Both Attain Enlightenment

Leaving Arnold aside for the moment, Linley seemed to have had a falling-out with Alice. Throughout September and October, Linley had failed to see Alice even once. It was Yale who told Arnold about it.

On November 9th, heavy snow fell, turning everything as far as the eye could see into a vast expanse of white. Yale, George, Renault, Linley, and Arnold sat in a carriage. The driver was a man from the Yale Family Merchant Association, while several knights escorted the stone sculptures behind the carriage.

"Third Brother, the year-end assessment is coming up soon. I wonder whether that former academy genius has become a Sixth-level Mage yet?" Yale asked with a chuckle. At that, Arnold rolled his eyes at Yale.

George, Renault, and Arnold all knew that just the week before, Linley had broken through and reached the level of a Sixth-level Mage.

The year was drawing to a close, and Linley was nearly seventeen. In less than two and a half years, he had advanced from a Fifth-level Mage to a Sixth-level Mage.

As for Dixie, he had become a Fifth-level Mage at the age of twelve. Now that Dixie was nearly seventeen, almost five years had passed. His progress was actually quite fast, but compared to Linley and Arnold, he was noticeably slower.

If Linley reached the Sixth-level Mage rank during the year-end assessment while Dixie failed to do so, Linley would become the undisputed top genius of the academy.

"Arnold, you kept saying you were about to make a breakthrough, but Linley still got ahead of you. So, how do you feel about that?" Renault teased.

"I've already reached the critical point of the fifth level. Maybe I'll break through tomorrow," Arnold said casually.

Arnold had clearly already broken through, so why was he still hiding it? It was an old saying from Earth that made Arnold hold something back.

A tree that rises above the forest is sure to be destroyed by the wind. Linley could have the limelight. It was enough for Arnold himself to know his true strength.

"Third Brother, at least smile. You've become a Sixth-level Mage, yet you aren't even happy about it." Seeing that Arnold did not seem to care, Renault turned his attention to Linley.

But Linley merely forced a smile and did not feel like speaking. He was still troubled over Alice! The carriage soon arrived at Fenlai City. After delivering three stone sculptures to Proulx Guild Hall, the five brothers had a meal together before temporarily parting ways.

Linley had definitely gone to look for Alice; Arnold and the other three all knew that. But when Linley returned to Ernst Academy that evening, he said nothing. He simply took one of the packs he often used and headed straight into the back mountains of Ernst Magic Academy.

Thus, Yale and the others discussed it. Yale would investigate Alice's situation, while Renault, George, and Arnold headed for the back mountains of Ernst Academy despite the snowy weather.

In an open area in the back mountains of Ernst Magic Academy, Linley stood quietly with his eyes closed before a huge boulder. The Shadow Rat, Bei Bei, stood guard silently in the snow beside him.

George, Renault, and Arnold exchanged puzzled looks.

"George, what exactly is Linley doing? He's been standing beside that boulder for an entire day and night. He doesn't react even when we call him, and he hasn't eaten anything all day. Can Linley take it?" Renault asked anxiously.

George shook his head. "Don't worry. Third Brother is a Sixth-level Mage and a warrior as well. His physique is extremely strong. With Earth Element replenishing him, he'll be fine even if he goes several days and nights without food or water. Let's just keep watching. I believe Third Brother isn't the kind of person who can't handle a setback."

Renault and Arnold nodded slightly, agreeing with George.

But Arnold did not actually think so. Linley's current state was highly unusual. Arnold suspected that when Linley woke up, he might have directly attained enlightenment.

Delin Cowart was also standing nearby. The three of them simply could not see him. Delin was secretly astonished. "This Linley seems to have entered a new realm." As a master stone sculptor, Delin Cowart could roughly guess Linley's current state.

The boulder before Linley was over two meters tall and three or four meters long.

After a while, Renault suddenly cried out in delight, "George, Arnold, look! Third Brother is moving."

Linley took a flat carving knife from his pack. Holding it in his right hand, he stared intently at the boulder. Then his entire body moved. The flat knife became a blur of blade shadows, and stone fragments immediately began flying everywhere.

As Linley carved the boulder, every movement gave off an extraordinarily fluid feeling.

Watching the stone chips continuously fly through the air, Arnold fell into deep thought.

Once upon a time, Arnold had been just as carefree. But after studying magic and becoming a mage, he had never been happy again. Arnold knew that the Yulan Continent was a world where strength ruled supreme. Without strength, where could happiness come from? Thus, Arnold had trained tirelessly, even treating Linley as someone he had to catch up to.

But now, as he watched Linley carve the boulder with such calmness and serenity, Arnold understood. Proper relaxation was also necessary for cultivation.

Arnold sank into thought. Gradually, George and Renault vanished from his sight. Linley and the boulder also seemed to disappear, and all Arnold could see was the heavy snow that appeared to blanket the entire world.

Delin was greatly shocked. This boy named Arnold had actually entered the enlightenment state that mages dreamed of just by watching Linley carve!

After a long while, even George and Renault noticed that something was wrong with Arnold.

A layer of armor the color of rock was naturally flowing over Arnold's body. A faint yellow glow circulated across its surface, while a dense aura of Earth Element spread outward.

George and Renault hurriedly put some distance between themselves and Arnold.

In the distance, George and Renault spoke quietly.

"Is that the earth-style Earth Guardian Sacred Armor?" George asked hesitantly. He was not entirely certain, since he was not an earth-style mage.

"That's right. It's the Earth Guardian Sacred Armor. I saw Arnold use it once before," Renault said softly.

"Could Arnold have entered an enlightenment state?" George's eyes gleamed as he spoke excitedly.

"Enlightenment? Isn't that something that can only be encountered by chance? Arnold entered enlightenment just by watching Fourth Brother carve?" Renault was dumbfounded.

"It may not just be Arnold who has entered enlightenment. Fourth Brother may have entered that state as well," George analyzed.

Renault looked at Arnold, then at Linley, who was still carving. Depressed, he said, "George, Third Brother and Fifth Brother have both entered enlightenment. How about we attain enlightenment too?"

"That's impossible. To attain enlightenment, you first need to have a great many thoughts built up inside you. Every enlightenment comes from a mage accumulating too many vague, unresolved thoughts, until a sudden flash of insight brings enlightenment. Fourth Brother is in a special state because of Alice. Arnold is obviously the same. Of course, he probably figured something out," George analyzed.

Hearing George and Renault talking in the distance, Delin agreed inwardly. In Delin's long life, he had experienced only a handful of enlightenments, and none had lasted very long. Now, it depended on how long Arnold and Linley could maintain their states.

Delin Cowart's eyes shone. "They are completely in harmony with nature, to the point of forgetting themselves. Linley and Arnold really are full of surprises."