Learning Magic

Lei Mo was as prepared as ever, bringing animal hide, a brush, and pigments.

Through his studies, Lei Mo learned that magic in this age was still rather crude.

The Meditation Technique was the same for every elemental mage; only the elemental mana they absorbed differed.

Fire Element magic had only one first-tier spell, Fireball, and only one second-tier spell as well, Multiple Fireballs.

Third-tier magic included Fire Rain and Wall of Fire, while fourth-tier magic was Fire Shield. Finally, there was something decent. Fifth-tier magic had two spells: Fire Element Summoning and Flame Burst.

The two fifth-tier spells were actually just two applications of the same magic: condensing fire elements into a fire core and launching it at an enemy, where it would explode into a Flame Burst.

A few days later, Lade had nothing left to teach him. Lei Mo's mental strength had already reached the Saint Realm, so learning the Meditation Technique and a few spells below fifth tier was absurdly easy.

As he practiced meditation, Lei Mo concluded that his elemental affinity was definitely not high. Even with Saint Realm mental strength binding and absorbing Fire Element mana, the speed was incredibly slow.

It took a long time to absorb enough mana to cast a fifth-tier spell.

Perhaps it was because Lei Mo's body had never absorbed Fire Element power before. Otherwise, a Saint Realm mage casting a fifth-tier spell would absolutely do so instantly, and could continue casting them instantly for a long time without running out of mana.

After reaching the Saint Realm, the mana stored within the body was terrifyingly abundant. Combined with their ability to communicate with and utilize the elements between heaven and earth, the mana consumption of low-tier magic could be ignored.

Only magic above ninth tier could drain a Saint Realm magus dry. Ninth-tier magic consumed a terrifying amount of mana. Even though the proportion that needed to be supplied by a Saint Magus was very small, the drain on the body's mana was still terrifying.

Especially forbidden magic. Two forbidden spells would generally exhaust an ordinary Saint Realm mage's mental strength.

As one's understanding of the laws of heaven and earth deepened, the more worldly elements one could mobilize, and the less mana a mage needed to provide personally. That was what it meant to reach the peak of the Saint Realm.

Lei Mo's current situation was that he had little understanding of the laws and could mobilize very few law elements.

Basically, he was consuming entirely his own mana. That was awkward. The mana accumulated over half a day would be exhausted by just a few fifth-tier spells.

Was Lei Mo the youngest Saint Realm magus in the history of this plane?

No one knew, but he was definitely the most miserable Saint Realm magus across countless planes.

With no other choice, before the people of the Bloodhoof Tribe reached the eighth level, Lei Mo practiced martial skills in the morning and sat in meditation at night.

He cultivated bitterly almost all day. He only ate casually, and even if he did not eat, he would not feel particularly hungry.

Those in the Saint Realm could already absorb the elements of heaven and earth into themselves, replacing the energy they needed from food.

He still had to eat, though. Otherwise, people would become suspicious. For now, Lei Mo did not want to expose his strength!

A few days later, the people of the Bloodhoof Tribe came down and joined up with the people from Raging Flame Mountain. They continued using the lifts, then traveled down the winding mountain paths. Repeating this process, they descended to the foot of the mountain, and the vast procession headed east.

Lei Mo had not separated from everyone yet. The chieftain had ultimately agreed to his request to travel, and Lei Mo wanted to go to the human world.

For no other reason than that human wars were more frequent.

Lei Mo discovered that only in the Hall of Ancestral Spirits had he truly sensed fluctuations of the laws, as well as many magical elements.

After leaving the Hall of Ancestral Spirits, he could barely sense anything at all. His elemental affinity was abysmally poor, and even when he sat in meditation, he could not see many specks of elemental light.

For some unknown reason, his mental strength had reached the Saint Realm, yet he had no understanding of the laws and barely any elemental affinity. Then he could only make the worst preparations.

War and battle. Comprehending the Law of Destruction through slaughter was already the most effective method Lei Mo could think of.

The Law of Destruction required a weapon-shaped soul to comprehend it, such as a sword-shaped soul. Lei Mo did not know what shape his own soul had.

There were not many ways for Lei Mo to improve. He had thought that, now that he was in the Saint Realm, comprehending the laws through studying magic would be a good choice.

Who would have thought that even using fifth-tier magic would not go smoothly? Half of Lei Mo's heart had already gone cold.

Lei Mo did learn magic quickly, but refining mana was truly slow. He had no idea what level his elemental affinity was at.

Because Lei Mo had left the Ancestral Court platform early, he had not brought any of his luggage or belongings with him. Even his Totem Pillar had temporarily been entrusted to Cairne.

Cairne came over now and handed Lei Mo his things: a huge animal-hide bundle, at least huge from Lei Mo's perspective, with two sticks inserted diagonally into it.

That was right. Totem Pillars in Lei Mo's eyes, sticks in Cairne's eyes.

Wait, two? Lei Mo hurriedly took them and inspected them. One was a round wooden rod, black and smooth, with simple Sturdiness Runes carved into it. It was about as thick as the mouth of a small bowl. That was definitely his.

The other rod was purplish. He did not know what material it was made of, nor why it was purplish. The color seemed to flow across its surface.

Whose was this? Had this been among his luggage?

"Cairne, did you take someone else's totem weapon by mistake?"

Lei Mo asked. He could not really call it a Totem Pillar anymore. This clearly was not a Tauren brother's Totem Pillar; none of them were this thin.

"No, it was in your luggage bundle when I packed it up. How could it not be yours?"

Cairne said anxiously, somewhat displeased that Lei Mo was questioning his Tauren character.

"Still, this stick does look like it is made from proper Totem Pillar material. But at this size, it is obviously yours."

"Wasn't it a new weapon you had custom-made at the Ancestral Court?"

Though Cairne was a little dissatisfied, he did not take it too seriously. Tauren were simply like that.

"Lei Mo, don't dwell on it. It works out perfectly—you can replace your weapon. Even if there was a mistake, we're already so far from the Ancestral Court!"

"Besides, who would lose their own totem weapon?"

"Isn't it just a black stick? As far as I can tell, it is not much different from your original one. The material might be a little better, and it might have a few more runes, that's all."

Cairne said in his deep, muffled voice.

Black? No different from his original stick? Lei Mo was surprised again, though he did not show it this time.

Lei Mo took the bundle and slung it over his back, walking silently as he pulled out the purplish Totem Pillar and examined it carefully.

The pillar was densely covered in tiny runes, leaving almost no gaps. He could not tell what kind of runes they were.

It felt smooth, with a slightly matte texture that was surprisingly comfortable. It was indeed easier to use than his original Totem Pillar.

He just did not know how sturdy it was. He definitely had to test it when he had the chance, though this was not a convenient time.

Forget it. He had been studying magic lately and had not spoken with Margaret for a long time.

Lei Mo wandered through the logistics convoy before arriving beside a supply cart and easily jumping onto it.

Margaret was on this enormous cart. On the return journey, much of the supplies had been consumed or traded away, leaving plenty of empty space. The women and children from Raging Flame Mountain were thus allowed to ride in the carts.

"Margaret, Margaret."

He did not call her big sister anymore. Everyone had become so familiar with one another.

Margaret did not mind. In a flash, she appeared before Lei Mo.