The Atomic Universe, top floor of Babel Tower.
The entire hall was laced with silver-white, pale green, and translucent lines that extended outward from the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and the void itself, weaving together into a dense and intricate Magic Circle.
At the nexus where all these lines converged, liquid brimming with intense vitality kept condensing, flowing outward like the headwaters of a hot spring and gradually filling the circular ritual platform.
Gazing at the vibrant emerald pool of life energy within the platform, Lucian smiled at Natasha beside him. "'Natural Gift' is ready."
"But how is this different from what Grandma Heather told me?" Natasha looked around with keen interest at the legendary ritual's components.
Long ago, she had heard from Heather a general description of what the "Natural Gift" ceremony looked like, since it was Fernando and Heather who had conducted the ritual for Douglas back then. This life-extending legendary ritual used the Spirit Tree Fruit as its core: through a Magic Circle and a series of complex transmutation steps, the power sealed within was extracted, and in the form of illusory arcane patterns fused with the recipient's soul and physical body, thereby achieving life extension.
It was the most supreme of life rituals. Depending on the quality of the Spirit Tree Fruit, the caliber of the ritual materials, how perfectly the ceremony ran, and the recipient's own strength, it could extend one's life by anywhere from three thousand to six thousand years.
Yet the scene before her in the hall was entirely different. Natasha saw no Spirit Tree Fruit anywhere, nor any of the familiar components of the corresponding Magic Circle. Though she did not understand that particular type of Magic Circle, the outward appearance and operational anomalies of the "Natural Gift" ritual's required arcane arrays were extremely distinctive — one could tell at a glance.
Most importantly, at the center of the "Natural Gift" ritual, there was never supposed to be anything resembling a hot spring "pool"!
Lucian maintained his smile. "You forgot — we also have the Spring of Eternal Youth. So I incorporated its properties and modified the 'Natural Gift' ceremony. Although the Spring's quality falls short of the Spirit Tree Fruit and can't raise the upper limit, it can effectively boost the baseline. As a result, the current 'Natural Gift' can extend life by five to six thousand years — and it can accommodate two people."
"The Spring of Eternal Youth?" It was only then that Natasha recalled Lucian's harvest from the Necromancer Realm. She looked at the hot-spring-like pool at the center of the arcane array, and everything fell into place — the Spring of Eternal Youth should naturally manifest in this state. "We don't need to bring in Heather or Lord Tempestuous Master to conduct it?"
The vast majority of legendary rituals required legendary powerhouses to preside over them.
Lucian glanced at the central "pool" that had merged the powers of the Spirit Tree Fruit and the Spring of Eternal Youth. "No need. The improved version of this ceremony doesn't require another legend to oversee it. As long as one of the recipients is a legendary mage, they can effectively guide and control the process without any issues. It's a life-extending ritual that combines simplicity, convenience, efficiency, and comfort."
Hearing Lucian's final description, Natasha couldn't help but laugh aloud. "Ha! Now I believe those bizarre and amusing ad slogans from 'Voice of Mysteries' and 'Truth of the World' really were your ideas…"
"Have I ever denied it?" Lucian spread his hands.
Natasha stifled her laughter and turned serious. "So what do we do next?"
"Simple — we just soak in the ritual pool like a hot spring bath. The ceremony will automatically drive the fused power of the Spirit Tree Fruit and the Spring of Eternal Youth to seep into our bodies." Lucian's expression turned solemn. "To ensure the effect, we cannot wear any arcane items."
"What?" Natasha blinked, then said with a half-smile, "A ritual that requires us to strip naked and soak? You didn't plan this on purpose, did you?"
"Am I that kind of person? It's determined by the Spring's properties," Lucian said with impeccable seriousness.
"Is that so?" Natasha grinned. "Actually, I quite like this kind of creativity."
As she spoke, her lilac court gown drifted to the floor like a butterfly alighting, and the remaining garments floated away one by one — slowly yet full of seductive allure, gradually revealing a body of boundless beauty.
Just as she did before every bath, Natasha extended a toe to test the pool water, then walked step by step into the center of the emerald pool. Her body was slowly submerged by the waterline. Suddenly, she turned her head, looking at Lucian hovering outside the ritual platform, and with a playful yet subtly alluring smile said: "Come on, don't be shy."
…………
Time seemed to pass in a flash. The emerald "pool water" grew thinner and thinner, and both Lucian and Natasha felt the liquid slowly merging into their bodies, merging into their souls, bringing a clean, refreshing, ethereal sensation. Their entire beings relaxed completely.
"The ritual has been fully completed. As long as no one interrupts us now, it will be a total success. Even now, I can feel that my life has been extended considerably — roughly four thousand years," Lucian said suddenly in the quiet. His voice was languid, born of the deep relaxation that had settled into his very soul.
Natasha leaned against him, equally languid. "I feel like all the accumulated stress, anxiety, and worries about so many things have been washed clean by the spring water. Hmm, I'm thinking of finding a time to hold Luntat's 'Music Festival.'"
In this state, she simply said whatever came to mind.
"A music festival?" Lucian echoed in a rather distant voice.
"Yes. I've always wanted to host a 'Luntat Music Festival' renowned across the continent — a way to channel my longing for Altor. But for the past few years, Luntat hasn't had many musicians worth showing off. It's been far richer in playwrights. Only this year, thanks to the groundwork laid in recent years, a batch of quite talented musicians has emerged. So I'm ready to start working on it. Heh, under your influence, Luntat has taken a liking to light music and all sorts of unconventional symphonies. I hope that becomes what sets Luntat's music apart from Altor's…"
Although she loved Altor dearly, Natasha had no intention of turning Luntat into a second Altor. She respected its own culture and customs. "When the time comes, I'd like to open the festival with your opera *Valkyrie*."
Lucian had underestimated the difficulty of composing an opera, and since it was a truly original work that demanded perfection, he had only completed this nearly four-year undertaking just before the double-slit electron interference experiment. He was currently assembling opera singers and an orchestra for rehearsals.