The topic hit the mark, and the brown-haired girl’s gaze became sharp:
"In any case, avoid those mentors who specialize in curses. Those adults... only treat their students as consumables. Over all these years, only one, Oliver, has survived for five years by choosing such mentors."
Ron nodded, which matched his previous judgment.
"One more thing." Trish hesitated, seemingly contemplating whether to speak:
"I’m not sure how deep your relationship with Lady Allen is, but if she’s willing to recommend a mentor for you... that might be the ideal choice."
Ron pretended not to notice and looked at Trish, probing, "Lady Allen? Isn’t she just an herb store owner?"
With a mysterious smile on her face, Trish didn’t reveal any key information:
"Do you really think an ordinary herb store owner can survive independently in the Black Mist Jungle for so many years? Can she also master all kinds of unique magic potion formulas and possibly hold much more valuable extraordinary knowledge?"
She stood up and tidied her robe:
"In any case, the choice is yours. I’m just providing some reference information. Regarding magic potion matters, if you have time to take the next batch of orders, feel free to contact me."
As she was leaving, Trish turned back to look at him:
"By the way, the candidate apprentice assessment period of one year is almost over now, just a little more than a month left. Do you want to... forget it, those ’defective products’ have nothing to do with us anyway."
Defective products... After seeing off the guest, Ron touched the increasingly dense fuzz on his chin.
A little over a month ago, it seemed he was also such a "defective product," even anxious to the point of losing sleep every night.
At that time, he probably never imagined the brilliant prospects today:
"The progress in all aspects is steadily advancing. Although it’s indeed been tiring lately, this effort with a visible goal at least gives me something to strive for..."
Once he completes the advancement in the Alchemist and Knight professions, maybe he can consider buying books like "Alchemy Basics" and "Enchantment Basics" to see if he can open up more professional paths.
However, for now... Ron picked up the pocket watch and continued to devote himself to the next round of the cultivation cycle.
Going all out, to become a Witch King... no, a Demon God!
A month passed, and the season in the Black Mist Jungle silently changed. The color of the trees deepened, and the magic fluctuations in the air became more active.
The mist at dawn grew thicker, and when sunlight pierced through the canopy, the tiny magic particles shimmered in the light like stars, forming a strange scene.
During this time, Ron led an almost harshly disciplined life.
Every day before dawn, when most apprentices were still asleep, he would already be up, starting a day of cultivation.
When the first ray of sunlight of the morning spilled into the room, he would sit cross-legged in the center of the room, with a candle lit for clarity placed in front of him.
The candle’s glow wasn’t bright, but the flickering flame exhibited a peculiar rhythm under Ron’s gaze, as if forming some resonance with his breathing.
"Inhale for seven breaths, hold for three breaths, exhale for five breaths."
This was the basic rhythm of the "Crown Breathing Technique." With each breath, Ron could feel the subtle changes in his body’s meridians, as if caressed by gentle sunlight, gradually becoming broader and tougher.
With every inhalation, he seemed to absorb the faint essence of sunlight from the air;
With each breath held, that energy would circulate in the body’s meridians;
With each exhalation, impurities and turbid qi would be expelled from the body.
The Qi Blood Potion and the potion that enhanced Breathing Technique efficiency, both made from materials purchased from Lizard Alley, further boosted the efficiency of Breathing Body Refining.
[Breathing Body Refining Experience +1]
[Breathing Body Refining Experience +1]
[Breathing Body Refining Experience +1]
Continuing the Breathing Technique Body Refining for a month increased his Physical Attribute to some extent, and the Breathing Body Refining was about to break through to the proficiency level:
[Constitution 1.5→1.7]
[Current Progress: Breathing Body Refining (Novice 90/100)]
After finishing the daily consistent Breathing Technique training, it was time for the toughest part—the meditation of "Star Eater’s Ravings."
Lady Allen’s warning about this Gem-level Meditation Technique still echoed in his ears:
"Spiritual contamination is cumulative; every meditation brings a certain level of contamination. If not purified in time, long-term accumulation may cause irreversible damage."
Every time Ron meditated, he would first construct a complex protective structure in his Spiritual Space, composed of dozens of basic runes, as the first line of defense against spiritual contamination.
Then, he would start the genuine meditation of "Star Eater’s Ravings."
In the initial stage of meditation, every time he witnessed the vast starry sky, with countless living stars twinkling in the darkness, a sense of indescribable terror would grow from the depths of his heart.
In the beginning, he would always terminate the meditation upon feeling intense discomfort and use the pocket watch’s "reset" function to restore his spirit state.
But as his experience accumulated, he gradually learned to persist longer through sheer willpower without relying on external tools.
Each time he resisted the spiritual erosion of those living stars, his Spiritual Power would slightly increase.
From an initial 2.4, to 2.5, and then to 2.6... advancing step by step.
By the third weekend, his Spiritual Power had reached 2.8, just one step away from the threshold of an Intermediate Apprentice.
Meanwhile, he didn’t slack on the study of Magic Potion Making.
Every afternoon in Lady Allen’s shop, besides completing daily tasks, he spent additional time researching more complex formulas.
In order to assist Trish with special orders, he gained a deeper understanding of the attributes of certain rare materials.
The progress in Magic Potion Making, although not as apparent as Spiritual Power, was more solid.
His Magic Potion Refining Skill improved from the initial clumsiness to being able to basically master the production process of some advanced potions;
His Herb Recognition ability significantly improved, even with materials mixed with impurities, he could quickly determine their real composition and quality.
"Basic Magic Potion Making," as his core skill, was also moving towards Mastery.
Ron had a premonition; once this skill broke through to the Master Level, his overall magical potion-making ability would experience a qualitative leap.
At night, when most apprentices had finished their day’s study, Ron would start his practice of "Corona Swordsmanship."
The room was small but adequate for basic swordsmanship practice. Every movement was performed with precision, aiming to perfectly synchronize with the rhythm of the Breathing Technique.
The only regret was that as "Basic Swordsmanship" approached the critical point of mastering, the accumulation of experience points became increasingly difficult.
Despite diligent practice for a month, he was still short of breaking through, but nearing the critical point.
At that time, with the aid of potions to quickly enhance his Physical Attributes, he would have the opportunity to choose either the "Bloodline Knight (Two Stars)" or the "Magic Swordsman (Two and a Half Stars)" advancement path.
While verifying his long-held conjecture—whether different advancement routes can be pursued simultaneously.
Daily cultivation often lasted until late night, and when he finally lay in bed, his whole body was in a state of extreme fatigue.
But with the "reset" function of the Time Guardian Pocket Watch, he could start a new round of cultivation in full bloom the next morning.
Heaven rewards those who diligently endure! This almost frenzied training schedule led to significant growth in Ron’s power in a short time.
On the last day of this month, his Spiritual Power reached 2.9, just a hair away from breaking through to the Intermediate Apprentice standard.
The progress of "Star Eater’s Ravings" meditation also went from less than ten percent initially to nearly half.
Today, as he just finished his breathing technique training, the sweat on his forehead had yet to dry.
After a brief rest, he quickly transitioned into the meditation phase. Suddenly, the scene in his conscious mind was once again torn apart by darkness:
[Insight has been triggered, please exercise extreme caution!]