CHAPTER 107: CHAPTER 99: INTENSIFYING POLLUTION AND THE CRITICAL POINT

The first ray of dawn penetrated the window, and Ron was already seated in the center of the small experimental area on the second floor of the workshop.

The air was filled with a faint incense fragrance, a special formula used to stabilize the spirit, made from Calming Herb, Calming Leaf, and Cinnabar Powder mixed together.

This was an auxiliary Meditation Potion he recently devised by himself, capable of resisting the spiritual contamination brought about by "Star Eater’s Ravings" to a certain extent.

In the time since the workshop was established, Ron has been unfailingly conducting Meditation Cultivation every day.

Getting up at four in the morning, starting the first Meditation at five, lasting at least an hour, before beginning other work for the day.

This level of self-discipline, if not for the Time Guardian Pocket Watch, would have likely caused him to collapse from exhaustion long ago.

"Deep breath, empty your mind..." he murmured lightly, closing his eyes, his Spiritual Power slowly circulating.

In the Consciousness Space, the complex structure woven from dozens of runes had become increasingly clear and stable.

Compared to its initial fragile construction, like a toddler learning to walk, the Star Track Rune could now maintain long-term stability, akin to a meticulously running clock.

Countless stars twinkled in the darkness, no longer mere points of light, but existences containing a certain life energy.

Under the guidance of the runes, Ron’s Spiritual Power was like a fish swimming through the sea of stars, each circulation bringing deeper understanding and purer power.

[Current progress: "Star Eater’s Ravings" (Skilled 147/300)]

"The progress is almost halfway..." Ron calculated silently in his heart, frowning slightly.

Time was passing faster than imagined, and these days of diligent cultivation had allowed him to progress rapidly, yet there was still a long way to fully master the first stage.

"If I maintain this speed, in about six months, I can reach the first stage’s critical point and seek a breakthrough to an Advanced Apprentice."

He estimated in his heart: "Lady Allen had mentioned that an ordinary apprentice would take at least several years to master the first stage, so it seems I am indeed faster than ordinary apprentices."

However, the definition of this so-called "ordinary" intrigued him, probably not referring to those with a Sixth-class Star aptitude...

Just as he was immersed in his thoughts, a low pulse emerged from a dark area deep in his consciousness, as if something was wriggling and growing there.

That was accumulated spiritual contamination, settling like silt in the ocean of his spirit.

As the depth of the meditation increased, the spiritual contamination became increasingly hard to ignore, even beginning to affect daily thoughts.

Ron felt the accumulated contamination in his spiritual sea, like a layer of black silt gradually settling in the originally clear lake water.

Initially almost invisible, but over time, the sludge thickened, even beginning to affect the water quality itself.

[Warning: Mild spiritual contamination detected]

He tried to focus his attention back on the meditation itself, but the sense of pressure grew stronger and stronger.

Even with the aid of incense and Stabilizing Potions, even resetting weekly with the pocket watch, the rate of contamination accumulation was continually accelerating.

What worried him the most was that the purification effect of the Time Guardian Pocket Watch seemed to be diminishing. Initially, a single point of energy from the Watch could completely clear the contamination, like cutting butter with a sharp knife;

Now, it took three points of energy to eliminate mild contamination, and there would always be a lingering residue, like stubborn ink stains on fabric that couldn’t be completely removed no matter how washed.

"I must find a way to advance the pocket watch..."

Ron frowned deeply, maintaining his meditative state but feeling a growing anxiety in his heart, "Otherwise, I will sooner or later be crushed by the contamination, and all my efforts would be wasted."

To control the accumulation of contamination, he had already adjusted the time of his daily routine meditation, stopping just before the spiritual contamination reached the warning threshold.

Meanwhile, he increased the use of more auxiliary potions, which undoubtedly greatly increased the cost of cultivation.

Ron had calculated before that now the monthly expenditure on auxiliary potions alone for meditation had reached over twenty Magic Stone Fragments, not including the energy consumption of the Time Guardian Pocket Watch.

For someone who had become a Professional Alchemist, it wasn’t unbearable, but it was not an insignificant expenditure either.

["Star Eater’s Ravings" (Skilled) Experience Points +1]

Another successful cycle completed, Ron could feel his Spiritual Power becoming slightly purer, like a filter purifying turbid water into a crystal-clear spring.

But at the same time, the eerie sensation of being watched by countless eyes in the depths of his consciousness also intensified, sending chills down his spine.

"That special inspiration can indeed bring a tenfold experience boost, but the spiritual contamination is also tenfold... I can’t use it recklessly anymore."

As the last trace of Spiritual Power retracted, Ron slowly opened his eyes, ending the meditation.

He took a deep breath, feeling the heaviness accumulated in his chest, a physiological reaction brought about by spiritual contamination.

After each meditation session, he always felt inexplicable fatigue and palpitations, feelings that grew stronger as the contamination accumulated.

Fingers gently caressed the silver pocket watch at his waist, feeling the remaining scales inside—it didn’t need to be reset today, so he could devote the energy scales to recovery in other cultivation, waiting to purify when the contamination accumulated to a certain extent in a few days.

"That ’favor’ shared in class yesterday..."

Ron recalled that peculiar feeling, warmth surged in his heart as if a clear stream had poured into it, murmuring softly, "Though insignificant, it indeed eliminated some of the accumulated contamination, roughly equivalent to the amount produced by ten days of daily meditation."

This further strengthened his resolve to actively share his experiences in the future.

Not only can it help others, but it also brings tangible benefits to himself. Why not?

......

After a short break, Ron transitioned into the magic practice phase.

During this period, he focused on magic construction and spiritual interference.

These two skills had progressed significantly under the system guidance of the paid course.

"Concentrate..." Ron gently held up a crystal ball with both hands and began channeling spiritual power to construct the sound wave vibration magic model.

The crystal ball is the best tool for regular magic practice, as it can visually display the stability of a magic model and the state of energy flow.

A good magic model will show a smooth and stable energy flow inside the crystal ball, while an immature model will exhibit chaotic energy and unstable fluctuations.

With Eric’s guidance, he gained a new understanding of optimizing magic circuits.

It’s no longer just about infusing spiritual power into the magic model, but guiding it through specific paths to maximize energy efficiency.

It’s like channeling a previously chaotic river into orderly canals, reducing energy loss and improving the stability of magic.

Inside the crystal ball, an energy vortex began to form, and as Ron infused more spiritual power, it became increasingly stable, transforming from intense fluctuations to almost complete stillness, with only the core pulsating faintly with light.

Each successful magic construction brings a sense of achievement, as if creating order out of chaos.

[Magic Construction Experience Points +1]

Immediately after, he attempted to construct a magic model for spiritual interference.

This skill had been systematically trained in Leia’s course, and now he was able to precisely influence the perception of small nearby creatures, temporarily plunging them into confusion or fear.

Spiritual interference is more intricate than sound wave vibration, requiring the spiritual power to be shaped into a special "ripple" that can disrupt the target’s thought processes.

It’s akin to playing a complex piece of music where every note needs to be accurate to produce the desired effect.

Ron found a moth resting on the window sill and gently sent out a ripple of spiritual interference towards it.

The moth immediately ceased its wing-flapping motion, as if frozen in place, then suddenly began to fly wildly, as if it had seen something terrifying.

[Spiritual Interference Experience Points +1]

"At this rate, I should be able to break through to the skilled level in one skill within a month."

Ron analyzed his progress while considering the choice for a third magic.

As an intermediate apprentice, it’s essential to master at least three zero-ring magics, which forms the foundational requirement for a complete thought network in a magic circuit.

He already had sound wave vibration and slime splash, and needed to add one more.

"Spells from the light and heat system seem to be a good choice..."

Ron recalled his grasp of the Crown Breathing Technique and the unique "Sun’s Protection" within him, contemplating:

"I could consider a defensive thermal field or a repelling fire ring, both of which could synergize with the Crown Breathing Technique, integrating both offense and defense."

Deciding on the next step in his learning direction, Ron stood up and picked up the ironwood sword placed in the corner, beginning the second cultivation session of the day.

The ironwood sword carved a graceful arc through the air, each movement perfectly synchronized with his breathing.

"Inhale for seven counts, hold for three counts, exhale for five counts..."

With the rhythm of the Crown Breathing Technique, the sword momentum flowed seamlessly like clouds and water.

Those movements that once required thoughtful consideration had now become part of his muscle memory, allowing his body to naturally make the most appropriate reaction.

Each swing of the sword brought a sense of muscles and bones working in perfect harmony, like a finely tuned machine with every component operating just right.

[Basic Swordsmanship Experience Points +1]

Ron furrowed his brows, slowed his movements, and carefully sensed the changes in sword momentum.

Despite the considerable boost from the professional alchemist and knight’s squire profession synergy, the final bit of experience points for basic swordsmanship proved exceptionally difficult to accumulate.

"Just a little more to break through..." he murmured to himself as he glanced at the data on the panel, a touch of frustration welling up within him.

[Current Progress: Basic Swordsmanship (Skilled 99/100)]

The feeling of stalling at the critical point and being so close to reaching mastery was particularly agonizing.

It’s like a hungry person seeing food but unable to reach out to grab it, or like a thirsty traveler seeing an oasis but never being able to approach it.