Future

Under Baha's guidance, Luo Lin forced himself to endure his mental exhaustion and bodily heaviness, staggering after the group. Before completely losing consciousness, he casually scooped up the largest raw Mind-Calming Crystal on the ground, one that shimmered with pure blue light.

After they fled the valley in utter disarray and shook off the Mountain Demons' pursuit, everyone collapsed to the ground, still shaken by the ordeal.

Holm looked at Luo Lin's pale, nearly collapsed face, his eyes filled with shock and gratitude.

He knew that if not for Luo Lin's desperate strike just now, their entire team would likely have been wiped out in that terrifying valley.

Luo Lin spread open his palm and looked at the pigeon-egg-sized Mind-Calming Crystal. Blue light seemed to flow like liquid within it. Feeling the pure energy that soothed the mind radiating from it, a complicated smile appeared on his pale face.

The first material for the crystallization medium was in hand.

Carrying that hard-won Mind-Calming Crystal and their exhaustion, Luo Lin and the others made their difficult return to Gray Tower Outpost.

This mission had been far more dangerous than any before it. Nearly every member of the team had been injured, while Luo Lin himself remained weak for several days due to mental exhaustion.

That pigeon-egg-sized Mind-Calming Crystal became Luo Lin's most important treasure.

He did not rush to use it. Instead, he carefully stored it in a specially made lead box that could prevent energy from leaking away.

Simply keeping it nearby allowed him to faintly sense a cool, calming aura seeping through the tiny gaps. It slowly nourished the somewhat damaged foundation of his mind, which had been strained by overexertion.

This gave him a more direct understanding of the crystallization medium's effects.

When the mission was settled, the outpost attached great importance to their discoveries and experiences in the valley.

The location of the Mind-Calming Crystal vein and the threat posed by the Crystal-Cluster Mountain Demons were recorded in detail. Luo Lin's team received a generous contribution-point reward, and Luo Lin himself received the largest share because of his crucial decisions and contributions.

This experience also raised Luo Lin's reputation within Gray Tower Outpost to a new height.

Not only because he had brought back the precious Mind-Calming Crystal and vital intelligence, but also because he had displayed such composure in a crisis—and even the potential to forcibly create a new spell and turn the battle around.

Captain Holm gave him glowing praise in the mission report. Some veteran combat apprentices who had once held reservations about his "academic" background also began to genuinely acknowledge his strength.

However, Luo Lin did not grow complacent because of this.

He knew that one Mind-Calming Crystal was only the beginning. He was still far from gathering all the requirements for advancement.

Moreover, this adventure had exposed his shortcomings.

When facing truly powerful groups of magical creatures with special abilities, his conventional methods were still limited. [Corrosive Orb] consumed enormous amounts of energy, while fusion spells were a gamble with his life and could not be replicated.

After recovering, he focused even more on improving his overall capabilities.

Using his generous contribution-point reward, he exchanged it at the outpost for a knowledge scroll called Basic Energy Structure Deflection. He began systematically studying how to apply energy attacks of different attributes more effectively, especially against enemies like the Crystal-Cluster Mountain Demons that possessed elemental resistance.

At the same time, he did not abandon his research into the ancient scrolls.

He integrated the improvement concepts regarding Rock Skin more deeply with his own defensive spells.

Luo Lin no longer pursued overwhelming defense in an instant. Instead, he began trying to construct a force-field structure with greater "resilience" and "adaptability," one that could make slight adjustments to its energy distribution according to the type of attack it received, deflecting or neutralizing it.

Progress was slow, but the process demanded extremely precise energy control, which suited his current need to temper his foundations perfectly.

Baha also seemed to have grown after the valley crisis.

Its ability to foresee danger became more accurate. It could even vaguely distinguish the intensity of the danger posed by different kinds of threats.

Luo Lin began training it to conduct more complex reconnaissance, such as distinguishing the energy attributes of magical creatures and estimating their general energy levels.

Baha completed these tasks exceptionally well. Its intelligence and understanding of Luo Lin's intentions made it seem less and less like a simple magical pet and more like a clever companion.

The search for information on advanced meditation methods and the remaining materials also continued.

Old Jack could no longer be squeezed for any more valuable information, so Luo Lin began turning his gaze farther afield.

Through the contact channels Mason had left behind, he reached out to the elusive general-store owner once again.

The communication runestone lit up, and Mason's slightly weary voice came through.

"Yo, Luo Lin?"

"I heard you're doing pretty well at Gray Tower. You even got your hands on a Mind-Calming Crystal?"

"Just luck." Luo Lin skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.

"Boss Mason, I need reliable information on ways to obtain an advanced meditation method, as well as materials like Soulflame Flowers, Elemental Essence, and Origin Ink. The price is negotiable."

There was silence on the other side of the runestone for a moment, and Mason's voice became more serious.

"Kid, you're playing with fire."

"None of those things are something an apprentice like you should be touching."

"Meditation methods are the lifeblood of every major organization. Any that leak out are either traps or come with enormous trouble."

"As for those materials... I've only heard that Soulflame Flowers may have appeared deep within Deathwhisper Marsh. That place is even more sinister than Rotting Mire.

"Elemental Essence... perhaps you could find it in fragments of certain elemental planes or in exceptionally pure elemental nodes, but neither is something people at our current level can explore.

"Origin Ink involves the soul itself. The formula has almost been lost, and I've only heard of finished products in rumors."

Deathwhisper Marsh... fragments of elemental planes... Luo Lin silently committed those place names and keywords to memory.

Though the hope was slim, he finally had some concrete directions.

"As for meditation methods..."

"I do have a vague lead, but I can't guarantee whether it's real, and the risk is enormous."

Mason lowered his voice.

"Go on."

Luo Lin was interested.

"Ever heard of Shipwreck Bay?"

Mason asked.

Luo Lin thought back. He seemed to have seen the name on a scroll recording ancient geography, so he asked uncertainly,

"The dangerous sea region said to have formed when a huge fragment of a continent was sunk during an ancient war?"

"That's right. Rumor has it that not only countless ancient warships and cities sank there, but some wizard towers that had no time to evacuate were buried as well."

"There are rumors that some treasure hunters who weren't afraid of death found incomplete ancient meditation methods there. Most of them couldn't be cultivated directly, but they might offer different ideas, or... serve as bargaining chips."

There was a hint of temptation in Mason's voice.

"Of course, it's a true lawless land. Pirates, exiles, other races, and all kinds of sea creatures warped by magical contamination—the danger there is no less than in Black Forest."

Shipwreck Bay... fragments of ancient meditation methods... Luo Lin weighed his options inwardly.

It was indeed a road filled with the unknown and danger, but compared to signing away two hundred years of his life, it seemed to offer a little more possibility for independence.

"I've received the information. I'll pay the agreed reward."

Luo Lin ended the communication.

Setting down the runestone, he walked to the window and looked at the gray sky outside and the distant, unbroken outline of Black Forest.

Obtaining the Mind-Calming Crystal had given him a sliver of hope, but the information Mason provided pulled him back to reality.

The road ahead was still long and covered in thorns.

Deathwhisper Marsh, elemental nodes, Shipwreck Bay... behind each of these names lay extreme risks.

There was still no reliable way to obtain an advanced meditation method.

The materials for his innate spell were even farther out of reach.

Yet Luo Lin did not feel discouraged.

Five years of life in Black Forest had long since tempered his will like steel.

He had the panel, [Efficient Scholar], Baha, and the ancient perspective of knowledge he had gained from the ruins.

All of those were his foundation.

"One step at a time."

He said it to himself.

His foremost task now was to use the perfect-grade meditation method and his existing resources to bring his mental strength and physical condition to their true peak, while continuing to deepen his knowledge and spells.

Luo Lin glanced at Baha, which was preening its feathers in its nest. As if sensing his gaze, the little creature raised its dark-golden eyes to meet his, conveying firm support.

The road was still long, but he was already heading in the right direction.

Every step ahead would require greater caution—and greater decisiveness.