What shocked him even more was that when he tried to focus and listen, some stars seemed to sense his attention and began to slowly move towards him.
For a moment, Ron hallucinated seeing the eyes of some giant creature gazing at him from the depths of the universe.
"Damn!" He abruptly broke out of the meditation state, cold sweat soaking through his clothes.
Breath quickened, heart pounding like a drum, his entire body felt as if he’d just awakened from a nightmare.
"Spiritual contamination... has it already reached such a level?" He trembled as he grabbed the pocket watch placed beside him to recheck his state.
Indeed, the accumulated spiritual contamination was nearing a moderate level, which was already a dangerous signal.
According to the information he had reviewed some time ago, moderate spiritual contamination could lead to hallucinations, affect sleep quality, and even interfere with daily judgment.
If left unchecked, once the contamination reached severe levels, madness and mutation wouldn’t be far off.
Ron immediately activated the "reset" function of the pocket watch, a cool sensation spreading from the point of contact throughout his entire body, gradually purifying the contamination lurking deep within his spirit.
[Successfully reset negative state: Moderate Spiritual Contamination, Energy -6]
Six energy points... This was the largest consumption since he had used the pocket watch.
Ron’s heart sank, feeling an instinctive unease.
In theory, this level of spiritual contamination should be a problem faced only by advanced apprentices.
A significant reason why those advanced apprentices actively took on roles as teaching assistants was to gain "favors" to purify their spiritual contamination.
"Is it because I’ve been cultivating too fast?" Ron pondered, "Or is it the aftereffects left by those two instances of ’special inspiration’?"
A more terrifying possibility slowly emerged in his mind, but the thought was too frightening for him to continue pondering. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on NovᴇlFirᴇ(.)nᴇt
"In any case, I must find a better solution." Ron looked at the pocket watch, his desire to advance it growing even stronger in his heart.
The current pocket watch, though powerful, had limited energy. If the spiritual contamination continued to accumulate at this rate, one day it would surely exceed the pocket watch’s cleansing capability.
"Once Andre and I both advance to bloodline knights, combined with various magic-like techniques as support, together we will have the strength to contend even with advanced apprentices. At that time, we must explore Lizard Alley again."
Ron silently decided in his heart, "Perhaps through that goblin, the half-beastman mercenary squad, or even the mysterious old woman’s backing, we can find clues about the origin of the pocket watch."
After calming his emotions, Ron began to prepare for today’s weekly test.
This was something he had promised Eric and Leia, and it was also crucial for him to ascend to the next level of courses.
Once he finished washing up, he changed into a clean and tidy robe, secured the pouch containing magic stone fragments at his waist, ensuring he looked energetic.
Before leaving, he glanced back at the "Star Eater’s Ravings" notes on the workbench, a complex emotion fleeting across his eyes.
Although this meditation technique had brought him many troubles, he couldn’t deny that it had significantly accelerated his spiritual power growth.
This conflicting feeling left him in a dilemma, but the immediate priority was passing the weekly test to reach a higher stage.
"Ailan, I’m going to the weekly test, please look after the workshop."
Ron said to the dryad who was organizing herbs in the corner.
Ailan’s leaves gently swayed, forming characters: "Good luck, master."
Ron smiled and nodded, stepping out of the workshop and heading towards the teaching area.
The black mist jungle was damp and refreshing in the early morning, and Ron took a deep breath, allowing his thoughts to gradually calm down.
Today was an important day. He must give his all and not let the shadow of spiritual contamination affect his performance.
As he crossed a dim grove, the outline of the teaching area gradually became clearer.
The ancient and solemn stone tower appeared particularly dignified in the morning light, where countless wizards had embarked on their path of the extraordinary, and countless others had fallen here, never reaching the end.
In the hallway of the teaching area, people came and went, apprentices of various levels holding scrolls or books hurriedly moving through.
Following the signs, Ron found the weekly test location—a spacious classroom on the third floor.
As he opened the door, he saw Eric already inside, organizing some documents on the table.
There were also a few apprentices in the classroom, looking like they were there to participate in the weekly test.
"Oh, Ron." Eric looked up and greeted him with a smile, "You’re early. It seems you value this test greatly."
"Of course, Master Eric." Ron respectfully responded, "This is an important step for me to enter the next phase of study, and I’ve prepared thoroughly."
Eric nodded, indicating for him to find a seat in the front row.
Ron scanned the room, recognizing a few classmates from previous lessons; some looked confident, while others appeared nervous.
"Today’s weekly test covers the ’Magic Circuit Optimization’ and ’Spiritual Stability Techniques’ courses."
When the scheduled time arrived, Eric immediately began announcing the exam rules:
"These two courses are foundational for apprentices, and their content is interrelated, so we have arranged for the tests to be held on the same day to save everyone the travel time."
He continued to explain, "First is the theoretical test, followed by practical operation. Each part accounts for half of the total score, and you need to pass both parts to advance."
Leia entered the classroom from the side door, holding a stack of exam papers.