Zi Lam Tam Huong Mo (2)

Tung Lam let out a long breath, his mind completely relaxing.

His Mental Realm now looked very much like a solar system. In the center was the largest Main Core; it rotated leisurely on its own but made everything else seem to revolve around it. It stayed in one place, yet it was so solid that nothing could move it.

The second Core had increased in size but was still smaller than the Main Core. It spun on its own and orbited the Main Core at a very high speed.

The third Core, which had just formed, was more "tranquil." It was further from the Main Core than the second one, its rotation speed was slower, and its volume was much smaller; it would grow as Tung Lam cultivated in the future.

The three Cores moved rhythmically according to their own laws, emitting a powerful and abundant flow of Mental Power.

What made Tung Lam happiest was that before breaking through to two stars, his Mental Core hadn't grown at all. But now, both existing Cores were one and a half times larger. There was only one explanation: the growth margin during the two-star breakthrough was only enough to form a new Core, not to enlarge the old one. During the three-star breakthrough, however, the margin was sufficient to complete both processes. This meant that as long as he kept breaking through, his Mental Power limit would far exceed those of the same rank!

Exiting his Mental Realm, Tung Lam finally noticed the successfully concocted Zi Lam Tam Huong Mo sitting on the table.

The bottle of Card Ink was now a solid deep blue, like the deep sea. Its faint fragrance, similar to orchids, made Tung Lam remark that he could probably make a fortune selling this to a perfume shop.

Tung Lam called Chen Ling in, and the two prepared to test the properties of the Card Ink.

Tung Lam had bought the testing machine long ago. Seriously, every Card Ink he concocted had superior properties; if he tested them outside, it would definitely cause trouble. Just the Zi Jin Mo had brought him enough headaches already.

The sample of Card Ink was fed into the machine, and a moment later, the results appeared:

"Name: Not in database
Grade: 2-Star
Energy: 600
Activity: 100%
Property 1: Emits energy waves that affect the mind, stimulating Mental Power growth.
Property 2: Emits light that affects vision, causing hallucinations (two-star).
Property 3: Fragrance eliminates fatigue and accelerates Mental Power recovery.
Conclusion: Suitable for manufacturing Cards with mental-effect properties."

Looking at the results, even Chen Ling couldn't help but marvel. He hadn't expected such a Card Ink to exist in the world. Although it was only two-star, if combined with the right Structure Lines, the resulting Card would definitely not be weaker than a three-star one.

Living together for these past few months, Chen Ling—though he didn't know about Tung Lam’s mutated Mental Power or the old book (he was kicked out whenever Tung Lam made ink)—knew that the Card Inks Tung Lam produced were all top-tier. Through the eyes of a five-star Card Crafter, he could imagine what kind of extraordinary two-star Cards could be made using them.

"His ink-making ability is somehow exceptionally outstanding. If I introduce him to the organization..." Chen Ling thought to himself.

"Brother Ling, let's go celebrate tonight," Tung Lam said, his face unable to hide his excitement.

"You still have to concoct three-star Card Ink to officially be a three-star Ink Maker, kid."

"I'll have to go learn more three-star ink-making knowledge for that. I heard Star Academy is opening a supplementary class in four days; I'll just register then. The tuition probably isn't too expensive," Tung Lam said with a "I've planned it all out" look. "But let's put that aside. We're celebrating tonight!"

It was currently around September. Although temperatures at the equator remained high, for the people here, it was relatively cool and pleasant. In the late afternoon, sudden rain showers kept pedestrians off the streets. By nightfall, the rain subsided, but the damp air made many reluctant to go out. The ground-level streets became deserted; aside from the flying cars in the middle lanes, even private flying cars were rarely seen. The upper levels had more traffic but still couldn't hide the silence.

In contrast to the lonely, quiet streets, the tea shops and eateries were particularly crowded, especially those selling hot food. In an era where every home's refrigerator was full of pre-made food, fresh food was a luxury and particularly popular.

Uncle Ba's Offal Porridge Shop.

"I didn't expect you to take me to celebrate with offal porridge."

"It's because I like eating offal porridge."

"Isn't it because this dish is the cheapest?"

"It is cheap, but it's also delicious. Don't you think it's good?"

"Mmm, it's good, but it feels a bit... dirty."

"Who cares? Eating it once in a while won't hurt."

"By the way, while we're here, I should tell you something. Actually..." Chen Ling hesitated.

But just then, a group of people entered the shop.

"Teacher, isn't celebrating with offal porridge a bit self-deprecating?" a girl said. She was quite pretty, with short hair and a lively appearance.

"Self-deprecating? I just like eating offal porridge," the man following her spoke up.

"I heard this place isn't very hygienic. A few days ago, the food safety agency cited them for using dirty offal," a red-haired young man added, keeping up with the news.

"Whatever, eating it once in a while is fine," the man waved his hand. "Kim Xuan, what do you think? If you don't like it, we'll eat somewhere else."

"It's fine, Teacher. Anywhere is okay," the girl at the back said indifferently.

"Hmph, it's always Kim Xuan this, Kim Xuan that. She's only a four-star!" the short-haired girl muttered.

"That's enough, Hasara!" the red-haired man whispered.

"You too! What is it about Li Jin Xuan that you're so obsessed with?!"

"Hmph," the red-haired man didn't bother responding.

The four of them sat at the table right next to Tung Lam’s, making his heart race.