Chapter 270: Plane Plunder

Chapter 270: Plane Plunder

“You're still thinking too mechanically,” Eve said softly, her tone patient and gentle.

“Mages are accustomed to shaping spiritual energy into fixed spell matrices. It’s efficient and stable, yes, but this approach severely limits the Spirit Vitality of spiritual energy itself.”

“Treat spiritual energy like flowing water, not rigid ice cubes. Water adapts to any container, filling every gap—that’s how spiritual energy should behave.”

Luo En adjusted his thinking as instructed, repeatedly practicing those exquisitely complex precision control exercises.

Gradually, he became aware that Eve’s teachings weren’t just techniques—they were an entirely new way of thinking.

After weeks of relentless practice, he finally grasped the foundational aspects of this precision control.

While still far from Eve’s effortless mastery—where manipulating mana felt as natural as moving one’s arm—he had begun applying this novel control method to his skills.

………………

Inside the custom-built training room, Luo En focused intently on constructing the Sound Wave Oscillation spell matrix.

This time, instead of methodically assembling each mana node as usual, he attempted something unprecedented: guiding the Mana Flow directly with precision so fine that perfect synchronization emerged at a microscopic level.

Spiritual energy flowed like countless tiny tendrils, precisely directing each wisp of Mana Flow’s direction and intensity.

This control method was far more intricate—and mentally taxing—than traditional spell construction, yet it achieved levels of precision conventional methods couldn’t touch.

“Mana consumption is significantly higher,” Luo En evaluated inwardly, sweat beading on his brow, “but the efficiency gains are remarkable.”

The first few attempts failed. The Mana Flow grew too chaotic.

Even now, as a Full Mage whose spiritual energy had undergone qualitative transformation, controlling so many microscopic details simultaneously remained challenging.

But he wasn’t discouraged. He kept trying, refining his control through continuous failure.

“Like this.” His hands traced a complex trajectory through the air.

Mana coalesced into an exquisitely detailed three-dimensional structure.

Each node, every pathway, was calculated and arranged with no wasted motion or redundancy.

This model was more intricate than any spell he’d constructed before. Yet strangely, its mana requirements dropped nearly thirty percent.

This was the advantage of precision control—more output with less input.

Luo En inhaled deeply, channeling the final wisp of spiritual energy into the core node, activating the entire spell structure.

——Sound Wave Oscillation Reconstruction

An invisible ripple burst from his palm, moving so fast it seemed imperceptible.

When it struck the alchemical alloy target plate across the room, there was no explosion, no tear—just a brief silence. The plate’s surface remained smooth, untouched.

Yet as Luo En hesitated, puzzled, the five-centimeter-thick alloy plate suddenly shattered from within.

Thousands of perfectly hexagonal metal fragments cascaded to the floor, as though the plate had been transformed into a honeycomb lattice.

【Spell Construction (Proficient) Experience Points +1】

【Breakthrough! Spell Construction (Proficient 100/100) → Spell Construction (Mastery 1/300)】

【Trait "Stable State" → "Microscopic Reconfiguration"】

Microscopic Reconfiguration: Enables reconstruction of spell matrices at the microscopic level, enhancing mana efficiency and effect targeting precision. Allows real-time adjustments to activated spells, adapting to battlefield changes.

Luo En felt the surging new ability within him, eyes gleaming with excitement.

This microscopic spell reconfiguration ability would revolutionize his combat.

Not only could he now construct spells with unprecedented efficiency, but he could also maintain control after activation, adjusting effects dynamically.

In complex battles, this Spirit Vitality might become the key to life or death.

“Thanks to Eve’s spiritual energy control techniques,” Luo En mused, carefully documenting the breakthrough’s critical details:

“Her approach has truly opened an entirely new path. This near-telekinetic level of control is a revelation.”

In the following days, Luo En explored the full range of this new ability.

He discovered Microscopic Reconfiguration wasn’t limited to offensive spells—it worked wonders for barrier spells as well.

Under this precision control, Flowing Barrier could adapt in real-time to attack types and intensities, vastly improving barrier efficiency.

Even spells like Radiant Halo, whose forms had grown increasingly solidified, gained entirely new applications through microscopic adjustments.

………………

In the afternoon Jade Pavilion’s parlor, Eve explained ancient Mage history and secrets of other worlds.

“Do you know the essence of mana?”

Seated on a soft crystal chair, her amethyst eyes shimmering with scholarly wisdom, Eve continued:

“Conventional theory says mana combines natural energy and life force. But that’s just surface-level.”

Luo En listened intently, recalling how Eve’s past lessons had repeatedly expanded his understanding.

“According to ancient records, mana is actually a projection of higher-dimensional energy into our dimension,” she explained.

“Like sunlight passing through a prism to create a rainbow, high-dimensional mana decomposes into the various forms we can perceive and utilize when piercing dimensional barriers.”

Luo En nodded thoughtfully. “That explains why different worlds have varying power systems yet share fundamental similarities.”

“Exactly!” Eve’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Grandfather… I mean, Professor Eutel, once told me he’d seen dozens of power systems during his plane travels.

Some Mages drew power from deities, others from natural elements, even ones using mathematical formulas to channel mana.

But regardless of form, the essence was always guiding and shaping the same high-dimensional energy.”

She paused, sipping tea. “That’s why the Abyss is so special.

It’s not just a geographical location—it’s a dimensional weak point, a fracture where high-dimensional energy directly pierces into our world.”

Luo En felt a surge of realization.

This explanation far surpassed surface-level textbook theories, clarifying many phenomena—especially the Abyssal Creatures’ reality-defying abilities.

“What about the Boon?” he asked curiously. “How does it relate to this high-dimensional energy?”

Eve smiled faintly, her expression carrying the warmth of a teacher toward an Outstanding student.

“You’ve reached the core. The Boon is actually a unique high-dimensional feedback.

When knowledge and insights pass between beings, they create fluctuations that pierce dimensional barriers, triggering high-dimensional echoes.”

Her voice softened further.

“That’s what makes primordial Mages so special...”

The reason lies in their direct connection to the source during ascension, bypassing numerous limitations and filters inherent in traditional cultivation methods.

This also explains why the 'Boon' of primordial mages is purer and more potent."

Luo En's eyes widened in realization. If the essence of "Mana corruption" stemmed from Eve's mana being overly turbulent and unable to circulate properly, then the pure "Boon" mana could indeed act as a harmonizing force.

"These explanations do sound far more logical than conventional theories", he remarked. "But why are these insights so obscure? At the Black Mist School, I've never encountered anything resembling this."

Eve's expression turned complex.

"Because this knowledge falls under the 'hazardous category.' Understanding mana's essence opens the door to fundamental manipulation. Historically, countless mages have succumbed to corruption in their pursuit of such forbidden truths."

Her voice carried a warning edge.

"Grandfather Eutel warned that those who delve too deeply into high-dimensional mana research often end up either consumed by Abyssal erosion or transformed into entities resembling Abyssal Apostles."

A chill ran through Luo En as memories of the Apostle limb fragment at the Abyss Observatory surfaced. The primal energy fluctuations, the writhing tentacles and eyeballs—it all bore traits surpassing ordinary lifeforms.

As night fell, he bid Eve farewell and returned to his quarters. Walking beneath the crystalline glow of the Crystal Spire, his mind surged with unprecedented clarity. Ancient knowledge from Eve intertwined with his own theories, sparking new revelations—particularly the concept of mana essence, which offered groundbreaking insights for his "Furnace Conceptualization."

...

Meanwhile, deep within a distant world, a monumental battle unfolded.

Cassandra, current Tower Lord of the Crystal Spire and one of the strongest mages surviving in the Abyssal Continent Cluster, hovered above a colossal planet. Her appearance mirrored her daughter Eve's—black hair profound as night skies, and piercing amethyst eyes. Yet unlike Eve's youthful charm, Cassandra exuded mature elegance, her silhouette wrapped in a form-fitting violet robe accentuating curves as tantalizing as a ripe peach.

But those amethyst eyes radiated bone-chilling frost, forbidding direct gaze—let alone any lewd thoughts.

"Once this cleanup is done, I can visit little Eve", she murmured, her voice softening like velvet at the mention of her daughter.

Air twisted violently as her human form dissolved into a radiant mana construct—a Phantom Husk, an existence form reserved for Archmages. Composed of countless mana particles vibrating at unique frequencies, it manifested as a multidimensional, dizzying spectacle.

The Husk expanded to thousands of meters across, glowing like a miniature purple sun. Below loomed an alien civilization—a world of translucent crystal structures pulsating with life, interconnected in a neural network. Its inhabitants, fluidic beings shifting forms effortlessly, communicated via electromagnetic-wave mana. A collective intelligence civilization, their interconnected consciousness birthed staggering creativity and adaptability.

Yet this utopia now faced annihilation. Cassandra's Phantom Husk unleashed mana tendrils that pierced the atmosphere, slithering like famished serpents. Contact with crystal structures triggered dissolution into pure mana, while fluidic beings froze into glassy statues before being encapsulated into spatial devices. The planet groaned as oceans boiled and tectonic plates shattered.

The collective consciousness mobilized planetary mana for defense—but against Cassandra's Husk, resistance crumbled like paper walls.

"Fascinating symbiotic system", her voice resonated—a multidimensional mana ripple. "This collective architecture might offer valuable insights."

Her Husk drifted toward a garden of chromatic crystals resembling alien coral reefs. "Mana Transformation Efficiency of 86%—surpassing any known material in the Abyssal Continent Cluster", she vibrated, satisfaction evident. "Take the entire sector."

Thick mana tendrils encased the garden, lifting it into specialized containers. Meanwhile, smaller mana sacs scattered across the planet, capturing fleeing fluidic beings.

This was total plunder—an unrelenting harvest of millennia of civilization.

"Enough", Cassandra declared as the last structures vanished into storage. The planet lay riddled with craters, its crystal cities reduced to barren wastelands. Survivors, severed from their collective network, drifted aimlessly like broken puppets.

Reverting to human form, Cassandra's robe remained immaculate. Surveying the devastation, her face showed only clinical evaluation.

"Type II Dimension mana structures bear striking resemblance to the Abyss's Seventh Layer", she mused. "Back to analysis—perhaps new clues about mana corruption await."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end