Chapter 17

He lowered his head slightly and spoke humbly. "You flatter me, Master. I can hardly be called a genius."

"Excessive humility merely comes across as arrogance."

Wong cut him off directly, seemingly unwilling to hear any more pleasantries. "No need for formalities. Just begin."

"Yes, Master."

Zhao Yu stepped forward at once and stopped before the two of them.

He raised an arm and gave it a light flick—a crimson shield abruptly appeared in his palm.

The light was far steadier than it had been yesterday. It no longer flickered or wavered, and the runes flowing across the shield's surface were intricate and clear, radiating a calm yet blazing glow.

The red light illuminated their faces.

Wong's expression did not change, as though he had expected this all along.

But Hamir's eyes suddenly widened, the stable flame reflected in his pupils as though he had witnessed something that simply should not exist.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice trembled with restrained disbelief. "Are you sure... you only learned this yesterday?"

"I would not dare deceive you."

Zhao Yu answered, the shield in his hand remaining steady as its red light cast a faint shadow across his youthful face.

Zhao Yu lowered his head and replied in a respectful tone.

"Impossible."

Hamir blurted out, unable to suppress the shock in his voice.

Seeing Hamir's absent-minded expression, Wong felt some of the pent-up frustration in his chest dissipate.

This Hamir was ultimately no match for Zhao Yu. Still, that was only natural.

"Well, Hamir? Did I lie to you?"

Wong's voice rang out, carrying a faintly smug undertone. "This kid is practically a monster.

He only encountered this spell for the first time yesterday, yet his control is better than that of many veterans."

"It truly... defies reason."

Hamir kept staring ahead, though his words were directed at Wong. "You really did not fool me? He really learned it yesterday?"

Wong turned his head and gave him a blank look.

"What do you think?"

"It does not seem like something you would do..."

Hamir shook his head, his confusion undiminished. "But this is simply too hard to believe."

His left arm suddenly rose.

A round crimson shield materialized out of thin air and hovered before him.

Compared to the one Zhao Yu had formed, this shield was far thicker, and the light flowing along its edges was dense enough to seem tangible.

Zhao Yu's gaze fell upon the ring-shaped shield in Hamir's palm.

By the standards of his internal evaluation system, this level was at least fifth-tier.

During his time at Kamar-Taj, he had never seen anyone train this spell to such a level.

As expected, this old man was no ordinary person.

Even with one hand missing, the power of the magic he wielded remained intimidating.

He really was formidable.

Catching Zhao Yu's intent gaze, Hamir's lips could not help curving into a smug smile.

"Kid, you have talent, but you are still far too inexperienced."

His voice carried both raspiness and temptation. "Do you want to learn?"

"Yes."

Zhao Yu nodded immediately, without the slightest hesitation.

A warm current rose in Hamir's chest.

He lifted his chin and glanced toward the silent figure on the other side of the room.

See? he thought. Even someone called a genius is sitting before me now, waiting for my instruction. Those people who only know how to swing their fists and rely on brute force will never understand how profound a world built upon knowledge can be.

His gaze briefly lingered on Wong, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily rose before he turned to the young man named Zhao Yu and began explaining the principles behind those complex patterns.

His voice was especially clear in the quiet room, every syllable carrying a certain unquestionable authority.

He did not notice—or rather, deliberately ignored—the look Wong gave him.

It was neither jealousy nor anger, but something close to pity, as though Wong were watching a play whose ending he already knew.

Wong gently shook his head, shifted his gaze away, and looked toward the clouds outside the window, stained dark gold by the setting sun.

Hamir, he murmured inwardly, you still do not know which door you have opened, much less what awaits you beyond it.

Zhao Yu noticed none of those intersecting gazes.

All his attention was immersed in the words and concepts spoken by the scholar, his fingers unconsciously tracing complex patterns over his knee.

Only Hamir's voice remained in the air, along with the faint sound of the evening wind outside.

Then, something changed.

It was not a sound, yet it rang more clearly than sound itself within the depths of his consciousness.

With a "ding," like a drop of water falling into a silent pool.

He felt a barrier that had always stood firmly between himself and the existence known as the "Ring of Raggadorr" quietly dissolve.

Countless fragments of knowledge that had once been obscure and difficult to understand began turning, fitting together, and reorganizing under Hamir's guidance, flowing into his understanding like a smooth stream.

A sense of sudden enlightenment enveloped him, as though he had suddenly seen a map of every path within a dark labyrinth.

Then, broader ripples spread outward.

This was not merely an epiphany concerning a single spell.

He sensed that every trace of magical practice within his memories—the rhythm of chanting incantations, the methods of constructing magical circuits, the subtle techniques of elemental perception—had all been suffused with a gentle glow.

It was like a steep mountain path that once required arduous climbing had suddenly been paved with smooth, solid steps.

The speed of his cultivation was increasing in a tangible way.

Zhao Yu raised his eyes and looked once more at the scholar who was still speaking endlessly.

His gaze had changed.

Before, it had held only respect and thirst for knowledge. Now, it burned with an almost searing light.

This man, he realized, was no ordinary scholar at all.

He was a walking treasure trove, an amplifier capable of making all magical cultivation around him resonate.

The effect exceeded all reason and overturned everything he had previously known.

Hamir, Master of Scholarship.

That title now carried an entirely new, weighty meaning in his heart.

Hamir noticed the look Zhao Yu gave him.

Something was fermenting within that gaze.

A talent bearer who could be called rare was now showing him such undisguised admiration.

He.

Felt a subtle sense of pleasure.

Especially with Wong present.

Wong was merely stronger and larger in stature.

What did that amount to?

When it came to teaching skills—

It ultimately depended on Hamir.

As his thoughts turned, Hamir glanced toward Wong, the pride in his expression nearly overflowing.

Wong's face was as still as a deep pool.

Yet a ripple almost like amusement passed through his heart.

This Hamir was no longer young, yet his temperament was like that of an ungrown child.

You still do not know what is about to descend upon you.

A thin layer of pity quietly spread through Wong's chest.

The instruction did not last long.

Hamir's fingers hovered in midair, and his movements gradually stiffened.

Something was wrong.

This feeling... was not quite right.

Why had the magical barrier formed by that young man changed again in the blink of an eye?

And why was it becoming more refined at a visible speed?

At this rate, would it not soon approach his own level?

Normally, after listening to a master's guidance, should one not return and ponder it repeatedly, digest it slowly, and gradually make up for one's shortcomings?

Then why—

Could this kid turn understanding into practical application on the spot, without the slightest delay?

This defied reason.

A blank look of confusion surfaced on Hamir's face.

Things seemed to be sliding onto a track he had never anticipated.

They were getting a little out of control.

Wong stood nearby and watched.

His fingertips moved almost imperceptibly.

It had begun.

The first step: self-doubt.

Next would come disbelief.

And after that... perhaps questioning the inherent order of life itself.

As for why he understood this so well—there was no need to examine that too closely.

He was all too familiar with that bone-deep feeling.

It was more terrifying than facing the claws of an abyssal demon.

The instant one's confidence shattered, it was as though every inch of bone cracked.

Now it was Hamir's turn—Wong lowered his eyes, unconsciously rubbing the folds of his robe between his fingertips.

A replacement who came knocking on his own door was not something one encountered every day.

He told himself inwardly that he ought to properly thank this colleague.

On the other side, Hamir was staring at Zhao Yu.

The young man's profile looked especially focused in the candlelight.

What a monster.

Hamir's Adam's apple bobbed.

He had demonstrated those complicated incantation structures only once.

And the boy had remembered them all? Decades of composure now seemed as thin as paper, and he could almost hear his teeth grinding together.

In less than half a day, this kid had nearly emptied all the knowledge from his head.

"That will be all for today."

Hamir forced a smile into the corners of his eyes.

Zhao Yu raised his face. "But Master Hamir, I still feel that I am lacking a great deal."

His voice carried just the right amount of hesitation. "Could you explain some more details?"

A tool? Hamir nearly sneered.

Of course you feel it is not enough.

But I have already been emptied out.

Every key point regarding the Ring of Raggadorr had been swept clean during that storm of questions just now, without a drop left behind.

If this continued, where would he put his dignity as a mentor?

Hamir stiffened his face, his knuckles unconsciously tapping against the tabletop.

The wood gave a dull sound that was especially clear in the quiet room. "Zhao Yu,"

he slowed his speech, weighing each word. "Do you understand that moving too urgently and too quickly may not be a good thing?"

The young seeker stood there with lowered eyes, staring at the wrinkles in the hem of his robe.

In the study of magic, nothing was more taboo than greedily seeking quick success.

One's foundation was the one thing that truly could not be shaken.

You must keep these principles in your heart and ponder them slowly."

With matters put this way, Zhao Yu could only swallow the words at his lips.

He could hardly force the other man to teach him. Besides, there was still plenty of time.

There would always be other opportunities to seek guidance from this elder.

Yet the way he silently nodded made Hamir feel somewhat uncomfortable instead.

Could a seasoned master truly be so narrow-minded over such a small matter? The old man cleared his throat, and his voice softened.

"As for what you demonstrated earlier,"

he chose his words carefully, "your foundation is quite solid.

How about this? I will make an exception and teach you something I came up with myself."

A trace of a smile crept onto Hamir's lips.

The most precious thing about the arts passed down at Kamar-Taj was not how much destruction they could cause.

The real advantage was that, as long as one did not recklessly provoke beings that should not be touched, most spells would not bite back at their caster.

Even if practice failed, it would only leave a few streaks of light dispersing in the air, causing no harm to the practitioner.

That was precisely why he had the leisure to compare ancient texts and try piecing together many new variations.

Quite a few of them were truly astonishingly powerful.

The one he intended to bring out now belonged to that category—a sphere of condensed chaotic energy.

It could indeed unleash considerable destructive force.

But there was one condition: it required several people working together to activate it successfully.

This was also the countermeasure he and Wong had discussed beforehand.

After all, the talent displayed by the young man before them was simply too dazzling.

They needed to buy some time and wait for the Sorcerer Supreme to return.

Zhao Yu did not notice the calculations in the two men's hearts.

When he heard that Hamir was willing to teach him magic, his eyes immediately lit up.

"Thank you, Master Hamir."

"No need to thank me."

"At Kamar-Taj, all spells are essentially open to those who seek to learn."

A faint smile touched Hamir's lips, his voice calm.

Zhao Yu still lowered his head solemnly.

Indeed, the books here were freely available for anyone to browse.

But books were ultimately lifeless things.

Without someone else taking the initiative to teach him the insights and tricks accumulated over countless years, how could he possibly acquire them so easily?

Thus, his heart was filled with gratitude.

"Watch carefully. Wong and I will demonstrate it for you once."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them marked out an area of ** within the Mirror Dimension.

They stood facing each other.

Flowing energy gradually surged from their palms, intertwining and condensing in the air until it finally formed a head-sized orb of light suspended between them.

The orb's structure resembled a hollow glass lantern. Dazzling light shone from within, while wisps of dark gray mist occasionally leaked from its edges.

As they waved their hands at the same time, the orb fell downward.

After passing through an invisible barrier, a deafening boom suddenly erupted below—

Boom!

The entire space seemed to be gripped and crushed by an invisible hand.

The Kamar-Taj buildings originally reproduced by the Mirror Dimension turned to powder in an instant.