Wizards begin by accessing the Inspiration panel.

Chapter 192 The Church of Azure Flame

Sure enough, outside the door stood the old man, Dissol, followed by twin gray dwarf girls.

Dissol glanced at Richard, forced a smile, and said rather apologetically, "Lord Levi, I apologize for disturbing you so late at night, but I just sensed the aura of the Spider Woman's bloodline, so..."

"Lord Dessol, please come in." Richard smiled slightly and stepped aside to let Dessol into the room.

The fish has taken the bait!

Dessol was more anxious than Richard had imagined. Richard thought that the other party would be patient and come to discuss the matter with him again tomorrow, but he didn't expect it to come much faster than expected.

It seems that the value of the Spider Woman's blood is higher than I expected.

No, to be precise, one thing is certain: the Spider Woman's bloodline is highly valued by Dissol.

Dessol arrived too quickly, so quickly that Richard himself hadn't even figured out which option to use to deal with the Spider Woman's bloodline, from Option One to Option Three.

However, I can listen to the other party's sincerity first before making any plans.

Richard invited Dessall to sit on the mahogany chairs in the reception room, while the twins took over the job of Stephanie's maid and poured two cups of wormwood tea for the two adults.

Dissol frowned slightly, seemingly still considering how much he should offer to entice the other party and obtain the Spider Woman's blood in exchange.

Richard, however, was in no hurry. He leisurely sipped his wormwood tea, which was said to be one of the specialties of the Grey Dwarves. It was bitter at first but sweet at second, with a long aftertaste. Richard tasted it and found that it tasted quite similar to the green tea he had in his previous life.

Dissol rubbed his hands together and said cautiously, "Lord Levi, for a master of alchemy and bombs like you, magic stones are certainly not lacking."

"So, could you please tell me your original plan for using the Spider Woman's Blood? That way, I might be able to provide you with the items you need in a more targeted manner."

Richard chuckled. Dessol was indeed cunning and shrewd; he was trying to probe his limits.

Of course, the ultimate goal is simply to obtain the Spider Woman's bloodline at the lowest possible cost.

But how could I possibly let him have his way so easily?

Richard took out the teardrop-shaped, bright red crystal containing the Spider Woman's blood from the isolated box beside him and casually played with it in his hand.

When Dessol saw Richard take out the crystal, his eyes kept wandering to the red color.

"Lord Disol, to be honest, my original plan was to purchase the necessary Flame Crystals after arriving in Tug City to enhance my spiritual power regarding this Spider Woman's Blood Source."

Before Richard could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a look of anxiety on his face.

Desol looked at him with a face full of anger and disappointment, and said urgently:

"I apologize, Lord Li Wei, and please forgive my bluntness, but if you were to actually do this, it would be an absolute waste of resources. You should know that the source blood of such a pure-blooded creature is worth several times more than that of a mixed-blooded creature."

"If it's just for enhancing mental power, there's not much difference between the source blood of pureblood and mixed-blood creatures in this respect, of course, I'm talking about the first-order creature category."

Richard raised an eyebrow; so there was this difference.

It seems that my judgment is correct. The Spider Woman's source blood in my hand should be quite valuable. At least it belongs to the source blood of a pure-blooded creature, as Dissol mentioned, rather than some kind of mixed blood.

Dissol carefully took out a brown wooden box with strange patterns from his pocket. After opening it, a fist-sized spherical crystal that emitted red and green light could be clearly seen inside.

"This is a piece of source blood from a swamp giant whose strength has reached the first tier. Swamp giants have a mixed bloodline of giants and swamp cavemen, so in terms of value, it is not as valuable as Lord Li Wei's Spider Woman source blood, but it has the advantage of being more abundant."

"If used to promote the growth of spiritual power by burning blood essence, the effects of the two are almost the same."

After listening to Dessol's explanation, Richard looked at the fist-sized swamp giant and fell into deep thought.

Richard knew that ordinary swamp giants were only at the level of quasi-wizards when they grew up, and there were not many swamp giants that could reach the first tier. Therefore, to some extent, the source blood crystals of swamp giants were indeed precious.

However, it is clearly inferior to the Spider Woman's original bloodline, because according to Dissol, the Spider Woman is a pure-blooded creature.

Moreover, from another perspective, the difference in quality between the two can also be seen.

One is the size of a fist, and the other is only the size of a fingernail, yet their effects are almost identical.

This clearly shows that the condensation level of the Swamp Giant's source blood is far inferior to that of the Spider Woman's source blood, so the only way to compensate for the difference in quality is through sheer quantity.

However, the amount that Dissol offered in the trade of only one piece of Swamp Giant's source blood was clearly not enough!

Sure enough, with a frown, Dissol pulled out an old parchment scroll from his pocket. His expression seemed reluctant, but he steeled himself and handed it to Richard, saying:

"Lord Li Wei, this is a rare puppetry blueprint I obtained from a secret realm—the Obsidian Combat Puppet. Because it is entirely crafted from obsidian, it possesses extremely strong resistance to all types of sorcery."

Richard tapped the armrest of the mahogany chair lightly with his finger, interrupting Dissol's introduction, and said, "Lord Dissol, as you know, I am an alchemy enthusiast, and I also have a slight interest in witchcraft, but I know nothing about puppetry."

"I think such rare blueprints are better suited to the hands of a puppetry master to maximize their potential. Don't you agree?"

Dessol took the obsidian combat golem blueprints that Richard handed back without even glancing at them, his face showing a mixture of relief and anxiety.

"Then, Your Excellency Richard, may I make up the remaining difference with magic stones?"

Richard did not immediately give Dessall a definite answer, but instead fell into thought again.

For me, the best use of the Spider Woman's bloodline is to enhance my mental strength. So from this point of view, if I can achieve the same goal, exchanging it for Dissol is not a big problem.

As for the previously considered method of using the Spider Woman's blood on Stephena's new body to further enhance her bloodline concentration, Li realized there was no rush.

After all, the most important thing is to be strong. With the Nightmare Mirror, a magical artifact, and the blood of the dragon in hand, the night elves will probably not give up so quickly.

In that case, I should have another chance to obtain the Spider Woman's bloodline.

However, it's definitely not enough for Dithor to exchange a single Swamp Giant's source blood for the Spider Woman's source blood, since the magic stone is currently of little use to him.

If that's the case, then...

"Lord Disol, I need a Flame Crystal, as well as knowledge about higher-tier source blood. If you can provide that, this Spider Woman source blood is yours!"

"Oh, Titan Father above! Lord Levi, if we add a Flame Crystal, it would already exceed the value of the Spider Woman's Bloodline!"

"And now you want even higher-level knowledge of source blood? This is simply unacceptable."

Desol stood up, his face flushed red!

They seemed indignant at Richard's exorbitant demands.

Richard picked up his teacup, took a small sip of his absinthe, and said calmly, "Lord Dissol, you asked me to name a price. You should know this isn't a forced transaction, is it?"

"You can absolutely abandon this deal."

Richard's words made Dessall's face turn pale and then red, as if he had swallowed a fly!

"Lord Li Wei, your words have pierced my heart like a sharp blade! However, if you can grant me one condition, this deal may not be impossible!"

"Oh, Lord Dessol, although I cannot guarantee that you will agree, you might as well tell me," Richard said, raising an eyebrow.

"It is like this, I hope that you, Lord Levi, can join the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood," Dissol said solemnly.

"First of all, if you don't join the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood, I really can't trade you source blood knowledge of level three or higher, out of an oath. I can only give you source blood knowledge of level two at most."

"Secondly, you can rest assured that an alchemist of your caliber specializing in bombs will be highly respected within the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood!"

"There won't be any overly dangerous missions. The only thing you need to do is regularly supply the organization with a certain number of alchemical bombs."

"Of course, the organization will also provide you with corresponding compensation and matching benefits."

"Furthermore, you can rest assured that the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood, as the premier wizarding organization in Tug City, essentially represents the Grey Dwarf government to some extent. Therefore, in terms of benefits, it is absolutely the best among all wizarding organizations!"

Dessall whispered the last sentence into Richard's ear.

This request left Richard somewhat speechless, both amused and exasperated.

Unexpectedly, Desol's roundabout way of pretending to be angry was actually a prelude to his actions.

Clearly, the other party valued his status as an alchemy master.

Richard could understand this as well. For the Grey Dwarves, who had been fighting the Night Elves for years, an Alchemist Master capable of developing Alchemy Combination Bombs was of extraordinary significance.

Richard thought for a moment and decided to agree.

He had already planned to join a wizarding organization after arriving in Tug City, so that he could have a relatively normal channel to obtain knowledge at the level of a first-level wizard.

However, if a wizarding organization is powerful, it will inevitably have high requirements for its members and be tightly organized. This means that gaining the trust of a wizarding organization is not something that can be accomplished in a day or two.

Trust must be gradually built up through routine tasks in order to earn organizational points or contribution points, which can then be exchanged for the knowledge one needs.

This efficiency is far too slow!

Although he didn't know which wizarding organizations were in Tug City, as Disol had pointed out in his final words, any organization that could be named after the Grey Dwarves must have the tacit approval of the Grey Dwarves' official government.

It's good to have a big tree to lean on for shade!

Especially in the unfamiliar environment of the Underdark, having a powerful organization to protect him is obviously a good thing. Moreover, the other party is a mortal enemy of the Night Elves, so at least he doesn't have to worry about being stabbed in the back.

Furthermore, with the old man Dissol's introduction, under normal circumstances, I should be able to integrate quickly and rapidly accumulate points or contribution points through my status as an alchemy master.

It's like when you're feeling sleepy, Desol brings you a pillow!

However, Richard still pretended to be extremely reluctant, nodded, and said, "Alright then! Since knowledge of source blood above the third tier requires joining your organization, I think after arriving in Tug City, I will choose to join the Gray Dwarf Brotherhood."

Upon hearing Richard reluctantly agree, a sly glint flashed in Dessall's eyes, a hint of smug satisfaction in his eyes, as if his scheme had succeeded.

If he knew that even without his invitation, Richard would visit him after arriving in Tug City and seek his help to join the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood, I wonder what Dissol would think!

"Fantastic! Lord Levi, then we'll be in the same organization soon! The Grey Dwarf Brotherhood welcomes you!" Dissol said, beaming with excitement.

"By the way, I think we should have a big drink to celebrate Lord Levi's joining us." Dessall turned to look at the twins and Stephena.

The twins instantly understood Dusol's look and immediately ran to the next room, carrying a large case of spirits labeled Bordeaux.

"Here you are, Your Excellency Li Wei, this is a 99 Tug spirit that I have treasured for a long time!"

99-year-old Tug spirit. From which year does this 99-year count begin? Could it have been aged for 99 years?

"Lord Li Wei, let's split it in half!"

Looking at the box of twelve bottles, half for each person, Richard couldn't help but feel annoyed!

What celebration?! You old man, are you just trying to find an excuse to get me drunk?!

-

Half an hour later.

Desol, who was completely disoriented from being plied with alcohol by Stephena, was being helped by the twins as they staggered toward the next room.

They're such a glutton, yet they love to drink!

After Dessol left, Richard did not rest. Instead, he picked up the fire crystal he had just acquired and began to examine it.

Inside the thumb-sized hexagonal flame crystal, a small flame was leaping.

According to the knowledge provided by Dissol, he had already met all the conditions for burning bloodline essence to stimulate the growth of mental power.

Since that's the case, why not start improving now!

After all, it's better to improve your strength sooner rather than later.

Immediately, Richard used his mental power to control the Flame Crystal and the Swamp Giant's Source Blood to suspend them in mid-air. As his mental power was poured in, the Flame Crystal shattered instantly, releasing an extremely pure burst of flame energy.

Guided by Richard's spiritual power, it leaped around the swamp giant's source blood like a fire sprite that had just been freed from its shackles.

As the source blood continued to burn, within seconds, a miniature swamp giant phantom appeared in mid-air, roaring at Richard repeatedly, seemingly trying to get Richard to stop the burning process.

But at this point, how could that be possible?

Richard immediately increased the input of his mental energy, and the flames burned even more fiercely. The swamp giant phantom shrank even further, and its screams continued incessantly, but it became increasingly powerless.

In the end, the swamp giant phantom no longer had the strength to murmur, and floated in front of Richard like a refined humanoid spiritual gel.

Suddenly, a longing arose from the depths of Richard's soul, as if to say, "Eat it, just eat it, it will be very beneficial to the body."

Without hesitation, Richard opened his mouth slightly and swallowed the refined swamp giant phantom directly into his body.

The next second, Richard felt as if his soul was soaking in a hot spring.

When Richard woke up again, he found that the light outside the window was much brighter, which meant that it was already daytime in the dark region.

Stephanie was still fast asleep in bed.

Richard brought up the Inspiration panel and took a look:

Name: Richard Clavel

[Attributes]: Strength 10.9, Agility 11.2, Constitution 11.1, Spirit 46.7 (27% Mist Transformation)

Hiss! His mental strength increased by more than ten points, and Richard could clearly feel that his other physical attributes were also slowly increasing.

The atomization level soared to 27%, an increase of 14 percentage points. It's just 3% away from reaching the mid-level of a first-tier wizard.

This delighted Richard immensely!

You should know that even if I practiced the mutated meditation method, which has already reached its limit, every day, it would still take me at least a year to improve to my current level.

But with the help of the bloodline essence, he has now completed the journey that would normally take a year in just one night!

Moreover, if it were an ordinary newly initiated wizard with a lower level of mastery of meditation, it would probably take at least two or three years to reach the same level of improvement as Richard.

However, the next second, Richard realized that if the effects of this source blood were so miraculous, wouldn't powerful wizarding families be able to use it frequently on their talented offspring to rapidly improve their abilities?

No, this matter is probably not that simple.

Richard focused his mind and breath, probing his body with his consciousness to carefully examine his physical condition. After a short while, his expression changed slightly.

At the same time, he immediately took out the recording crystal that Desol had traded to him the night before.

He soon discovered the problem.

It turns out that after using the method of burning blood essence to stimulate the growth of mental power, there will be a period of blood essence residue in the body for a considerable period of time.

During the residual period, you cannot use any more bloodline essence, otherwise it will cause damage to your soul!

The more powerful the bloodline essence, the longer its residual period after use. Generally, the residual period of a first-tier bloodline essence ranges from six months to two years, and varies greatly depending on the individual wizard's physique.

The residual period of second-tier source blood can reach three to five years, but the effect will be even better.

Third-tier source blood is even more terrifying.

Moreover, Richard discovered that the original bloodline rank was not determined based on the organism itself.

Instead, it depends on the bloodline level. For example, the Spider Woman's source blood can be purified into the Mother Source Blood through a secondary refining witch array. The Mother Source Blood is a second-tier source blood, but its size may only be the size of a grain of rice.

Although it is a second-tier source blood, because it is only the size of a grain of rice, its effect is almost equivalent to a fingernail-sized amount of Spider Woman source blood.

From this perspective, the larger the size of a creature, the higher its total blood volume. If it contains high-level bloodlines, it is easier to undergo secondary or even tertiary purification.

The information provided by Dessol also cited the extinction of the Dragonvein Kobolds as an example.

Black and red dragons have been missing from the Underdark for nearly a thousand years. Hundreds of years ago, it became almost impossible for wizards to find high-level dragon blood.

However, a highly talented wizard invented a high-level blood purification array that can purify blood two or even three times, thereby obtaining a very small amount of ancient and powerful ancestral blood contained in the body of a certain creature.

After slaughtering an entire kobold tribe of dragon veins and collecting the blood of thousands of kobolds, he finally managed to extract a drop of black dragon source blood the size of a fingernail through a high-level source blood purification spell array.

After this method was leaked, the Dragon Vein Dogheads were slaughtered in just over ten years!

In the following centuries, it became almost impossible to find more than ten kobold tribes with dragon veins in the entire Underdark.

-

After two days of trekking, Grace brought Irene to a hilly area. Because it was a secret operation, she did not bring the three remaining Spider Knights.

The rolling hills ahead are covered with lush vegetation, including ferns, which are common in dark places, as well as dense vines and rare tall trees.

It seems that there is some kind of strange energy supply in this area, which makes these plants grow particularly vigorously.

"Heart-Eating Grass!!"

"Devil's Vine! There are so many poisonous plants here! It's ridiculously abundant!"

As she walked, Irene exclaimed in surprise, clearly recognizing the many highly poisonous plants around her.

Grace nodded and said, "That's right, it's a custom of the Azure Flame Church; they like to plant poisonous plants around their residences!"

"(Night Elf language) Tsk tsk, isn't this dear Grace? What a rare guest." A voice from a male Night Elf could be heard from the side.

However, when Irene turned to look at the dense forest from which the sound came, she was shocked.

A tall monster emerged from the dense forest, and the plants on either side seemed to be aware of its surroundings, automatically parting to make way for it to walk out slowly.

The other party is a monster, that's all Irene can say!

Because apart from his face, which reveals his original handsome features as a male night elf, no other part of his body would make you associate him with a well-proportioned and handsome night elf.

Nicol, the once handsome male night elf, had now grown at least twice his size, standing over 2.4 meters tall. He had black horns like a bull growing from his head, and his hands had transformed into a pair of incredibly sharp claws.

And its lower body, which resembles a ram, has its very feet transformed into large hooves!

Irene could even see the short tail swaying behind him.

"Nikol, how did you become so severely mutated?" Grace looked at Nikol in shock.

Compared to the Nicol she had seen three years ago, the Nicol had become even more mutated, to the point that the basic external characteristics of the Night Elf bloodline were almost unrecognizable.

Is this the consequence of worshipping the ancient demon Xavius?

This is absolutely terrifying!

If it were her, she would rather not have great power than become such an ugly monster.

(End of this chapter)