A Minor Stir—Submitting the Mission

Behind him, the six elite scorpion lions that had caught up saw their leader killed and immediately fell into chaos and panic.

They let out threatening roars in Luo Lin's direction but did not dare approach again. In the end, they slowly retreated and vanished into the darkness of the canyon.

Only after confirming that the danger had passed did Luo Lin finally let out a sigh of relief.

He slid down against the rock wall and sat on the ground, feeling utterly drained.

This battle had been exceptionally dangerous. If not for the terrain, the scrolls he had prepared in advance, and his breakthrough in using Acid Spray at the critical moment, he might have died here.

After resting for a long time and recovering some strength, he stepped forward and painstakingly removed the scorpion lion leader's Tail-Stinger Core.

This core was larger than any he had obtained before. Its energy was purer and more abundant, as though liquid flowed within it.

Looking at the precious core in his hand, then recalling what he had comprehended and broken through during the battle, Luo Lin felt that the risk had all been worthwhile.

After gathering his spoils, he did not linger. Under the cover of night, he set off on the road back to the academy.

The mission had been completed beyond its requirements. It was time to claim his qualification to enter the Element Well.

The journey back to Shadow Crow Holy Tower Arcane Academy went far more smoothly than his departure.

Luo Lin remained vigilant, but he encountered no further dangers that he could not handle.

Several days later, dusty and travel-worn, he stepped through the academy's massive stone gate once more.

Luo Lin did not immediately submit the mission. Instead, he first returned to his stone house, thoroughly washed himself, changed into a clean apprentice robe, and restored himself to peak condition through deep meditation.

His battle with the scorpion lion leader had consumed an enormous amount of energy, and the mental exhaustion would take time to soothe.

Only after recovering did he bring thirteen Tail-Stinger Cores, including the exceptionally large leader's core, to the mission hall to submit them.

When he placed the thirteen cores on the counter, especially the leader's core, the deacon in charge of verification visibly froze.

The deacon carefully inspected every core, paying particular attention to the leader's core. After confirming that there was no mistake, he looked at Luo Lin with surprise and scrutiny in his eyes.

"Thirteen Crystallized Scorpion Lion Tail-Stinger Cores. Confirmed."

"One of them is a leader's core."

The deacon's voice rose slightly, drawing the attention of several apprentices nearby who were submitting missions.

When they saw the distinctive leader's core, shock and disbelief appeared on their faces.

Completing the Crystallized Scorpion Lion hunting mission alone was already difficult. Hunting a leader-class scorpion lion was beyond the capabilities of most Third-Rank Apprentices.

For a time, hushed discussions rose throughout the mission hall.

"Luo Lin? That newly advanced Third-Rank Apprentice?"

"He actually killed a scorpion lion leader? How is that possible?!"

"I heard he was already excellent at processing materials and caught Wizard Eric's attention..."

"Maybe he was just lucky? Or used some special method?"

Luo Lin turned a deaf ear to the discussions, his expression calm.

He did not care about their stares or speculation. The confidence brought by his increased strength meant he had no need to prove himself through others' approval.

The deacon quickly completed the procedures.

He put away the leader's core and two of the finest ordinary cores as proof of mission completion for submission to the academy.

This was required by the mission. Some of the core mission items had to be retained for later inspection.

"Mission complete. Reward: 1,000 contribution points."

The deacon transferred the contribution points to Luo Lin's identity plaque, then handed him a warm jade token engraved with intricate runes.

"This is your entry permit for the Element Well."

"With this permit, you may choose any day during the first week of next month to enter the Gale Element Well and meditate for six hours."

"The exact location and precautions are recorded within the permit through a spiritual imprint."

"Gale Element Well..." Luo Lin accepted the jade token and sent a thread of spiritual power into it. A stream of information immediately entered his mind, including the Element Well's exact location, how to activate it, and the precautions required during meditation.

In particular, it detailed the possible effects of the active wind elemental particles within.

He put away the remaining ten ordinary cores.

The academy did not require these cores to be turned in, and apprentices could dispose of them as they pleased.

Luo Lin stored the permit away, gave the deacon a slight nod, then turned and left the mission hall without lingering for even a moment.

News of how he had completed a high-difficulty mission alone and killed a scorpion lion leader was like a stone cast into a still lake, sending ripples through the small circle of Third-Rank Apprentices in the academy, but it did not cause much of a stir.

After all, the academy had no shortage of geniuses and odd talents. All manner of things happened every day, and the outstanding performance of an apprentice without a powerful background was quickly buried beneath new gossip.

Only a few observant people took notice.

When Lina happened to run into him one time, she asked about it curiously. Luo Lin merely answered, "I made use of the terrain and had a bit of luck," before changing the subject.

After Kyle heard the news, his gaze grew several shades darker, but he made no further moves.

When Wizard Eric learned of it, he merely asked about the battle in the laboratory. He focused on the source of Luo Lin's inspiration for that compressed use of Acid Spray, then gave him a few pointers on techniques for controlling compressed energy particles. He did not seem surprised by the result.

Luo Lin was happy to enjoy the peace and quiet.

He now had ten Crystallized Scorpion Lion Tail-Stinger Cores on hand. Seven were of ordinary quality, while three were of better quality.

He had no intention of selling them all.

The energy contained in these cores was fairly pure, making them excellent materials for crafting certain energy-guiding devices or specialized potions.

He kept the three higher-quality cores and one ordinary core as research samples, then sold the remaining six ordinary cores to the academy store for 480 contribution points.

There were still nearly twenty days before the Element Well opened.

Luo Lin did not waste that time. He immersed himself in a regular routine of research and study once more.

He combined the insights from this real battle with his daily training.

He repeatedly practiced the technique of compressing Acid Spray to form a ray with greater penetrating power.

Although it consumed far more mana and demanded extremely precise spiritual control, making it unsuitable as a conventional method, it was undoubtedly a fine trump card.

He named it Acid-Erosion Ray, recorded it in his research notes, and began considering how to optimize its model and reduce its consumption.

After taking a blow from the scorpion lion leader, Weak Force-Field Armor had come close to shattering, but it had also given him a more intuitive understanding of the spell's defensive limits and energy distribution.

While maintaining the armor, he tried consciously concentrating more spiritual power on areas likely to receive an attack, reinforcing them locally.

Regardless of the results, it was a direction worth exploring from another perspective.

Beyond that, Luo Lin devoted even more energy to studying the Basic Meditation Method.

He was only a hair away from the perfect limit. He repeatedly reflected on the knowledge he had read in books regarding foundations and a deeper understanding of one's own spiritual sea.

As well as Wizard Eric's reminder to "think beyond the model."

He no longer rushed to break through the bottleneck. Instead, as though using spiritual power to carefully polish a work of art, he repeatedly sorted through every corner of his spiritual sea, sensed the subtle changes in the flow of mana, and tried to understand the deeper significance behind every circulation point of the meditation method.

The process was slow and tedious, with progress nearly invisible to the naked eye.

However, Luo Lin could feel his spiritual power becoming more condensed, while its compatibility with his mana also slowly improved.

During this time, he also found time to improve the Minor Nourishing Array based on Darkgold Wood.

Using the contribution points earned from selling the cores, he purchased higher-quality energy-return materials and redrew the array's patterns, making the circulation of life energy steadier and more efficient.

The Moonlight Orchid was growing well within the improved array. Its buds had already formed, and it was estimated that they would bloom after a while longer.

This gave him greater confidence in the array's practical applications.

The peaceful days were interrupted by unexpected news three days before the Element Well was due to open.

Luo Lin received a message from Wizard Eric telling him to visit the laboratory.

When he arrived, he discovered that besides Wizard Eric and Buck, there was also an unfamiliar Official Wizard present.

This wizard wore a blue robe embroidered with silver thread. His expression was stern, his gaze sharp, and the powerful spiritual fluctuations emanating from him were not the least bit weaker than Eric's.

"Luo Lin, this is Wizard Stone from the academy's Elemental Academy."

Wizard Eric introduced him.

"Greetings, Wizard Stone."

Luo Lin bowed respectfully.