He Xi's consciousness spread out like a finely woven net.
In his perception, the lightning elements scattered chaotically throughout the surroundings were now slowly gathering toward him.
Mirabelle had mentioned that the two key aspects of this spell were "compression" and "shaping," while the prerequisite for "compression" was first guiding a sufficient quantity of lightning elements.
If the amount was insufficient, the spell circuit could not be fully constructed. Energy would cut off midway and ultimately dissipate.
That was precisely why most of the students had failed earlier.
But if too much was guided in—beyond the caster's current limit of control—those docile elements would instantly turn into wild horses breaking free of their reins. Compression would become exceedingly difficult, and the final result would be a flash of lightning followed by mana spiraling out of control.
That Lidona and Lai An had been able to vaguely touch the edge of that balance after several failures was already proof of both talent and hard work.
Yet the true difficulty lay in precisely finding that critical point—not too much, not too little.
For the overwhelming majority of casters, elements were invisible and intangible. They could only be estimated through vague mana perception.
Lightning elements, moreover, were known for their ever-changing nature. They might gather steadily one second, then suddenly turn violent the next.
But He Xi had no such concern at this moment.
Since [Shaman's First Encounter] allowed him to clearly "hear" the condition of these elemental spirits, there was no need to rush at all.
Slowly, he guided them bit by bit, until their "voices" gathered into the most harmonious resonance.
In the eyes of the other students, He Xi had merely made the casting gesture and then stood perfectly still. He neither recited the subsequent incantation nor showed any obvious