Saint Blood Tree, Eternal Life Coffin

"That's impossible!"

Ronan blurted it out hastily.

He obtained this Leaf of Innocence from Lola, although Lola had already drained less than 30% of its remaining life force when he got it.

But the number is quite considerable.

Ronan carefully preserved it, thinking that it might come in handy one day when he activated the [[Immaculate Body]] in battle, allowing him to quickly replenish the life force he had consumed.

Because he was worried that the vitality hidden in the leaves would naturally dissipate, he specially found a special container to preserve them.

Now Bennigo is saying that the remaining life within this Leaf of Innocence has vanished? How can he accept this?

"You tampered with the leaves right in front of me?!"

Ronan's gaze turned cold, his aura surged, and his robes fluttered without wind.

"Roll!"

Bennigo responded coldly.

The eye of the storm between him and Bennigo was about to collide. Their eyes clashed, and countless air currents collided in the air between them, creating a dense burst of sound. But suddenly, in the next second, Bennigo's aura suddenly fluctuated violently.

"Wrong?!"

Ronan heard his surprised and uncertain voice, which seemed to contain a hint of disbelief.

"These leaves carry the scent of the Saint Blood Tree!"

He stared intently at the Leaf of Innocence in his hand, now completely withered, the light in his eyes growing stronger until, in the end, all anger vanished. Instead, he looked at Ronan with an urgent expression and asked impatiently, "Boy, what did you put this leaf with?"

Ronan paused for a moment, then slowly took out a small black box from his Storage Waist Pouch.

As soon as it was taken out, the box was about to be snatched away by an invisible force.

Ronan gripped the box tightly and opened it on his own.

When a black, shriveled seed, resembling a dried watermelon seed, was revealed inside the small wooden box, Ronan gently pinched it between two fingers, exposing it completely to the air.

Ronan sensed the force attempting to seize it disappear, Bennigo's entire mind was now completely captivated by the seed.

"That's right, that's the aura."

"The Saint Blood Tree... this is indeed Saint Blood Tree Seed!"

"Hahaha"

Ronan watched as Bennigo's pale golden eyes were fixed on the seed in his hand. First, he murmured, then became excited, then surprised, and finally burst into inexplicable laughter. As he laughed, tears streamed down his face like a deranged madman.

Ronan remained silent, for his own emotions were equally unsettled.

This box, and the black seeds inside, were given to him by the Half-Elf siblings Andre and his sister.

To be honest, he had studied it for a while. While at the Hoddam Academy, he even deciphered the small inscription in Ancient Elvish carved on the box lid—[Nurture it with your heart and soul; perhaps one day it will sprout.]

Because of the word "heart's blood" mentioned in those words, Ronan tried soaking the seed in dozens of different types of blood.

This includes his own blood, the blood of various animals, and even the blood of various magical beasts.

He watered the seeds, exposed them to sunlight, moonlight, and starlight. He tried almost every method he could think of, but nothing really worked.

Ronan once thought that this was a dead seed that would never sprout, just as he could not bring a dead person back to life or make a pebble bloom.

I stopped paying attention to it after that and just kept it in the innermost part of my Storage Waist Pouch, simply as a souvenir given to me by a friend.

The last time this box was opened was when Ronan was looking for a container to store the Leaf of Innocence.

He also discovered by chance that the Oak Box storing the seeds had the magical function of preventing the loss of plant vitality, but he never expected that the Leaf of Innocence he put in would be completely absorbed by the original owner of the box. "So... what is the Saint Blood Tree?"

Bennigo's emotions began to gradually calm down, Ronan spoke up to completely pull him out of his "manic and chaotic" state.

"The Saint Blood Tree is a miraculous tree that exists in the ancient legends of the Elven race."

By this time, Bennigo had mostly calmed down.

He sat back in his high chair, most of his body hidden in the shadows, his aura restrained and profound.

If it weren't for the traces of tears still glistening on his festering, grotesque face, one would hardly notice that he had ever lost his composure.

Bennigo's hoarse voice sounded like two rusty gears grinding together, and his gaze never left the black seed in Ronan's hand as he spoke.

"It is said to possess the ability to purify bloodlines and bring people back to life. Of course, no one has ever truly proven this."

"Oh."

When Ronan heard Bennigo mention the words "bringing the dead back to life," he immediately understood Bennigo's outburst.

Of course, I also have a deep understanding of the value of the chips I currently hold.

He immediately relaxed.

He didn't say anything.

After asking the question, Ronan stood still and quietly looked at Bennigo.

He couldn't see Bennigo's expression clearly, but he could sense that Bennigo was "restless" at that moment.

Finally, a hoarse, low voice came from the high chair again, seemingly carrying a hint of gentle negotiation.

"If you'd like to give me this seed."

"Impossible."

Ronan's answer was crisp and concise, like a sharp knife that cut off Bennigo's words without a word.

"You!."

Bennigo gripped the armrests of the bar stool tightly with both hands, as if he were about to jump up at any moment.

"Giving it to you is absolutely impossible."

"It's a waste to keep this in your hands; you have no idea how to properly nurture it, get it to sprout and grow."

Bennigo took a breath and tried urgently to persuade Ronan.

"Let me finish what I have to say."

Ronan said, "I can't give it to you, but I can lend it to you for now."

You are responsible for making it grow and guarantee its entry into the Silver Magic Ring for me.

I will keep my promise to infuse the Rune Array with energy every month.

If you think it's acceptable, then the deal is done; if not, then forget it.

Ronan looked at Bennigo calmly. At this point, he had completely given up on any thought of bargaining.

He was referring to the bottom line conditions he could accept.

Do you know how many resources it takes to nurture a single seed of the Saint Blood Tree?

After listening to Ronan finish speaking, Bennigo slowly opened his mouth.

Ronan shook his head. "I don't know, and I don't want to know. You've paid so much for a vague and uncertain hope, and now that you've finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel, why would you care about this little bit of resource investment? Besides, I also have to take risks."

What if you kill my seeds?

Bennigo lowered his head slightly, as if he was thinking, weighing his options, and making a decision. After a few breaths, Ronan felt an invisible force pushing him away from the basement.

Bennigo's hoarse, indifferent voice also emanated from the cold wind in the basement.

"Come find me here in three days."

There will be a small skills test when you join the Arcane Circle, so prepare well.

Ronan retreated all the way to the entrance of the dilapidated manor, watching the rusty iron gate slowly close in front of him.

A hint of relaxation and the satisfaction of finally getting what he wanted shone in his eyes. Soon, his gaze fell on the small wooden box in his hand, and his expression became somewhat strange.

"The Saint Blood Tree! I never expected that the seeds of this legendary tree would be given to me by the Andre siblings. I need to go back and find out what this Sacred Saint Blood Tree is and what the Saint Blood Tree Seed are used for."

Don't let this old man fool you."

He walked in a hurry, his figure quickly disappearing into the distance on Copper Ingot Street.

Meanwhile, in the basement of the desolate manor.

In the dim light of the Rune Array, Bennigo knelt on the ground, his arms wrapped around the ice coffin, his eyes closed, pressing half of his cheek tightly against the cold, icy surface of the coffin, his expression gentle and peaceful.

"... Although it's far from the Tree of Life I envisioned, the Saint Blood Tree should be acceptable..."

"We've finally obtained the core materials for the Eternal Life Coffin; we can begin its construction soon."

"Fiona, believe me, I will wake you up..."

"I swear."

Three days later.

Ronan stood on one side of the dilapidated street, as quiet as a fine sculpture.

The rusty copper lamppost beside him had a dark, cracked crystal at the top used for nighttime illumination, and a thick layer of dust covered the lampshade. A spider with a round belly and patterned markings hung from its silver thread and swayed gently in the wind.

Ronan took out his pocket watch, opened it, and then closed it again.

His gaze once again fell upon the tightly closed gates of the manor across the street.

One hour and twenty-three minutes had passed since he signaled his arrival to the people in the manor, but the person he was waiting for had not yet appeared.

Ronan did not lose patience. He had waited for months for this opportunity to join the Arcane Circle, so he naturally wouldn't care about a mere hour and twenty-three minutes.

He simply felt annoyed.

He had never waited this long, not even for a girlfriend, in his past life.

Now we have to wait so long for a middle-aged man with necrophilia.

Ronan waited another fifteen minutes before the sound of someone emerging from the dilapidated manor finally came from inside.

"Creak—"

The rusty iron gate made a harsh, unpleasant sound, and a figure stepped out from inside.

It was Bennigo, but he looked a little different than usual today.

His messy brown hair was clearly styled, meticulously combed back.

She wore an exquisite silver-white robe, the runes printed on it emitting a faint glow in the sunlight.

If you ignored the half of Bennigo's face that looked like it had been severely corroded and ulcerated by metal, he would look like a powerful late-stage level one wizard.

Noble and majestic.

Ronan's gaze paused slightly when it moved to the left chest area of Bennigo's robe.

It features the iconic Arcane Circle and the image of seven Silver Tower.

But beneath the pattern, there are three small silver rings nested together.

"Third Ring."

Ronan almost thought he was seeing things, and counted them carefully several times.

He is no longer the complete novice who knew nothing about the Silver Magic Ring. Although he has not joined the Arcane Circle, he has some knowledge of its systems and Arcane Circle divisions.

Regular members of the Arcane Circle typically wear Silver Magic Robe with only one symbol representing the Arcane Circle on the left breast.

Only core members will have an extra silver ring pattern appear under their logo.

The more rings there are, the more prestigious the core status.

So far, the highest-ranking person Ronan has met within the Arcane Circle is the wizard Basil, who previously refused to vouch for him.

Basil's robe also had only one silver ring.

And the Bennigo, is actually a "Third Ring"?!

Ronan found it incredible.

In his understanding, members Third Ring the Silver Magic Ring should at least possess the strength of a level two wizard.

Moreover, with his "Third Ring" status, Bennigo shouldn't have ended up in this situation, even though he gave everything for a dead woman.

Ronan felt a surge of turmoil within him, but his face remained calm.

He watched Bennigo approached him step by step. Bennigo was very stylish, with a beautiful black metal pipe between his teeth, puffing out smoke as he walked.

Ronan recalled the strong smell of tobacco he had smelled when he first entered Bennigo's house three days ago, and this seemed to make sense now.

"It seems you used to be very successful."

Ronan greeted Bennigo calmly.

The relationship between the two is currently very delicate. They dislike each other, are wary of each other, and are forced to rely on each other to achieve certain goals.

Bennigo did not answer Ronan's question. Instead, he slowly took the pipe off his mouth and gently shook off the burnt-out tobacco ash with his hand, producing a crisp metallic sound.

"You surprised me too."

Bennigo put his pipe back in his mouth, his gaze falling on Ronan, and said calmly, "It's only been three days, but your aura has changed again."

Your understanding of ice magic seems to have deepened considerably; you've reached a new level...

Ronan's eyes flickered slightly, a hint of surprise flashing across them. At this moment, Bennigo chose to end his opening remarks abruptly and turned to walk towards one end of Copper Ingot Street.

"Once you enter the Arcane Circle, you must give me the Saint Blood Tree Seed."

There are some things I need to prepare as soon as possible... at least let me see if there's any chance that seed can still be planted.

"Don't worry, I won't go back on my promise to you."

Ronan walked beside Bennigo, thought for a moment, and asked, "What kind of strength test is required to join the Arcane Circle, and how difficult is it?"

"It's very simple for you."

Bennigo suddenly stopped and looked Ronan up and down with a strange look in his eyes. He said with a smile, "To be honest, I'm actually looking forward to seeing how those guys will look when they see you."

Those people, in order to strengthen the Arcane Circle, are scouring the streets for so-called talents.

The result was that they turned you, who was right under their noses, out of the door.

In the end, they even came to me for help, haha.

Bennigo talked on and on, not caring whether Ronan could understand him or not. After he finished speaking, he chuckled twice and continued to lead the way.

After that, the two did not communicate again until they arrived at the huge metal building at the entrance of the second-level Rune Array that Ronan had visited when he first tried to apply to join the Arcane Circle.