Chapter 75: Assessment and Planning

Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Assessment and Planning

A few weeks later, the Crystal Plate vibrated. Chen Shang tapped it open and found a laboratory-wide broadcast.

"To all Apprentices of Starfall Laboratory: In ten years, this laboratory will conduct an academic assessment. Those who excel in the assessment will earn the qualifications to participate in the Truth Continent exchange conference.

"At that time, Elite Apprentices from all major laboratories will gather to exchange research findings and demonstrate their personal prowess. We hope all Apprentices will prepare diligently and pursue their studies with unwavering dedication."

"An assessment?" Chen Shang leaned back in his chair after reading the notification, staring at the ceiling.

An assessment was nothing unusual. As a dispatched teaching institution, Starfall Laboratory needed to prove its value through its educational outcomes. The achievements of the Apprentices naturally reflected the laboratory’s success.

The last assessment took place decades ago, back when Chen Shang had yet to step into the Wizard World. While such a time span equated to half a lifetime for mortals, it was not considered long for a Wizard Apprentice. After all, a single experiment could sometimes take them years to complete. Furthermore, advancing to a First Level Wizard Apprentice granted a natural lifespan of over a thousand years, far outliving Knights.

The Apprentices who were several cohorts ahead of him must have had some premonition about this assessment. For example, Solem had gone as far as injecting Titan Life Information to stimulate his own Bloodline evolution.

"It seems this assessment is quite important. I need to prepare some things," Chen Shang muttered to himself. After a moment of thought, he picked up the Crystal Plate again, opened a blank page, and began listing several goals for himself.

First: Basic physical attributes.

His current attributes stood at 55 Constitution, 60 Spirit, and 59 Magic Power. Meanwhile, the minimum threshold for a Third Level Apprentice required pushing all three stats past 200, coupled with Spiritual Power Specialization. Most Apprentices at Starfall Laboratory began learning the Repulsive and Attractive Dual Force after their three core stats reached 100. Among them, the exceptionally outstanding ones could leverage the Repulsive and Attractive Dual Force to achieve Spiritual Power Specialization and step into the realm of a Third Level Apprentice.

Those who failed to learn it would seek alternative methods, which could also allow them to advance to the Third Level. Even an Apprentice as exceptional as Leia hadn’t managed to utilize the Repulsive and Attractive Dual Force. Instead, she took a route related to emotions for her Spiritual Power Specialization. Ten years would be enough for his basic attributes to brush the threshold of a Third Level Apprentice. As for whether he could master the Repulsive and Attractive Dual Force, that was another matter entirely.

Second: Zhong Kui.

The restoration of Marcus’s Soul Core was almost fully complete. If he started the engraving process now, he would barely finish it within ten years. This Demigod Body would serve as his most crucial trump card.

Third: The Samadhi True Flame.

This was the only Purple trait he currently possessed. Its completeness was merely 7%, yet its potential was immense. If he could further develop it and pair it with Elemental Multiplication Witchcraft, it could definitely be used as a hidden trump card. Even when facing Third Level Apprentices who had mastered Spiritual Power Specialization, he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage. Furthermore, this served as his backup plan. If he couldn’t learn the Repulsive and Attractive Dual Force, he would use the Samadhi True Flame as the direction for his Spiritual Power Specialization. Its upper limit was certainly not low.

Fourth: The growth of the Golden Crow, Surtr, Luna Xiya, and the Wood Spirit Race.

With the Samadhi True Flame in hand, he could try nurturing the Golden Crow towards the true "Golden Crow" direction, and Surtr would naturally become a Tier Three Creature upon reaching adulthood. Luna Xiya was already at the Tier Two Peak, and the Wood Spirits’ learning was progressing methodically. Of course, he wouldn’t set rigid requirements for this goal; it was better to first focus on enhancing his own strength.

After writing the last word, Chen Shang placed the Crystal Plate on the table and reviewed his list from start to finish. Ten years for four solid goals—it wasn’t too greedy.

With his goals set, Chen Shang resumed dismantling the Rune of the Samadhi True Flame. The meshing of the triple flames resembled precision gears, presenting a kind of dynamic equilibrium. Using his Secret Eye, Chen Shang copied down this Rune Array and repeatedly deduced its workings for several days. Once he confirmed there were no logical errors, he called the Golden Crow over.

"This is for you. Memorize the shape first. It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand it; even if you have to memorize it by rote, get it committed to memory!"

The Golden Crow tilted its head to look at the Crystal Plate, shifting its weight awkwardly between its three taloned feet. "Master, are you sure this is something I can learn? Just looking at it gives me a headache."

"You already have the foundation of Dream Perception, and your Spiritual Power isn’t weak. You can definitely learn this!"

The Golden Crow sighed and began staring at the Rune on the Crystal Plate. The dense cluster of lines reflected in its pupils, its gaze becoming somewhat unfocused.

"Didn’t you leave your homeland and venture into the Wizard World precisely to break free from the shackles of physical evolution? The opportunity is right in front of you now. How you grasp it is entirely up to you!"

After sending the Golden Crow off to study, Chen Shang walked over to the Recording Platform and began his daily Meditation. He drew Energy from the Chaotic Void, simultaneously giving birth to new Spiritual Power within his Sea of Consciousness while slowly progressing his Spiritual Power Crystallization. The Crystal Core glowed steadily, with the Water-Fire Model and the Wind-Fire Model slowly revolving around it.

His life fell into a regular rhythm: unfailing Meditation at night, dismantling the Zhong Kui Rune in the morning, and attempting to develop the Samadhi True Flame in the afternoon.

A few days later.

Having studied Evelyn’s experimental logs, Chen Shang found that his control over the Samadhi True Flame had somewhat improved, so he decided to test it in the static testing ground.

Swiping his card to enter, he walked to the center of the testing ground. He sat cross-legged, took a deep breath, and extended his hand. A cluster of dark gold flame flared to life in his palm.

It was a very small flame, only a finger tall, burning quietly without seeming to emit a trace of heat. However, he knew just how terrifying this fire was. In the vision of his Secret Eye, the moment this flame appeared, the surrounding Elements began to riot and boil, much like a torrential downpour crashing onto the surface of a tranquil lake.

Chen Shang used the control console to increase the testing ground’s power output. It took quite a while before he managed to re-stabilize the Elemental balance within the Void. Yet, a vacuum zone still surrounded the flame, as if the other Elements didn’t dare to approach it.

Treading carefully, Chen Shang increased his Magic Power input. His Spiritual Power probed into the interior of the flame, touching that interlocking three-flame structure. The flame was very stable, so he began attempting to inject the Water Element into it, following the stable framework of the Water-Fire Model.

The next moment, a sensation that sent chills down his spine spontaneously arose as the dark gold light violently exploded!

Chen Shang only had enough time to raise his arms defensively in front of his face before the shockwave sent him flying. He crashed heavily into the wall. A protective Rune flashed, blocking the majority of the impact, but his back still burned with a stinging pain. A charred scent permeated the laboratory; the sleeves of his robes had been completely incinerated, and the skin on his arms was flushed an angry red. And this was the result even after he had cut off the Magic Power input in the nick of time.

Chen Shang sat on the floor and let out a bitter laugh. The Samadhi True Flame was far too terrifying; he currently had no other Elements on hand capable of pairing with it. Unless he could trigger a Divine Water trait of a similar Level, or obtain the Yellow Wind Demon’s Sanmei Divine Wind, forming a Water-Fire or Wind-Fire Elemental Multiplication model was basically impossible.

"If fusion doesn’t work, what about pure compression?" Chen Shang began to shift his line of thought. Evelyn’s logs had provided a detailed introduction to how Flame Compression could amplify the leverage multiplier.