"You're saying Xia Zuo hasn't practiced any magic all this time and has just been reading in the library?"
The Ancient One looked at Wong in surprise. It sounded rather unbelievable. Most magic books were profound and complex, obscure and difficult to understand. Once ordinary magic apprentices understood a particular spell, they would immediately practice it and learn to cast it. After all, mastering magic was what mattered most. Who would keep reading without doing anything else, as Xia Zuo did? It was rather strange.
"Yes, I don't quite understand it either. At first, I thought the mages were spreading rumors, so I specifically watched him for a few days. It turned out that really was the case."
Wong spoke helplessly. When he learned of this, he had specifically observed Xia Zuo for several days, only to find that Xia Zuo truly did nothing but quietly read magic books. Wong had even urged him to practice magic, but Xia Zuo still hadn't done so, leaving Wong at a loss.
"Interesting. I'll go see him."
The Ancient One spoke in surprise. Her earlier agreement with Xia Zuo was that she wouldn't teach him, but Kamar-Taj would be open to him, allowing him to study as he pleased. Yet she hadn't expected this situation to arise. It had caught her somewhat off guard, so she was also rather curious about what Xia Zuo intended to do.
With a casual wave of her hand, a golden ring of light instantly appeared before her. She stepped through and arrived in the library. The moment she entered, she saw Xia Zuo at one of the tables, studying the knowledge in a magic book.
"Xia Zuo, how are your studies coming along?"
The Ancient One quietly approached Xia Zuo and looked at him curiously. She found that Wong had been entirely correct, because Xia Zuo was indeed wholly absorbed in his magic book, paying no attention to anything else.
"Ancient One, you're back."
Only then did Xia Zuo pull his attention back and look at the Ancient One in surprise. He knew she had gone to inspect other worlds, and he hadn't expected her to appear here now.
"Wong told me you've spent this entire year studying magical knowledge here. Why haven't you learned how to use magic? You should know that theory is never as important as putting it into practice."
The Ancient One got straight to the point and questioned Xia Zuo directly. She was quite curious and wanted to know what he was doing.
Back when Xia Zuo had first wanted to come to Kamar-Taj, she could tell that he was eager to learn magic. She hadn't expected that he would now have learned no spells at all, instead spending all his time here reading magic books. She couldn't quite understand it.
"Because I don't need to. I already know how."
Xia Zuo chuckled and slowly gave his answer.
This wasn't arrogance. It was simply the truth. After he obtained the Copy Eyes, learning to use magic had become unnecessary. The instant he saw a spell, he could immediately analyze its composition, form, properties, and power, and learn the spell directly. This remained effective even if the other person stopped casting midway.
Thus, learning spells was already meaningless to Xia Zuo. All he needed was to work hard at acquiring more magical knowledge. That was the best choice for him.
This was also why Xia Zuo had spent the past year studying magical knowledge in the library. Compared with learning to use magic, what he needed more was its vast body of knowledge. Others couldn't understand this, of course, but Xia Zuo had no need to make them understand. What did their opinions have to do with him?
"Oh... Xia Zuo, would you be interested in fighting one of Kamar-Taj's mages?"
The Ancient One looked at Xia Zuo in surprise. After a moment's thought, she smiled and spoke to him. She was rather curious about his proficiency in magic, but strictly speaking, Xia Zuo wasn't a member of Kamar-Taj, after all. She couldn't command him, so she could only make a suggestion and ask whether he was willing to fight one of Kamar-Taj's mages.
"Interesting. I accept."
Xia Zuo's eyes shifted slightly as he accepted the challenge. After all, he also wanted to see how powerful the Copy Eyes were.
"Good, then. This time tomorrow, at Kamar-Taj's training grounds. I'll be waiting for you there."
The Ancient One chuckled. A ring of light appeared behind her, and she stepped through, instantly vanishing from the library. She was going to arrange for someone to fight Xia Zuo.
Of course, the Ancient One couldn't possibly take part herself. After all, it would be rather unfair if she did. Both Xia Zuo and the Ancient One understood this, so she was going to select a mage who could fight him.
"Looks like something interesting is about to happen. I hope the Ancient One picks a somewhat stronger mage."
Xia Zuo murmured to himself. He didn't know how strong he truly was. After all, he hadn't made a move lightly over the past year, so he also wanted to use this opportunity to see how proficient he was in magic. This was another of his purposes. Still, Xia Zuo had a hunch that if the person the Ancient One chose wasn't very strong, he might not get his fill, because he really had grown much stronger.
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