130: Chapter 130 Elena's Visit! Mastering the Perfect Breathing Technique! (Points Increased!)

Golden Flame Castle, top floor master bedroom.

The storm had passed.

Rowan watched Lady Lillian, who was currently getting dressed, and began to evaluate her in his mind.

She was an intelligent lady who knew how to display her own advantages and usefulness.

If she could complete the things she promised and organize the beauty pageant to his satisfaction, then bestowing the Embrace upon her and granting her extraordinary power was not out of the question.

"My Lord..." Lady Lillian had already put on her chemise and was trying to fasten the clasp on the back; her voice still carried a hint of hoarseness and languor.

Rowan chuckled, reached out, and helped her fasten it.

After both were fully dressed, they went downstairs together.

Lady Lillian's steps were slightly unsteady, but her face was radiant and her eyes were bright; she was clearly in an excellent mood.

She prepared to go to her brother's home immediately to discuss and finalize the plan for meeting Rowan at the City Lord's Mansion tomorrow night.

Just then, Butler Henry hurried over and reported in a low voice at Rowan's side:

"My Lord, the Viscountess of the Mist, Miss Elena, has come to visit and is waiting in the small reception room."

Elena?

Shouldn't she be in the Mist Territory at this moment?

Why would she suddenly visit at this time?

A trace of surprise flashed in Rowan's eyes, but he remained composed on the surface and said, "Understood, I will go take a look."

Thus, he walked toward the small reception room.

Lady Lillian's eyes flickered, and she naturally followed by his side.

The door to the reception room was ajar.

Pushing open the door, a slender figure was standing somewhat uneasily in front of the fireplace.

Elena was wearing a dark gray wool cloak suitable for travel, and her hood had already been removed.

Hearing the sound of the door opening,

She immediately turned around.

When she saw Rowan walk in, a trace of joy instantly flashed in her eyes.

She almost subconsciously took a step forward, her lips moving slightly as if she wanted to say something.

However, the next moment, her gaze fell upon Lady Lillian, who was following closely by Rowan's side.

Her footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

The joy on her face faded away like a receding tide, replaced by an unmistakable bitterness.

Her gaze swept quickly between Rowan and Lady Lillian.

The flush on Lady Lillian's face had not yet completely faded, and her alluring eyes were languid and hazy...

Everything, absolutely everything, silently spoke of what had happened here before her arrival.

Elena felt a tightness in her chest.

Her eyes, which had brightened in an instant, quickly dimmed, and her long, curled eyelashes drooped slightly, concealing the emotions in her eyes.

Her fingers, placed at her sides, unconsciously clutched the edge of her cloak.

The reception room fell briefly silent.

Elena took a soft breath, trying hard to make her voice sound calm, yet it still carried a hint of imperceptible tremor:

"It seems... I have come at a bad time."

She turned her face slightly, avoiding looking at the two of them.

However, Rowan seemed not to have noticed her instantaneous emotional shift.

His expression remained normal as he walked to Elena's side and naturally extended his arm to wrap around her slender waist.

"No, you have come at the perfect time."

With one hand holding the slightly stiff Elena, he turned his head and nodded to Lady Lillian, who stood to the side with a subtle smile:

"You may go about your business now. The carriage is already prepared."

"Yes, The Count."

Lady Lillian complied gracefully and performed an impeccable curtsy in their direction.

Immediately after, she turned and walked out of the castle.

In the reception room.

Only Rowan and Elena remained.

Elena was held in Rowan's Embrace, her body still somewhat stiff.

She could smell the familiar, crisp scent on Rowan.

But at this moment, this scent seemed to be faintly mixed with a hint of rich rose fragrance.

Rowan chuckled, said nothing more, and led her toward the master bedroom on the top floor.

Stepping into the master bedroom, Elena sniffed her petite nose lightly, her gaze quickly sweeping over the slightly messy bed; she pursed her lips and lowered her head even further.

Rowan seemed completely oblivious to all of this; he released his hold on Elena, pointed to the armchair by the floor-to-ceiling window, and said, "Sit."

He sat down in one of the chairs first, his posture relaxed.

Elena sat down silently in the other chair, her hands folded on her lap.

"Elena," Rowan's gaze fell upon her beautiful face, and he said in a calm voice, "Is there something the matter that caused you to leave the Mist Territory to find me?"

Upon hearing this, Elena snapped back to reality.

She suppressed her complicated emotions, raised her head, frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, she spoke:

"Something has happened... in the Mist Forest. I suspect that deep in the forest... there are traces of wizard activity!"

"Wizards?" Rowan's originally relaxed posture straightened instantly, and a flash of confusion crossed his eyes:

"Tell me in detail. What is the specific situation?"

Seeing that Rowan took it seriously, Elena perked up and immediately recounted what had happened at the logging camp on the edge of the forest in a clear and organized manner.

She also mentioned that she had studied descriptions of wizards while at Ice Source Rune University and corroborated them with what she had seen today.

Elena concluded finally:

"When that wolf corpse attacked, the power driving it was full of a cold, obscure feeling of being artificially guided; it is definitely not a natural phenomenon."

"Furthermore, the pollution remaining in the loggers' wounds also carries faint characteristics of witchcraft..."

"I suspect that the disturbances deep in the Mist Forest are very likely related to these hidden wizards, and their activities seem to be becoming more and more frequent, starting to affect the edge of the forest."

Elena's eyes were filled with clear worry.

Rowan listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest, thoughts churning in his eyes.

Wizards... he had heard of these beings who walked on the edge of darkness and taboo; they were indeed somewhat troublesome.

This group had strange methods, similar to mages, but their sources of power were more complex.

Their power might come from bloodlines, nature spirits, ley lines, or extraordinary rituals.

It might also come from signing contracts with demons, abyss entities, old gods, the undead, or evil spirits, exchanging their souls, lifespans, or other costs for power.

If there really were wizard activities deep in the Mist Forest, it would indeed be a hidden danger, not only threatening Elena's territory but also potentially affecting Gino County.

But the problem was...

He was currently in a critical accumulation period of rapid strength growth, and the plan for the beauty pageant was about to unfold; he really did not want to create extra complications by rashly exploring the depths of the Mist Forest, where the situation was unknown.

Who knew what level of wizard was in there?

However, since the other party hadn't come out to cause trouble, it meant that it should be safe for the time being.

Thus, he looked at Elena and asked:

"Regarding the traces of wizards, besides your discovery today and the records in the books, is there any more specific information?"

"For example, what is their purpose? What is their approximate level of strength?"

Elena shook her head, somewhat dejected:

"There is nothing more."

"The aura remaining at the scene was very faint and had been deliberately treated. The books also only mentioned some characteristics of various wizard schools, without pointing to anything specific."

"When I left, I had already ordered the area to be sealed off and security strengthened, but... I fear that treats the symptoms, not the disease."

Rowan nodded thoughtfully.

He pondered for a moment, did not immediately make a decision regarding the wizard matter, and instead asked:

"Then, Elena, what are your plans for the future? Will you return to the Mist Territory to continue holding the fort, or..."

Upon hearing this, Elena turned her head slightly, avoiding Rowan's direct gaze, and said in a low voice with a hint of grievance:

"I... I don't want to go back to Mist Castle; it is... so cold and damp..."

Rowan looked at her slightly trembling eyelashes and the faint unease radiating from her.

He thought about it; with those former retainers of the Farrell Family helping her manage the territory, it didn't make much difference whether Elena returned or not.

Moreover, the vampire cultivation experiment for her was still ongoing, and it was time to try the Scarlet Hymn Breathing Technique.

Thus, without much hesitation, he said:

"Very well, there are still plenty of empty rooms in the castle; your former room in the castle has always been kept clean, so just go and stay there."

Elena lifted her head abruptly, her eyes instantly filled with unbelievable surprise: "Re-really? But what about the Mist Territory..."

"Aren't Lexie and Iris still there? Just let them handle things according to your orders."

"If there is a real emergency, report it then."

Rowan chuckled: "You stay here; I happen to have some matters as well that require your assistance."

Hearing this, the surprise in Elena's eyes deepened, and she nodded quickly: "Mm! I will listen to everything you say!"

Watching her face that brightened instantly, the corners of Rowan's mouth curved up imperceptibly.

He took out a blood-colored crystal and said:

"Elena, transform into your vampire form, then hold it and concentrate your mind to perceive it."

"Tell me what you can perceive."

Elena's gaze was instantly firmly attracted by that strange blood-colored crystal.

After transforming into a vampire, her perception of blood and life energy became exceptionally keen.

She could clearly feel that an unusual power seemed to be contained within this crystal.

She looked at Rowan with some confusion, not understanding his intention, but still obediently did as she was told.

With a slight movement of her mind, the traits belonging to the vampire were quietly triggered.

Deep within her eyes, a very faint dark red emerged, her pupils contracted slightly, becoming increasingly deep.

Her small, sharp fangs also became visible.

The life aura around her became more restrained, yet added a touch of cold elegance and a sense of hidden danger.

Then she reached out and took the blood-colored crystal from Rowan's palm.

Her vampire perception, like the finest tentacles, cautiously probed into the interior of the crystal...

At first, it was a boundless darkness and deathly silence, as if sinking into the deepest part of the ocean floor.

But immediately afterward, a crazy intent mixed with endless hunger, rage, and a desire to plunder life rushed into her mind along with her perception!

"Ah—!"

Elena was caught off guard and let out a short cry of pain; her face instantly turned pale, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped from her forehead.

She felt as if she had been instantly thrown into a terrifying vortex composed of the wails of countless dying beasts and the hissing of spraying blood!

That intent was vast and chaotic, almost instantly shattering her sanity!

Her hand holding the crystal trembled violently, almost unable to keep holding it.

The vampire bloodline within her also became restless under the stimulation of this violent intent.

Rowan had been carefully observing her reaction.

Seeing Elena's pale face and trembling body, a trace of gravity flashed in her eyes.

It seemed that direct contact with the Scarlet Hymn Breathing Technique was still too much of a shock for Elena, who had only recently completed the Embrace.

The essence of this Breathing Technique was even more overbearing and... dangerous than he had anticipated.

But he did not immediately take back the crystal, nor did he intervene.

He was waiting, and also observing Elena's limits.

Elena gritted her teeth tightly, her beautiful brows knit together in pain.

She felt her consciousness floating and sinking in the violent blood-colored vortex, ready to be completely swallowed at any moment.

But just then, the core spiritual pattern constructed with [Thunder Titan Power] within her body seemed to sense a threat and suddenly lit up!

Boom—!

It was as if a silent thunderclap exploded deep within her soul!

Violent, pale blue lightning burst forth from deep within her bloodline, instantly flowing through her entire body, forcibly resisting the scarlet intent filled with chaos and hunger!

The power of the Thunder Titan Power and the vampire bloodline intertwined within her, bringing tearing pain, but it also allowed her to break free from the edge of that crazy vortex.

But the vast and majestic aura of source power within the crystal remained like the most alluring poison, constantly attracting her, tempting her to accept it, to fuse with it...

Elena opened her eyes abruptly.

Silver-white lightning and dark red blood light flickered in her eyes, filled with shock and confusion.

She looked at Rowan, her voice carrying a shaky, exhausted, and unbelievable tone:

"W-what is inside this?"

"It's so scary... yet so powerful... I feel like it is calling to my bloodline... but that call is full of destruction..."

She could not understand what the information contained in this crystal meant at all.

This made her instinctively fear and reject it, yet also made the vampire bloodline within her produce a near-greedy craving.

Rowan looked at the lingering fear and the fleeting, instinctive craving in her eyes, and he knew what to do.

He knew how to let her cultivate the Scarlet Hymn Breathing Technique.

He thought for a moment and answered:

"This is a... Perfect Breathing Method."

"It might be able to help you grow faster and unearth more of your potential."

"Perfect Breathing Method!" Elena exclaimed.

She, of course, knew what a Perfect Breathing Method represented.

Back then, it was because she lacked the talent to cultivate the family's Breathing Technique that her father had sent her to Ice Source Rune University.

Thus, she said with some difficulty:

"Rowan, I might not have the talent to cultivate a Knight's Breathing Technique."

Rowan heard this, looked at the troubled expression on Elena's face, and said slowly:

"No, you do. Perhaps you didn't have it before, but now, you do."

Rowan stood up, walked to Elena, and said: "Maintain your vampire form."

He placed the crystal into Elena's palm.

"Close your eyes, Elena." Rowan's voice was low and carried a strange rhythm: "Relax, and feel my guidance."

"Do not resist the power in the crystal, but use your will, use the Thunder Titan Power in your bloodline, to filter it and select the parts that fit you..."

Rowan transformed into the Vampire Prince state, preparing to use the absolute perception and control that a higher-ranked vampire has over their descendant to guide Elena in constructing the Breathing Technique's circulation.

Following his words, a wisp of extremely pure blood energy slowly probed into Elena's body.

At the same time, the blood-colored crystal emitted a faint light again.

A stream of energy, gentler than before, was guided out by Rowan, turning into wisps of slender blood-colored mist that slowly lingered around Elena and were inhaled into her body bit by bit as she breathed naturally.

This time, with Rowan's protection and guidance, the violence and chaos in that scarlet energy were weakened to the greatest extent, leaving only the most fundamental stimulation for the bloodline.

Elena let out a muffled grunt, feeling a warm and majestic power, like a trickling stream, begin to seep into her limbs and bones, merging into her bloodline along the path guided by Rowan.

The pain was still there, but it was much, much better than before.

Moreover, she could clearly feel that her strength was slowly increasing at a perceptible speed.

While guiding Elena, Rowan was also observing, recording, and adjusting.

This accumulated the most valuable first-hand experience for him to cultivate more high-quality flowers in the future.

The bedroom became silent.

Finally, at a certain moment.

A surprised cry from a woman rang out in the bedroom.

Rowan looked at her.

The system panel clearly displayed a number.

[88 Points]

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