Free Web NovelChapter 42: Chapter 40: A Huge Lead
Mo Ning could clearly see that the points of light were not randomly distributed. They were arranged in a pattern, forming a blurry yet complete shape.
Wings, a body, sharp claws, a head... it looked just like a Phantom Carving, poised to take flight.
Lines from a book naturally surfaced in his mind:
"We believe that the shape of the Magic Radiance directly determines the quality of the model."
"The closer the shape is to the model’s design, the more superior its structure, the more precise the Divination, and the more outstanding a Wizard you are!"
Mo Ning carefully observed the radiance, constantly comparing it to his memory of the Phantom Carved Statue on Sir Rent’s desk.
He quickly reached a conclusion—the similarity was 98%.
There were differences in many of the details. For example, the curve at the tips of the wings was slightly more pronounced than the statue’s, and the degree to which the claws were retracted was slightly different.
But this result already exceeded his expectations.
In subsequent Meditation sessions, he could continue to gather data, improve and optimize the model, and slowly increase his Meditation efficiency.
Just then, the Phantom Carving in his Spiritual World—or rather, the "Phantom Carved Divine Statue"—suddenly changed.
Its Wings of Light spread slightly.
Then, it made a motion as if to take off, like a fledgling attempting to flap its wings for the first time.
The next moment, Mo Ning sensed with extreme clarity a strange presence, rising and falling within his Spiritual World.
And through this presence, he sensed another, without any obstruction.
A great existence, infinitely vast and infinitely deep.
Yes.
Great!
That was the most appropriate word to describe this existence.
It was simply too immense to be measured by any scale, rendering all language pale in comparison.
It was like gazing up at the vast, starry sky; you could feel it, but you could never grasp its entirety.
In comparison, any person was far too insignificant.
Mo Ning pumped his fist, his heart practically bursting with excitement.
He knew, of course, that the first "presence" was the standard Meditation Mark.
The Tree Spirit Wizard had once said, "For those with a Spiritual Strength below 0.6, it will take at least four days to sense the mark."
Now, with the help of the Phantom Carved Divine Statue, he had sensed it on the second day.
Two days early!
As for the second "presence"—the one so great it made one want to prostrate themselves in worship...
That was, without a doubt, the Ocean of Magical Power.
The Tree Spirit Wizard had also said, "After sensing the standard Meditation Mark, by continuously communicating with the mark using Spiritual Power, the fastest one can sense the Ocean of Magical Power is three days. Only then can one be considered to have truly mastered the Basic Meditation Technique."
In other words, even Sitt, with serial number 001, would have to wait three days at the very least.
A newcomer with low Spiritual Talent might need five days, ten days, or even longer.
But Mo Ning had sensed the Ocean of Magical Power on the second day, putting him far ahead of everyone else.
How could he not be overjoyed?
At this moment, Mo Ning wanted, from the bottom of his heart, to kiss the hand of the Lord Wizard who had created the Divine Statue Technique...
’Of course, that’s assuming they’re a woman.’
’If it’s a man, forget it!’
The [Eye of Truth] was closely monitoring his physical data and gave a new notification:
[Spiritual Power consumed: 8.54%. Current remaining: 55.76%. Current Spiritual Power is low. Please rest.]
Although his Spiritual Power had plummeted, this was normal.
The final formation of the statue and the blooming of the Magic Radiance was a process that was supposed to consume a great deal of Spiritual Power.
Mo Ning felt a faint dizziness in his head and thought with some exasperation, ’My Spiritual Power is always running low. It’s like I have a weak constitution.’
He felt more and more that the shortcoming of his insufficient Spiritual Strength was becoming an increasingly large constraint.
Mo Ning closed his eyes, preparing to rest his mind for a while.
Just then, the [Secret Technique Whisper] he had placed beside him suddenly vibrated slightly.
A message from Anya had arrived.
He hesitated for a moment, then picked up the ring and slipped it onto his left index finger. A stream of text-based information flowed directly into his mind:
[In yesterday’s Meditation Class, Lady Lv Mei explained the basics of Secret Divination and Divination. There are a few points that I don’t quite understand.]
[The first is about constructing the steady-state formula for a Magic Field. Lady Lv Mei said the key to the steady-state formula is "Magic Phase Synchronization."]
[But according to the notes in my family’s collection, the steady-state formula requires "Magic Power Frequency Locking." These two concepts don’t seem to be the same, and I’m a bit confused.]
[The second is...]
Mo Ning read it word by word, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
The intensity of yesterday’s lecture had been unusually high.
Although Lady Lv Mei had explained it in simple terms, the concepts, formulas, and derivation processes of Secret Divination and Divination were like something out of a Celestial Book to a complete novice.
Even newcomers with a solid foundation in Divination would find it quite painful to listen to, as so much of the content was "beyond the curriculum."
If he didn’t have the [Eye of Truth] and hadn’t spent several months holed up in the Royal Library—forget three points, Mo Ning would have been considered exceptionally talented just to understand half of it.
Yet Anya only had three points she didn’t understand.
It could only be said that the nobility truly had an advantage.
She could obtain Witchcraft Items from her family, get early exposure to the fundamentals of Divination, and read treasured notes that the children of merchants might never see in their entire lives.
These advantages translated into a tangible cognitive gap on the very first day at the academy.
For the sake of the [Secret Technique Whisper], Mo Ning said softly, "It won’t take long anyway. I might as well help you out."
He pulled out three blank sheets of scale pattern paper. The tip of his pen flew across the paper, and lines of Secret Spirit Text flowed from it.
["Magic Phase Synchronization" and "Magic Power Frequency Locking" are two sides of the same coin.]
["The former has a broader range of applications, not only for condensing the first soul but also for the Tier One Spirit Seal..."]
Mo Ning explained the first question in less than a minute, drawing two illustrated "Magic Phase Diagrams."
After reading her message, he had already guessed Anya’s general proficiency in Divination. The two phase diagrams were perfectly suited for a newcomer of her level.
The second question was a bit more complex.
He completed the formula that Lady Lv Mei hadn’t had time to finish, derived it again from the beginning, and wrote out every step with perfect clarity.
He even added special notes next to several key points, explaining "why this formula is used here" and "which intermediate derivations were omitted in this step."
The third question...
Mo Ning wrote faster and faster, his pen flowing more and more smoothly.
In less than five minutes, all three sheets of scale pattern paper were completely filled.
But he didn’t stop.
He thought for a moment, pulled another new sheet of paper from his drawer, and began writing an extended explanation.
Again, for the sake of the [Secret Technique Whisper], he decided to explain a little more.
He wrote down all the details Lady Lv Mei hadn’t yet covered, as well as some important related knowledge points.
These details could deepen her understanding of the core concepts, greatly expand her knowledge structure, and be of considerable help in understanding the Meditation Technique.
Another three minutes passed.
Only then did Mo Ning put down his pen and let out a soft sigh of relief.
He looked down at the five densely filled sheets of paper in front of him and whispered, "That should be enough."
He spread the five sheets out, arranging them neatly in a row, then raised his left hand and aimed the face of the ring at the papers.
A wisp of Spiritual Power was injected.
VMMM—
The ring vibrated slightly.
Mo Ning immediately felt as if something had been gently drawn out of his mind.
The sensation wasn’t painful. It was like a very fine feather brushing past the depths of his consciousness, leaving a vague sense of emptiness.
This was the "illusion" produced when Spiritual Power was consumed by Witchcraft Items.
The fatigue from his lack of Spiritual Power deepened.
The [Eye of Truth] tirelessly provided another notification:
[Spiritual Power consumed: 0.24%. Current remaining: 55.52%. Current Spiritual Power is low. Please rest.]
Mo Ning made a firm resolution in his heart: ’For the next few months, I absolutely have to focus on increasing my Spiritual Power.’
He also set a goal: ’I need to raise my Spiritual Strength to at least 0.7.’
*****
「Inside Apartment 722.」
Anya had changed out of her blue newcomer’s robe and into a light purple dress.
The dress was made of a soft material and was well-tailored, perfectly outlining her slender waist and generous curves, like a flower slowly blooming in the morning light.
The young woman sat on a chair by the window, gazing at the endless grassland, her beautiful eyes filled with a look of fascination.
Since birth, she had always stayed within her family’s territory. She began her studies in the Royal Capital at the age of twelve but had never truly traveled to distant lands.
The magnificent landscapes described in books and the Exotic Realm customs recounted by her family elders had always been mere words and legends to her.
At this moment, seeing the verdant carpet that stretched to the horizon, the sea of grass undulating in the wind, and the faint, rolling hills on the skyline—she finally understood the state of mind represented by the phrase "to feel carefree and joyous."
The amazement in Anya’s beautiful eyes was about to overflow.
"It’s incredible. The academy actually moved the scenery of the ’Nu Ti Grassland,’ located eighty thousand kilometers away, to outside my apartment window."
SCREE—
A piercing cry of an eagle suddenly split the sky.
She looked up to see a giant, dark gray eagle soaring past in the distance.
Its wingspan was a full five meters. Bathed in the morning sun, its wings were edged with a dazzling golden light, like a dark cloud set ablaze.
Anya squinted her beautiful eyes for a few moments and said softly, "That must be the Spiritual Creature, the Lie Feng Battle Eagle."
Her gaze then shifted to an Earth-Shaking Gray-Horned Rhinoceros grazing leisurely in the distance, her voice tinged with an unconcealable yearning:
"I truly hope that one day, I can master such powerful Witchcraft."
The so-called "Nu Ti Grassland" was knowledge the Noble Lady had learned from her family’s treasured notes.
The name came from the Earth-Shaking Gray-Horned Rhinoceros.
This overlord of the Nu Ti Grassland, when it ran, seemed to trample the earth with furious iron hooves, each step making the ground tremble slightly—hence the name.
Other newcomers who saw this grassland would only exclaim, "So beautiful," or "It looks so real."
But Anya knew—it didn’t just "look real," it *was* real.
The Third Level Wizard who built Black Tower Academy had used Space Magic to "holistically Cut" the real scenery from eighty thousand kilometers away, then "transported" it into a folded space inside the Black Tower.
’The methods of a Wizard are just too incredible!’
Anya withdrew her gaze, letting it fall on the emerald [Secret Technique Whisper] on her left index finger.
The young woman whispered to herself, "If my aunt was right, I should have an answer within half an hour, right?"
She had asked the questions partly because she truly had difficulties with Secret Divination and Divination, and partly because she wanted to run a test.
Although her family elders had spoken with great certainty, seeing is believing, and she intended to confirm it for herself.
Just then, the [Secret Technique Whisper] on her left index finger suddenly vibrated slightly.
VMMM—
Anya immediately raised her left hand and gently stroked the face of the ring.
The next second, a stream of information flowed into her mind.
The complete images of five sheets of paper appeared, every line of text, every symbol, and every diagram as clear as if it were right in front of her.
Anya froze for a second, her beautiful eyes widening abruptly. "So fast?!"
