Magnus chuckled and pulled out an antique pocket watch from inside his robe. He opened it and glanced at the time:
"Since it's still early, I think we can talk about something a bit deeper."
Robb was slightly surprised but quickly nodded in agreement.
"How much do you know about the supernatural organizations outside the Black Mist Forest?" Magnus asked suddenly.
"Not much. Lady Elena has mentioned a few things in passing, but always very briefly."
Robb answered honestly, sensing that this old potion master was about to reveal something important, likely something tied to Lady Elena.
"Have you heard of the Crystal Spire?" Magnus continued.
"Lady Elena mentioned it a few times, and there are brief references in our school's books, but the information is incomplete. They say it's a supernatural hub many times larger than the Black Mist Order," Robb recalled.
Magnus nodded, his gaze becoming distant.
"The Crystal Spire... it's one of the most brilliant wizard organizations of the Arch-Abyss Continents, located in the central fertile lands. The mana density there is more than five times that of the Black Mist Forest."
Arch-Abyss Continents… Robb's eyes narrowed slightly. He noticed the old man had mentioned a broader geographical term but hadn't explained it in detail.
Magnus stood and walked to the window, looking out at the forest shrouded in black mist.
"In fact, the Black Mist Order is nominally subordinate to the Crystal Spire, it's considered one of its outer branches. But because of geographical isolation, that affiliation is rather weak."
Robb thought for a moment. "Then why would any wizard choose to come to the Black Mist Forest instead of staying at the resource-rich Crystal Spire?"
"Good question." Magnus turned and gave him an approving look.
"Did you know? Lady Elena, myself, and many of the senior wizards you've met here, we were all once members of the Crystal Spire."
Robb's eyes lit up. This aligned with Lady Elena's earlier vague hints.
Magnus sighed. "Young man, I'm guessing you've already begun practicing advanced meditation techniques, so you must have a basic understanding of mental corruption, right?"
"Yes. Lady Elena told me it's a chronic affliction that's unavoidable during meditation and experimentation."
"It's more than that," Magnus said, his voice sinking.
"The rate at which mental corruption accumulates is directly related to the mana density of your surroundings. The higher the mana density, the faster the corruption eats away at you."
He pointed into the distance, roughly westward.
"The Crystal Spire's mana density is five times greater than here. Their wizards suffer at least five times more mental pollution during daily meditation."
Robb suddenly understood. "So you and Lady Elena..."
"You guessed it. For wizards like us, who are aging and no longer capable of advancing further, the Black Mist Forest is a decent place to retire."
Magnus laughed at himself. "Of course, the more direct reason is, we lost the political struggle at the Crystal Spire and were marginalized."
Robb took the opportunity to ask another question: "But Lady Elena once mentioned something called a 'Blessing', she said it was key to resisting mental corruption."
"Oh... she even told you about that?" Magnus nodded, confirming his suspicion.
"You're right. The Blessing does help delay corruption. But in places with intense mana density, even with blessings, the buildup is still incredibly fast."
He suddenly shifted topics. "By the way, do you know how long a true wizard can live?"
Robb shook his head. With his level of clearance, there wasn't much available information about true wizards in the school's public archives.
"Without a mental corruption outbreak, even the most ordinary formal wizard can live over 300 years."
Magnus turned around. "And those who are stronger, or who've undergone body modifications, can reach the limit of 500 years, until their soul itself withers."
That number hit Robb like a thunderclap, five centuries was enough to witness the rise and fall of entire mortal kingdoms.
"Of course," Magnus added, his eyes sharp again, "That's assuming the corruption doesn't explode first."
"Many wizards don't live to see their natural end. They're consumed by their own pollution, some go mad, some mutate... and some suffer fates worse than death."
After a moment of silence, Magnus' expression softened.
"But you don't need to worry too much about that for now. With your talent, and Lady Elena's guidance, you've got a long road ahead."
He set down his teacup and changed the topic again:
"Speaking of which, I'm organizing a small gathering of potion masters in half a month. Interested in joining?"
"A potion master gathering?"
It was clearly an intentional invitation, to help Robb expand his network and share knowledge.
"Yes. We hold one every quarter. It's a small circle, maybe a dozen like-minded peers. We share recent research insights, sometimes we exchange rare formulas."
Magnus explained, a touch of expectation in his eyes.
"For a newly certified potion master, it's a good opportunity to meet some of the field's veterans."
"I'd love to, Lord Magnus." Robb agreed immediately. "It'd be an honor to attend."
"Excellent. Then I'll see you the second Wednesday from now, in the Cedar Hall in the Order's north district."
Magnus nodded with satisfaction, his white beard twitching slightly.
"Bring a few of your improved formulas, everyone will be curious."
His eyes flashed with a bit of appraisal.
"I heard the potions you made for Talisa were quite effective. Maybe bring a couple samples to show off."
Robb was stunned, he hadn't expected Magnus to know about something so minor.
"I'll prepare them, Lord Magnus," he replied respectfully.
Magnus drank the last of his tea and stood. "I won't take up any more of your time. I look forward to seeing your research at the gathering."
His gaze lingered on the Dryad in the far corner.
"As an assistant, a Dryad is an excellent choice. Their plant sensitivity is an invaluable asset in potion-making."
Robb smiled slightly. "Yes, Valenwood has already been a huge help."
"Valenwood?" Magnus raised an eyebrow. "You gave it a name? Interesting. Most people just treat them as tools, forgetting they're intelligent beings."
The elder nodded slightly, seemingly pleased with Robb's attitude.
"Treat it well. It'll repay you in ways you don't expect."
After seeing Magnus off, Robb returned to the lab.
His gaze fell on the scroll on the table, Magnus' gift: the Sunfire Essence potion formula.
Robb carefully unrolled the scroll and began studying the valuable contents.
The formula was well-structured. Every step noted precise quantities and timings, even detailed substitutions for materials, showing the creator's thoughtfulness.
As he read deeper, Robb's eyes lit up more and more.
The formula was even more brilliant than he'd expected. Not only were the material choices comprehensive, the guidance for each phase was pinpoint accurate.
"So perfect it's almost impossible to improve… No wonder Lord Magnus was once a professor in the Crystal Spire."
Robb whispered, deeply impressed. Then, a bold idea sparked in his mind: What if he combined this formula with the bloodline activation potion he was currently developing?
The two seemed theoretically complementary, Sunfire Essence focused on energizing vitality and guiding solar energy, while the bloodline activator awakened dormant genetic potential.
"The key lies in the solar energy acting as a guidance medium."
Robb murmured, his eyes gleaming with thought.
"Sunfire Essence can activate and amplify the body's solar energy flow, and that happens to be the core trait of the Lightlord Dragon bloodline."
He grabbed his pen and quickly jotted down his inspiration in his notebook: Use Sunfire Essence as a guiding medium for bloodline factors. Through solar energy resonance, precisely activate fragments related to the Lightlord Dragon lineage.
Once his thoughts were clear, Robb immediately penned a short letter to Andrey, explaining his new theory.
…This formula might solve our directional issue with bloodline activation. I've drafted an initial plan, but we need to discuss the details. If everything goes smoothly, we could produce the first batch of samples in two weeks…
Finishing the letter, Robb looked at his notes and experimental setup with satisfaction.
Today's gains had exceeded expectations, Magnus' visit had brought not only a precious formula, but also opened a door to a wider network of connections.
As night fell, only a few candles remained lit in the workshop, but Robb still hadn't stopped to rest.
He picked up his ironwood sword and began his daily sword practice. The wooden blade sliced graceful arcs through the air with a soft whistle.
Now that his breathing body-forging had reached a proficient level, his sword control had transformed completely.
Every move flowed with precision and power, as if the sword was an extension of his body.
He could feel energy moving within him, shifting with the motion of the blade, creating a distinct rhythm.
But strangely, his Basic Swordsmanship still refused to break past that final barrier.
[Current Progress: Basic Swordcraft (Adept 99/100)]
"Why can't I break through…?" Robb frowned, lowering the wooden blade as sweat slid down his face.
He carefully reviewed every strike, every breath, every movement, even the angle of his wrists.
Every form, every technique was engraved into his muscle memory, he could perform the entire sequence blindfolded.
Everything was perfect. Yet the final step remained elusive.
After a long period of thought, Robb suddenly realized the likely reason: lack of real combat.
In theory, the highest level of swordcraft wasn't in the moves themselves, but in the state of "sword and heart as one", a state refined only in life-or-death battle.
His training, though rigorous and methodical, was still just simulation. It lacked the crucible of real danger.
"But I'm not about to throw myself into a deadly fight with monsters or aliens just to reach the next level…" Robb muttered, torn.
He had worked too hard to become a certified potion master and finally gained a stable position, he wasn't about to risk it for some thrill.
"I'll wait a bit longer. The right moment will come. I'll ask Andrey for his thoughts tomorrow."
The next morning, after some casual conversation, Robb brought up his swordsmanship bottleneck with Andrey.
"Hmm..." Andrey rubbed his chin in thought.
"If we were still in the Kingdom, we could ask one of the sword masters to spar with you. But here… we don't really have that environment."