The night on the open road was particularly cold, and even a roaring campfire couldn't chase away the chill.
But inside the tent, it was a few degrees warmer than outside, inducing a drowsy feeling.
After waiting a few minutes, Leilin saw Ivy's trembling figure slip inside.
It was clear she was nervous. Her small hands tightly gripped the hem of her clothes, revealing whitened knuckles.
Fear filled her pretty eyes.
But her body seemed to move of its own accord, walking towards Leilin step by step.
"No need to be afraid! It's just a simple sampling procedure, it won't cause you any harm!" Seeing the girl like this, Leilin couldn't help but offer some reassurance.
"Pull up the sleeve on your arm!"
After hearing Leilin's words, Ivy hesitated for a moment before rolling up her sleeve, revealing a slender, fair arm.
"It'll hurt a little, don't be scared!"
Leilin pulled out something resembling a large syringe from behind him, gently comforting the little girl.
Unfortunately, the trembling of the little girl only intensified.
Leilin grasped the girl's arm with one hand, and with the other, he took the syringe and inserted the needle into the exposed vein on her arm.
The moment the needle pierced her skin, the little girl grimaced as if about to burst into tears, but forced herself to hold back.
After drawing several hundred grams of blood, Leilin promptly sent the little girl back to her own tent.
"What's with that feeling of bullying a little girl?"
Leilin looked at the syringe in his hand, rubbing his chin.
No matter how he put it, having just been stared at by a little girl with a "you're bullying me" gaze was a bit uncomfortable.
"Chip, initiate experiment. Prepare the microscope..."
After spacing out for a few seconds, Leilin set aside his playful mood. His expression turned serious, and his slender hands began to move over the simple laboratory table like a butterfly flitting among flowers.
The next morning, Leilin looked at the half-drop of pinkish liquid in the sulfuration test tube, his expression fluctuating.
"Chip, analyze!" A beam of blue fluorescence shot from Leilin's eyes, illuminating the wall of the test tube.
"Ding! A drop of blood containing a trace of ancient creature - the Pallan Night Heron - bloodline aura! Cannot be purified further!"
The information fed back by the Chip instantly darkened Leilin's expression.
It was true that Ivy carried a trace of ancient bloodline, but the Night Heron's bloodline had become so diluted by the time it reached her that it was practically negligible. Thus, Ivy was just an ordinary little girl, perhaps with slightly more radiation resistance than average. Only the Chip could extract even a faint aura from her blood, but it was largely useless.
"At this concentration, even if I drained all of Ivy's blood, or captured her to bleed her periodically, I couldn't purify a single drop of true ancient bloodline!"
However, Leilin didn't feel particularly disappointed deep down.
Not every attempt could succeed, but without trying, there was zero chance of success.
He had understood this principle long ago, back in his previous life.
"Furthermore, this rare blood carrying an ancient creature's aura, combined with a few damaged Magical Items I salvaged from the Blood Duel, might allow me to modify the Fallen Star Pendant..."
A thought arose in Leilin's mind.
The Fallen Star Pendant was only a low-level Magical Item. It was very useful during his apprentice days, but for the current Leilin, it had become somewhat redundant.
Previously, the Chip's task list had always included a project researching the feasibility of upgrading the Fallen Star Pendant, which was nearly complete.
But Leilin was now a Sorcerer. If he added several items rich in Bloodline Power to the upgrade materials for the Fallen Star Pendant, it would surely be even more attuned to his capabilities!
"Chip! Establish a sub-task: Investigate the possibility of incorporating Ivy's blood into the Fallen Star Pendant upgrade plan!"
"Ding! Task established. Categorized under the Fallen Star Pendant Modification Project, listed as a sub-directory!"
The Chip's feedback was prompt.
Although he couldn't extract true ancient bloodline, having found upgrade materials more suitable for the Fallen Star Pendant made Leilin feel it was a good deal, and his mood improved considerably.
During breakfast with Ivy, he even took the rare initiative to greet her properly, which immediately flustered the little girl, secretly amusing Leilin.
After breakfast, Leilin continued the journey with the little girl.
Passing through a town, he purchased another horse carriage, finally sparing the little girl the hardship of walking.
This wasn't done out of kindness. The little girl had her blood drawn every night. Although Leilin had prepared some blood-replenishing potions, her spirits were clearly not too good, and her face was as pale as a corpse.
After acquiring the carriage, Leilin's life became even more leisurely. He traveled by day, and at night, he continuously purified the Night Heron's bloodline, accumulating materials to upgrade the Fallen Star Pendant.
"Dawn's Reach! At this pace, we should arrive at the Great Magalie Canyon tomorrow!"
Leilin pointed to a towering mountain peak piercing the clouds in the distance, speaking to Ivy behind him.
"..." Ivy looked at the marked terrain on the map ahead, hugging her knees in silent resignation.
Her eyelids drooped, whether from fear of the future or simply being lost in uncertainty.