"Fusion of light and fire..." Ron muttered to himself, his fingers gently caressing the surface of the crystal ball.
Over the next two days, Ron spent most of his time researching the "Ring of Brilliance" magic.
This is a combined magic involving the fusion of light element and fire element, with a structure far more complex than any magic he had mastered before.
The backyard of the workshop was temporarily transformed into a practice field by him, surrounded by various energy detection devices to monitor the energy fluctuation and stability of the magic.
"The energy flow at this node needs adjustment..." Ron thought with a frown, looking at the magic model in his hand:
"The ratio of light element and fire element also needs fine-tuning. Under the current ratio, the burning effect of the fire element is too strong, while the blinding effect of the light element is not ideal enough."
[Elemental Perception Experience Points + 1]
[Current Progress: Elemental Perception (Beginner 36/50)]
After dozens of attempts and adjustments, Ron finally found a relatively ideal ratio:
Increase the proportion of the light element by about 15%, while slightly adjusting the blending point of the two elements so that the light element can achieve the maximum blinding effect at the initial burst, while the fire element can continue to exert its burning ability afterward.
"Once more." Ron took a deep breath, stretched out his hands, and his spiritual power guided the light element and fire element extracted from the elemental pool to merge in front of his palms.
With the infusion of spiritual power, the two elements slowly blended, forming a golden-red energy ball.
Ron’s fingertips moved slightly, the energy ball swiftly expanded, transforming into a light ring with a diameter of about two meters.
Bright golden light flickered inside the ring, while small crimson flames danced along the edges.
"Ring of Brilliance!"
With a low shout from Ron, the light ring burst from around his body, sweeping through several wooden targets in front.
The surface of the stakes was immediately scorched in a circle of charred marks, while the light ring itself dissipated gradually after penetrating three targets.
"The effect is better than I expected." Ron nodded in satisfaction, observing the marks on the stakes.
The depth of char marks was even, showing the balance of energy distribution; the trajectory of the light ring was also quite stable, with no signs of energy leakage.
"The basic form has been mastered, the next step is to try some tactical variations."
Ron mumbled to himself, starting to contemplate the practical application of the "Ring of Brilliance."
Through further experiments, he discovered that the flexibility of this magic far exceeded expectations.
By adjusting energy input and spiritual control, he could alter the size, thickness, flight speed, and even the duration of the light ring.
More importantly, he also found that he could split the light ring into several smaller rings or embed additional energy structures within the light ring to achieve more complex effects.
"Indeed, it’s an advanced-level magic model, potential far beyond zero-ring magic, but with a little more perfection, the Sound Wave Vibration shouldn’t be too bad either."
Ron sighed in his heart.
[Ring of Brilliance (Beginner) Experience Points + 1]
[Ring of Brilliance (Beginner) Experience Points + 1]
[Ring of Brilliance (Beginner) Experience Points + 1]
...
[Current Progress: Ring of Brilliance (Beginner 13/50)]
As he was about to end today’s training, a knock on the door resounded.
Ailan went to answer the door and reported through the vines shortly after:
"It is Sir Andre visiting."
"Invite him in." Ron tidied up his slightly disheveled clothes and headed toward the door.
Andre still maintained that elegant and composed noble demeanor.
But Ron keenly noticed that his eyes had completely turned into golden vertical pupils, and his skin was smoother and tighter than before, exuding a metallic texture.
Evidently, his bloodline activation had also made significant progress during this period.
"Ron!" Andre greeted warmly, his golden pupils exceptionally bright in the dim light:
"I heard you’ve successfully leveled up in alchemy again? You always manage to surprise everyone with your progress."
"Likewise." Ron responded with a smile, gesturing to Andre’s eyes:
"It seems your bloodline activation is proceeding well, the vertical pupils have fully formed."
Andre nodded, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes:
"The Red Blood Flying Dragon bloodline has fully adapted to my body. Now I can control the generation and retraction of scales, and can even unleash Dragon Breath in a short period."
He looked around and lowered his voice:
"If it weren’t for the damn school rule prohibiting private duels, I really would like to have a ’conversation’ with those who looked down on me before."
Ron chuckled, guiding Andre toward the school’s training ground:
"Although you can’t take revenge on them, you wouldn’t mind exchanging a few moves with me, would you..."
......
In the center of the training ground, two figures faced each other, the atmosphere instantly tense.
"Well, not going to test your newly acquired power?"
Ron asked with a smile, his ironwood sword carving a graceful arc in the air.
Andre’s golden vertical pupils shone with excitement as he slowly drew the sword from his waist:
"I’m eager to see whose bloodline activation has a better effect."
As soon as the words were spoken, Andre shot towards Ron like an arrow, the sword edge whistling towards a vital point.
This attack was astonishingly fast and full of power, evidently proving the enhancement in constitution following bloodline activation.
Ron remained calm, lightly tapping his foot, subtly shifting his body to deflect the ferocious strike with precision using his ironwood sword.
The two swords clashed, emitting a crisp metallic sound, sparks flying in all directions.
"Not bad speed," Ron commented, then reversed his sword, slashing towards Andre’s shoulder.
Andre quickly bent down to dodge, simultaneously pushing off with his legs. He slid like a golden-red lightning along the ground to Ron’s side, thrusting his sword blade upward.
"Ha!" he shouted low, the tip of his sword carrying a heated breath.
A glimmer flashed in Ron’s eyes as he shifted his steps lightly, simultaneously twisting his waist.
——Ring of Dawn!
The ironwood sword traced an arc, not only deflecting Andre’s thrust but also leaving a shallow mark on his chest.
Ron’s swordsmanship was as fluid as flowing water, each move executed with precision, showcasing the subtleties of master level Basic Swordsmanship.
Unwilling to concede, Andre fully activated the Red Blood Flying Dragon Bloodline within him. Instantly, a layer of fine red scales appeared on his chest, blocking Ron’s sword edge.
He laughed heartily: "Seems like this scale armor is quite useful!"
The duel between the two grew increasingly intense, the ironwood sword and longsword weaving complex trajectories in the air, the sound of clashing metal ringing incessantly.
Each of Andre’s attacks carried immense force, as if backed by the strength of a thousand pounds;
While Ron’s sword technique was precise and smooth, like a swimming fish, always finding the opponent’s weakness at the most opportune moment.
"Your swordsmanship is indeed a notch above mine," Andre said, panting.
His body was already marked with several shallow wounds, but the scales quickly regrew over the injuries, mitigating most of the damage:
"But in terms of overall strength, I might not necessarily lose to you!"
As he spoke, he leaped suddenly, the tip of his sword aiming straight for Ron’s throat.
This strike came at a lightning-fast speed, at an angle so tricky it seemed to have locked onto Ron’s vital point.
However, Ron’s reaction was even quicker. His body twisted at an incredible angle while the ironwood sword in his hand slashed precisely past Andre’s wrist.
"Tss—" Andre let out a sharp intake of breath from the pain, but the wound was quickly covered by scales, stopping the blood flow.
"In a pure hand-to-hand fight, it seems we can’t determine a winner."
Ron smiled slightly, letting the ironwood sword hang downward: "Why not try something else?"
Andre wiped the sweat from his forehead, nodding in agreement: "Sure, let me see what your ’something else’ is."
Ron’s expression suddenly became focused, his eyes deep as if they could see through everything.
Instinctively, Andre felt a threat and was about to retreat when he realized an invisible wave had already rushed toward him.
"Sound Wave Vibration!"
Invisible energy ripples instantly pierced through the air, striking Andre’s chest directly.
Despite the scale protection, Andre still felt a powerful force, sending him flying backward uncontrollably for several meters, crashing into the wooden fence of the training ground.
"What the... what is this thing?"
Andre exclaimed as he clambered to his feet, realizing that while the Dragon Scale Armor was strong, it still couldn’t completely resist such an invisible energy attack.
But Ron gave him no time to think, stretching both hands forward, golden-red energy gathering in front of his palms and quickly expanding into a halo.
"Ring of Brilliance!"
A golden-red halo shot out like a meteor, passing through Andre’s body.
Immediately, Andre felt a stabbing pain in his eyes, and the world around him became a blur.
Simultaneously, a burning pain seeped through every pore of his body, as if he was engulfed in flames.
"Damn it!" Andre cursed, instinctively releasing Dragon Breath to counterattack.
But by then, he had completely lost his target, and the Dragon Breath could only weakly disperse into the air.
After a few seconds, his vision gradually restored, and Andre saw Ron standing there with a victorious smile on his face.
"You... you are truly a freak!"
Andre said with a wry smile, using his sword to support himself as he stood up: "Relying on bloodline power alone is not enough to defeat you..."
Ron stepped forward, taking a pale blue liquid from his pouch:
"Wound Healing Potion, my own improved formula, 30% more effective than those on the market."
"Thanks." Andre accepted the potion, smiling bitterly:
"Seems I underestimated your growth rate. What was that halo? It doesn’t seem like something an Intermediate Apprentice can master."
"Just a little experiment."
Ron answered nonchalantly, observing as Andre’s wounds quickly healed under the potion’s effect:
"I’ve been trying to combine different elements and energy forms to create more efficient Magic Models."
Andre shook his head, eyes full of admiration:
"You’re truly a monster, Ron. I thought the power I’d gained recently was strong enough, but it seems I’m still far from matching you."
Once Andre’s injuries had completely healed, Ron’s expression grew serious:
"I need to go to Lizard Alley tomorrow morning, there are some important matters to handle. Will you come with me?"
"Lizard Alley? That place isn’t exactly peaceful," Andre raised an eyebrow and asked.
"That’s exactly why I need your help. Last time, we encountered some... little trouble there, and there might be battles this time as well."
Ron looked straight into Andre’s eyes, "With your current strength, you should be able to handle it."
Andre nodded without hesitation: "Of course, whenever you need. What time?"
"Tomorrow at noon, meet at the South Gate," Ron replied:
"Prepare for battle, bring your best weapon and gear."
Andre patted the sword at his waist, displaying a confident smile:
"Leave it to me, I’ve been itching for action lately. See you tomorrow, Ron."