Chapter 88: Chapter 86: Finger Thrust and Force Ron walked past them, and they abruptly ended their conversation, casting him a complex glance before turning away to immerse themselves in their struggle for survival. Arriving at the next class, this time, he arrived early and chose a position at the front. Before he could settle into his seat, he heard the whispers of a few apprentices in the back row. "Look, it’s him, the one who stood out in Master Eric’s class just now." A short-haired female apprentice deliberately raised her voice and looked provocatively at Mira. "Hmph, another so-called genius?" Another voice with habitual disdain said, "Mira, it seems you have yet another competitor, one coming to take your place this time." Mira’s expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her calm: "Everyone has their own path." "Yes, just like your path has been circling in place all this time," the short-haired female apprentice mocked: "Didn’t you say the same thing when Trish came? Now look at her, then look at you..." "Shut up!" Mira retorted angrily: "Weren’t you also left behind several streets by Trish? Look at what you have done with your upper-category Fifth-class Star talent? Don’t think I don’t know the price you paid for getting a semi-finished zero-ring magic model?" At this moment, the classroom’s front door opened, and a middle-aged female Advanced Apprentice walked in. She wore a dark gray robe with purple edges, expressionless, giving off an impression of sternness. "I am Leia, and today I will be teaching ’Spiritual Stability Techniques’." Her voice was calm and powerful: "The content of this course is more crucial than Magic Circuit Optimization because the stability of spiritual power directly affects the complexity of the magic you can master in the future." The short-haired female apprentice’s face darkened, but since the Advanced Apprentice had already arrived, she dared not make any more noise. Ron found it somewhat amusing that even in a place like this, apprentices still had their typical adolescent small-circle conflicts. What he found even more ironic was that, despite being in such peril, these people continued to engage in internal friction rather than banding together for warmth. In class, Ron listened intently to the lecture; the course content was indeed more important as Leia had mentioned compared to the previous ones. She explained in detail the principles of spiritual power fluctuations, common factors of instability, and how to stabilize spiritual fields through specific techniques. Like Eric, Leia also arranged for apprentices to practice on stage. When she was about to call someone up at random, Ron stepped forward to volunteer without hesitation. Following the instructions, he tried to construct a simple spiritual barrier to resist external interference. This exercise was not easy for ordinary Elementary Apprentices, but for Ron, who already mastered parts of the "Star Eater’s Ravings," it was effortless. [Spiritual Interference (Beginner) Experience Points +1] "Well done, Apprentice Ralph." Leia’s evaluation was more direct than Eric’s, "You seem to have mastered some advanced Meditation Technique?" Ron’s heart tightened; he hadn’t expected his performance to be so apparent. He quickly adjusted his emotions: "Just some basic exercises, Lady Leia." Leia seemed not to pursue further, merely nodded: "Keep it up; you have the potential to directly enter the second phase of the course." After the course ended, Ron gained more than expected. Not only did he gain experience point increases for the Spiritual Interference Skill, but he also learned several practical techniques for stabilizing spiritual power, which would greatly aid his future Meditation and magic practices. As he was packing up his notes to leave, the previously thin female apprentice approached: "Hello, my name is Mira. Your performance in class just now was genuinely outstanding." "Thank you, I just have a bit of a foundation," Ron responded politely. "I can see that." Complexity flashed in Mira’s eyes: "You remind me of Trish. When she was in class, she always managed to fulfill the master’s requirements perfectly." Her tone contained both admiration and an almost undetectable bitterness: "I entered the Black Mist Jungle three phases before Trish, but now she’s an Intermediate Apprentice, and I’m... still repeatedly learning these basic courses." Ron didn’t know how to comfort her, so he could only say: "Everyone has their own path; perhaps your strengths lie elsewhere." Mira forced a smile: "Thank you, but here, spiritual talent and comprehension are the real passports. Fifth-class Star talent, no matter upper or lower tier, can only drift as peripheral staff in a school. Unless..." A group of apprentices suddenly surrounded them, with deliberate friendliness on their faces. Mira glanced at the approaching group of apprentices and frowned slightly, then whispered to Ron, "Be careful of these people, they’re no good." She then quickly left. "Hey, Ralph!" A tall apprentice greeted warmly: "I’m Aaron, I saw your performance in class just now, it was really outstanding! How did you do it?" Aaron was secretly delighted; this new Elementary Apprentice seemed to be of much higher quality than the previous targets. Especially the kind of talent exhibited in the classroom, definitely able to extract more value from him. The few wandering Intermediate Apprentices outside had become increasingly picky about "supply" recently, it was necessary to find better "prey." Last month’s target was fairly easy to deal with, just an ordinary Elementary Apprentice, easily lured to the edge of the wilderness. The School’s Law Enforcement Team seemed completely unconcerned, further convincing Aaron that his actions were safe. Every month, apprentices mysteriously disappeared; who would care about a few more bodies? Ron responded to Aaron’s question out of politeness, "It’s just some luck, plus I practice a lot usually." "Too modest!" Aaron enthusiastically patted Ron on the shoulder, with intentionally heavy force, a calculative glint in his eyes: "For a genius like you, there must be some special cultivation method, right? Could you share a little?" The other apprentices in the classroom noticed Aaron’s group was targeting someone again, many had fear in their eyes but none warned him. A few even hastily packed up their belongings, fearing being dragged into this. A slender apprentice wearing glasses lowered his head, heading for the door, exchanging a glance with a companion: "Another unlucky fool." "Deserved to die, who let him lack the insight." The companion responded indifferently, without a trace of sympathy in his eyes: "Minding your own business is the way to live long, that was the first lesson I learned in the Black Mist Jungle." Ron avoided the overly intimate touch with composure, sensing the dangerous aura emanating from this group. He knew something was amiss, but couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. "Nothing special, just basic meditation techniques, the kind every apprentice knows." "I heard you work as an assistant in Lady Allen’s herb store?" a thin apprentice next to Aaron interjected: "That old lady is notoriously tricky, to be picked by her means your Magic Potion Making skills must be quite excellent, right?" "Just doing odd jobs." Hearing the slight towards Lady Allen in the other’s words, Ron’s tone began to carry some impatience: "Organizing materials, cleaning tools, nothing a real student does." Aaron’s smile did not fade, but his gaze grew colder: "Why not join our collection task this week? We just need someone knowledgeable in Magic Potion Making, the profit will be shared equally, absolutely fair." "Sorry, I’m preparing for the Alchemist certification exam recently, can’t spare much time." Ron politely declined. "Alchemist certification?" A trace of bewilderment flashed in Aaron’s eyes, but he quickly regained his enthusiasm: "Even better! This collection can give you some practical experience, don’t worry about time, the task can be done in half a day at most." Clearly, this person did not understand the value of an Alchemist certification. The surrounding apprentices chimed in, they were all members of Aaron’s small group, each had already stained their hands with blood. Other apprentices in the classroom tried hard to maintain a see-not-hear-not attitude. Another apprentice leaned closer: "Heard the income at the herb store is decent, you must have saved quite a few Magic Stone Fragments? You can invest more in equipment this time for a higher return." The surrounding apprentices gradually formed a semicircular enclosure around Ron. Seeing that Ron remained unmoved, Aaron reached out to forcibly grab him: "Listen, kid, don’t be ungrateful—" Before finishing the sentence, a glint of cold light flashed in Ron’s eyes. The heat of the Crown Breathing Technique surged within, the almost mastery-level Swordsmanship brought astonishing control power, shining at this moment. His right index finger trembled slightly, yet with astonishing force, precisely striking the junction of Aaron’s chest and abdomen. It was a special force he had recently comprehended through hard Swordsmanship training, perhaps a sign of his imminent breakthrough to mastery level. This special force transmitted through the fingertip at this moment, reaching several inches into Aaron’s body. Aaron’s action halted abruptly, his face instantly pale, frozen in place as if encased in ice. He felt a bizarre force explode from his chest and abdomen, shattering his breathing rhythm, burning his chest with heat, rendering him speechless. "I said, I don’t have time." Ron calmly retracted his finger, sweeping his gaze over the surrounding people: "Hope you all understand." At this moment, footsteps echoed from the hallway. The apprentices encircling Ron all turned their heads in unison. Leia was already standing at the door, holding a few sheets of paper, seemingly here to retrieve something. She glanced at the situation here, frowning slightly. "Lady Leia!" Aaron’s accomplices instantly underwent a one-eighty turn in attitude, their voices filled with respect and fear: "We were just chatting with a new classmate." Leia gave no reply, merely casting them a cold glance. Just that one glance made Aaron’s accomplices feel as though they were on pins and needles, their previous arrogance gone.