Ian spoke, organizing his own knowledge as he went.
"So, the complete chain of a Wizard’s cultivation is this: First, you use a ditation thod to coalesce a Will Rune. This builds the foundation of your Sea of Spirit and allows you to strengthen and condense your Spiritual Power. Then, supported by a Rune System, you construct a Witchcraft Model to release a specific Power. All these steps are interconnected and indispensable."
The tent fell silent. Talia and Dora were both absorbed in the explanation, struggling to digest this fundantal knowledge.
After a good while, Dora asked in a small voice, "Mr. Ian, then... what should I do now? Before I get into an academy?"
Ian looked at her, his tone gentle yet firm.
"First, protect your curiosity and your thirst for knowledge. Those are a Wizard’s most precious qualities."
"Second, learn reading, arithtic, and basic herbology from your mother. This knowledge may seem ordinary, but in the future, it will help you understand Witchcraft Models."
"Third, try to sit quietly. Feel your own breath, the life in the plants around you, the touch of the wind on your skin. You don’t need to intentionally ditate, just ’perceive’."
"Once you officially obtain a ditation thod, all these perceptions will beco the nourishnt for coalescing your first Will Rune."
He stood up, took a small packet of dried Calming Flower from a wooden shelf, and handed it to Dora.
"Before bed each night, take one petal and hold it under your tongue. It will help you calm your mind."
"Rember, the path of a Wizard is long and arduous, but every steady step forward will bring you closer to the truth of the world."
Talia pulled her daughter to her feet and gave Ian a solemn bow.
"Mr. Ian, Talia will never forget the kindness you’ve shown us today. I will do everything in my power to search for clues about the dicinal ingredients you need."
Ian gave a slight nod and saw the two of them to the tent’s entrance.
The last rays of the setting sun filtered through the Glowing Forest, casting a hazy halo of light and making the stream glitter.
Dora looked back, her light green eyes reflecting the light. "Mr. Ian, in the future... can I still co and ask you questions?"
"If it’s questions about fundantal principles," Ian smiled, "you’re always welco."
Watching the mother and daughter’s receding figures, Ian withdrew his gaze and turned back into the tent.
He sat back down at his workbench and picked up a mortar and pestle, but he didn’t start working right away.
’Moderate Natural Affinity... a Talent like that would be considered upper-middle-tier even at Shadow Moon Tower.’
He rembered his father’s gaze of both relief and worry when he himself had tested for Moderate Light Attribute Affinity.
’The Silver Ring...’
Ian reined in his thoughts and turned his attention back to the Potion Refining before him.
No matter what was happening in the outside world, his own strength was what truly mattered.
Before the traveling rchants arrived, he had to get himself into optimal condition and raise the Skill Level of his [Secondary Frost Freeze Beam] as much as possible.
His gaze swept over the panel, to the Skill Level of his [Secondary Frost Freeze Beam]: Limit-Broken once (779/800).
He knew that the next ti it broke its limit, it might gain an even more astonishing trait.
"I’m really looking forward to it!"
Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened. Inside the tent, the rhythmic RUSTLE of the [Wizard’s Hand] grinding herbs, accompanied by the occasional sound of a boiling Potion, blended into the land’s unending whisper.
...
Twenty days passed quietly in a routine of Alchemy, Purification, and ditation.
One morning, Ian was processing a newly arrived batch of Silver Leaf Grass.
The Secret Mark Crystal Stone that Mira had left him, which he carried in his pocket, suddenly grew slightly warm and transmitted a short ssage: "rchants have arrived. Co quickly."
Ian paused, a sharp glint in his eyes.
He quickly put away the herbs he was working on, changed into a relatively clean gray robe, and checked his inventory:
Fifty vials each of the Limit-Breaking Edition [Secondary Healing Potion] and the standard [Awakening Potion], 10 High Level Magic Stones, and over 200 standard Magic Stones.
Most importantly, there were over thirty units of Blood Essence from Top Level Demonized Beasts, which he had refined using his Control Level >.
There were also three black, Limit-Breaking Edition Blood Essences. He had a rough idea of which Demonized Fierce Beasts they ca from.
Each one contained abundant and pure Life Energy, with faint Attribute Patterns flowing across its surface.
This was the core bargaining chip he had prepared for trading.
Once everything was packed, Ian left his tent and walked briskly toward Misty Creek.
The closer he got to the middle section of the creek, the more people there were. Many Apprentices who were rarely seen out and about were on the path, their expressions a mix of anticipation and nervousness.
Clearly, news of the Silver Ring’s traveling rchants had spread.
When he neared the Dream Weaver’s Cottage, Ian saw from a distance that a crowd had gathered in the clearing in front of the wooden building, but they all kept their distance, not daring to get too close.
In the center of the clearing were three strangely designed vehicles.
Their bodies were built from a mixture of so kind of Dark Silver tal and dark wood, their surfaces covered in complex protective and agility Runes.
They weren’t pulled by horses, but by four Magic Beasts that resembled elk, only larger, with antlers that forked like Crystal.
They stood quietly, exuding a faint, icy aura.
Beside the vehicles stood seven or eight people, all uniformly dressed in pure white Wizard Robes. The hems were embroidered with a silver ring-shaped pattern that shimred faintly in the dim light of the Glowing Forest.
Ian’s gaze swept over them, and a flicker of doubt arose in his mind.
Shadow Moon Tower was also a White Wizard Organization, but their Wizard Robes were red. Why, then, did the Silver Ring, another White Wizard Organization, wear robes of pure white trimd with silver?
He suppressed this montary confusion and slowly walked forward.
Mira was standing next to the group in white robes, her deep purple dress standing out starkly against their pure white attire.
She saw Ian and gave him a slight nod, then whispered a few words to a man beside her.
The man appeared to be in his forties, with a stern face and eyes as sharp as an eagle’s.
He turned his head, his gaze landing on Ian.
In an instant, Ian felt an invisible pressure wash over him. It wasn’t a deliberately released aura of might, but the natural presence of soone who had long been in a high position and possessed great power.
The strength of this leader was definitely far beyond that of an ordinary High Level Apprentice; he might have even touched the threshold of an Official Wizard!
Ian’s heart tightened. ’Is this the foundation of the Silver Ring? Even a random mber is this strong!’
"This is Mr. Amos, the leader of the Silver Ring’s traveling rchants for this trip."
Mira introduced them, her tone more formal than usual. "Mr. Amos, this is the Magic Potion Alchemist I ntioned to you, Ian."
Amos sized up Ian, his gaze lingering on the slightly worn but clean gray robe, and on those calm, sharp eyes.
He mulled it over for a mont before speaking slowly, his voice deep and penetrating. "Lady Mira said the materials you require are quite special."
"Yes." Ian bowed with composure. "I need several of the main and auxiliary materials for the [Concentration Potion]."
"Concentration Potion..." A glint of understanding flashed in Amos’s eyes.
"That is one of the key cultivation Potions for High Level Apprentices. As a High Level Apprentice yourself, can you truly refine it?"
Hearing this, several of the white-robed Apprentices standing nearby also cast scrutinizing gazes his way, so tinged with faint disdain.
In the eyes of the Silver Ring’s Apprentices, it was already a stroke of luck for a wandering Apprentice from a remote area like this to even gather the materials, let alone successfully refine the Potion.
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