The Black Mist Forest was still shrouded in a thin mist in the early morning, but Ron had already arrived at the herbal medicine shop.
He gazed at the mottled wooden door, his mind filled with countless thoughts.
The tragic fate of Locke and Emily kept flashing through his mind. Everything that had happened in the past few days kept him tossing and turning at night, but it only strengthened his determination to improve his strength.
He glanced at the sky; it was half an hour earlier than the agreed time.
This caution had become a habit for him—he dared not gamble on the consequences of being late.
The bronze wind chimes in front of the door made a crisp sound in the breeze. Although the shop door was closed, he could vaguely sense Mrs. Allen's unique magical fluctuations.
Ron took a deep breath and gently knocked on the shop door.
Soon, Mrs. Allen's distinctive hoarse voice came from inside: "Come in, little one."
The moment the door was opened, a variety of peculiar smells wafted out.
After a few days of familiarization, Ron has been able to distinguish the properties of most of the medicinal herbs.
He could distinguish the crispness of evening primrose, the spiciness of snake tooth grass, and some other distinctive flavors that he couldn't name.
"They arrived earlier than the agreed time."
Mrs. Allen stood behind the counter, a hint of approval flashing in her emerald-green eyes:
"It seems you are indeed not a lazy person, which is good."
Ron mimicked the etiquette his teacher had taught him, performing a noble gesture: "It is my honor to have gained your favor, Madam."
Stop with the useless pleasantries.
The old witch waved her hand, her gaze sharpening like a hawk's once more: "Let me check your homework first."
Ron nodded and immediately replied:
"Yes, madam. I have reviewed the section on energizing potions in 'Fundamentals of Potions' three times and even made some notes."
As he spoke, he pulled a thick notebook from his pocket.
The contents are densely filled with records of the properties and reaction patterns of various materials, and even some minute observations are recorded in detail.
Mrs. Allen took the notebook and casually flipped through it, her eyes gradually brightening:
"Interesting. You not only recorded the contents of the book, but also added your own understanding. This idea of linking mental perception with the properties of medicinal herbs is quite novel."
She closed her notebook and stared intently at Ron: "Come with me, I have a lot to teach you today."
The old witch led Ron through a narrow corridor to the alchemy room deep inside the shop.
Unlike last time, the workbench was now filled with various tools and materials, clearly indicating that it had been carefully prepared.
A bronze crucible rests on a specially made furnace platform, beneath which flickers an eerie blue flame.
"First, I'll teach you how to prepare the most basic energy booster."
As Mrs. Allen spoke, she began to introduce the materials on the table:
"Although this medicine is very common on the market, it is not easy to prepare a perfect finished product. The dosage and timing of each ingredient must be well controlled."
Ron walked to the workbench and carefully examined the materials on it using his [Medicinal Herb Identification] ability.
The fresh moonflower leaves were still covered with dew, shimmering with a silvery sheen under the glow of the dim blue firelight.
The stems of the carbonophore are emitting pale blue smoke, a sign that its activity has not yet subsided;
There were also some ingredients whose names I didn't know but whose aromas were unique, all neatly arranged in glass dishes.
"Every material has its own specific 'rhythm'."
Mrs. Allen's voice rang out, "A true potion master must not only understand the properties of the ingredients, but also master the resonance between them."
These words stirred something within Ron.
He recalled his insights from practicing the "Corona Breathing Technique" yesterday—it seemed that mental energy, breathing techniques, and these medicinal herbs all followed a certain specific pattern.
"You seem to have gained some insights?" Mrs. Allen keenly noticed the change in his expression.
"Yes." Ron nodded. "Like that Star Grass yesterday, when I placed it in a certain way, I seemed to be able to feel a certain rhythm within it."
"Indeed." The old witch smiled slightly. "Every true potion master is pursuing this balance of 'rhythm'."
She pointed to the materials on the workbench: "Now, let me see your understanding."
Ron took a deep breath and began to prepare the potion according to his own understanding.
This time, he didn't simply copy the methods in the book, but instead tried to feel the characteristics of each material.
The silvery light of the moonflower was very similar to the fluctuations of spiritual energy, and he tried to process these materials using a rhythm similar to that of meditation.
As the process of preparation continued, Ron gradually entered a wondrous state.
Each material seems to have its own "voice," and what he has to do is to make these "voices" blend together harmoniously.
"Interesting," Mrs. Allen suddenly spoke up. "Are you using the rhythm of your mental energy to guide the fusion of the materials?"
Ron paused slightly, "You mean..."
"Go on, don't answer me," the old witch interrupted him. "Let me see what you can do."
Ron nodded and continued to focus on mixing.
When the last ingredient was added to the copper pot, the color of the liquid began to change—gradually becoming clearer from cloudy, and finally turning into a light amber color.
In his perception, the energy fluctuations within the entire pot of medicinal liquid had reached a delicate balance.
"As expected," Mrs. Allen murmured to herself.
"You do have some talent in the perception of mental energy. This method of applying the rhythm of mental energy to potion mixing is not something that just anyone can think of."
She scooped up some of the medicine with a silver spoon: "Although it's still very rough, the direction is right."
Just then, a series of footsteps approached from afar outside the shop.
"It seems we have guests." Mrs. Allen's tone changed from lecturing to:
"I'm going to greet the guests now. You can tidy up the shelves later. While you're working, think carefully about what I taught you today—every force in this world has its own specific laws, and the key is how to perceive and utilize them."
She was just about to turn and leave when she suddenly seemed to remember something and glanced back at the liquid in the crucible:
"This pot of medicine is generally fine, but it can only be considered a substandard product. You can pack it up and take it with you; you can sell it or use it yourself, it's up to you."
Ron was overjoyed; as expected, there was an unexpected gain.
He nodded his thanks, and after Mrs. Allen left, he began to fill several small bottles with the medicine.
Before leaving the forging room, Ron glanced back at the still steaming bronze crucible, lost in thought.
Since transmigrating to this world and completely merging with the original owner's soul, his progress has far exceeded that of ordinary people.
While the most crucial factor was undoubtedly the solidification effect of the various advancements brought about by the cheat system, his unique [Dual Soul] talent also played a significant role.
"Two souls, two ways of thinking," Ron murmured to himself, his fingers unconsciously tapping a rhythm on the table.
He recalled the description of [Dual Soul] on his panel: "Increased comprehension; when mental power reaches a certain limit, dual spellcasting is possible."
Initially, he only focused on the latter part of the "Dual Casting" ability, but ignored the seemingly ordinary "Enlightenment Boost" in the beginning.
Now he finally understood what this "enhanced understanding" truly meant.
It is precisely because he possesses two completely different souls that he is able to understand the extraordinary rules of this world from a completely new perspective.
"Rhythm." Ron closed his eyes slightly, feeling the flow of spiritual energy within his body.
In his perception, mental energy was no longer just a blurry mass of energy, but rather notes carrying a specific melody, each flow like a delicate musical movement.
This perceptive ability is an additional benefit brought about by his dual-soul characteristic.
The Earth's soul's understanding and perception of music and art, and the instinctive response of the world's original soul to extraordinary power.
His perfect fusion through the bridge of the "dual souls" allowed him to grasp the "rhythm" of various powers faster than others.
Potions, meditation, breathing techniques, and even spellcasting may seem like completely different fields, but in his perception, they all follow similar principles, only their rhythms differ.
"Like a musician who knows multiple instruments and can easily switch between them..."
His dual soul grants him the ability to understand "rhythm" across disciplines, enabling him to draw parallels and find commonalities between seemingly unrelated fields.
As for the multiple spellcasting abilities that might awaken later, it seems that... the time is not yet ripe.