During the days Lin Tian had immersed himself in magical practice, his life had been fulfilling and busy. That day, Teacher Laun sent word to Lin Tian that he had returned, and Lin Tian could visit him at the manor.
That morning, Lin Tian finished his lessons in etiquette, literature, and other subjects. Filled with anticipation, he hurried toward Laun's manor. The moment he entered, he spotted Teacher Laun and his grandfather leisurely drinking tea in the courtyard. Sunlight filtered through the mottled leaves, scattering flecks of light and shadow over the two of them and creating a relaxed, warm atmosphere.
Lin Tian hurried over and greeted them respectfully. "Grandfather, Teacher Laun, I'm here."
Laun smiled kindly and gestured for Lin Tian to sit. Then he asked, "Lin Tian, how has your learning progressed while I was away?"
Confidence shone in Lin Tian's eyes as he said proudly, "Teacher, I have already mastered the incantations for first- through third-rank spells."
Both Laun and his grandfather froze at those words, their eyes filled with surprise. Laun's eyes widened slightly as if he found it hard to believe, while his grandfather stopped what he was doing, his gaze carrying both delight and gratification.
A trace of approval flashed through Laun's eyes. With a flicker of light in his hand, two exquisite magic staffs of identical design but different sizes appeared. They were crafted with breathtaking delicacy, their shafts made of Mithril and gleaming silver. Several brilliant Magic Crystals adorned them, refracting multicolored light. The smaller one also held a Magic Crystal Core that radiated a searing aura.
Laun smiled. "Lin Tian, I had these two interchangeable-core magic staffs carefully crafted by a master magic craftsman. The core set into the smaller one came from a fire-element Saint Domain Red Dragon that your grandfather and I found after great hardship in the Magic Beast Mountain Range. We killed it together and took its core. Try it and see whether it suits you. Consider it a gift for taking me as your teacher. When you grow up, you can use the larger staff instead. You only need to switch the core then."
Overjoyed, Lin Tian quickly accepted the smaller magic staff and examined it closely. The instant he lightly gripped it, he felt a warm power flow up his arm, seemingly resonating wonderfully with the magic power within his body. He closed his eyes and carefully sensed the aura emanating from the staff. A deeply satisfied expression appeared on his face as he said gratefully, "Thank you, Teacher. Thank you, Grandpa Porter. This gift is far too precious."
Laun smiled and nodded. "Show us the results of your studies. Let us see how well you have mastered these spells."
The three then went together to the training ground. All kinds of targets and obstacles used to test magical power had been set up around it. Lin Tian took a deep breath, held his newly acquired magic staff, and cast each of the first- through third-rank spells he had mastered.
As he cast them, Lin Tian clearly felt that his consumption of magic power and spiritual force had fallen by roughly fifty percent compared to before. He could not help tightening his grip on the magic staff, his fondness for it growing even stronger.
Laun watched Lin Tian's demonstration with satisfaction and gratification in his eyes. He nodded slightly and said, "Lin Tian, you have mastered these spells quite well. But have you encountered any problems during your studies?"
A thoughtful look flashed through Lin Tian's eyes. "Teacher, while practicing, I tried making some changes to Fireball, but I ran into some confusion." He explained his ideas for the Mutated Fireball Spell.
Laun and his grandfather both looked surprised after hearing him. "Oh? Show us quickly."
Seeing this, Lin Tian cast his magic again. This time, he first demonstrated an instant-cast Fireball with the power of Firebolt. With a light flick of his magic staff, and without any chanting at all, a fireball shot out in an instant. It was so fast that there was no time to react, striking a distant target with precision and leaving a scorched mark equal in power to Firebolt. Next, Lin Tian demonstrated his Fire Arrow, which still could not achieve the power of a third-rank spell, as well as a Fireball that could change shape at will.
As Laun and Porter watched Lin Tian's demonstration, the surprise on their faces grew even stronger. They exchanged a glance, seeming to communicate something through their eyes. Then Laun asked Lin Tian, "Lin Tian, how did you come up with the idea of making these attempts, and how long did it take you to reach this level?"
Lin Tian scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed. "I thought that since fire-element magic has spells with all sorts of different shapes, the basic Fireball should be able to take other forms as well. As for the time, I've been pondering it continuously during the days you were gone."
Laun nodded slightly after hearing this and began to explain. "Lin Tian, let me first explain why the spells you cast cannot possess third-rank power. When casting them, it may seem as though you changed Fireball into the shapes of other spells, but in reality, you changed second-rank spells such as Firebolt into the shape of Fireball. Because you understand the principles of these spells well enough, you can cast them with less magic power and spiritual force. That is why a third-rank Magus like you can instant-cast second-rank spells. The same applies to third-rank spells. Although you can reduce the consumption, achieving third-rank power inevitably requires more consumption than second-rank magic. So, for now, you cannot instant-cast third-rank spells with the consumption of second-rank magic. As for your altered Fire Arrow, it is actually only Firebolt in the shape of an arrow. Since the magic power you put into it was relatively greater, its power is slightly stronger than an ordinary Firebolt, but in essence, it has not yet reached the true power of a third-rank spell."
After hearing Laun's explanation, Lin Tian suddenly understood. His earlier frustration instantly vanished without a trace. He smiled. "So that's how it is. It seems my idea wasn't wrong. My strength just isn't sufficient yet. I can accept that."
Laun said, "Lin Tian, have you considered why Firebolt can take the form of Fireball while retaining its original power? And why can your Fireball take on even more shapes?"
After thinking it over and drawing on knowledge from his previous life, Lin Tian said, "Flames have no fixed form. Whether it is Fireball, Firebolt, Fire Arrow, or higher-level spells such as Fire Dragon, they are merely different outward forms of flame. What determines a spell's power is still the amount of fire-element energy within it and the different ways those elements are combined."
Laun and Porter exchanged a glance, each seeing the shock in the other's eyes.
Porter looked at Lin Tian and asked, "Did you come up with all this yourself?"
"Yes."
"Do you know why the Saint Domain is so much stronger than the ninth rank? Before the Saint Domain, whether warriors or magi, people compare the amount of energy within their bodies. The Saint Domain cultivates laws." Porter continued.
Lin Tian was deeply confused about why Porter was telling him this. Although he knew these things, it was obvious that he should not know them, so he asked, "Laws can be cultivated?"
"Yes. The changes you made to Fireball are actually cultivating laws."
Fire Element Mysteries!! Lin Tian's heart surged with earthshaking shock.
Before you continue