Doubt

Lin Tian's mind churned with thoughts, but on the surface he forced down the inner turmoil and asked with a puzzled expression, "It's just changing the appearance, right? That should be easy enough. Spells like Fire Arrow or Fire Dragon—aren't they just different shapes formed from fire elements?"

Porter shook his head slightly, his gaze earnest and serious as he spoke slowly, "It's not that simple, Lin Tian. The reason magic can take on different shapes is that the elements of heaven and earth, under the influence of mana and mental energy, are bound into fixed forms based on the principles contained within the spell incantation. This involves extremely complex energy guidance and control—far from a mere change in shape."

Lin Tian blinked, feigning confusion as he pressed on, "Then did the people who created those spell incantations all comprehend the Laws?"

Porter thought for a moment before explaining patiently, "Not necessarily. Basic spell incantations do indeed contain various forces of the Laws. But many of the spells that appeared in later generations were improvements built on existing foundations. Creating these spells doesn't require a mage to comprehend the Laws—only a certain level of research and understanding of magical principles."

This time, Lin Tian was genuinely perplexed. He couldn't help but follow up, "Then isn't what I'm doing also an improvement on a basic spell incantation? Why do you and Teacher Laun think I've comprehended the Laws? What's different about my situation compared to others creating new spells?"

Porter looked at Lin Tian, his eyes full of admiration and gratification, and said slowly, "Lin Tian, improving a spell incantation or creating a new one involves combining and splitting the original incantation at its root, restructuring it at the initial stage of magical construction. But the way you cast magic is to modify it after the spell has already been released. This essentially changes the fundamental principles of the spell incantation itself, touching the very essence of magic. What's more, you're only a Third-rank Magus, yet you've managed to make such deep modifications to first- and second-rank spells, and even successfully modified a third-rank spell—though limited by your strength and unable to fully cast it. This ability has already surpassed the basic principles of spell incantations. And the spell you modified was the Fireball Spell, one of the foundational spells. That's why we judged that you must have comprehended the Laws."

Lin Tian grew even more puzzled. According to the setting of the Coiling Dragon World, mages comprehending the Laws and warriors comprehending Heaven-Earth Momentum were both signs of reaching the Saint Domain. He couldn't help but ask, "Then since Saint-level experts achieve their rank by cultivating the Laws, and I've also comprehended the Laws, why haven't I become a Saint-level yet?"

Porter gently patted Lin Tian on the shoulder and said, "Indeed, in theory, comprehending the Laws means becoming a Saint-level. However, the foundation lies in having sufficient energy. Without enough energy to support it, you can't truly wield the power of the Laws—you can only borrow them through casting spells. Moreover, due to this lack of energy, you haven't fully touched the core of the Laws. In your current state, your contact with the Laws is less than one percent."

Lin Tian nodded silently, thinking to himself: Indeed, according to the original Coiling Dragon novel, Saint-level experts who comprehend the Profound Mysteries of the Laws have a chance to become gods, but it never describes an ordinary person suddenly achieving enlightenment and becoming a god overnight. It seems that cultivating the Profound Mysteries of the Laws does require having Saint-level strength as a prerequisite.

Laun looked at Lin Tian with great satisfaction and reminded him earnestly, "Lin Tian, remember this: in your future cultivation, do not spend too much time on comprehending the Laws. You've already passed the hardest hurdle on the path to becoming a Saint-level. What's most important for you now is to speed up your training rhythm and accumulate mental energy as quickly as possible. With your exceptionally high fire-element affinity, the time you spend refining elemental energy is almost negligible. So your mental energy level is nearly equivalent to your magic rank. As long as your mental energy improves, your magical strength will naturally rise as well."

Porter quickly interrupted, "Ah, don't be too hasty! Lin Tian, at your current training speed, you're already the number one genius on the Maya Continent. But cultivation is a matter where haste makes waste. Don't push yourself so hard that you harm your body, or it will affect your progress toward the Saint Domain."

These words instantly snapped Lin Tian out of his immersion in the joy of nearly having stepped into the Saint Domain and achieving immortality.

Then, Laun and Porter exchanged a glance and said seriously, "Lin Tian, never show your self-created Mutated Fireball Spell in front of others. And when casting other spells, control their power well—try to display only the normal power expected of that rank. If someone accidentally notices something unusual, just say that Saint-level Magus Laun improved the spell incantation, so its power is greater than normal. Understand?"

Lin Tian quickly nodded, indicating he remembered.

After that, Teacher Laun answered Lin Tian's questions about meditation, and as the sky darkened, the two urged Lin Tian to return to the palace. Before he left, they repeatedly warned him not to tell anyone about his comprehension of the Laws—not even his parents.

Once Lin Tian had left, Laun turned to Porter and sighed, "This child's talent far exceeds what you or I imagined. Your family will soon have another Saint Domain Mage."

The corner of Porter's mouth lifted slightly as he teased, "Lin Tian is now your disciple too. How does it feel to have a student with such extraordinary talent, who has the potential to become a Saint Domain Mage in the future?"

Laun laughed and scolded, "You rascal, stop teasing me. I'm just stating the facts—this child's potential is truly astonishing."

The two exchanged a smile, then Laun's expression turned somewhat worried as he said, "I'm afraid that with my ability, I won't be able to teach him anything deeper later on. How about we find a Deity-level Expert from your family to instruct Lin Tian? His talent is too remarkable to be buried."

Porter frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "The Deity-level experts in the family are all in seclusion, comprehending the Profound Mysteries of the Laws. They won't come out easily. Moreover, in the eyes of Deity-level experts, only those who have become Saint-level can truly be called geniuses. Those who haven't entered the Saint Domain aren't considered geniuses at all. In my opinion, it's better to wait until Lin Tian becomes a Saint-level first. With his talent, it shouldn't take long."

Laun looked up at the sky, his eyes full of longing, and sighed, "The Deity level—what a realm to dream of."

On the other side, Lin Tian sat in the carriage returning to the palace, his heart full of doubt. He thought to himself: Something's off. Very off. Why would a Saint-level expert from a Material Plane have such a deep understanding of the Profound Mysteries of the Laws? Could it really be because of their Deity-level ancestors? But thinking carefully, that doesn't add up either. Natives of a Material Plane who manage to cultivate to godhood are already one-in-ten-thousand geniuses. Logically, they shouldn't have such an in-depth grasp of the Profound Mysteries of the Laws. The more Lin Tian thought, the more confused he became, his brow furrowed tightly as he sank into deep contemplation...