The Flower Field War came to an end.
Ella achieved perfect meditation.
She had finally broken through to the late third stage of her cultivation!
Agility +1!
Spirit +1!
She awakened three spells in one go.
2nd-level "Transfiguration"
3rd-level "Suggestion"
3rd-level "Insect Swarm Form."
The first two spells weren't uncommon for a beastman.
"Insect Swarm Form" was the signature skill of an insectman!
Ella's "Insect Swarm Form" was unlike any other insectman.
In front of Alan, Ella demonstrated this newly awakened magic.
At first, Ella disintegrated into a swarm of buzzing wasps, swirling around the room like a cloud.
This was still quite normal.
Then, things got weird...
The swarm of bees in the sky suddenly erupted in a golden light.
Alan's eyes were stung by the bright light.
He involuntarily raised his hand to shield them.
At that moment, the buzzing of the bees in his ears ceased altogether.
Instead, a chorus of cats meowed.
Alan moved his arm away and was surprised to find a group of cats surrounding him.
Each cat appeared to be of normal size.
They were covered in yellow and black stripes, like wasps.
These furry little cuties all had emerald green eyes, gleaming with shrewdness.
Alan was bewildered, bewildered.
It took him a moment to come to his senses, and he picked up a cat.
Their eyes met.
He saw the silhouette of his junior sister through the cat's eyes.
"Big Brother, is my magic fun, meow?"
Ella, transformed into a swarm of cats, couldn't communicate verbally.
However, her mind controlled the swarm, becoming a kind of "swarm mind," capable of telepathy.
At this moment, Ella transmitted her mental vibrations directly into Allen's mind, enabling telepathic communication.
"It's quite interesting, and quite powerful."
Allen petted the cat expertly, kissing his junior sister's face.
"Ella, how far can your swarm form spread at most?"
"Meow... The swarm's radius depends on my mental power. For me, it's about 100 meters."
"If I activate my ancestral form, with the added mental power, I can spread even further!"
"What about the swarm form?" Allen asked.
"A swarm of bees and a swarm of cats, with the same meowing radius!"
"I see..." Alan stroked the little female cat's silky neck and mused, "A swarm of bees and a swarm of cats each have their own unique characteristics. This spell, if studied carefully, can be used in many different ways."
The little female cat felt very comfortable being petted. In the eldest brother's warm hands, she curled into a furry ball and purred contentedly.
Hundreds of kittens were watching nearby.
They all had envy in their eyes, meowing and crowding over, jumping onto Alan's body, seeking caress.
Alan only had two hands; how could he pet so many little female cats?
In a blink of an eye, he was overwhelmed by the tide of cats.
Countless tiny paws trampled over him.
The little female cats were even considerate enough to retract their claws, using only the soft flesh of their palms to give him a full-body massage.
Alan stretched out on the bed, spread-eagle.
Immersed in a sea of meows, he felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation.
After a moment of closed-eye enjoyment, the cats' meows suddenly vanished.
The small paws that had been treading on his body vanished as well.
Instead, a petite, warm, and fragrant body lay atop him.
As Ella disintegrated into her clustered form, her dress automatically fell off her body.
Now, transformed back into human form, she lay obediently on Alan's chest like a kitten.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her thick eyelashes curled upward.
A blush crept across her pretty face.
Alan's hand caressed the curves of his junior sister's waist and hips.
Feeling the girl's soft skin, his fingertips trembled slightly.
"Little lazy cat, time to get up."
Alan whispered softly in her ear.
Ella hummed and shook her head, nudging herself into his embrace again.
"Brother, I have something to tell you..."
Ella whispered in his arms.
"Junior sister, I'm sixteen now. Do you still remember the promise we made?"
Alan certainly did.
"I've received the surprise you wanted for me."
"These are such adorable cats. Show them to me often and give me back massages, okay?"
"Tsk... naughty brother, playing dumb again!" Ella pouted and twisted his ear. "What kind of surprise is this? That's not what I was talking about!"
Alan smiled and stopped playing dumb.
"Junior Sister, can you turn into a cat and crawl into my bed tonight? I'll pretend I don't know, and you can try to scare me."
"Hmm... Sister Kelly, Sister Renee, you won't be angry, will you?"
Ella was a little worried.
"What's there to be angry about?" Allen laughed. "Kelly has long been trying to convince me to marry you. Renee... if she dares to meddle, I'll beat her ass!"
Ella felt relieved, but suddenly felt conflicted.
"Brother, I actually want to give it to you now, but... I can't completely break free from the influence of the meditation world."
"Especially when I think of General Eva, I feel so sad."
"I need some time to calm down."
Alan nodded and sighed softly.
It wasn't just Ella; he, too, felt sad about Eva's fate.
Every time he went through a complete atavism, it felt like he was living his life all over again. Looking back on the details of one's life, the love, hate, and passions, one inevitably feels a sense of fleeting dreams, a sense of a distant past.
This is perfectly human.
The challenge is to maintain a moderate level of empathy, avoiding becoming overly absorbed or overly involved.
Investing too much emotion in memories long since lost to history.
These feelings are destined to remain unrequited.
The past cannot be retrieved; dwelling on memories will only lead to world-weariness over time.
"Ella, sometimes you find that compared to real life, the meditative world seems more beautiful and more worth lingering."
"However, that's not the truth."
"Everything we experience in meditation is derived from fragments of our ancestors' memories."
"But these fragments alone cannot form a complete world."
"There must be gaps and omissions, contradictions, and illogicalities."
"The filler used to fill these gaps and omissions, to straighten out the logic, and to resolve the contradictions is our own imagination."
"So, the beauty you yearn for doesn't belong entirely to the meditative world; it also includes the beautiful things you've imagined."
Alan said with deep emotion, stroking his junior sister's silky hair.
"Atavistic meditation requires constant struggle against inner demons."
"Fantasy is like an eggshell, seemingly offering a refuge for the exhausted mind and body."
"However, this eggshell is too fragile. Curling within it doesn't bring us true safety."
"Only by breaking free can we calmly face the harsh reality, weather the trials and tribulations, and persevere."
At this point, Alan suddenly recalled a science fiction short he had read in his previous life.
When humans first piloted a spacecraft out of the solar system, in the eyes of more civilized aliens, humanity was truly born.
But when humans gave up exploring the stars and instead uploaded their consciousness to the cyber world, confining themselves to their planets, alien observers regretfully declared: humanity is extinct.
The sorcerer's practice is strikingly similar.
The powerful enemies of the meditation world are not the greatest obstacle to cultivation.
The true challenge lies in letting go.
You're willing to leave the meditative world that molded you into a shining hero, and with immense willpower, force yourself back into the bleak reality, struggling to survive.
…
After Ella left, Alan rang the bell.
"I'm coming!"
Tigress Leni rushed in.
Her large, doe-like eyes peeked over the bed.
Confirming there were no bloodstains on the sheets, she seemed rather disappointed.
"What are you looking at so furtively?"
Alan gave her a sidelong glance.
"I thought you were going to have sex with Junior Sister… Hehehe! After you're done, call me up to wash the sheets."
Alan shook his head, too lazy to explain to the silly girl.
"It's Ella's birthday, and I need to prepare a little gift."
"Reni, leave the secret realm now and go to the market."
"Yes, yes! What do you need me to buy?"
Reni took out a pencil and a small notebook and began to take notes.
"First, let's go to the flower shop and buy a bouquet of roses."
"Then go to the pastry shop and order a birthday cake."
Alan pondered for a moment before adding the details.
"The cake needs to have cats and bees, and be cute, with sixteen candles."
"Wow..." Reni swallowed as she wrote down her thoughts. "I want cake too."
"You're eating shit!" Alan scolded her angrily. "How old are you? And you're still so greedy! If you want cake, buy it yourself!"
Reni pouted in frustration but remained silent.
Alan, seeing her pitiful expression, softened his heart and softened his tone slightly.
"Reni, I'm asking you, have you been behaving yourself lately and using the magic stones to aid your training every day?"
"Yes!"
"You're lying!" Allen slammed his fist on the table. "Where did you get all those magic stones?"
"The young mistress gave me 30 yuan yesterday, saying it was her monthly allowance, and I'll get my share every month from now on!" Renee said angrily. "She's been so nice to me! Much better than you!"
"Wait a minute..." Allen was a little confused. "Where did this young mistress suddenly appear in our family? What are you talking about?"
"With your idiotic brain, what else can you do?" Renee sneered. "Our young mistress is, of course, Sister Kelly!"
"You bastard! You dare to insult your master? You don't want to work anymore, do you?!"
Alan clutched his chest, feeling like he was about to have a heart attack.
"It's your own fault for being so foolish!"
Reni came over to rub his chest and pat his back, grinning:
"Although I'm your dog, the Young Madam just fed me a handful of magic stones. I've accepted her kindness, so I owe her some gratitude by barking at you for her!"
"Come on, my dear! Don't be angry. If you get sick, I'll be sorry!"
Reni smiled, like a mother coaxing a child.
"Junior Brother Allen, give me two slaps to cool off!"
She actually lifted her skirt, waiting for him to spank her.
"Don't give me that!" Allen asked her gravely. "Why do you call Kelly 'Young Madam'?"
"Kelly is the mistress of our house. What else could she be but Young Madam?"
Reni smoothed her skirt and threatened the man seriously.
"Let me be frank. If you dare marry anyone other than the Young Mistress as your principal wife, don't blame me for secretly poisoning our food!"
"...Are you fucking crazy?! That's my sister!"
Alan clutched his chest, practically on the verge of a heart attack.
With trembling fingers, he pulled out his purse and thrust it into Renee's hand.
"I don't want to see you. Get out and buy something!"
"Are you stupid? You don't need that much!" Renee roared back.
"You're the idiot!" Alan kicked her in the butt. "The rest of the money is enough for you to eat cake until you die!"
"Great!"
Rene jumped for joy and pounced on him, kissing him profusely.
"Get out of here! Stop licking my ears! They're itchy..."
The master and servant engaged in a fistfight.
Alan struggled mightily to drive the tigress away.
…
Although Renee was disrespectful and didn't understand the rules of propriety, she was still very reliable.
The bouquet and cake she bought were exactly what Alan wanted.
If it weren't for her occasional hiccups, her mouth full of the taste of cream cake, Alan would have been tempted to praise her diligence and ability.
The moon was at its zenith, the night gentle.
Alan, holding the cake and bouquet, pushed open Ella's door.
Red candles were lit in the bedroom, and the bed was covered in bright red sheets.
The atmosphere was festive and charming, reminiscent of a wedding night.
Alan placed the cake and bouquet on the table.
He walked to the bed, gently lifted the curtains, and was stunned.
The woman kneeling on the bed, wearing a snow-white, backless wedding dress, was none other than General Eva!
"Ella...?" Allen called out tentatively.
The woman on the bed slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with affection.
"Dear, tonight... I am Eva."
The clever little sister, whose newly awakened second-level "Transformation Technique" had been immediately mastered, mastered its correct use.
Alan wanted to laugh, but a wave of sadness washed over him.
He knew, of course, that on this special night, Ella had deliberately disguised herself as Eva, not just for fun.
The nostalgia and sadness woven into the gesture were even more worth savoring.
Alan sat down beside the bed, pulled her into his arms, and caressed her.
"Ella, you are my little angel, with a heart as pure as crystal."
"Dear... I love your sweet words."
Ella's bare back trembled under his fingertips, and her voice couldn't help but tremble slightly.
"Honestly, this is my first time... I'm a little nervous."
"If you praise me more, say a few sweet words... maybe I won't be afraid anymore."
...
Time flies.
Only three months have passed in the outside world.
In the Silver Moon Secret Realm, the four seasons have already completed a cycle.
After a year of secluded cultivation, Allen's cultivation has achieved a breakthrough, reaching the fourth level.
Current Attributes: Constitution 34, Agility 27, Spirit 46
Potential Reserve: 6 points
Left hand bone spur evolved into a third-level enchanted weapon.
Bone whip form, length doubled to twenty meters!
Atavistic form, evolved to the fourth level.
Atavistic appearance, still the giant blue leopard.
Compared to before, the fangs are exposed, adding a bit of ferocity, reflecting the characteristics of an ogre wizard.
Its size also grew even larger, standing a full ten meters tall.
This was five times Alan's normal form.
The atavistic leopard claws and fangs were equivalent to level-two enchanted weapons.
Always maintaining a level difference from the bone spurs.
Level 4 atavism, comprehensively improving attributes and defense.
Constitution +8!
Agility +8!
Spirit +8!
Natural Armor +8!
Finally, Alan, following Renée, Kelly, and Ella, also enjoyed the spirit bonuses brought by atavism.
This level of bloodline evolution reached the pinnacle of attribute bonuses alone!
Alan's beastly armor also gained a boost, its defense penetration limit raised to a level-two silver enchanted weapon.
Combined with the soft bone and flesh armor, a level-three silver enchanted weapon was required to penetrate defense.
The Yabei Bee Clan's magic sword, the "Queen's Needle," is of this caliber.
Fourth-level sorcerers rarely possess weapons of the "Queen's Needle's" caliber.
A fourth-level atavism grants two special abilities.
"Rapid Self-Healing" automatically stops bleeding and heals external injuries, a weakened version of "Regeneration."
The difference between the two lies in two key points.
First, while rapid self-healing doesn't allow for the regeneration of severed limbs.
Second, a fatal wound, such as a sword piercing the heart, cannot heal itself, resulting in instant death.
Finally, Allen's Poison Wizard bloodline perfectly inherits the Ogre Wizard's signature talent—Magic Resistance Barrier!
Currently, Allen's "Magic Resistance Barrier" is at level 2.
Immunity to most magical techniques or second-level spells up to level 2.
Anti-Magic Barrier + Soft Bone Armor + Beast Armor + Rapid Self-Healing
Alan's all-around, three-dimensional defense system is basically complete!
After upgrading, Alan also mastered two new spells.
3rd-level "Vapor Form": Flesh and blood transform into vapor.
4th-level "Advanced Invisibility": Fight while invisible, without revealing your form!
...
On the first day of July, Alan temporarily left the secret realm to attend to three things.
First, he returned to Silver Moon Monastery to participate in the celebration.
The heads of all three academies were in attendance, and Alan couldn't resist attending.
What was the theme of the celebration banquet?
It wasn't a big deal, actually.
It was just that a handsome guy named Alan Panthers had broken through to the fourth level at the age of eighteen, breaking the record set by Master Shiva and becoming the youngest elder in the history of Silver Moon Monastery...that's all.
Throwing a grand banquet for such a trivial matter wasted money.
Alan felt it was unnecessary.
He planned to use the banquet as an opportunity to persuade the three chiefs to curb this bad habit, lest the young people get carried away and think themselves superior.
Otherwise, if they become the youngest chief of the Cat Academy, or even the youngest dean, wouldn't they be so proud of themselves?!
There's no harm in appropriately curbing the arrogance of the young.
At the celebration banquet, Alan reunited with his old friends.
His three sworn brothers and sisters, Adam, George, and Maria, as well as "Koala" Baker and "Electric Pig" Hogg, all showed up to show their support.
Baker and Hogg had previously gone to Red Moon Island on an assassination mission.
It took considerable effort to complete the mission and accumulate enough points to enter the secret realm.
Upon learning that he had missed the opportunity to rescue the swan girl and surrounded the dungeon lord, he felt deep regret.
When toasting Allen, he sincerely changed his address to "Senior Brother" and followed him from then on.
Also being top talents from the Third Academy, Baker and Hogg had a higher starting point than Allen.
Their current cultivation realm was the late third stage, which was quite impressive.
However, compared to Allen, they had to admit defeat.
Besides their cultivation realm, there was also a gap in status.
Baker and Hogg were direct disciples.
Alan had become a "highly respected" elder of Panthers.
Happy events bring joy.
The happiest person today wasn't Allen, but Master Shiva, the "White Tiger Martial Master."
As a teacher, she was proud to have trained such a talented disciple.
When one is happy, one inevitably drinks a few more!
After the banquet, Alan carried the drunken Master Shiva back to the White Tiger Hall.
Leaving the drunken little cat in the care of Renée, he took time to attend to his second errand.
Arriving at the long-missed Heritage Pavilion, Alan headed straight for the top floor.
Now an elder, he could finally receive the Silver Moon Monastery's top-tier potion formulas!
For example, the long-desired "Heaven-Reinforcing Potion."
The Heaven-Reinforcing Potion is only effective upon initial injection, raising the level of one's bloodline to a higher level.
Alan possessed the Gluttony System, which allowed him to achieve the same effect using his potential.
The Heaven-Reinforcing Potion was dispensable to him personally.
The reason he spent so much of his sect's contribution points on the expensive Heaven-Reinforcing Potion formula was primarily for long-term consideration.
Many of his friends, relatives, and disciples at his martial arts school were of mediocre talent, relying solely on diligent practice to achieve half the result with twice the effort.
With the formula, Allen could refine the Heaven-Replenishing Potion in bulk.
Giving those friends, relatives, and disciples who lacked talent but were sufficiently hardworking a chance to change their fate.
Alan also exchanged for some high-level martial arts awakening potions.
Level 3 "Air Dance."
Level 4 "Five-Finger Fiery Bullet."
Level 4 "Telepathy."
"Air Dance" is essentially the 3rd-level spell "Flight," maintaining flight for one minute per point of mana consumed.
For a long time, Allen had harbored a fond hope, believing he could awaken "Flight."
That silly girl, Renée, could do it, so why couldn't he?
But reality was cruel.
Even sorcerers with the same bloodline might not awaken the same spells; luck plays a significant role.
Alan had been looking forward to awakening "Flight" since the early stages of his Level 3 career.
He'd been waiting for it for ages.
Now, even at Level 4, he still couldn't fly.
He was getting tired of waiting!
He didn't want to wait any longer, so he simply exchanged for a "Dance" awakening potion and gave himself a shot!
Injections certainly had various side effects, but at least he could actually fly.
He no longer dared to rely on luck.
"Five Finger Bomb," a super-powered version of "Finger Wave."
It costs 10 mana points and fires five "Finger Waves" simultaneously, with a 10x range and automatic tracking of up to five targets.
At Alan's current level, "Finger Wave" was no longer enough.
"Five Finger Fierce Bullets" is perfectly suited to addressing the shortcomings of long-range attacks.
"Telepathy" can be broken down into two functions.
The first is "Telepathy," which goes without saying.
The second is "Thought Detection."
Simply put, it converts magic power into mental waves that radiate outward, monitoring and deciphering what those around you are thinking at that moment.
The mind-reading effect and radiation radius of "Telepathy" are both positively correlated with mental attributes.
With Alan's incredibly high mental attributes, activating "Telepathy" means that anyone of his level, unless they possess mental resistance, can remain virtually invisible to him.
However, Telepathy has two weaknesses.
First, it consumes one magic point per minute, making it impossible to activate it 24/7.
Second, it requires extreme mental focus to maintain, requiring no distractions!
This meant that once telepathy was activated, other spells requiring concentration could no longer be cast.
Alan injected the three awakening potions separately, over a period of three weeks.
"Dance in the Sky," "Telepathy," and "Five Finger Bomb" all awakened successfully.
During this time, he also cultivated the Ice Soul Palm to great perfection.
When a martial art or magic skill reaches a certain level of proficiency, a system fusion prompt will often be triggered.
Beep—
"Do you want to spend 6 potential points to fuse the first-level 'Thunder Wave' with the fifth-level 'Ice Soul Palm' to create a new sixth-level martial art?"
Alan pondered the system prompt, silent as he looked at it.
Based on his experience with previous martial art fusions, he concluded that the combined Thunder Wave and Ice Soul Palm, a sixth-level martial art, would have a configuration similar to "Thunder Explosion Wave."
The main difference is that it's more powerful and has an ice attribute.
Is this martial art any good?
It's definitely excellent!
However, Allen didn't have any formidable enemies to overcome right now.
He couldn't bear to use up his remaining six potential points for this.
After weighing the pros and cons, Allen decided not to rush into synthesizing martial arts.
It would be wiser to save his potential for unexpected situations.
If he encountered an unbeatable foe in the future, it wouldn't be too late to synthesize a sixth-level martial art right away.
After a week at the monastery, Allen bid farewell to Master Shiva and Sister Lion and returned home to visit his parents and inspect his territory.
In the height of July, the atmosphere in New Gwent was bustling.
This immigrant town, established less than two years ago, had already developed into the most prosperous port city in the surrounding area.
Over the past two years, residents of New Quint have occasionally returned to visit their families, sharing stories of their peaceful lives on Silvermoon Island.
Word spread quickly, and from one person to another.
In the eyes of their fellow villagers, New Quint has become a paradise.
Quint Island, in particular, has suffered profound disasters in the past two years.
The entire island has become the domain of the Beast Cult.
Those who didn't board the ship with Alan deeply regretted their decision.
To escape war and plague, waves of new immigrants fled their homes, sailing across the ocean to New Quint.
The town's population has steadily grown, now boasting over 10,000 permanent residents.
In less than two years since its founding, the population has tripled!
To protect oneself in a foreign land, practicing martial arts is essential.
As the town's population expanded, various industries flourished.
Alan's Panthers Martial Arts School was also booming.
Kelly and Ella returned to the school weekly for instruction.
Teacher Sora was a permanent resident at the school and had accepted a number of female disciples, adding a touch of softness and beauty to the otherwise overly masculine atmosphere.
Swan Cave, the dungeon, and the magic stone mine were operating steadily.
They provided resources and financial support for Alan's foundation.
Everything seemed fine.
This was the peaceful life Alan had longed for.
Sadly, he couldn't enjoy it for long.
On the third day after returning home, Alan received an unexpected letter.
"Wind Signal" brought news from afar.
The tranquility of life was then shattered.
The sender signed the letter as the Academic Affairs Office of the South Island Sorcerer Academy.
The letter was filled with pretentious official rhetoric. It was clearly a template letter, with only the recipient's name and mystical mark replaced.
‐‐At the beginning of this year, the South Island Federation and the North Island Federation, two arch-rivals, officially went to war.
‐‐The sorcerer academies of both federations were also drawn into the conflict.
‐‐Judging from the current situation, the South Island Federation was at a disadvantage.
‐‐Due to the needs of the war, the South Island Sorcerer Academy sent out letters to recruit students away from home to return and join the war.
‐‐Alan was among those called up.
‐‐Should he respond to the academy's call and return home to join the war?
‐‐Alan fell into deep thought.
‐‐With his current position within the Silver Moon Monastery, he could easily ignore the call from the South Island Academy.
‐‐However, there were still people within the academy that he couldn't bear to leave behind.
Mentor Pansen, Senior Sister Tanya, Senior Brother Tuffman...
Ella, Felin, Julie...
Is everyone okay?
Yearning welled up in his heart, a tangled mess.
Two days later.
Alan settled his family affairs and said goodbye to his family, friends, and teachers.
He rode his griffin across the sea, to his long-lost home.