Wizard Bloodline

According to Soraya, during their hunt for the third-level Frost-scaled Python, two smaller second-level ones appeared. Both had partially awakened the Ancient Ice Crystal Serpent bloodline.

What seemed like it would be a difficult task turned out to be surprisingly smooth.

All three Frost-scaled Pythons were severely weakened, with less than a third of their usual strength, as if they had just survived a major battle.

The four third-level wizards, including Soraya, easily subdued them. One died, and they captured two alive.

The three major wizard families of White Stone Castle were pleased, as the outcome exceeded their expectations. They were likely discussing how to replenish the blood essence of the captured Pythons and how to divide them.

However, this result wasn't ideal for Soraya.

She extracted essence blood from all three Pythons, but even the most potent one fell short of her expectations.

"For now, we won't proceed with the bloodline transplantation," Soraya told Ronan. "Let's complete the talent transplantation first. We'll consider bloodline transplantation once the three major families find a way to restore the bloodline concentration of the two captured Pythons."

"The current essence blood's Ancient Ice Crystal Serpent bloodline is too thin, almost indistinguishable from ordinary Frost-scaled Pythons, not worth the risk."

"Bloodline transplantation doesn't need to coincide with the crystallization of mental power."

Ronan nodded, feeling a tinge of disappointment. He had been prepared for the bloodline transplantation.

This result wasn't entirely negative; he hadn't planned to reveal the "Sacred Blood Tree" secret to Soraya yet.

After leaving White Stone Castle, he might find suitable bloodlines for purification and transplantation, having already learned the core techniques from Soraya.

"Could the anomalies with the Pythons be related to those black-robed wizards?" Ronan pondered, recalling his unexpected encounter with Anglair's group.

He remembered Silver Ring's Basil mentioning that after Hoddam Academy's fall, the Scarlet Tower also crushed the Forest of Whispering Souls, which competed for the Nepha Key.

Anglair had fled the Forest of Whispering Souls, reportedly killing two second-level wizards during his escape.

Now, Anglair seemed to have joined another black-robed wizard faction, living comfortably and holding a respectable position.

"I don't think so," Soraya replied, shaking her head. "Those Black Mire bugs were observing us during the Python hunt but didn't seem interested in the Pythons themselves."

"They probably didn't expect our presence."

"I suspect it might be related to ancient ruins near the nest."

"Our four third-level wizards thoroughly investigated the nest and its surroundings but found no clues. The ruins were destroyed by the Pythons, possibly causing their injuries."

"Black Mire..."

Ronan noted the term, nodding without further comment.

"Alright, prepare to advance to second-level."

Soraya ended the conversation, instructing Ronan to get ready.

The room's floor was set with two rune arrays, one large and one small, nested within each other.

Ronan moved to the center of the array, removing his robe to reveal his smooth, flawless upper body.

The outer array was for the necessary crystallization process for advancing to second-level, while the inner one was for talent transplantation. Everything was in place, only the final preparations remained.

Soraya divided the third-level Frost-scaled Python essence blood into portions, performing a series of intricate preparations. She then stepped into the array, using the prepared blood to paint Ronan's body with twisting water droplet-like runes.

The process took about half an hour, covering Ronan from neck to face, all converging at his brow.

With the final stroke, Soraya exited the array, drawing a mysterious symbol in the air with her right hand. Subtle spiritual energy flowed from her fingertips, along with the symbol, into the array.

Guided by this energy, the crystallization array activated, emitting fine streams of light as it began its precise operation.

Ronan, at the array's center, felt an invisible pressure.

This pressure wasn't physical but rather a unique influence on his mental power.

Similar to the pressure he felt facing Soraya's full third-level spiritual power, though much gentler.

As the array worked, the pressure increased. Ronan closed his eyes, entering a meditative state.

In his mind, Ronan "saw" his semi-solid mental power sphere quivering under the array's pressure, beginning its transformation.

Normally, this would initiate the crystallization process.

However, Ronan's mental purity exceeded that of typical late first-level wizards, so the current pressure wasn't sufficient.

He took this time to refine his [Frozen Ground] rune into [Tundra Frozen Ground] using Soraya's legacy.

The array's pressure needed more "warming up" to meet Ronan's crystallization requirements, allowing him to upgrade the rune at a leisurely pace.

[Ronan] had long mastered the [Tundra Frozen Ground] rune. He skillfully upgraded it and prepared the solidification potion, waiting for the array's pressure to peak.

"Crack."

Finally, his mental power sphere began collapsing inward, like a snowball compressed into ice.

Ronan felt a faint pain in his soul.

He brought forth the fully refined [Tundra Frozen Ground] rune, imprinting it onto the shrinking mental power sphere.

This was another key difference between second-level and first-level wizards—

A second-level wizard's soul rune resides within the crystallized mental power, forming a stronger bond, allowing faster activation and greater effects.

"Linus! Prepare..."

With the [Tundra Frozen Ground] rune fully embedded, the mental power sphere, now almost fully crystallized, shrunk to less than one-tenth its original size. Soraya's voice reminded Ronan.

He took a deep breath, sensing something rapidly entering his body and surging toward his mind.

From an outsider's view, Ronan, seated cross-legged on the floor, was now surrounded by the second rune array. Countless rune lights streamed into his body, the surface runes melting like damp paint, slowly seeping into his skin.

The special potion, infused with third-level Frost-scaled Python essence, reformed in Ronan's mind. His task was to crystallize the [Cold Soul] rune before his mental power fully crystallized, embedding it within.

This was akin to embedding two runes within one mental power crystal.

However, the [Cold Soul] rune, formed from magical beast essence, consumed some of the essence with each activation, eventually dissipating when depleted.

Soraya's preparations ensured that the essence took most impurities with it upon depletion, minimizing impact on mental and soul power.

For most wizards undergoing "talent transplantation," this step was absent, leading to more severe contamination issues.

This was a closely guarded secret among White Stone Castle's wizard families.

Ronan endured the spiritual pain, swiftly condensing the [Cold Soul] rune with the infused essence, embedding it just like the [Tundra Frozen Ground] rune into the nearly crystallized mental power.

He then drank the solidification potion in one swift motion.

In an instant, his mind lit up.

A nearly transparent crystal finally formed with a crisp, melodious sound.

Within the crystal, the [Tundra Frozen Ground] soul rune appeared like a naturally growing pattern, its edges extending invisible threads tightly interwoven with the mental power crystal.

"Whoosh—"

With the mental power crystal's completion, the air around Ronan grew heavy, powerful pressure radiating from him, stirring turbulent air currents in the silent room.

Soraya, standing at the array's edge, raised her hand slightly, instantly calming the room, leaving Ronan as the central "light source."

Meanwhile, new changes occurred in Ronan's mind.

The [Cold Soul] rune, successfully embedded within the crystal, silently shattered, turning into a murky pool, quickly expelled.

Only a faint blue light remained on the crystal's surface, melting like snow.

In a daze, Ronan glimpsed a shadowy, deep blue serpent, but it vanished in a flash.

Suddenly, inspiration and understanding of ice spells flooded his mind, elevating his mastery to new heights!

"Buzz—"

Silent energy waves emanated from him, mysterious forces intertwining into three distinct extraordinary domains, merging into one.

"Linus!"

Soraya, standing nearby, witnessed the three domains, her graceful face showing shock for the first time.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement, her whole being slightly trembling.

"Linus, my exceptional Linus."

She called softly, her face glowing with joy and satisfaction.

The domain phenomenon lasted only a few breaths before ceasing.

Then, Ronan, seated shirtless within the runes, opened his eyes, the dim room bursting into vibrant azure before slowly dimming.

Ronan rose from the center, his white hair dancing without wind, his body enveloped in an unusual radiance, a powerful, invisible field swirling around him, like a finely polished gemstone radiating unmatched brilliance.

Finally, he had reached the second level.

Ronan exhaled, the living Neiman metal transforming into a silver-edged gray robe draped over him.

He felt the world around him had become clearer, the energy particles more intimate than ever.

This was the most immediate change from enhanced mental and soul power.

[Name: Ronan Damien]

[Power: Second-Level Official Wizard (1%)]

His character panel now showed his power as Second-Level (1%), a step closer to emerging from the mist.

Ronan roughly assessed his mental power, now roughly ten times his previous amount.

Previously, his mental power was three times that of the average late first-level wizard, now thirty times more!

Not to mention the qualitative enhancements.

Even fully restrained, his mental power waves still caused air and light to distort, beyond a typical second-level wizard's reach.

"Old spells, now with second-level mental power, must be vastly more powerful."

Ronan was eager to test a spell, comparing it to his late first-level state.

"Linus."

A soft call pulled Ronan from his introspection.

"Aunt Soraya."

He responded respectfully.

Soraya now regarded him as a rare treasure, her eyes filled with admiration and concern, more intense than before his breakthrough.

"Good child."

Soraya beckoned him closer, gently stroking his hair, whispering, "You're destined to be a Lanstet, the 'Iceflame Iris' crest will shine brighter because of you."

Ronan listened to her murmurs, pondering, as he raised his right hand.

Dark red liquid seeped from his palm, the absorbed, specially treated Python essence now expelled as waste.

"Failed."

Ronan smiled wryly, admitting, "The essence was wasted; perhaps the Python's talent isn't suitable for me."

Indeed.

Ronan's "talent transplantation" ultimately failed.

He suspected it was due to his purified mental power being too pure.

After crystallization, his mental power rejected any impurities, expelling the fully formed [Cold Soul] rune as a contaminant.