Chapter 245: Sun Crown

Chapter 245: Sun Crown

Deep into the night, Luo En stood atop Lalf Castle’s watchtower, his gaze piercing the starry heavens as he contemplated the boundless cosmos.

The Starlight Projection trait pulsed vibrantly within him, channeling countless streams of stellar mana through invisible conduits into his Spirit Ocean.

In the silent hush where even the stars seemed to whisper secrets, Luo En’s mind often circled the ancient question—the Longevity Doctrine.

As one who might live for centuries, he could not escape confronting this truth.

How many lifetimes of loved ones would he witness? How many dynasties rise and fall? How many civilizations bloom and wither?

“Still awake?”

A familiar voice cut through his thoughts.

Turning, Luo En saw Edmund ascending the tower, two steaming cups of fragrant tea in hand.

“Brother,” Luo En acknowledged, accepting a cup.

The tea’s scent was nostalgia itself—sweet flower tea, his childhood favorite and a family specialty.

“I didn’t think you’d remember,” Luo En murmured, sipping the brew. Its warmth was unchanged, sweet and soothing as ever.

Edmund chuckled. “How could I forget? You used to pester old Martin in the kitchens for extra cups until he nearly lost his mind.”

Side by side, they gazed at the stars, words falling away in mutual silence.

After a long while, Edmund spoke softly.

“You stood here at fifteen, telling me you didn’t want to go to the Black Mist Jungle. I thought back then you’d return in a few years with some spells and stories, living out your days as a noble.”

His eyes darkened with reflection. “Who could’ve guessed you’d become a legend among mages?”

Luo En studied his elder brother. Edmund, a full thirteen years his senior, had passed thirty. In Luo En’s perception, his vitality burned like a candle halfway consumed—bright but dimming.

Years had etched their toll on their father too, his hair streaked with silver, his face lined with time.

Yet Luo En himself, awakened by his bloodline and ascended to magehood, brimmed with vitality even greater than in his youth.

This paradox—the chasm between their life forces—had never felt so stark.

“What are you thinking?” Edmund asked, curiosity laced with concern.

“Time,” Luo En replied simply, eyes fixed on the horizon. “To you, it slips away like sand. To me… it stretches endlessly.”

Edmund’s gaze flickered with complex emotion—a blend of yearning for transcendent power and sorrow for mortal brevity.

“I don’t know whether to envy you or pity you.”

He sighed. “To most, immortality is a dream. But it means watching everything you love fade away.”

A faint smile touched Luo En’s lips, softening his features.

“Every life has meaning, whether fleeting or eternal. Shortness doesn’t mean insignificance. It’s precisely because life is brief that it becomes precious.”

Edmund blinked back unshed tears, speechless.

“Brother, I’ll visit Andie at the palace tomorrow before leaving the kingdom for the Central Lands.”

The words came suddenly, steady and resolute.

“Already?” Surprise flickered, but Edmund quickly understood. “Of course. For someone like you, this kingdom no longer holds answers.”

Luo En nodded. “The Central Lands hold greater knowledge and power. They are the true Gathering Place of Mages.”

Edmund hesitated, then summoned his courage.

“When we were children, we’d lie here counting stars, making wishes. Do you remember yours?”

Closing his eyes, Luo En’s mind drifted to that distant night—two boys side by side on the castle roof, dreaming under the stars.

“I wished to fly to the heavens and touch the stars,” he said, a wistful smile playing at his lips.

“And now?” Edmund pressed. “What do you wish for?”

After a pause, Luo En’s gaze hardened with resolve. “To understand the essence of this world. To become a light that never fades from the sky.”

Edmund nodded, falling silent.

Brothers still, they stood shoulder to shoulder as dawn’s first light crept over the horizon, the stars yielding to morning.

In that shared glance, they glimpsed the innocence of childhood again.

But both knew—the world had changed forever.

The next morning, at Lalf Castle’s gates, the family gathered to see Luo En off.

He studied the familiar yet distant faces, emotion swelling in his chest.

“Father, brother, the family’s future is in your hands,” he said, his voice grave with promise. “No matter what happens, the Ralph Family will always have my protection.”

The old Earl grasped his son’s hand, tears glistening. “My child, wherever you go, this will always be your home.”

Edmund stepped forward, handing him a Storage Chest.

“This holds family mementos—portraits of us all and a lock of hair from each. So no matter how far you travel, you’ll never be alone.”

“Thank you, brother. I’ll cherish it always.”

Carefully tucking the chest into his Storage Bag, Luo En withdrew a crystal orb.

“This is my gift for the family. Should danger ever threaten the Ralphs, channel your will into it. It will destroy any foe below Full Mage level.”

The Earl took the orb reverently, his eyes gleaming with understanding.

As the carriage wheels turned, Luo En cast one last look at the castle steeped in memories, then climbed aboard.

Ai Lan leapt into the driver’s seat, the Puppet Driver urging the horses into a gallop.

Through the window, Luo En watched the shrinking figures until they vanished.

……

Within the palace, Andie sensed a familiar oppressive presence approaching.

“Is it time to leave the kingdom already?” he mused, emotion flickering in his eyes.

Once, he’d been an obscure Thirteenth Prince, powerless and friendless, with not even a proper fief to his name.

Had he never crossed paths with Luo En, had their bloodlines not intertwined that fateful day, he might now be either Xin Xi Ya’s plaything or a corpse in some dark alley.

But fate’s gears turned unpredictably. A single meeting had rewritten both their destinies.

As the carriage halted at the palace forecourt, Luo En disembarked.

Draped in a black robe, his pallor seemed almost ethereal.

“Andie.” He inclined his head, a rare smile tugging at his lips.

“Luo En!” Andie strode forward, suppressing his excitement to maintain royal decorum.

Their gazes met—no words needed.

……

The palace hummed with celebration.

News of yesterday’s victory had spread, and the people hailed Crown Prince Andie and his enigmatic mage ally.

Led by attendants, Luo En reached the palace’s eastern quarter—a secluded structure encircled by towering graystone walls.

A single iron gate served as entry, its surface carved with intricate Protective Runes.

Andie waited by the gate, clad in formal royal attire, his expression solemn.

“The vault guardians are in place,” he nodded to Luo En. “We may proceed.”

Luo En’s gaze traced the runes, analyzing their mana composition and defensive principles.

These ancient scripts, distinct from those in the Black Mist Jungle, emphasized bloodline and lineage.

The iron door creaked open with a dull clank.

A stale, mysterious aura surged forward, laced with an indescribable energy fluctuation.

An elderly guardian with snow-white hair and beard stood inside, his gaze sharp and wary.

"This is Steward Kellen, guardian of the Royal Family Treasury and a Bloodline Knight."

Andie explained, "His family has safeguarded the Royal Treasury for generations, intimately familiar with every treasure within."

Luo En gave the elderly guardian a slight nod, and the latter responded with a respectful bow.

"Luo Ensir", Kellen rasped, "Prince Andie has informed me of your purpose. The lineage artifact for the Solar Corona Breathing Technique has been prepared. Please, follow me."

The trio proceeded down a narrow corridor. Along the walls hung countless sapphire-hued crystal lamps, emitting a soft, enigmatic glow.

This light seemed specially treated to suppress energy fluctuations from the treasures, preventing interference between them.

At the corridor’s end stood a vast circular hall. Dozens of display cases and pedestals lined the room, each protected by specialized mana Barriers.

At the chamber’s center hovered a colossal crystal orb, glowing faintly golden. It appeared to monitor the mana equilibrium of the entire Treasure Vault.

"This is the Royal Family Treasury’s Core Area", Kellen explained.

"All transcendent items collected by successive royal generations are stored here, some dating back to the royal family’s very founding."

Luo En’s gaze swept the displayed artifacts, his mind subtly astonished.

The Falu Keroyal family’s collection was indeed vast, far exceeding his expectations.

Some items radiated unmistakable energy fluctuations, their worth already considerable.

"The lineage artifact for the Solar Corona Breathing Technique is this way", Kellen guided, leading them to a specialized display pedestal at one side of the hall.

Three artifacts rested on the pedestal:

An ancient Parchment Manuscript, a golden Circular Badge, and two miniature Crystal Effigies.

The statues resembled humanoid figures, though time had blurred their features into indistinct forms.

"This is the original manuscript of the Solar Corona Breathing Technique", Kellen pointed, "Said to be handwritten by the first Sun Crownknights, detailing the complete cultivation method across four stages."

Luo En could sense a faint energy fluctuation emanating from the book, clearly preserved through special treatment against time’s erosion.

"This badge is the Solara Insignia", Kellen continued, "A legendary artifact capable of guiding and purifying Solara mana, essential for cultivating the advanced stages of the Solar Corona Breathing Technique."

Finally, the elder gestured to the small Crystal Effigy:

"This is the most precious artifact—the Ancestor Model Effigy. It is said to contain the motion memories and mana imprints of the first Sun Crownknights."

Luo En’s eyes locked instantly onto the unassuming statue.

He could feel an energy fluctuation from the small object far exceeding its appearance.

The mana was ancient, pure, as if transcending endless time yet retaining primal vitality.

"May I examine it up close?" Luo En asked, his gaze unwavering.

Kellen hesitated, glancing at Andie.

The prince nodded slightly, and the elder cautiously deactivated the protective Barrier.

He lifted the statue onto a specialized tray and handed it to Luo En.

Luo En accepted the tray carefully, immediately activating his Transcendent Perception to probe the effigy’s mana composition.

As spiritual energy seeped in, a startling discovery surfaced in his consciousness.

Beneath its ordinary exterior, the statue concealed an exquisitely complex mana core!

The core radiated golden-yellow light, like a miniature sun.

Its internal mana circuits were impossibly intricate, clearly the work of an alchemical master.

Most intriguingly, the mana trait within this core bore an astonishing resemblance to the incomplete Solara’s Blessing within his own body!

Luo En’s heartbeat quickened as he grasped the discovery’s significance.

"The Solar Corona Breathing Technique’s final stage mentions a critical condition", Luo En said slowly, eyes still fixed on the statue, "Cultivators must possess a complete Solara’s Blessing."

"But as I understand, this trait is extremely rare, nearly exclusive to the royal bloodline."

Andie nodded in agreement:

"Indeed. Our royal ancestors once received the Sun God’s Blessing, passed down as Solara’s Blessing.

"But over generations, this trait has weakened. Now, very few retain the complete Solara’s Blessing."

Luo En shifted his gaze from the effigy to Andie:

"With this Ancestor Model Effigy, I can sense the original, purest Solara’s Blessing mana imprint within."

Surprise flickered in Andie’s eyes: "You mean—"

"Precisely", Luo En confirmed with a slight nod.

"This effigy’s mana core was likely crafted by the first Sun Crownknights, extracting their Solara Essence from their bloodline to record and preserve the purest cultivation posture for future generations."

Andie and Kellen stared at Luo En, astonished he had uncovered the secret so swiftly.

"Indeed, Luo Enmage, your insight is unmatched", Kellen praised.

"This is one of our royal family’s most treasured secrets.

"Legend says the first Sun Crownknights, when creating this breathing technique, sealed part of their soul and bloodline essence within this effigy to ensure future generations could access the perfect posture, creating an eternal memory imprint."

Luo En studied the precious effigy, his mind swirling with thoughts.

If he could extract the Solara Essence within, merging it with his incomplete Solara’s Blessing cultivated through his technique…

Theoretically, he could attain the complete trait, fulfilling the critical condition for the Solar Corona Breathing Technique’s final stage.

But the process was perilous. Any mishap during the fusion of foreign and innate essence could collapse his soul structure.

Luo En scrutinized the two effigies.

Though outwardly identical, their energy fluctuations subtly differed—as if two interpretations of the same melody.

The left effigy radiated blazing, fiery mana, like a burning inferno containing a miniature sun within;

The right effigy felt restrained and serene, its energy fluctuation rhythm aligning with Solara’s natural patterns—like spring sunshine, warm yet gentle.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end