Upon arriving at the Reflection Tower, Adam was surprised to find that Anthony was not waiting for him on the tenth floor.
After sitting and reading for a while, no one came, which piqued Adam's curiosity. So, he decided to leave the tenth floor and head up to the twelfth.
Anthony resided on the twelfth floor, and on his first visit to the Shadow Tower, Anthony had granted him access. However, Adam had never actually visited this level before. Today, upon pushing open the door, he was met with an environment far different from what he had imagined.
The room was shrouded in deep shadows, with an overwhelming sense of emptiness that seemed to stretch on endlessly. In the depths of the darkness, something intangible appeared to be slowly spreading. Although the area seemed vacant upon sensing it, a chill of unease settled over Adam as though something unseen were lurking.
Faintly, Adam felt something stir within him, and just as he was about to investigate further, he heard a voice from behind.
"What are you doing here?"
Turning around, Adam saw Selene standing a short distance away, holding something in her hands. Her expression was even more impassive than his own.
"I just came to check on the teacher. He seems..." Adam exhaled, hesitating slightly before asking, "Not feeling well today?"
"You don't need to know that," Selene responded, her face stern as she concealed her charm. "You should leave for now. The master needs rest today, so you'll have to study on your own."
"Alright then." Adam glanced at Selene but did not press the matter. He turned and left.
"Is there something wrong with the immortality formula?" Adam pondered silently. Not all immortality formulas required non-human species; sorcerers could use other natural forces to sustain their immortality.
However, the power of sin was the most effective and easiest to implement.
Other natural forces either came with high costs, were incompatible with the human body, or had insurmountable side effects. Sin, however, was the most suited to humans.
"After all, this world was built upon the bones of the enemies of the gods," Adam recalled the scriptures, remembering that the influence of the divine enemies had shaped the world since its inception. From the earliest beasts to the demonic spirits in the underground caverns, and later the non-humans, the power of sin had been passed down through the ages.
Without the involvement of gods and their various churches, sin remained the most potent force.
The rest of the day unfolded as Selene had predicted—Anthony did not appear. Adam spent his time in the library, absorbing knowledge from a variety of texts.
"Life force is replenished by the body through breathing, eating, and other means, but how is mental energy replenished?" Adam mused, closing one of the books. He couldn't help but remember the vision he had experienced the night his bloodline awakened.
Under the influence of the weight adjustment, his soul had swiftly transcended, leaping beyond the world.
"Huh?" Adam suddenly froze, closing his eyes.
For the past few days, he had been practicing the Meditation of the Netherworld and making gradual adjustments. Just now, he felt his mind ease. Returning to a meditative state, he noticed that his mental energy operation model had stabilized, adapting to the changes in his meditation technique.
The once-deformed model of the Invisible Blade now merged harmoniously with his mental energy operation mode, moving in a natural, fluid manner. While there were still minor issues in certain details, casting the Invisible Blade was no longer a problem.
As Adam focused his mental energy on the model, he no longer needed casting materials. His mental energy surged forth, enveloping itself in an invisible force, forming a slightly curved, ethereal blade.
"It's still a bit sluggish to control, and the range needs work," Adam muttered to himself. Testing the effectiveness of the Invisible Blade, he slowly began to pinpoint the model's flaws, mentally drafting plans to refine it further. But for now, the Invisible Blade was more than sufficient.
"Looks like I can return early this afternoon," Adam glanced at the time. After placing the books back on the shelf, he stood up and left.
Outside the tower, Kro was waiting for him. Despite Adam's earlier remark about being free to roam during this period, Kro had not left. Without asking why Adam had finished early, he drove the carriage back to the Bookhouse.
The animal test subjects Doug had promised were still not ready, but Adam was prepared.
At the door, Adam waved, and several wild cats appeared, their eyes fixed on him.
He selected the cleanest of the bunch and carried it upstairs.
After washing the cat, Adam once again performed the Invisible Blade technique.
"The life model training for humans begins with the lungs, so animals should begin with the lungs as well." Adam gently stroked the cat's head, and the once restless creature immediately calmed down.
Opening the Dustless Shield, Adam absorbed the surrounding dust and murmured, "Paralysis Curse!" He then made eye contact with the cat and cast the curse.
This curse was one Adam had found in the library, a practical one that temporarily deprived the target of physical control and certain sensory perceptions.
Adam lightly traced the Invisible Blade across the wild cat's chest, creating a small incision. Slowly, his mental energy extended, probing and observing the internal conditions.
Every living creature has its own life force model, which might not be perfect and could have significant flaws, but it would always ensure the survival of the organism.
For example, the human body contains numerous structural inefficiencies, such as in the respiratory system, spine, and cardiovascular system, yet it is still capable of sustaining life. Improper alterations can cause a cascade of problems, and modifying even one area may lead to imbalances elsewhere.
Thus, every life model is the result of generations of refinement and discovery.
As for how to modify the cat's life model, Adam had no prior experience. He could only observe for now.
The cat's lungs encased its heart, and the trachea and blood vessels crisscrossed. As Adam explored with his mental energy, the cat's internal structure gradually revealed itself to him, slowly correlating with the human body's layout.
"Human life model training requires one to imprint their will upon the life force during exercise. Yet, for animals, this is clearly impossible. Cats possess lower intelligence, and demanding of them what even most humans struggle with is unfeasible," Adam thought.
"Therefore, I need to use my mental energy to substitute for its will," Adam mused. His mental energy, sharpened by the Invisible Blade, now extended toward the cat's life force.
"I've made contact." Adam's spirit lifted. The Meditation of the Netherworld had tilted his mental energy towards life itself. After all, it was through the Netherworld that the body of the fifty-first child had been created, and the spirit of the child had been summoned back.
With the sharp attribute added to his mental energy, Adam finally touched the wild cat's life force and made slight alterations.
Sensing the cat's restless movements, Adam once again soothed it, extending his mental blade further into its life force, making additional adjustments.
"No, the sharp attribute alone won't suffice. If I only do this, I'll merely be dividing its life force without enhancing it." After a brief attempt, Adam chose to abandon this approach.
He could indeed alter the wild cat's life force model, but cutting it would only worsen its vitality pattern without improving it.
"The Invisible Blade's model needs modification, shifting from a surgical tool to a more versatile instrument—or perhaps I need an entire set of tools to effect the changes I need for the cat's body," Adam thought thoughtfully.
Achieving this goal would not be easy, but once accomplished, Adam's power would leap forward.
Compared to humans with complex thought processes, animals were far easier to control and more susceptible to charm.
Once successful, Adam would be able to continuously create an army of animals under his control, all trained in life force models.