Day after day, Ian brewed potions during the day, refined Blood Essence at night, and meditated before bed.
He could feel that the closer Bloodline Purification Art came to its limit, the deeper his understanding of the model became.
His sorcery model grew clearer and clearer in his mind. Every energy node and every circulation path was etched into his memory.
He even began trying to make subtle adjustments to the refinement process.
For example, he changed the rhythm of his mental energy's penetration and adjusted the compression ratio of the condensed energy, hoping to find a more efficient and stable method of refinement.
Although most of his attempts ended in failure, the occasional success brought a more substantial increase in proficiency.
The threshold for Limit Break was drawing nearer.
On the seventh night, the moon was hidden and the stars were sparse. Even the hazy glow unique to the Gloomlight Forest had dimmed considerably.
Ian still went to the same spot, with three bottles of blood laid out before him.
One bottle contained Stone-Skinned Mandrill blood, which he had just traded for from Talia that day. He had no idea where she had gotten the blood of such a top-grade Magic Beast.
It wasn't fresh, but it was rich in energy and contained earth-attribute energy.
One bottle contained the remaining Shadowstripe Viper blood. The last held the blood of an unknown beast, which he had traded for from a passing wandering apprentice. It was dark, almost black, and gave off a faint odor that mingled a sickly sweetness with decay.
He decided to use all three bottles for one final push tonight.
He began with the Stone-Skinned Mandrill blood.
His technique was already practiced. His mental energy probed within, quickly detecting its dense Life Energy and earth-attribute properties.
The