parties—precious research material for him, a perfectly attuned staff for Cui Xi. While he’d missed obtaining the ideal Forest Elves sample, the Panther Girl’s blood still held immense value, especially with her Sovereign Bloodline lineage.

Cui Xi carefully tucked the staff and box into her Storage Bag, handling it like a sacred treasure.

"Then I’ll accept this gift", she said, her voice softening as she lifted her gaze. A subtle glimmer flickered in her eyes—an intricate mix of gratitude and reluctance.

"This staff will always remind me of our pact and..." Her voice dropped, almost a sigh, "our friendship."

In that moment, her usual composed facade cracked, revealing the vulnerable heart of a young girl about to leave her familiar world, feeling both anticipation and anxiety toward the unknown future.

Luo En sensed her inner turmoil but tactfully remained silent. In a mage’s world, displaying excessive emotion was often seen as weakness—especially for those aspiring to strength.

After a brief exchange, Cui Xi turned to the door and returned shortly with Li Yue.

The Panther Girl still wore her tight leather outfit, the intricate patterns gleaming under sunlight. A keen eye would notice her nails were sharper now, with faint purplish luster—a mark of her successful Lion Scorpion toxin integration.

"Master said you need a blood sample", Li Yue said flatly, her voice devoid of emotion.

Luo En nodded, retrieving specialized blood collection vials and a small silver scalpel.

"Yes, just a few vials. Shouldn’t trouble you much."

"Understood, Lao sir." The Panther Girl rolled up her sleeve, revealing her speckled arm. "Proceed."

Luo En made a swift incision. Crimson blood welled up instantly, but Li Yue’s expression remained unchanged, not even a flicker of pain.

"Your pain receptors seem dulled", he observed while skillfully directing the blood into vials.

"Yes", she answered, watching her bleeding arm. "Since integrating Lion Scorpion toxin, my senses have transformed. I can now control pain suppression at will, giving me an edge in combat."

"Third vial", Luo En said, replacing the second bottle. "Almost done."

Li Yue nodded, keeping her gaze respectfully on her arm, avoiding the workshop’s various apparatus.

After finishing, Luo En handed her a vial of pale green ointment. "Apply this to heal the wound faster, no scar."

The ointment worked instantly. The wound faded to a faint red line within moments.

"Time’s passing", Cui Xi rose, straightening her robes and refastening her composed mask. "Master Valen said the Gargoyle departs at dawn the day after tomorrow. I have much to prepare."

"Of course", Luo En stood. "Let me see you out."

At the door, Cui Xi turned back. "Looking forward to meeting again as Full Mages."

"Of course", he nodded. "Wishing you success at the Crystal Spire. Don’t forget our bet—I won’t take victory lightly."

Her smile carried teasing warmth. "You’re always confident, but I won’t lose to you easily."

Her expression turned serious. "Take care of yourself, Luo En. Whatever you’re planning, remember—only the living can move forward."

Her words stirred something in him. Had she sensed his intentions? Or was it just a sincere farewell blessing? Either way, the genuine concern warmed his heart.

"I will", he promised gravely. "And you—Crystal Spire’s competition will be fiercer than here."

Cui Xi gave a slight nod, as if she wanted to say something else, but ultimately just turned and walked away.

Her silhouette stood exceptionally straight in the morning light, her brown hair shimmering in the sunlight like a sunflower reaching toward the sun.

Luo En stood at the doorway, silently watching her depart.

This self-restraint was practically a mandatory discipline for all mages—emotions were regarded as disruptive noise interfering with rational judgment and needed to be effectively controlled.

“Master, I can sense that Miss Cui Xi…” Ai Lan’s voice drifted from behind, interrupting Luo En’s thoughts.

He turned to see the tree spirit standing nearby, her emerald-green eyes glinting with insight: “...she seems to care for you deeply.”

Ai Lan’s perceptiveness, as always, was razor-sharp, effortlessly uncovering hidden emotions in humans.

“Perhaps,” Luo En didn’t deny it, merely responding softly:
“She has her own path, and I have mine. We might be friends, or perhaps rivals, but ultimately we both pursue our own strength.”

Ai Lan gave a slight nod, her vines swaying gently, moving as if in thought:
“Wherever you go, Master, we will follow.”

Luo En smiled, his gaze drifting toward the distant horizon.

As Cui Xi had said, only by staying alive could one keep moving forward.
Only through constant progress could one eventually reach that ultimate realm.

“Complete charging for Puppet Substitute, take the Demon Hunter title, become a Full Mage, craft Darkblade…” Luo En mentally mapped out his plans:
“No matter what, I must quickly strengthen myself to face any potential danger.”

The sunset gradually sank below the horizon, casting a golden-red glow over the Black Mist Jungle, another day quickly passing…

…………

After bidding farewell to Cui Xi and Li Yue, Luo En returned to the laboratory deep within the Workshop.

He sat at the workbench, staring at the neatly arranged row of reagent bottles before him, lost in thought.

“My spell system is gradually taking shape, yet something feels… missing.”

Luo En murmured to himself, his fingers lightly drumming on the table.

Since becoming a High Apprentice, he had steadily built a remarkably stable set of thought circuits.

“Sound Wave Oscillation” served as his primary attack method, “Radiant Halo” provided versatile tactical support, and the first-tier spell “Flowing Barrier” offered solid defense.

Yet Luo En wasn’t satisfied.

The true path of a mage lay not only in mastering existing spells, but in continuously innovating and refining them.

His thoughts shifted to the very first spell he had ever learned—“Slime Splash.”

This foundational spell had once carried him through several crises, but had gradually faded from his combat repertoire.

“Too short a range, too slow a flight speed, and the control effect pales in comparison to ‘Sound Wave Oscillation’ and ‘Spirit Interference.’”

Luo En listed the spell’s many flaws: “But its foundational structure is remarkably stable. Perhaps it can serve as a blueprint to develop new variations.”

He recalled records he had once seen in the Apprentice Ladder—
Many powerful spells were actually evolved from foundational ones. The key lay in discovering and leveraging the potential within those basic structures.

“If the slime is replaced with acid to increase corrosiveness, and both jet speed and coverage are enhanced…”

Luo En stood up, walking to the wooden training dummy at the center of the laboratory.

This target, specially designed for testing offensive spells, was covered in a unique mana-sensitive material that could record detailed data from spell impacts.

Taking a deep breath, he focused his Spiritual Energy, constructing the “Slime Splash” spell matrix.

This time, however, he deviated from the standard structure, subtly adjusting several key nodes.

“Increase liquid density, reduce viscosity, enhance fluidity…” Luo En mentally fine-tuned the spell parameters.

His Proficient-level “Spell Construction” skill, bolstered by multiple spiritual energy-related professions, rapidly facilitated this foundational refinement.

As Spiritual Energy surged, a faint green glow emerged in his palm, coalescing into a pool of liquid.

Unlike the original version, this liquid appeared unusually clear, with significantly enhanced fluidity.

“Go!”

Luo En shouted, flinging his hand toward the wooden training dummy.

The liquid shot forward like an arrow, at least twice as fast as the original “Slime Splash.”

“Pap!”

It struck the dummy, spreading rapidly.

Moments later, white smoke began rising from the wooden surface, the liquid-covered area slowly corroding.

“The basic direction is correct, but the effect still falls short of ideal.”

Luo En frowned in evaluation: “Attack speed has improved, but corrosiveness remains far below expectations.”

He returned to the workbench, opening a thick ancient text on spell components.

This book meticulously documented various medium substances historically used to amplify spells.

“Spell mediums,” Luo En whispered, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

In spell matrix construction, incorporating foreign substances could significantly enhance spell effects.

This was an ancient technique, explored continuously from the most basic apprentices to the most elite Lich Kings.

The most foundational spell medium was mana crystal, typically produced by alchemy masters.

These crystals stored pure mana internally, capable of providing additional mana during spellcasting to enhance power.

“While mana crystals are the most convenient to use, their effects are quite limited,” Luo En mused while flipping pages:
“And their efficiency is extremely low. Infusing a spell with an ordinary mana crystal could increase power by at most 20%, yet it would consume the entire crystal’s mana. Compared to various staves, it’s practically a waste of resources.”

More advanced spell mediums included substances with special effects.

For example, dragon heartblood could significantly enhance the temperature and duration of fire spells.
Sky serpent scales could provide more precise guidance for lightning spells.
And pollen from moonshadow flowers could amplify the illusionary effects of enchantments.

Luo En’s gaze locked onto a particular passage:

“.For liquid-based spells, biological secretions are often the most ideal spell medium.
These liquids, processed through special glands within living beings, carry unique mana imprints. When combined with a caster’s Spiritual Energy, they can produce effects far surpassing pure structural constructs.”

“Biological secretions,” Luo En’s eyes lit up as a clear idea formed in his mind.

Since Daire’s purification at the Bloodline Altar, evolving into a Gold-Ring pureblood Siren, her physiological functions had undergone significant enhancements.

One major change was the special secretion she could naturally produce—now vastly strengthened.

“Perhaps Daire’s secretion could serve as the spell medium.”

Luo En pondered, then rose and headed outside the Workshop.

He found the little siren practicing Water Element control in the backyard training area.

The little siren concentrated on manipulating a water sphere, transforming it into various shapes midair—from simple geometric forms to complex animal silhouettes, showcasing her steadily improving control.

“Daire,” Luo En called out.

The little siren turned, her eyes lighting up with delight.

The water sphere instantly transformed into an intricate bloom of water, dissipating into mist as it faded away.

“Master! Is there something you need help with?”

She skipped over excitedly, her silver hair glinting with metallic luster under the sunlight.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end