"Spirit attribute and race have reached 10 points!"
Luo Lin looked at the information on the panel and could not help but sigh.
Having reached this point, he could already feel the limits of a Third-Rank Apprentice with great clarity.
His mana had grown in tandem, reaching 100 points.
Years of accumulation had brought considerable progress in all areas of knowledge and spells, especially the meditation methods and various disciplines related to his foundation, most of which had entered the proficient level.
Luo Lin could clearly sense the invisible barrier obstructing the leap in his life level.
It lay at the edge of his Mental Sea, solid and heavy.
As long as he shattered it, his spiritual power would undergo a qualitative transformation, advancing from a liquid state to some higher form and officially entering the domain of a First-Circle Wizard!
However, Luo Lin did not immediately attempt a breakthrough.
He knew full well that advancing from apprentice to Official Wizard was a leap in the essence of life. It could never be achieved through mere accumulation of power.
Wizard Eric and Wizard Stone had both mentioned that it required vast resources, meditation methods, and potions, as well as a clear understanding of one's own path—the so-called Spell Enlightenment.
Forcing a breakthrough carried an extremely high chance of failure and could even damage the origin of one's spirit.
Luo Lin slowly restrained his surging spiritual power and returned it to calm.
His gaze fell upon the exquisite little nest beside his pillow, lined with soft cloth.
Baha was now nearly the size of a crow. Its feathers were jet-black and glossy, while the gray patterns at the base of its wings and tips of its tail feathers had become even clearer, like carefully added dark embellishments.
All three pairs of its eyes had opened.
The first pair, like obsidian, handled ordinary vision and observation of energy flow.
The second pair, dark silver in color, possessed the ability to see through simple illusions.
As for the third pair, which had only recently managed to open, they were a deep dark gold. Whenever Baha stared at something, Luo Lin could vaguely sense through their connection an extraordinarily sharp precognition of "danger" and "malice."
At that moment, Baha was curled up in its nest, all three pairs of eyes closed as though asleep.
Yet through their spiritual connection, Luo Lin could sense the steadily growing power flowing through its body, infused with the attributes of darkness, insight, and warning.
Baha's existence was itself one of Luo Lin's most important gains over the past two years. The unique energy it fed back had also greatly assisted the refinement of Luo Lin's spiritual power.
"Still not enough!"
Luo Lin murmured inwardly.
His spiritual power had reached its limit of 10 points, like a cup filled to the brim that could hold no more.
Luo Lin could clearly "see" the resilient barrier at the edge of his Mental Sea. It was not physical, yet it made him feel more powerless than any material obstacle.
He knew brute-force impact would only be futile and might even trigger backlash.
Over the years, Luo Lin had gathered information on how to break through from different channels, gradually piecing together a clear picture.
This was not a process that could be completed in one stroke. Several harsh conditions had to be met.
First was the crystallization of spiritual power.
This required a rare resource known as a Crystallization Medium as a catalyst.
Wizard Eric had mentioned it in a relatively detailed transmission:
"A Crystallization Medium is like a seed. It can guide overflowing spiritual power from chaotic flow into orderly condensation.
Common media include Mind-Calming Crystals, petals of the Soulflame Flower, pure Yuanqu Essence, and so on.
The higher the quality, the smoother the crystallization process, and the better the quality of your future spiritual crystal."
Wizard Stone added from the perspective of energy:
"The crystallization process is essentially a transformation of energy forms.
The medium provides a stable crystal core, reducing the energy barrier required for the transformation.
Different media favor different attributes. Choosing one that matches your own affinity will give you a higher chance of success."
Luo Lin examined the Outpost's internal exchange lists and mission records and discovered that without exception, these materials were marked either "Extremely Scarce" or "For Official Wizards Only." Even when they occasionally appeared on the black market, they usually came with an astronomical price in contribution points or equally precious resources.
Second was the crucial Advanced Meditation Method.
This was the core technique for guiding spiritual power through crystallization and constructing the stable energy cycle of a First-Circle Wizard.
The information barrier surrounding this was the highest of all.
Ordinary apprentices could barely access any specifics. They only knew it was a foundation that major organizations would never share with outsiders.
Luo Lin had once cautiously asked several Senior Apprentices who had stayed at the Outpost longer and were likewise stuck at the bottleneck.
One of them, named Old Jack, told him the truth with a touch of bitterness after drinking:
"Kid, don't expect to get it easily."
"The academy's standard route is signing that two-hundred-year indenture contract.
Otherwise, you can take the route of ruin exploration or battlefield merits. Those are all gambles with your life—nine deaths and one chance of survival—and you still might not get one that suits you."
Another potential path was a private gift from a mentor.
However, although Wizard Eric and Wizard Stone appreciated Luo Lin, neither had ever clearly stated that he would provide one for free.
This involved the rules of their organization and their own resources. Clearly, Luo Lin would need to demonstrate greater value or pay an appropriate price.
Finally, there was the understanding of innate spells.
In his most recent transmission, Wizard Stone had unusually said a few extra words:
"At the moment of advancement, the Mental Sea resonates with the rules. That is the best opportunity to solidify an exclusive spell model.
You must prepare complete, high-quality spell model construction materials in advance.
These include Origin Ink to bear the spiritual imprint, Spatial Dust to stabilize the model structure, and an Elemental Heart or a similar core corresponding to the spell's attribute.
The better a spell suits you and the higher its rank, the greater the difficulty. But once successful, it will accompany you for life and obey your will like an extension of your arm."
This meant that Luo Lin not only needed to find an Advanced Meditation Method and a Crystallization Medium, but also had to plan the direction of his future core spell in advance and gather all those materials that clearly would not be easy to obtain.
After sorting through all the information, Luo Lin felt the weight on his shoulders grow much heavier.
Advancing to an Official Wizard was far from an endpoint attainable through cultivation alone. It was a comprehensive test of resources, opportunities, planning, and even luck.
He glanced at the words [Basic Meditation Method (Perfect)] on the panel.
Could this exceptional level bring some unexpected change?
He tried circulating the Perfect Meditation Method more deeply. At the limit of his spiritual power, it seemed to possess an added trace of subtle vitality, and his efficiency in sensing and drawing upon energy particles improved considerably.
"Perhaps... a perfect foundation will let me master an Advanced Meditation Method more quickly after obtaining one, or make me more stable during crystallization?"
That was all he could speculate.
Baha stirred in its nest, and its dark-golden eyes opened slightly. It seemed to sense the heaviness in Luo Lin's heart and conveyed a trace of comfort.
As Baha grew, its perception of emotions and danger became increasingly sharp.
Luo Lin stepped forward and gently patted it.
Having Baha was one of his greatest advantages.
Whether searching for resources or dealing with danger, Baha's unique abilities could provide enormous help.
The road ahead was now clear.
First, use every available means to gather detailed information and acquisition channels for Crystallization Media and innate spell materials.
Second, actively seek ways to obtain an Advanced Meditation Method, whether through merits, exploration, or other means.
Third, continue deepening his knowledge and spells, especially preparing for any innate spell he might solidify and determining his own direction.
Fourth, use the Perfect Meditation Method and Baha's feedback to further strengthen his foundation, ensuring that once an opportunity arrived, he could seize it in his best state.
He no longer devoted all his time to pointless attempts to batter the barrier.
Instead, he began organizing everything he had learned more systematically, absorbing different casting concepts from ancient scrolls and trying to incorporate them into his existing system.
At the same time, he paid closer attention to the high-risk, high-reward missions issued by the Outpost and began deliberately using connections such as Mason to inquire about the black market and secret gatherings.
The long road to becoming an Official Wizard had only now truly sounded its opening horn.
Like a patient hunter, Luo Lin began carefully preparing every bait and hunting tool for the moment he transcended the ordinary.
He knew that the greatest challenge concerning his future was about to arrive.
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