The Ring of Will and the Sacred Sword

Li Wei's "ruthless teaching" was like relentless extreme pressure applied to Strange's mind. Yet instead of crushing him, that pressure became like the conditions that formed diamonds, forcing him into a desperate corner—either he completely broke down in self-pity and rage, or he abandoned every old dependency and achieved a total leap in understanding.

The Sling Ring's surrender—will crossing space.

Strange's greatest obstacle was still the Sling Ring. It required extremely stable and precise energy control to trace a complete ring of sparks, something nearly impossible with his trembling hands. He failed countless times, scattered sparks flying as portals went out like dying candles in the wind.

Mordo's patient guidance had little effect, because Mordo could not understand the despair of having once possessed perfect control and then losing it. Li Wei, meanwhile, demonstrated the answer in the most direct way possible.

Just as Strange was nearly about to smash the Sling Ring in frustration, Li Wei's voice once again sounded behind him like a ghost's:

"Still wrestling with your fingers?" Li Wei did not even look at him. He casually drew a circle through the air—a stable, perfect portal with runes flowing around its edge formed instantly. On the other side lay the biting wind and snow atop a mountain peak. "Look carefully, Strange. What drives it is here." Li Wei tapped his temple, then pointed at Strange's heart. "And here. Your will, your resolve, your desire for the 'destination.' Not those few disobedient bones and muscles."

"Imagine that door! Use your soul to 'see' it! Let your energy follow your will instead of letting a few trembling fingers lead it around by the nose!"

Those words struck him like a bolt from the blue! Strange shut his eyes abruptly. He no longer tried to control his shaking fingers, instead focusing all his mental energy into his mind—he imagined his former office in New York, the familiar smell of disinfectant, the cold touch of surgical instruments, the feeling of having everything under control... No, he was not returning to the past. He was going there! I want to go there!

His intense will erupted like a volcano! The hand wearing the Sling Ring moved instinctively with that will, no longer through precise control, but through some instinctive guidance of energy!

Sizzle—!

This time, the sparks were no longer chaotic. Drawn by an invisible force, they swiftly traced a ring of sparks that, though its edges remained somewhat warped, truly existed in stable form! On the other side of the portal was unmistakably a corner of the office he had imagined!

He had succeeded! It was an extremely strained success, but it meant he had found the right path—using will to surpass the limitations of the flesh!

The essence of magic—from "repair" to "protection."

With his first grasp of will-based spellcasting, Strange's speed in learning other magic began to soar. But he soon discovered that many powerful spells, especially offensive and defensive ones, placed exceptionally high demands on the caster's "heart."

He tried to learn [Vishanti's Sacred Sword], Kamar-Taj's most iconic white-magic offensive technique. To wield it at full power, one needed faith in protection and order. At first, he still approached it with the utilitarian mindset of How strong can I become if I learn this magic? The light sword he formed was dim and weak, like a candle flame in the wind.

Li Wei once again "happened" to witness his failure.

"Vishanti's Sacred Sword cuts down evil and guards order." Li Wei's voice was cold, but it struck at the heart of the matter. "What are you using it for? To prove to the world that abandoned you that you still have worth? Or to take revenge on me for looking down on you?"

Li Wei's words lashed him like a whip. "If all you have in your heart are your own gains, losses, and resentments, you will never truly wield Vishanti's power. Think about what Ancient One protects. Think about the ordinary people trembling before dimensional threats. Is your vision really so narrow that it cannot contain anything beyond yourself?"

Strange froze. He remembered the coldness of the world after his car accident, but he also remembered the horrors he had seen at Kamar-Taj—terrors hidden behind the veil of reality that truly threatened the existence of all living beings. An emotion he had never felt before began to take root—not for himself, but for... protection.

When he tried to form the Sacred Sword again, he no longer thought about his hands or Li Wei's mockery. Instead, he focused his will on "protecting Kamar-Taj" and "protecting this world that seemed to have nothing to do with him."

Hum—!

A condensed, dazzling platinum-white sword of light, radiating reassurance and awe, instantly extended from his hand! Its glow was steady and powerful, making even his hands, which trembled even more with excitement, seem unimportant.

From "seeker" to "explorer": he no longer viewed magic as a tool to repair himself. Instead, he began to truly lose himself in magic's vastness and mysteries, his thirst for knowledge overwhelming his personal pain.

From "relying on talent" to "believing in will": he completely understood the "broader vision" Li Wei had always emphasized. The core of power was will and spirit; the body was merely a vessel. He learned to use a stronger heart to command an imperfect body.

From "self-centered" to "the budding of responsibility": Li Wei's repeated blows about "broader vision," together with the dimensional threats he had witnessed firsthand, caused him to subconsciously begin accepting his identity as a "sorcerer," rather than merely a "former doctor." A sense of responsibility to protect began to take root in his heart.

His complicated feelings toward Li Wei: mixed into his intense disgust and unwillingness was a twisted hint of "gratitude." He hated Li Wei's coldness and sharp tongue, yet he could not deny that it was precisely this nearly cruel method that had allowed him to break himself down and rebuild, to see the true path clearly. He regarded Li Wei as a goal he had to surpass—a mountain blocking his way, despairing yet one he had no choice but to climb.

When Strange stood in the center of the training ground with the dazzling Sacred Sword in hand, his hands still trembling but his eyes utterly transformed—burning with a flame no longer lost or confused, filled with reverence for power and certainty in his own path—Li Wei, hidden in the shadows, nodded slightly.

"The seed has finally sprouted," he murmured. "It's still weak, but the direction... is right."

Li Wei's "high-pressure teaching" had achieved preliminary results. He had successfully forced a piece of unpolished jade on the verge of being ruined to reveal its inner brilliance. And in the greater storm soon to come, what value would this jade, so "carefully" polished by him, display? Li Wei waited to see.