Breaking Through to Level Seven

After his battle with the Black-Striped Leopard, Lin Yun spent a full seven days recuperating in a cave on the outskirts of the Magic Beast Mountain Range.

For the first three days, he could barely do anything. Although Light-Element Healing Spells had treated the wound on his chest right away, the three deep claw marks had damaged his bones and internal organs. Every breath tugged at the wounds, sending stabbing pain through him. The injury to his right arm was a little less severe, but he still couldn't lift it.

Bebe seemed to know how badly he was hurt. Every day, he went out hunting and brought back small animals like wild rabbits and pheasants, dropping them in front of Lin Yun. Then he'd sit nearby, tilting his head as he watched Lin Yun, worry filling his bright black eyes.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to die." Lin Yun smiled ruefully and stroked his little head.

His only practice during those days was meditating to heal his injuries.

He cast a Light-Element Healing Spell more than a dozen times a day. White light flowed over his wounds, gradually repairing the damaged tissue. He also used several bottles of healing potion. Thick scabs formed over his wounds, and the skin around them turned a tender pink.

By the fourth day, he could finally sit up and move around normally. The wound on his chest had mostly healed. He still couldn't do anything strenuous, but at least it no longer hurt.

"Chirp!" Bebe was so excited to see him sit up that he hopped back and forth on Lin Yun's shoulder.

Lin Yun smiled, took some rations from his pack, and ate slowly. He had a much better appetite than he had in the previous few days, which meant his body was recovering.

On the fifth day, he started stretching his muscles in the cave. He went through the Qi Cultivation Style a few times. Although his movements were much slower than usual, each breath was precisely timed. He could feel the Battle Qi in his body circulating slowly under the guidance of the Qi Cultivation Style, nourishing his injured muscles and bones.

On the sixth day, he walked out of the cave and practiced the Basic Blade Technique in the small clearing at its entrance. His movements were slow, but he strove to make every stroke precise. Bebe perched on a nearby branch, watching with interest and chirping now and then as if offering his critique.

By the seventh day, his injuries had almost completely healed.

The scar on his chest remained, but it no longer hindered his movements. His right arm was back to normal, too. He stood at the cave entrance, facing the morning sun, and drew a deep breath.

The magical elements in the air seemed more active than usual and easier to sense. It wasn't his imagination—after coming so close to death, his Spiritual Energy had indeed changed in a subtle way. It was as though the barrier had grown as thin as a cicada's wing, and all it needed was one final strike.

"It's time to break through," Lin Yun murmured.

Bebe chirped, as if to say, "You can do it."

Lin Yun decided to complete his breakthrough right there in the cave.

He set up several alarm spells at the entrance. If anyone or any magical beast approached, he would sense it right away. Bebe perched on a rock at the entrance, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings as he stood guard.

Lin Yun sat cross-legged inside the cave, closed his eyes, and began to meditate.

His Spiritual Energy slowly sank into the depths of his consciousness.

There, seven-colored magical energy flowed through his body like seven clouds of mist. Earth Element, a yellowish brown; Fire Element, bright red; Water Element, blue; Wind Element, green; Thunder Element, purple; Light Element, golden; and Dark Element, black—the seven colors intertwined, forming a strange sight.

This was the magical energy of a Level Six Mage at the peak of the level: mist-like.

The form of a mage's magical energy was an important indicator of their level. For Level 1 through Level 3 Mages, it was gaseous, thin and scattered. For Level 4 through Level 6 Mages, it was mist-like, condensed and orderly. For Level 7 through Level 9 Mages, it was liquid, pure and powerful. And for a mage in the Saint Realm, it was solid crystal.

Now, he had to compress the mist-like magical energy in his body into liquid.

It was an extremely difficult process.

Lin Yun took a deep breath and began using his Spiritual Energy to compress the mass of mist-like magical energy from the outside in.

The yellowish-brown Earth Element magical energy was the first to change. Under the pressure of his Spiritual Energy, the cloud of mist began to contract and condense, shrinking as its density increased. He could feel the magical-energy particles, which had been loosely floating around, being squeezed together, colliding and merging.

A sharp pain surged from his dantian, as if thousands of needles were piercing him at once. Cold sweat beaded on Lin Yun's forehead, but he gritted his teeth and kept going.

Compress. Compress it further.

The yellowish-brown mist grew smaller and smaller, shrinking from the size of a fist to an egg, then from an egg to a walnut. Its color deepened, turning from pale yellow to dark yellow, until it finally became a thick liquid, almost the color of amber.

Drip.

The first drop of liquid magical energy formed.

The moment it fell, Lin Yun felt as if something inside him had been shattered. The barrier that had troubled him for so long crumbled in an instant.

He had broken through.

But he didn't stop. After Earth Element came the other six.

Fire, Water, Wind, Thunder, Light, and Dark—he compressed them one after another. Each element required the same process, and each brought the same excruciating pain.

Lin Yun's face had gone completely pale. Sweat soaked through his clothes, leaving him looking as though he'd just been pulled from the water. But he didn't stop, and he didn't dare stop. Once a breakthrough began, he couldn't give up halfway. If he did, not only would he fail to break through, but his existing magical energy would also be damaged.

The red, blue, green, purple, gold, and black magical energy was compressed in turn, changing from mist into liquid.

As the final drop of Dark Element magical energy condensed into liquid, a roar sounded within Lin Yun, as though something had exploded deep in his consciousness.

The seven colors of liquid magical energy flowed slowly through his body like seven little streams. Each flowed along its own path, yet they responded to one another. Compared to when it had been mist, his magical energy was purer and more powerful, its strength increased by at least one level.

Level Seven.

Level Seven in all seven elements.

Lin Yun opened his eyes, and seven-colored light flickered in them for a long while before slowly fading.

After breaking through, Lin Yun didn't rush to leave the cave.

He knew that his newly advanced magical energy was still unstable and needed time to settle. If he used Level 7 Magic right away, he might lose control of it and undo all his progress.

He spent two days gradually familiarizing himself with the new magical energy in his body.

The difference between liquid and mist-like magical energy wasn't just a matter of quantity. It was a difference in quality, too. Cast with Level Seven magical energy, the same spell was at least thirty to fifty percent more powerful. Liquid magical energy was also denser and easier to control, which made casting spells in quick succession much easier.

On the evening of the second day, he left the cave, ready to test the power of his Level 7 Magic.

"Let's try this," Lin Yun said to himself. Dense Earth Element particles gathered around him as he chanted a spell. At last, they formed an armor that looked ancient and simple. On closer inspection, it seemed to be made of jade, though it carried the aura of the Earth Element.

Earth Element Level 7 Magic—Saint Armor of Earth Protection (Jade Grade)

Level 7 Magic was far more powerful than Level 6 Magic. Its defensive power alone was nearly ten times greater.

"If I run into the Black-Striped Leopard again, this Jade Saint Armor will be enough to easily withstand its attacks." Lin Yun nodded in satisfaction, then sighed with some regret. "The pity is, I only know Earth Element Level 7 Magic. I don't know a single Level 7 spell from the other six elements."

Delin Cowart had taught him Earth Element Magic. He had already taught the two of them the incantations for Earth Element spells from Level 7 to Level 9, except for Forbidden Curse Magic. But Lin Yun couldn't get the incantations for the other elements. Ernst Academy only taught magic up to Level 6, and without joining a major power, it was difficult for a commoner mage to obtain the higher-level incantations.

"Looks like I'll have to find a way to get the incantations for the other elements," Lin Yun thought, making a mental note.

The moment Lin Yun broke through to become a Level Seven Mage, his other self, far away in another world, felt the impact of that power.

In the Swallowed Star World, inside a low-rent apartment in Yangzhou City.

Lin Yun's other body was sitting cross-legged on the bed, meditating with his eyes closed. Suddenly, a violent tremor passed through the depths of his consciousness. It felt as though a boulder had been thrown into a still lake, raising a thousand waves.

His Spiritual Energy was surging.

The increase in Spiritual Energy from breaking through to become a Level Seven Mage in the Coiling Dragon World was pouring into this body through the resonance of the Small Cauldron. His Spiritual Force was rising at a visible rate: from the late stage of a High-Level War General to its peak... then to a Primary War God!

Only after reaching the entry level of Primary War God did the surge finally stop.

Lin Yun opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance in them. Every object in the room floated into the air and hung perfectly still. His control was more than twice as strong as before.

"Too bad," he murmured.

Although his Spiritual Force had surged to the Primary War God level, the strength he could actually exert was limited by his body.

In the Swallowed Star World, a Spiritual Master's strength depended not only on the power of his Spiritual Force, but also on his physical fitness. Spiritual Force was released through the body. If the body wasn't strong enough, it couldn't withstand the output of too much Spiritual Force. It was like a faucet attached to a pipe that was too narrow: no matter how much water was in the tank, only a limited amount could flow out. That was why Spiritual Masters were generally two levels above Warriors in cultivation!

That was exactly his situation. His Spiritual Force had reached the Primary War God level, but his physical fitness was only equivalent to that of a Beginner Warlord. As a result, he could only exert Spiritual Force at the level of a High-Level War General at most.

"I need to improve my physical fitness to keep pace," Lin Yun said to himself.

Still, this limitation had given him a clear direction. In his next stage of cultivation, he needed to focus on improving his physical fitness. Only once his body caught up could he unleash the true power of his Spiritual Force.

He glanced out the window. Moonlight streamed over the shabby rooftops of Yangzhou City.

In the Coiling Dragon World, his other body had just broken through to become a Level Seven Mage and was consolidating its cultivation in a cave in the Magic Beast Mountain Range. In the Swallowed Star World, this body had just experienced a massive surge in Spiritual Energy and grown much stronger.

Two worlds, two bodies, growing in sync and boosting one another.

That was the greatest advantage the Small Cauldron gave him.

After breaking through, Lin Yun didn't rush back to Ernst Academy.

He decided to stay in the Magic Beast Mountain Range a little longer, consolidate his Level Seven cultivation, and, while he was at it, find a few Seventh-Level Magical Beasts to test himself against.

He had won the battle against the Black-Striped Leopard at too great a cost. If the Black-Striped Leopard hadn't held back at first, if he hadn't had the versatility of his seven elements of magic, if Bebe hadn't been there to support him—if anything had gone wrong, he might have died in the Magic Beast Mountain Range.

Now he had broken through to Level Seven, and both the quality and quantity of his magical energy were vastly improved. He needed to reassess his strength and get more combat experience to adjust to the pace of Level Seven battles.

"Bebe, let's go a little farther in," Lin Yun said.

"Chirp!" Bebe cried excitedly, hopping down from his shoulder and darting toward the depths of the mountain range.

Over the next ten days, Lin Yun continued fighting in the Magic Beast Mountain Range.

He found another Seventh-Level Magical Beast: an Iron-Armored Rhino. It was a powerful Earth Element beast covered in thick iron armor. Ordinary magic couldn't penetrate its defenses.

Unlike the Black-Striped Leopard, however, the Iron-Armored Rhino was slow. Lin Yun used the Wind Element's mobility to keep changing position in the air, restricting the beast's movements with Earth Element Magic and attacking its weak points—its eyes and belly—with Thunder and Light Element Magic.

This time, he wasn't injured.

The battle lasted nearly half an hour, and he used up most of his magical energy, but he never let the Iron-Armored Rhino touch him. With the strength of a Level Seven Mage and the tactical advantage of Seven Element Rotation, he was able to handle this remarkably well-defended opponent with ease.

"Now that's more like it." Lin Yun stood beside the Iron-Armored Rhino's corpse, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and smiled.

Bebe perched on his shoulder, chirped twice, and patted Lin Yun's cheek with a little paw, as if to say, "Not bad, not bad."

Over the next few days, he ran into several more Seventh-Level Magical Beasts: Gale Eagles, Flame Lions, and Thunder Tigers. He improved with every battle. At first, it took him nearly half an hour to defeat one; later, it took only fifteen minutes. At first, he needed to combine the magic of four or five elements; later, he could handle them with just two or three.

His fighting style grew more mature and Fluidity came more naturally. The seven elements of magic rotated freely in his hands, like parts of a precise fighting machine, each doing its job at exactly the right time.

By the fifteenth day, he was able to hold his own against most Seventh-Level Magical Beasts.

"That's about enough." One night, Lin Yun sat by the campfire and spoke to Bebe. "It's time to head back."

Bebe chirped and pointed a little paw toward the academy.

Lin Yun smiled, took one last look at the forest where he had fought for more than a month, then turned and headed back toward the academy.