The automatically activated magic barrier alone had five or six layers, and that extravagant attitude towards luxury products left the companions at that time utterly amazed.
"Indeed, like mother, like daughter," Ron chuckled internally.
At this moment, an almost imperceptible subtle energy fluctuation caught Ron’s attention.
It didn’t come from the surrounding artworks, but from a portrait at the end of the corridor—Professor Uther’s portrait.
Ron’s gaze instantly locked onto the portrait, his "Extraordinary Recognition" going into full operation, trying to capture that fleeting abnormal fluctuation.
It was a gaze from a higher dimension, as if a pair of eyes were staring at him through the canvas.
In that instant, his spirit touched an existence beyond time and space...
Ancient wisdom, living history, a witness between reality and illusion.
Professor Uther’s virtual essence!
It was a form of existence where the boundary between reality and illusion dissolved, a perfect fusion of historical record and real-time observation.
Ron felt as if something had suddenly been unlocked in his mind, with countless streams of information rushing in like a tidal wave:
The energy imprints in matter, the marks time leaves on everything, and... the essential truths that everything can be traced back to!
That glimpse left Ron in unparalleled shock, as if his soul was quivering from the immense energy field.
At the same time, his "Extraordinary Recognition" skill underwent a qualitative change, with vast amounts of information flooding into his mind.
[Extraordinary Recognition (Proficient) Experience Points +1]
[Breakthrough! Extraordinary Recognition (Proficient 100/100) → Extraordinary Recognition (Mastery 1/300)]
[Trait "High-speed Identification" → "Essential Insight"]
[Essential Insight: Able to see through appearances to discover the essential attributes of objects or life forms, unveiling their hidden traits and potential.
The accuracy in assessing extraordinary items is significantly improved, and one can briefly glimpse the true form of advanced beings without being noticeably detected.]
He calmed his feelings, his newly gained ability making his perception of his surroundings more clear and profound.
"A trace of Uther’s virtual essence... this is the true protection."
Ron realized in his heart: "So that’s how it is, the whole Jadeite Pavilion is under the direct surveillance of that Great Wizard."
Obviously, Eve’s invitation for him to come wasn’t without preparation but was with Uther’s tacit approval or even support.
Franka, on the other hand, seemed not to notice Ron’s brief distraction, or perhaps she had seen too much and chose to ignore it selectively.
She guided Ron to the door of the reception room and gently knocked three times.
The door of the reception room was already open at this point, with Eve sitting by a crystal table waiting.
The interior decor was even more exquisite than outside, with furniture made of various rare materials showcasing the owner’s extraordinary status and taste.
Besides this, the entire room was enveloped in a finely controlled magic energy field, keeping the indoor energy fluctuation at an unusually stable low level.
This was apparently to alleviate Eve’s "Demon Devouring" condition.
"Welcome, Wizard Ralph."
Eve stood up to greet:
"Please forgive me for not being able to meet you further away; this pavilion was specially designed for me to temporarily escape the pain of magic overload."
Ron bowed slightly: "It’s an honor to receive an invitation from your highness."
"Please, just call me Eve. Here, we are merely two wizards pursuing knowledge."
Eve gestured for him to sit: "What do you think of the attempt I proposed?"
Franka poured tea for the two and then silently left the room.
But Ron knew she must be nearby, always ready to protect her young master.
"The idea of teaching each other in exchange for favors is indeed feasible theoretically," Ron stated slowly:
"However, in practice, it will face certain challenges."
"Such as?" Eve asked curiously.
"The generation of favors requires several key conditions." Ron shared what he knew:
"Firstly, the teaching must truly inspire and advance the student; secondly, there must be a significant gap in knowledge or experience between the teacher and student; lastly, this inspiration must be genuine understanding, not mechanical memory or repetition."
Eve nodded in understanding:
"I know that simple knowledge exchange or trying to ’trick’ the favor rules through cross-field endeavors won’t work."
"Exactly." Ron smiled:
"The favor rule seems to have some sort of ’consciousness’ that can distinguish genuine teaching outcomes from opportunistic attempts."
Eve pondered for a moment, her amethyst-like eyes shimmering with wisdom:
"But our situation is somewhat special. As a Primordial Wizard, your favor essence is unique, purer, and more powerful. And I, despite my young age, have quite a grasp in certain fields of study."
"What are you referring to?"
"Due to the limitation of my ’Demon Devouring’ symptoms, I cannot engage in normal meditation practice and casting training."
Eve’s voice carried a trace of helplessness:
"But this, in turn, allowed me to devote all my energy to theoretical research and the study of spiritual control techniques. Especially in the refinement of spiritual power control, I might have some unique insights."
Ron found this quite interesting:
"Refinement of spiritual power control? It’s indeed an area many wizards tend to overlook."
"Not just that." Eve’s eyes flickered with a hint of pride:
"I’ve also learned many secrets about wizard history from my grandfather, as well as some knowledge systems from the Otherworld."
"Grandfather?" Ron keenly caught onto this term.