"Cease! Stop, do you understand what I just said? Are you even familiar with her name? In utter shock, the Elder Senior Sister exclaimed.
While Hen Portia's calm demeanour did not show her inner pain, their intense connection enabled her to comprehend the unfortunate girl's feelings.
How could she let this young rogue go away undamaged after breaking her best friend's heart? Why did men always show such harshness and thoughtlessness? Scholars referred to this as a severe miscarriage of justice!
This man was undoubtedly a detestable representation of all humanity. Even if it weren't the dazzling beauty of Portia but rather a random girl from the Zither Department, she would still draw a horde of admirers like bees to honey. This boy appeared to have no sense of his limitations!
For any man to casually reject Hen Portia as if it were a mundane occurrence, it must have been a dream!
Sam's heart mourned. He organized Hen Portia, but he didn't divulge his true intentions. Therefore, he attempted to navigate the conversation cautiously.
"Elder Senior Sister, I do have urgent matters to attend to. I'm not deceiving you."
"Who are you calling 'Elder Senior Sister,' you little rascal? I won't argue over trifles with you. I'll graciously provide you with some servants to handle your seemingly inconsequential tasks."
The Elder Senior Sister stood firm, her hands planted firmly on her hips, obstructing Sam's exit.
Although her family background was not as illustrious as Hen Portia's, she too hailed from an aristocratic lineage and dispatching a few servants to handle affairs in Starlight Haven City was a trivial matter.
Sam was at a loss for words. This maiden was overly imperious and arrogant. He replied, "My primary focus is on cultivation, and I won't have much free time in the coming months."
The Elder Senior Sister seemed about to retort when Hen Portia intervened, saying, "Let this fellow student go. Perhaps his master is summoning him."
In Hen Portia's estimation, considering Sam's extraordinary achievements at a young age, his life must revolve around diligent practice. In such cases, it was only logical that his enigmatic master would assign demanding lessons daily.
Upon hearing these words, Sam felt a wave of relief. While he had spoken the truth and possessed a slight mental advantage over these two beauties, he couldn't relax due to their overwhelming strength and backgrounds. A single word from them could crush him.
As Sam prepared to depart, Hen Portia smiled and said, "My name is Hen Portia. If you ever find yourself with free time after your cultivation, please visit the Warlord's Haven and seek me out. Your presence will always be welcomed."
Sam halted and introduced himself, "I'm Sam."
Sam went away with that. Hen Portia moaned inwardly as she watched his leaving figure. What kind of people came up with his name? Was it 'Sam' as in 'forest' or 'Sam' as in 'bright'?
Sam had already formulated a plan upon returning from the Seven Profound Martial House.
While the Starlight Haven Kingdom produced Starlight Worm Silk, it was primarily used for musical instruments. Given his martial background, procuring it was no easy task.
However, he could have Alex request the family to purchase some since a household of their stature indeed had musicians, and obtaining it at market price wouldn't be an issue.
According to the 'Starlight Zither List,' Sam estimated that Starlight Worm Silk costs approximately 20 gold taels per foot. Although it might not sound exorbitant, Starlight Worm Silk was incredibly thin and lightweight. Calculated by weight, purchasing a single pound would require over 10,000 gold. Sam possessed only 70 gold to buy three feet of this prohibitively expensive material.
Sam hung a calendar on his bedpost, with pages equal to the remaining days.
He would tear off one page each day. In the first month, he would concentrate on practising inscription techniques, while the next two months would be dedicated to purchasing the required medicines and cultivating fervently. He believed that with the aid of elixirs and pills, he could break through to the First Stage of Body Transformation, perhaps even reaching the peak of the Second Stage.
If he could attain the peak of the Second Stage, he might not surpass Max, but he would at least avoid a humiliating defeat.
Sam began practising inscription techniques with the materials he had purchased at the trade fair, costing him 800 gold. He was acutely aware of the preciousness of these materials and couldn't afford to squander them. Each attempt had to be treated with utmost care, as wasting these resources was not an option.
Inscription art required not only keen perception but also a good teacher, financial support, and, above all, a potent soul force.
The control of engraved marks through soul force manipulation was a critical aspect of inscription, and Sam's soul force was classified as third grade, a decent level. However, compared to top-tier talents, it still fell short.
Soul force in the inscription was not widely employed, so this was Sam's first experience utilizing it. He mobilized his soul force in alignment with the memories found in the soul fragment, becoming familiar with it and directing it with his thoughts.
All living beings possessed soul force, but consciously controlling it was a task most ordinary individuals dared not attempt. It required knowledge of soul law formulas and rigorous daily practice.
Many aspiring inscription masters memorized symbols and basic structures but lacked the expertise to employ soul force effectively. Without mastery over soul force, they couldn't utilize materials, rendering them incapable of pursuing inscription art.
As soon as Sam commenced his soul force formula, he sensed a profound serenity from the memories of the soul fragment, enveloping him in a familiar sensation.
This soul force formula, used by the elder whose memories he inherited, must have been practised countless times before his demise.
This familiar feeling made it seem that Sam had been practising inscription techniques his entire life, erasing fatigue. Moreover, most of his soul force remained unaffected, eliminating concerns about any detrimental effects from the memories.
He extended his hand, and the invisible soul force began extracting the essence from the Starlight Wind Grass roots, transforming it into various shapes under his control, such as thin strings or crystal-clear bubbles.
This level of ease even surprised Sam. The cheap manual had claimed that those with innate perception talent would achieve results in one month, while those with lesser aptitude might need half a year, yet Sam's progress exceeded these projections.
Each inscription master possessed a unique soul force formula, and their formulas held varying ranks, some superior to others.
These formulas were cherished and protected, often not passed down to disciples due to their pivotal role in soul force utilization. Without mastery over the soul force formula, one couldn't harness soul force effectively, rendering them incapable of even attempting inscription.
The 'Overbearing Soul Tactic' from the elder's memories undoubtedly represented the pinnacle of soul force formulas. Even the greatest inscription masters in the Starlight Spill Continent paled compared to this elder.
Sam's familiarity with this specific formula from the memories effectively elevated his third-grade soul force to the level of a fourth or fifth-grade talent. This was the invaluable legacy left by the memories.
His five fingers formed intricate seals, and soul force flowed into the drop of Starlight Wind Grass juice.
Sam's fingers traced an ethereal line in the air, radiating a sparkling brilliance. Soul force interacted with the Starlight Wind Grass juice, gradually forming a complex and mystical rune.
Although the rune was smaller than a fingernail, it contained intricate energy.
Within the Same rune, subtle differences in shape, technique, soul force strength, and other factors resulted in ten thousand inscription masters producing ten thousand distinct variations.
These variations ranged from superficial to profound. Sam couldn't determine whether the symbol rune he created was trash or treasure, but he felt content with his achievement.
He created another symbol rune, utilizing half of the remaining Starlight Wind Grass juice. However, as soon as the seal flickered, a faint disturbance in Sam's soul force caused degradation in the output.
Helplessly, he watched as the half drop of liquid turned to wisps of smoke.
Sam sighed and bit his tongue. It had required about a jin of roots to produce that single drop, costing a few gold.
For the average person, this was a month's income for an entire family. It might be hard to believe, but soul force stability was a significant challenge for beginners in the inscription. Failures were frequent, and successes were considered miracles.
Within moments, several pieces of gold had dissipated into thin air. With the taste of failure still fresh, Sam became increasingly cautious. He formed seals with his fingers and one by one, more inscriptions emerged. While losses still outnumbered successes, failures gradually decreased over time.
Sam soon realized that his limited soul force was insufficient for the task due to his current First Stage of Body Transformation.
Despite having access to the top-tier 'True Primal Chaos Formula' and 'Overbearing Soul Tactic,' his soul force was insufficient to continue.
Using his meagre soul force, Sam found it increasingly challenging to form the runes as effectively as before.
Furthermore, a lack of soul force led to more flaws in his work, with each error also wasting precious soul force.
As his soul force dwindled, Sam's inscription process reached its midpoint. Yet he began struggling to sustain the necessary soul force. Unbeknownst to him, his soul force had become dangerously depleted, and the runes before him teetered on the verge of shattering.
Sam's heart raced, and he hurriedly stabilized his soul force. His palms were slick with sweat. He had narrowly averted a disaster! How many tens of gold would have vanished in an instant?
Sam, though, caught a fleeting sight of the golden pot at the end of the arduous journey. He will keep going!