Gifts and Answers

During the days Lin Tian spent immersed in magical practice, his days were full and busy. That day, Teacher Laun sent word that he had returned, and Lin Tian could go to the manor to see him.

That morning, after finishing his lessons in etiquette, literature, and other subjects, Lin Tian's heart was full of anticipation as he hurried toward Laun's manor. Stepping inside, he spotted Teacher Laun and his grandfather leisurely drinking tea in the courtyard. Sunlight filtered through the dappled leaves, casting scattered patches of light and shadow upon them, creating a relaxed and warm atmosphere.

Lin Tian quickly stepped forward and greeted them respectfully: "Grandfather, Teacher Laun, I'm here."

Laun smiled kindly and raised his hand to gesture for Lin Tian to sit, then asked, "Lin Tian, during the time I was away, how has your study progressed?"

Lin Tian's eyes sparkled with confidence as he said proudly, "Teacher, I've already mastered the 1st- to 3rd-rank magic incantations."

At these words, both Laun and his grandfather were taken aback, their eyes filled with surprise. Laun's eyes widened slightly, as if he could hardly believe it, while his grandfather paused in his movements, his gaze revealing delight and relief.

A glint of approval flashed in Laun's eyes. A light flickered in his hand, and two ornate magic staves of different sizes appeared. The staves were exquisitely crafted, their shafts made of mithril that gleamed with a silver luster, adorned with several brilliant magic crystals that refracted colorful light. The smaller one was also set with a magic crystal core radiating a scorching aura.

Laun said with a smile, "Lin Tian, these two staves were custom-made by top-tier magic craftsmen I sought out. They can swap magic cores. The core on the smaller one was obtained after your grandfather and I went to the Magic Beast Mountain Range, endured great hardship, found a fire-attribute Saint Domain Red Dragon, and killed it together. Try it out and see if it suits you. Consider it your apprenticeship gift. When you grow up, you can use the larger staff and just swap the core."

Lin Tian was overjoyed. He quickly took the smaller staff and examined it carefully. As he gently gripped it, he felt a warm surge of power travel up his arm, resonating mysteriously with the magic power within him. Closing his eyes, he focused on the staff's aura, a satisfied expression spreading across his face. He said gratefully, "Thank you, Teacher. Thank you, Grandfather Porter. This gift is too precious."

Laun nodded with a smile and said, "Show us the results of your studies. Let us see how well you've mastered these spells."

The three then went to the training ground together. Various targets and obstacles for testing spell power were arranged around the area. Lin Tian took a deep breath, gripped his new staff, and cast the 1st- to 3rd-rank spells he had mastered, one after another.

During the process, Lin Tian clearly felt that compared to before, his magic power and mental energy consumption had decreased by about 50%. This made him grip the staff tightly, his fondness for it growing even stronger.

Watching Lin Tian's demonstration, Laun's eyes were full of gratification and satisfaction. He nodded slightly and said, "Lin Tian, your mastery of these spells is already quite good. However, did you encounter any problems during your studies?"

Hearing this, a thoughtful look crossed Lin Tian's eyes. He said, "Teacher, while practicing, I tried to make some changes to the Fireball spell, but I ran into some confusion." He then explained his idea for the Mutated Fireball Spell.

After hearing this, both Laun and his grandfather looked astonished and said, "Oh? Show us quickly."

Lin Tian then cast the spell again. This time, he first demonstrated an instant-cast Fireball with the power of a Firebolt. With a slight flick of his staff and no incantation, a fireball shot out instantly, so fast that it was hard to react, hitting a distant target accurately. A scorched mark of comparable power to a Firebolt appeared on the target. Next, Lin Tian demonstrated a Fire Arrow that still lacked the power of a 3rd-rank spell, as well as a Fireball that could change shape at will.

Laun and Porter watched Lin Tian's demonstration, their astonishment growing. They exchanged a glance, as if communicating something silently. Then Laun asked Lin Tian, "Lin Tian, what made you think of trying these things in the first place, and how long did it take you to reach this level?"

Lin Tian scratched his head, a little embarrassed, and said, "I thought, since fire magic has spells of various shapes, the basic Fireball should be able to change into other shapes too. As for time, it's just been the few days since you left—I've been pondering it the whole time."

Laun nodded slightly and began to explain: "Lin Tian, let me clarify first. The reason your spells can't reach 3rd-rank power is that when you cast them, you seem to be turning the Fireball into the shape of other spells, but in reality, you're turning 2nd-rank spells like Firebolt into the shape of a Fireball. Because you understand the principles of these spells well enough, you can use less magic power and mental energy to cast them, which is how a Third-rank Magus can instant-cast 2nd-rank spells. Similarly, for 3rd-rank spells, although you can reduce consumption, to achieve 3rd-rank power, the cost will naturally be higher than for 2nd-rank spells. So for now, you can't instant-cast 3rd-rank spells with the consumption of a 2nd-rank spell. As for your mutated Fire Arrow, it's actually just a Firebolt in the shape of an arrow. Since you output more magic power, its power is slightly higher than a normal Firebolt, but it hasn't truly reached the power of a 3rd-rank spell."

After hearing Laun's explanation, Lin Tian's mind suddenly cleared, and his earlier frustration vanished without a trace. He smiled and said, "So that's how it is. It seems my idea wasn't wrong—I'm just not strong enough yet. I can accept that."

Laun said, "Lin Tian, have you considered why a Firebolt can take the form of a Fireball while retaining its original power? And why your Fireball can change into so many shapes?"

Lin Tian thought for a moment, drawing on his past life's knowledge, and said, "Flame has no fixed form. Whether it's Fireball, Firebolt, Fire Arrow, or higher-level spells like Fire Dragon, they're all just changes in the shape of fire. What determines a spell's power is still the amount of internal fire element and the different ways the elements are combined."

Laun and Porter exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

Porter looked at Lin Tian and said, "Did you figure this out on your own?"

"Yes."

"Do you know why the Saint Domain is so much stronger than the 9th rank? Before the Saint Domain, whether for warriors or mages, it's all about comparing the amount of internal energy. But the Saint Domain is about cultivating laws," Porter continued.

Lin Tian was very puzzled as to why they were telling him this. Although he knew it himself, it was clearly not something he should know. So he asked, "Laws can be cultivated?"

"Yes. What you're doing with the Fireball's changes is actually cultivating a law."

"Fire Element Mysteries!!" A storm raged in Lin Tian's heart.