Ron took a bottle of pale blue potion from the workbench—"Amber Thought Liquid", unlike the ones sold in the workshop, the ones he kept for himself were absolute masterpieces.
By adding a small amount of Star Dust and Moonlight Water, the potion’s effect became more focused on aiding spiritual meditation.
He carefully took a drop and placed it on the tip of his tongue.
The taste of the potion was surprisingly good, like a mix of fresh mint and sweet honey, but the effect was extraordinarily strong.
Almost instantaneously, Ron felt his spirit elevate to a higher level, his thoughts became exceptionally clear, and his range of perception greatly expanded.
"Perfect state..." Ron muttered to himself, then sat cross-legged and began the meditation of "Star Eater’s Ravings".
The potion’s assistance allowed him to enter a deep meditation state more quickly.
As his consciousness submerged into that familiar starry sky, he found his perception of the star clusters clearer than ever before.
Those living stars were no longer just blurry dots of light but revealed more details.
He could see the textures on their surfaces, feel the subtle connections between them, and even discern the unique "personalities" of certain stars.
"Everything has just begun..."
Ron silently chanted the meditation technique’s spell in his heart, extending his spiritual power in the starry sky, reaching for more knowledge and power.
["Star Eater’s Ravings" Experience Points + 1]
[Current Progress: "Star Eater’s Ravings" (Proficient 180/300)]
After two hours of meditation, Ron’s spiritual power had a slight improvement.
This accumulation, though slow, was indeed steady and lasting.
[Spirit: 3.7→3.8 (+0.1)]
"Finally reached 3.8." Ron opened his eyes, feeling the abundant spiritual power within him.
This value meant that his spiritual power was near the standard of an advanced apprentice, just one step away from reaching the 4.0 standard line.
Of course, considering the non-linear nature of spiritual power growth, this last portion might be more challenging than all previous accumulations.
"At the current pace, when ’Star Eater’s Ravings’ reaches proficiency (200/300), my spiritual power should progress further, officially becoming an advanced apprentice, and by then, the day for the bloodline altar should not be far away."
Ron calculated.
As this thought crossed his mind, a prompt quickly appeared on the panel:
[Warning: Mild Spiritual Contamination Detected]
Although the potion’s assistance greatly enhanced meditation efficiency, it seemed to also accelerate the accumulation of spiritual contamination.
Ron had to activate the reset function of the Time Guardian Pocket Watch again to clear these potential threats.
[Negative State Reset Successfully: Mild Spiritual Contamination, Energy -1]
Compared to the previously increasing consumption, the now stabilized recovery made Ron breathe a sigh of relief.
This meant he could engage in deep meditation more frequently without worrying too much about the pocket watch’s energy consumption.
In the following week, Ron’s life was full and busy.
The morning was dedicated to the cultivation of "Star Eater’s Ravings", followed by elemental meditation and magic practice.
When he had classes, he attended various advanced courses at the school in the morning, and without classes, he practiced on his own. In the afternoon, he studied potions and alchemy in the workshop.
In the evening, he would take some time to check on the Sea Siren Dale and handle the daily affairs of the workshop.
In Soron’s spiritual control class, Ron’s performance was as outstanding as ever.
Especially in constructing multiple magic models, he was almost always the first student to complete the exercises.
"Very good, Ron."
Soron praised as he looked at the three stable coexisting magic models in Ron’s crystal ball:
"Your spiritual control has reached a very high level. Keep it up."
After class, Soron, as usual, kept Ron for special mentoring.
This time, the content was the compression technique of spiritual shock—how to load the maximum energy in the smallest volume without affecting the stability of the energy.
"The power of spiritual shock is proportional to the compression rate, but so is the risk."
Soron explained, his fingers sketching a complex energy structure in the air:
"Over-compression can lead to energy loss of control, not only causing spell failure but also possibly leading to rebound on the caster."
Ron carefully studied every detail, trying to simulate the compression process in his spiritual space.
"You seem to easily grasp the essentials."
Soron observed Ron’s attempts, a flash of exploration in his eyes: "Is it because of the ’Star Eater’s Ravings’?"
Ron’s heart skipped a beat, not expecting Soron to know the name: "You... know this meditation technique?"
"Yes, Allen mentioned it."
Soron continued, his gaze mixed with admiration and concern:
"The ’Star Eater’s Ravings’ is one of the few meditation techniques that can directly enhance the essence of spiritual power, but its dangers are equally daunting. Many wizards who attempt to cultivate it end up eroded by the accumulated spiritual contamination."
Ron maintained a cautious attitude:
"Lady Allen did warn me of the risks, and I’ve been careful to control the cultivation progress."
"I can see that."
Soron nodded: "Your spiritual state is very stable, showing almost no signs of contamination. This either means you have extraordinary talent, or you have found some effective purification method."
He gave Ron a meaningful look:
"Either situation demonstrates that you are a young man worth paying attention to."
Ron felt a bit uneasy, but it was soon dispelled by Soron’s next words:
"Don’t worry, I have no other intentions. As the overseer of the candidate wizard sequence, my duty is to observe and guide those potential seeds, not to hinder their growth."
In the subsequent mentoring, Soron appeared more generous than usual, sharing some advanced techniques on spiritual stability and contamination resistance.
This knowledge is usually only accessible to advanced apprentices, clearly a recognition of Ron’s special talents.
[Spiritual Interference (Proficient) Experience Points + 1]
When Ron left the classroom, he didn’t notice that his special treatment had already attracted the attention of other apprentices.
.........
"Again with the special mentoring, how many times has it been now?"
In class, Ron’s enhanced extraordinary senses inadvertently picked up on the whispered conversation of two apprentices behind him.
"I heard Lord Griffith pays him special attention, giving him at least half an hour of individual mentoring every time after class."
"What’s so strange about that? Isn’t it said that he has the rare ’Medicinal Body Resonance’ special talent of the second tier?"
"But still, he’s just a newcomer to the status of middle apprentice, what gives him the right to such preferential treatment?"
Ron stopped listening and focused on the crystal ball in front of him.
But these discussions indeed alerted him—the special treatment he received seemed to have become an open secret.
After the class, Soron, as usual, kept Ron for special mentoring.
However, this time, when the other apprentices left, two people hesitated for a moment and then boldly stayed behind.
"Lord Griffith..." A middle-aged apprentice who appeared to be at least thirty gathered the courage to speak:
"I also have some questions about the theory of spiritual shock; could you possibly offer some guidance?"
A hint of almost unnoticeable displeasure flashed across Soron’s face, but he quickly regained his composure:
"Of course, Apprentice Maurice, what is your question?"
The other apprentice also took the chance to step forward, clearly a planned action.
Soron did not reject their request and patiently answered the questions they posed.
However, Ron keenly noticed that Soron’s attitude towards them was noticeably less invested and enthusiastic than it was towards him.
The mentoring continued for about a quarter of an hour before Soron frowned slightly, seemingly uncomfortable with the apprentices’ lack of comprehension.
"Your questions will end here for today."
He said lightly: "Before the next class, I suggest you review the fundamentals of spiritual power fluctuations to better understand advanced concepts."
The two apprentices, somewhat disappointed, did not dare to say more and could only bow respectfully and depart.
When only Ron was left, Soron’s demeanor visibly relaxed:
"Now, let’s continue with last time’s compression technique for the shock..."
Ron noticed a special focus in Soron’s gaze as he looked at him, as if evaluating a precious item.
After the special mentoring, Ron rose to leave:
"Thank you very much for your guidance, Lord Griffith. The techniques you taught were of great help to me."
Soron nodded slightly: "Your enthusiasm for learning and talent are both very impressive, Ron. I look forward to seeing your future achievements."
As he left the classroom, Ron hadn’t walked far before encountering the two apprentices who had stayed behind for mentoring earlier.