"In a while, the Candidate Wizard sequence will hold a quarterly meeting, during which all sequence members and the main masters and vice-deans within the school will attend."
Before parting, Trish reminded again, "Master Corina will also be present, that will be an important opportunity for you to showcase your value."
"I will prepare well," Ron nodded, "and I also wish you greater progress in bloodline activation."
Trish smiled and nodded, while Li Yue respectfully nodded to Ron.
Ron watched them leave until their figures disappeared at the end of the path in the Black Mist Jungle, before withdrawing his gaze and turning back into the workshop.
"Bloodline Altar...Power of Tracing..."
A light of contemplation flickered in his eyes, "This might be an excellent opportunity for me to further purify my Red Blood Flying Dragon branch bloodline."
Returning to the workshop, Ailan was still tidying up the teaware left by Trish.
"Master." Her vines gently swayed, "The energy on her body makes me feel both close and fearful, why is that?"
"According to ancient texts, tree spirits and forest elves were once close companions, the dormant bloodline memory in you might have sensed this."
Ron explained, "As for fear... maybe it’s because it contains a trace of moon elf elements, the royalty naturally imposes a threat to lower existences within the same chain."
He looked thoughtfully at Ailan’s body gradually becoming more humanoid and suddenly had an idea:
"Ailan, if there’s a chance to activate deeper bloodlines within you, would you be willing to try? There might be some risks."
Ailan’s vines trembled at an unprecedented frequency, her green eyes flickering with anticipation:
"If it’s a ceremony hosted by you, I am willing to try any possibility."
Ron felt warmth in his heart, raising his hand to gently stroke Ailan’s vine:
"I will do my utmost to help you, just as you have always helped me."
The news about the Bloodline Altar provided him with a clear time node — half a year later, precisely a complete year after he finished his apprenticeship.
In this limited time, he must maximize his strength.
He looked up at the calendar, a fire igniting in his heart.
"Half a year, neither long nor short." He murmured to himself:
"Within this time, I need to make my value completely stand out, to become one of those five slots."
As night fell, the workshop remained brightly lit.
A figure busied itself at the workbench, with various ancient texts and notes piled on the desk, the schedule on the wall densely filled with arrangements for the coming half-year...
"The key to energy solidification lies in frequency resonance..."
Ron’s fingers lightly brushed over the yellowed pages of the hefty ancient tome, eyes absorbing every detail without pause.
Ever since he began studying alchemy, he developed a habit of spending at least two hours every day dedicated to in-depth study of theory.
A corner of the workshop had long been set aside as a dedicated area for alchemical research.
Unlike the neat and orderly layout of the Magic Potion area, this place appeared quite chaotic:
Various oddly shaped devices scattered around, half-finished alchemy products carefully stored in specially made containers, and the walls plastered with his hand-drawn energy flow maps and elemental affinity charts.
"Three cycles, nine rhythms, twenty-seven seals..."
Ron muttered under his breath, sketching complex rune structures in his notes.
The energy storage technique taught by Thompson last week was extremely delicate, but the classroom explanation was ultimately limited.
To truly master this technique, Ron had to consult a vast amount of supplementary materials and conduct practice repeatedly.
He picked up an ordinary stone from the table, his fingers gently gliding over its surface.
In the eyes of an ordinary person, this was nothing more than a plain gray stone, but Ron could feel the faint Earth energy contained within.
"Let’s begin."
Ron took a deep breath, hands encircling the stone, beginning to guide spiritual power to construct a sealing array.
This was his seventh attempt this week, the previous six resulting in failures — either the energy leaked or the structure collapsed.
But this time, equipped with the experience from the previous failures, plus a sudden inspiration from last night, his operation became more precise and fluent.
Spiritual power wove a complex energy network around the stone, layer upon layer, tightly fitting.
"Three cycles..." Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, but his hands were steady as a rock:
"Rhythm..." The energy network gradually solidified, and the stone began to emit a faint glow:
"Seal!"
At the moment the last seal was completed, the stone suddenly brightened, the internal energy perfectly stored, forming a stable energy core.
"Success!" Ron couldn’t hide his excitement, meticulously examining every detail of the sealing structure.
Unlike previous attempts, this energy core was extremely stable, without any leakage or fluctuation.
[Alchemy Experience Points +1]
[Breakthrough! Alchemy (Beginner 50/50) → Alchemy (Skilled 1/100)]
[Obtained Additional Trait: Resonance (Enhanced perception and control efficiency of extraordinary energy)]
This breakthrough came so naturally, it seemed like the best reward for his devotion to learning during this period.
Ron could clearly feel his perception of energy becoming sharper, and control more precise, as if he suddenly had eyes specifically tuned to perceive energy in the dark.
He eagerly summoned his profession panel in his mind:
[Profession Change Condition Met:
1. Alchemy (Skilled) √
2. Complete an Alchemy √]
[Would you like to change to — Alchemy Apprentice immediately?]
"Confirm." He chanted in his heart.
The familiar warm energy flow surged from his heart, spreading throughout his body, but this time the sensation slightly differed from before.
The energy seemed purer, flowing more orderly, like water meticulously calculated.
[Profession Change Successful!]
[Acquired Profession: Alchemy Apprentice (One Star)]
[Basic Attributes Enhanced:
Spirit 3.6→3.7 (+0.1)
Magic Power 1.5→1.6 (+0.1)]
[Profession Special Bonus:
-Slight increase in perception of subtle particles
-Slight increase in material traits grasping ability]
[Acquired Profession Skill: Matter Analysis (Beginner)]
The attribute boost post-profession change was already considerably limited, yet this was expected.
After all, this was akin to exploiting a loophole; he was already quite satisfied with any enhancement.
Moreover, late-stage attribute boosts, even a 0.1 difference could surpass numerous past measurements.
Ron awaited the emergence of the new profession skill, yet surprisingly, the panel displayed a special notification:
[Detected Profession Interaction: Alchemist + Alchemy Apprentice]
[Stability slightly increases when conducting Magic Potion Refining and Alchemy]
[Skill Fusion Triggered:
Herb Recognition (Skilled) + Matter Analysis (Beginner) → Extraordinary Recognition (Skilled 1/100)]
Ron widened his eyes.
This was his first encounter with a skill fusion scenario, evidently a special interaction effect arising from two related professions.
Next, a cool sensation flowed through his eyes, his vision suddenly becoming extraordinarily clear.
Moreover, as his gaze fell on surrounding objects, he instinctively perceived their material composition, energy structure, and even manufacturing process.
He picked up an ordinary stone, just a glance allowed him to discern the presence of minor iron elements within.
Approximately formed by a volcanic eruption three hundred years ago, and could even sense the faint magical resonance hidden inside.
"This is extraordinary recognition..." Ron’s heart was filled with amazement.
This new ability vastly surpassed the previous herb recognition, no longer confined to herbs and magic potion materials but extended to nearly all extraordinary substances.
The foundational analytical ability of Alchemy combined perfectly with the precise recognition of Magic Potion Making, creating a special insight akin to "seeing the essence directly."
He couldn’t help but recall those professional appraisers in the black market, even the most senior appraisers needed various tools for assistance, often only specializing in a particular category of items.
Yet now, with just his eyes, he could conduct an all-around extraordinary material recognition.
"No wonder I’ve never heard of a dedicated ’Appraiser’ extraordinary profession..."
Ron mused:
"The combination of Alchemist and Alchemy Apprentice naturally produces an effect far superior to a specialized appraiser."