Before long, Lyn returned to the potion lab area, leaning against the wall and breathing lightly. He saw a scene that perfectly matched his expectations.
"Looks like you two are getting along well," Lyn said with a smile, watching the pair in the lab. Under Shen Xueyun’s guidance, Xing Luo was attempting to brew a low-grade potion.
"Master, you’re back!" Xing Luo dropped what she held and dashed over to cling to his arm. Lyn ruffled her hair.
Shen Xueyun turned to Lyn but immediately noticed something off. "Senior, your body..." she exclaimed, startled. Though Lyn remained handsome, his pallor was awful—like he’d been drained by multiple girls in succession, exuding a sickly aura.
"I’m fine," Lyn waved off her concern. "I found something good in the Sage Tower. Practicing it drained me too much. Rest will fix it."
"Pity that Meditation Technique can’t be taken out or remembered," he muttered regretfully. Then he asked, "Kaoru, what do you know about the top floor of the Sage Tower?"
Shen Xueyun shook her head. Though she’d reached Fourth Rank before Lyn, she’d never visited the Sage Tower—her bloodline inheritance meant she needed no extra Meditation Techniques.
"You’re asking because you reached the top floor?" she ventured cautiously. Lyn nodded. Shen Xueyun beamed with genuine joy. She never doubted him; in her heart, his talent deserved such heights.
"By the way, was Xing Luo learning potion brewing just now?" Lyn stared at the bubbling vial on the bench, a hint of confusion in his eyes. At home, the girl showed little interest in anything except napping on his lap or eating.
"She has exceptional alchemical talent," Shen Xueyun replied. Lyn was even more surprised.
"Is this alchemy what I think it is?"
"Master!" Xing Luo puffed her cheeks, feeling slighted.
"Just kidding. I’m mostly shocked—you’ve been hiding such amazing talent!" Lyn quickly soothed her. He trusted Shen Xueyun’s judgment; few were more qualified to assess alchemy.
In truth, Shen Xueyun had been stunned too. After giving Xing Luo two books, the girl insisted on trying potion brewing. Instead of scolding her for aiming too high, Shen Xueyun demonstrated the process, explaining each tricky step to let Xing Luo grasp the difficulty herself. Yet the girl remained confident. Her measurements were precise, her technique flawless—if not for Xing Luo’s slightly clumsy hands, Shen Xueyun would’ve sworn she’d trained before. Only raw talent explained it. Xing Luo’s gift surpassed ordinary geniuses.
Hearing this, Lyn was dumbfounded. How many more surprises did this girl hold?
"I want a potion-brewing set at home too, so I can practice often," Xing Luo declared. Sensing Lyn’s shock, her cowlick stood proudly as she added her request. With Shen Xueyun, she couldn’t refine that special technique—but at home...
Worried he might refuse, she quickly added, "Then I can help Master earn money!" Living with Lyn had taught her money’s value—and that he relied on his sister.
Lyn was slightly startled. He felt touched and satisfied... Once Xing Luo mastered potions, he might stop living off his sister. Though then he’d live off Xing Luo instead. But with their bond, such details hardly mattered. Still, freeloading too comfortably felt wrong. Lyn resolved to occasionally scold his conscience.
Shen Xueyun watched Lyn pat Xing Luo’s head, unconsciously biting her plump lip. Her gaze dimmed. Age-wise, Xing Luo posed little threat... but today, Senior’s eyes had lingered on her far too long.
...
Meanwhile, outside the Sage Tower, tension thickened between two figures.
"Your Highness, your body can no longer sustain research on that Meditation Technique," the gaunt elder warned.
"Annoying, Philis. This is my affair—don’t meddle," the noble young student snapped coldly. "If you wish to help, gather what I need. Don’t block me." With a sweep of his sleeve, he sidestepped the old man and strode into the tower.
At the entrance, two instructors bowed deeply to the prince, barely breathing. The elder didn’t stop him, watching silently as the willful youth vanished inside.
Once the prince was gone, Instructor Hart sidled up to the elder. "Lord Philis..." he murmured, getting straight to the point. "Lyn Belmond entered the Sage Tower today. He registered for the Dawnstar Trial selection."
"Hmm?" Philis’s wrinkled face darkened; his eyes flashed. "Is he still inside?"
"No, he left. My men watched him—he wasted a whole day in the teleportation chamber," Hart hurriedly reported. "I’ll keep monitoring him."
"Hmm. Watch him closely. You’ll be rewarded," Philis said flatly before turning away. *Lyn Belmond... that good-for-nothing actually reached Fourth Rank. Unexpected.* "Seeking the Dawnstar Trial to escape Belmond’s control? Pity... who’d release a tool to leash that girl?" He shook his head with a cold laugh. To him, Lyn’s efforts were futile.
Minutes later, on the Sage Tower’s highest floor, the young prince stared at the empty potion vial on his desk, his expression tight. Then his eyes fell on the scroll beside it—the Meditation Chart partially restored. Disbelief flickered across his face.
