Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 183 Characteristics of Meditation

"After you finish reading the letter, if you leave it alone, it will be automatically destroyed."

Furthermore, I have also sealed off the final stage of meditation; now is not the time for you to view it.

Ron stared at the letter in his hand, which shimmered with a faint silver light, lost in thought.

The letter, though seemingly simple, sparked countless questions in his mind.

"Mrs. Allen is leaving the Black Mist Jungle?"

Ever since she stepped into this strange land shrouded in mist, Mrs. Allen seemed to have always been a part of that herbal medicine shop, the two inextricably linked.

That dimly lit shop, filled with the aroma of herbs, was like an extension of the old woman's body, and she was the soul of the shop.

"Since I entered the Black Mist Jungle, it seems no one has mentioned her leaving the shop..."

Ron frowned, pondering various possibilities.

The school of thought maintains extremely strict control over the actions of wizards, especially special individuals like Mrs. Allen.

It is obvious that her every move is likely under some kind of covert surveillance.

"Is that why we're using such a sophisticated security measure as a magic sealing letter, just to convey such a simple message?"

Ron tapped the table lightly: "Clearly, the lady has her own plans and doesn't want the higher-ups in the school to know."

Furthermore, the fact that both Mrs. Allen and Magnus had revealed that they had come to the Black Mist Forest to "retire" after losing their struggles further alarmed him.

I'll send Andrei back to check around the herbal medicine shop to see if it's closed or just pretending to be open.

The letter burst into flames almost immediately after slipping from his hand...

Ron frowned and carefully destroyed the ashes of the letter.

Then, their gaze turned to the black sealed box that emitted faint energy fluctuations—the final stage of "The Star Eater's Whispers" was hidden inside.

Now is not the time... He would not be the kind of fool who would plunge himself into a fire just to satisfy his curiosity.

“The second stage of training has already brought enough challenges…” Ron muttered to himself, recalling his recent meditation experience.

Compared to the basic stage, the second stage of meditation practice is a completely different level of experience.

The "murmurs" from the depths of the starry sky became clearer and more persistent, like some invisible tentacles constantly tearing at his mental body and interfering with his concentration.

The first few days of practice were almost torture.

Ron couldn’t even maintain a continuous meditation for ten minutes; the mentally agonizing pain forced him to repeatedly interrupt himself and then cycle through short breaks.

Each time he emerged from a meditative state, he would find himself drenched in sweat and breathing rapidly, as if he had just woken up from a nightmare.

“These delirious ramblings…” he was lost in painful memories: “are like countless tiny needles, piercing the mind from all directions at the same time.”

This was only because he had adapted to the babbling after his battle with the tentacle monster in his consciousness; otherwise, his performance would have been even worse.

This experience made him understand even more why Mrs. Allen had warned him so seriously that the "Whispers of the Star Eater" was unlike any other meditation method.

But a sudden inspiration changed everything.

That day, it suddenly occurred to him that since his "Erosion Symphony" originated from the murmurs of a star monster, and murmurs could cancel each other out...

Is it possible that he could use the melody of the "Erosion Movement" to resist the interference of those delirious words in his meditation?

And just as he had expected, when he recalled the melody of the "Erosion Symphony" in meditation, the whispers that had been troubling his meditation suddenly became less irritating to his mind.

It's as if the two fluctuations cancel each other out, or rather, the "erosion movement" creates a "mental barrier" that blocks those intrusive ramblings.

Ron opened the music notebook on the lab table, which contained detailed records of the parameters and effects of each attempt:
"The first movement in D minor, combined with a sufficiently strong fluctuation of mental energy, can form the first layer of interference;
The E major key, with its vibrato technique, produces a resonant effect on the 'zi' syllable;

Special fingering combinations simulate the 'Kru' syllable, completing the final structure..."

These intricate technical details are valuable experiences he gained through countless attempts and failures.

Sometimes, in order to adjust the exact frequency of a note, he would need to experiment continuously for more than ten hours.

Each successful breakthrough brought him an indescribable sense of satisfaction, like peeling back layer after layer of mystery and gradually approaching some grand truth.

You have mastered the skill: Erosion Symphony (Beginner)

[Note: This skill is closely related to the skills "The Devourer's Whispers" and "Sonic Oscillation"]

Having mastered the skill was an unexpected bonus.

But the true value of the second stage of meditation goes far beyond that.

After his ranking improved and his authority increased, he searched for various materials about formal wizards in the school's library.

The section on meditation mentions that when one's mental strength reaches the threshold of becoming a formal wizard and breaks through, certain gem-level and higher meditation techniques will grant the practitioner unique characteristics.

This characteristic will integrate with an individual's spell system, giving spells unique effects that distinguish them from the casting patterns of all ordinary wizards.

Just as every formal wizard possesses their signature personal spell, the "Meditation Trait" is a core advantage that can only be provided by gem-grade and higher meditation spells.

"This is a crucial step from advanced apprentice to full-fledged wizard..."

Ron calculated in his mind: "A completely personalized spell characteristic could open up entirely new research directions for me."

But this is accompanied by concerns about the growing spiritual pollution.

As the depth of meditation increases, the rate at which mental pollution accumulates also intensifies.

Although the Time Guardian Pocket Watch's reset function can still effectively remove these contaminants, Ron keenly realizes that as he approaches the threshold of advanced apprenticeship, relying solely on the pocket watch will certainly become insufficient.

"While the pocket watch's reset capability is powerful, it also has its limits."

Ron frowned in thought:

"Once mental strength reaches a level close to that of a formal wizard, the complexity and intensity of the pollution will also increase accordingly. Whether the pocket watch can fully cope with it at that time is still unknown."

This difficult problem strengthened his resolve to accelerate the implementation of the "furnace concept".

"We must find a more thorough solution before reaching the tipping point," Ron planned in his mind.

"After returning from the Bloodline Altar, we immediately began the job change attempts for Demon Hunters and Demon Swordsmen, then focused on the advancement to formal Wizards, and finally used the activated Demon Sword as a 'furnace' carrier to fundamentally solve the pollution problem."

This plan is meticulously crafted, with each step carefully planned and every link crucial.

"Multi-profession integration, mutual reinforcement..."

However, he has another task at the moment—to help Trish's leopard woman with bloodline modulation.

After all, he had promised someone, and this would also be a good opportunity to put his bloodline modifier abilities to practical use.

Ron organized all the necessary tools and materials, and had already constructed a detailed bloodline modulation plan in his mind.

The characteristics of the lion scorpion's venom glands have been thoroughly studied. The key is how to perfectly integrate these characteristics with the leopard woman's existing bloodline and avoid possible rejection reactions.

“Every step must be precise to the millimeter…” He reviewed his notes on the poison gland research:

"Even the slightest deviation could trigger unpredictable bloodline conflicts."

In the laboratory late at night, he was the only one left with the complex instruments running silently.

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a silvery-white patch of light on the floor.

Ron sighed, setting aside his various thoughts for the time being and focusing his energy on the most pressing task at hand.

"Proceed in an orderly and gradual manner."

He finally reminded himself: "Even the most complex puzzles are made up of a series of small parts."

The next morning, Ron, carrying the carefully prepared bloodline modification tools and materials, went to Trish's residence as agreed.

On the way, he reviewed the complex procedures that were about to be carried out.

The delicate work of bloodline modulation must be completed in one go once it begins; any mistake along the way could lead to catastrophic consequences.

The wind rustled the dark blue leaves on the branches of the Black Mist Forest, creating a strange, rustling sound.

Based on the address provided by Trish, he arrived at a small villa located in the East District of the School.

The two-story stone building has a simple and ancient appearance, with a vine that emits a faint fluorescence climbing on the walls, outlining the building's silhouette in the morning light.

The entire building was shrouded in an almost invisible energy barrier, a sign of an advanced protective array.

As soon as Ron approached the gate, an invisible mental force swept over his entire body like radar, checking his identity without leaving any blind spots.

The precision and intensity of this mental probing clearly exceeded the level of an advanced apprentice.

The door opened automatically, and Trish was already waiting in the foyer.

She wasn't wearing her apprentice robes, but rather a simple light green loungewear outfit, which made her already beautiful face appear even more youthful and radiant.

"Thank you for coming."

The young woman spoke gently, a polite smile on her face:

"The mentor is handling some matters and will be here shortly. Li Yue is already waiting in the preparation room."

Ron nodded, following Trish through the elegantly decorated corridor while secretly observing the surroundings.

His sensitivity to his environment had become an instinctive reaction. Various unusual collectibles were displayed on both sides of the corridor:

Specimens sealed in crystal, fragments of stone tablets inscribed with ancient runes, liquid creatures constantly changing form suspended in specially made containers...

Each piece reveals the owner's deep interest in the occult.

"Most of these are from my mentor's collection over the years."

Trish followed Ron's gaze and explained, a hint of barely perceptible boast in her tone:

"She often took me to study the characteristics of these extraordinary creatures. You might be interested in this."

She stopped in front of a special glass case containing a well-preserved small creature, its form somewhere between a butterfly and a jellyfish, its thin, cicada-wing-like membranous wings covered with intricate luminous patterns.

"The Star Abyss Moth is said to live only in a specific area of ​​the 'Twisted Jungle' on the fourth level of the Abyss."

Trish explained, her voice revealing a fascination with esoteric knowledge:
“Mentor Corinna said that they are among the very few creatures that can travel between different levels of the abyss without being tainted by the curse.”

Ron remained outwardly calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

If this creature truly possesses the natural ability to resist the curse of the Abyss, as Trish claims, then the research value of its bloodline characteristics far exceeds that of ordinary specimens, and it may even become a key link in unraveling the mystery of Abyssal adaptation.

"A very rare specimen."

He commented that his voice was full of interest:

"If we have the opportunity to study its bloodline structure, we may be able to obtain some important data on its adaptation to the abyss."

Trish smiled and nodded, but did not respond, whether she did not understand his hint or did not want to continue the conversation.

They then went to a spacious basement.

The room is softly lit, and in the center is a specially made white jade platform, its surface and surrounding area engraved with intricate magic array patterns.

The shelves along the wall are filled with various precision instruments and medicines, ranging from the most basic extractors to advanced energy stabilizing devices, making it look like a professional bloodline research laboratory.

Li Yue was already waiting by the stone platform.

Unlike her usual silent self, she appeared slightly nervous, her fingers unconsciously rubbing her sleeves.

When Ron entered, she bowed slightly in greeting, a mixture of expectation and wariness flashing in her eyes.

"Thank you for your help, sir," she said softly, her voice calm and low.

Ron nodded and began to quickly adapt to the environment and assess the available resources:
“Tracy has already told me some things, but I need more details about your bloodline condition and the specific details of your exposure to the toxins.”

His gaze swept over the well-equipped laboratory, a slight admiration creeping into his heart.

The quality and quantity of these instruments even surpassed the configuration of the school's public laboratories, clearly indicating that Corinna's requirements for experimental conditions were quite stringent.

Li Yue nodded and lay down on the stone platform at Cui Xi's prompting.

“During my last fight in the gladiatorial arena, I was grazed by a manticore’s stinger. I experienced brief, sharp pain and numbness, but I recovered quickly.”

Because she was lying down while speaking, the leopard woman's voice sounded somewhat muffled.

Ron took out a set of special testing tools and began to perform a comprehensive bloodline scan on the leopard woman.

His palm hovered a few centimeters above the surface of Li Yue's body, his mental energy penetrating her body like thousands of tiny probes.

With the dual benefits of "superior recognition" and "tracing", the bloodline structure within her body gradually became clear in his mental vision.

“Interesting…” Ron frowned slightly, noticing something unexpected.

The bloodline structure within Li Yue's body was far more complex than that of any alien race he had encountered before.

The outermost layer is the characteristic bloodline of the leopard clan, which is the foundation of her race;

But at a deeper level, there lies an even more ancient and powerful bloodline, hidden beneath layers of seals, only revealing faint fluctuations at certain points.

The energy fluctuation pattern of this bloodline is extremely special. It not only has the wild explosive power of a beast, but also carries an indescribable noble aura. This should be the so-called monarch bloodline.

More notably, in the areas exposed to the lion scorpion venom, this hidden bloodline appears to have begun to subtly awaken, forming a preliminary adaptive response.

"Now I can see why your previous attempt to fuse the toxin failed."

Ron continued testing while analyzing the situation:

"This latent bloodline has a strong repulsive property, automatically resisting the infiltration of foreign bloodlines. It does not reject the toxin itself, but rather any foreign bloodline that is not 'pure' enough."

Ron took out several special reagents from his toolbox, mixed them in precise proportions in a small crucible, and then added a drop of Leopard Moon's blood.

The liquid reacted immediately, turning deep purple and emitting a faint glow.

He then conducted several more refined tests in an attempt to determine the exact type of this latent bloodline and its potential for activation.

“I have a revised plan,” Ron said after a moment’s thought.

"Instead of trying to forcibly inject new bloodline characteristics, it would be better to temporarily suppress a part of this latent bloodline, which would make it much easier to integrate toxins."

Trish's eyes lit up: "This is completely beyond my expectations! Thank you for your help, I will do my best to give you a satisfactory reward."

Ron nodded and took out several processed samples of lion scorpion venom glands from his toolbox.

Through his special purification process, most of the impurities in these venom glands have been removed, leaving only the core toxic components and properties.

He carefully placed the sample in the testing dish and began to study how to integrate it with the latent bloodline characteristics of Tanuki Moon.

"Your finger and nail areas come into contact with toxins most frequently, and are also the least likely to trigger the instinctive reaction of your blood vessels."

Ron told the leopard woman to try to boost her confidence, hoping this would reduce the rejection slightly:
"I will try to concentrate the toxin in this area for transplantation, and at the same time try to expand the extension and retraction function of the claws."

After completing the preparations, Ron took out a small bottle of guiding potion:

"Li Yue, you need to take this first. It will temporarily reduce the rejection of your bloodline, creating conditions for subsequent operations."

The leopard woman nodded, took the potion, and drank it all in one gulp.

A few seconds later, her body began to glow faintly, and the markings on her skin became more distinct.

“Let’s begin.” Ron took a deep breath and focused his mental energy on the area around Li Yue’s hand.

His spiritual power seeped in along a specific path, searching for the nodes of those hidden bloodlines.

The fox moon let out a low growl, a sound that no longer resembled that of a human, but rather the roar of some ancient ferocious beast.

Her eyes turned completely golden, and her pupils contracted into thin vertical lines.

His whole body was tense, as if he were ready to leap up and attack at any moment.

"Calm down, Li Yue! I'm here."

Trish stepped forward, her voice firm yet gentle:
"Focus your attention, feel the power, but don't let it control you."

With Tracy's reassurance, Li Yue's emotions gradually stabilized.

Ron took the opportunity to further guide the activated energy, directing it toward a pre-set path.

"Phase one completed."

About ten minutes later, Ron finally breathed a sigh of relief:

"The countermeasures of the latent bloodline have been temporarily suppressed. Now we can proceed to the second stage—the transplantation of the poison glands."

Ron mixed the venom gland extract with a special fusion medium to create a viscous, dark purple liquid.

At first, everything went quite smoothly.

Every tiny energy node was rearranged under his control, like a huge and complex three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle gradually taking shape.

The toxins were accepted by Tanuki Moon's bloodline and began to fuse with her claw tissue.

However, just as the fusion process was halfway through, a rejection reaction suddenly occurred.

Li Yue clenched her teeth in pain, and her body began to show redness, swelling, and abnormal energy fluctuations.

"Rejection reaction." Ron immediately identified the problem:
Even if the latent bloodline is suppressed, the purity of the foreign substance is still insufficient.

Trish seemed a little worried: "Will there be any danger?"

"The risks are within a controllable range."

Ron gave a brief reply, indicating that he had already begun adjusting his mental energy output mode:
"I will monitor vital signs throughout the process, and stop immediately if any serious abnormalities occur."

His mental energy was like thousands of invisible needles and threads, weaving through Li Yue's bloodline, dismantling those repulsive structures, and then recombinating them according to a new pattern.

Every step must be precise to the microsecond level; any tiny mistake could cause the entire process to collapse.

The process lasted for nearly twenty minutes, during which he was completely focused, and the sweat on his forehead had soaked his collar.

Finally, when the last point of repulsion was successfully recombined, the entire fusion process was completed.

"It's a success." Ron withdrew his mental energy, his voice tinged with fatigue.

"The toxin has been fully integrated into the claw structure, and I have also extended the claw's retractable function."

(End of this chapter)