https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-216-Lanchi-Couldn-t-Forget-His-Ambition/12584255/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-218-Cardinal-Lanchi-s-Lenient-Verdict/12584257/
Chapter 217: Lanchi's Optimistic Outlook
Chapter 217: Lanchi's Optimistic Outlook
Within the temple bathed in the light of the coronal sun, the air was filled with the fragrant scent of greenery that surrounded it.
Seated on the stone steps, Lanchi basked in the crisp breeze that swept across the cliff-top meadow, his expression one of serene contentment as he relished this dream-like moment of leisure.
Though it was rare for the principal to personally proctor an exam, if he did, he made sure that the students felt no pressure from his presence.
From a distance, he watched as Karen meticulously crafted her cards.
The soft, cascading light illuminated her workbench, transforming it into a sacred altar, and Karen, with her precise and graceful movements, resembled a holy guardian of the temple.
In the shadow world, card crafting often involved breaking down existing magic cards and using their components for new creations.
This was also the reason why even useless purple rare magic cards, often referred to as "blanks," could still fetch a decent price.
Of course, within this temple, the exotic plants and stone slab scraps could also serve as excellent materials, provided one understood their properties and could blend them in the right proportions.
On Karen's workbench lay a toolbox filled with an assortment of natural green plants and petals.
She placed the box in front of her, gently caressing each plant as if communicating with them through her magic. From the box, she selected a green, feather-like plant and placed it in a special grinder, carefully pulverizing it with a jade-handled tool.
As she ground the plant, green powder drifted from the grinder, each particle carrying a unique magical essence. Karen then took a small vial of specially prepared transparent magical ink, mixed it with the green powder, and added a pinch of lime. As she blended the ingredients, waves of magical energy swirled like a whirlwind, accompanying the dance of the green powder within the ink.
Upon completing this step, Karen gently blew on the mixture, flattening the workbench to allow for a more perfect fusion of ink and powder. Fixing her gaze back on the bench, she placed a high-quality white blank card in the center.
She then dipped a delicate portable quill pen into the freshly prepared ink, and as the nib touched the card's surface, a magical structure began to form swiftly under her incredibly meticulous strokes. Each line, each rune, seemed intricately connected to the wind.
Card crafting was an arduous and lengthy process that required immense patience and focus. Karen's eyes, sharp as a hawk's, guided her wrist as the pen tip delicately but confidently traced the magical structure.
Time seemed to flow at varying speeds as the stone slab before her became a canvas for her art, the card's surface emanating a soft magical glow, like the dawn's light upon a verdant meadow.
"Impressive," Lanchi murmured.
It was rare for him to observe others crafting cards.
Witnessing Karen, a bona fide Gold-level card crafter, at work left him in awe.
She must have had an exceptionally deep understanding of the [Primal Stone Tablet of Wind] to proceed with such unwavering certainty at every step.
As for Lanchi, although he had brought some Wind-attribute purple rare magic cards that could be broken down, he still hadn't figured out how to apply his limited understanding of the [Primal Stone Tablet of Wind] to crafting Wind-attribute magic cards.
This contrast only reinforced Lanchi's belief that unless it was the [Primal Stone Tablets of Seal], [Healing], [Spirit], or the somewhat compatible [Light], he wouldn't gain much from studying them.
Even if he did gain insight into Wind-attribute magic engineering, he likely wouldn't have many opportunities to craft Wind-attribute magic cards in the future.
However, the mural itself was captivating, and Lanchi found himself admiring it, his interest in the barrier techniques depicted on it long forgotten.
"Lanchi, lend me an eye."
A crisp voice echoed in Lanchi's mind—it was Great Love Poet reaching out to him.
Since Lanchi had lifted the restrictions on her, she could now manifest on her own and perceive what was happening near him.
"Alright, don't rush," Lanchi replied, sensing Great Love Poet's restlessness in his soul space. He acquiesced to her request for magical energy, and soon, his left eye, originally emerald green, was enveloped in a deep azure radiance.
Although he hadn't gained much insight from the Primal Stone Tablet, perhaps Great Love Poet could decipher more than he had.
Time passed, and Lanchi sat on the stone steps, watching Karen craft her cards while he occupied himself with a piece of fine stone material, carving and painting it with the tools in his portable card-crafting kit, marking the passing moments.
"Lanchi, let me craft the card this time, and you assist me," Great Love Poet's voice finally sounded in his mind again, bossily ordering him around.
"Sure, leave it to you this time," Lanchi replied, not minding at all. He was more than happy to have Great Love Poet's help.
He rose from the stone steps, rolling down the sleeves of his wrists, and moved to a more distant location, ensuring that even when he summoned Great Love Poet, it wouldn't disturb Karen.
Examination proctoring came to an end.
...
In the ancient tower library of the Sage's Institute, more than an hour had passed since Karen and Lanchi entered the Primal Stone Tablet domain. Countless students had come and gone from the upper floors of the library, taking turns to catch a glimpse of the action.
Aside from a handful of curious students peering over the railing towards the center of the foundation layer, only the scholars who routinely came to record remained, awaiting the conclusion of the exam.
On the sixth floor, next to a short stone railing, a small round table with two comfortable chairs invited students to relax and read. Here, Hepburn and Sophia sat sipping their afternoon tea.
"When observing the stone tablets, if you perform well enough, you can make a magic card. But with limited time, a few failures will deplete the materials, and there won't be enough time to continue card crafting." Sophia and Hepburn chatted about the possible outcomes of their fellow mage engineers observing the stone tablets.
After speaking, Sophia glanced at the large clock in the library. If all went well, the observation session should be over soon.
"It's fine. Lanchi always maintains an optimistic attitude. He doesn't really mind whether he succeeds in making a card or not." Hepburn smiled as she sipped her tea.
Tat had told her about Lanchi's card crafting tendencies—out of ten attempts, nine would end in explosions. Yet, unlike others who felt ashamed, disappointed, or frustrated, Lanchi would simply laugh it off.
"I wish I could have Lanchi's attitude," Sophia sighed, stroking her cheek.
Perhaps the key to taming her Enol was to cultivate a more relaxed demeanor.
"Sophia, promise me you won't try to emulate him," Hepburn said, suddenly setting down her teacup and fixing her friend with a serious gaze.
She sensed that Sophia was exhibiting early symptoms of what she feared was 'Lanchi-itis'.
As the two friends chatted, a commotion arose from the foundation layer, causing them both to stand up once more and lean over the railing to get a better view.
They saw that Karen had returned from the Primal Stone Tablet domain and was now back in the ancient tower library.
Scholars who had been seated in the hall rose from their places to ask Karen questions about her experience during this observation session.
Karen, surrounded by this curious crowd, wore a contented smile on her face.
On the balcony of the upper floors, numerous students peered downwards, their voices filled with wonder.
In Karen's hand was a semi-transparent card wreathed in a pink aura.
She didn't attempt to hide it, instead openly displaying the card's magical attributes for all to see and identify.
[Wind Phantom]
[Category: Spell Card]
[Grade: Pink Holy]
[Attribute: Wind]
[Class: 4]
[Passive Effect: If there is a chance to dodge, gain an opportunity to perform an extreme dodge once every 20 seconds. Consumes mana when the extreme dodge is triggered.]
[Note: Please don't bully me, I'm weak, pitiful, and helpless.]
Due to the use of a portable card-crafting tool kit to decompose magic cards and then create new ones within the stone tablet domain, crafting magic cards was significantly more challenging than in the outside world. The materials were often limited to purple rares, and for Karen to create a Pink Holy card on her first attempt was a testament to her exceptional performance, solid foundational skills, and the profound insights she had gained within the stone tablet domain.
"Damn it, she made a Pink Holy card!" Sophia pounded the stone railing in frustration.
Even from the sixth floor, she could hear the voices of students below and in the distance, praising Karen.
As far as Sophia knew, Karen had never made two Pink Holy cards before. This observation session had clearly been a fruitful endeavor, and such a life-saving magic card would be invaluable to a battlefield card crafter seeking to amplify their position in the shadow world.
"Unless Lanchi crafts an Epic card or an even stronger Holy card, she'll have the upper hand," Sophia said anxiously, glancing at Hepburn.
She knew that Lanchi's card-crafting prowess lay in achieving extremely high upper limits, which was also the reason he had attained the Platinum level.
"That's unlikely," Hepburn shook her head. "Lanchi's wind attribute compatibility isn't great. If he manages to craft a magic card, that would be a miracle in itself."
"Then isn't it a given that she'll outshine him?" Sophia asked, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice as she saw Hepburn's nonchalant attitude.
"Lanchi probably doesn't care that much. He's not really competitive by nature," Hepburn shrugged, her hands spread in a gesture of helplessness. She had never seen Lanchi seriously try to outdo anyone.
She suspected that Lanchi had simply gone with the flow during this card-crafting session.
As the two friends chatted, they finally saw Lanchi's figure emerge from the void gate in front of the lower floor. The [Primal Stone Tablet - Wind] that had transformed into the void gate twisted and rotated before vanishing in an instant, returning to its card form in Principal Lorrain's hand.
(End of Chapter)
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