Chapter 28: I never said I was a mage

The dormitory of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy is excellent.

Su Wen lived in a single spacious room that's hundreds of square meters in size, and there is also a practice room for meditation. Of course, under normal circumstances, Su Wen may not practice in the practice room.

After all, it's just a practice room, not a simulated practice environment.

"At least, before I develop the Visualization Method and normalize the practice effect of the simulated environment, this practice room will be of no use."

However, is the Visualization Method easy to develop?

Su Wen had some hesitation before obtaining the second Spirit Ring, stimulating his own Spiritual Power with a Spiritual attribute Spirit Ring, and opening up the Sea of Consciousness, this was his plan when he was still in New Moon Village, and it was also necessary preparation for his research on the Visualization Method.

However, after obtaining the second Spirit Ring and mastering the Second Spirit Skill, Su Wen felt much more at ease.

"Although the Spirit Skill only controls the external world's elemental energy. When combined with my exceptionally strong perception talent, it allows me to expand my innate talent from not only controlling internal conditions but also controlling the Sea of Consciousness."

Su Wen's talents are something he can develop.

This is also true for his perception of the Martial Spirit Space.

"Spirit Skills are all meant for development."

This is Su Wen's most profound view on Martial Spirit cultivation in the Douluo Continent.

Regardless of the type of Spirit Skill, they all essentially provide a foundation for Spirit Masters. Starting from this foundation, one can develop many original Spirit Skills, thus forming their own system.

This is the correct way to use Spirit Skills. Rather than blindly releasing Spirit Skills.

It's better to have one Spirit Skill as a core, constructing a combat system that suits oneself. Of course, if the systems developed from the nine Spirit Skills can organically combine and develop into a combat system unique to the Spirit Master, it would be even better.

Take Su Wen's Second Spirit Skill, for example. It can utilize the slight affinity for both wind and fire elements possessed by the Martial Spirit absorbed during the Spirit Ring absorption process, leading to the derivative ability to control both wind and fire elements.

In the subsequent acquisition of Spirit Rings, in addition to achieving the corresponding effects Su Wen expected, if they can additionally impart affinity for other elements to the Martial Spirit and combine with the Second Spirit Skill, Su Wen may be able to develop control over all elemental attributes!

...

The next day.

"Uncle Zhan."

"Well, it seems like you're in good shape." Xiao Zhan is quite satisfied with Su Wen's condition.

"I want to first understand your level of control over the two elements."

The so-called control over elements does not mean having absolute control over the corresponding elemental forces. More accurately, it should be termed mastery.

It involves having the ability to mobilize and transform the respective elemental forces.

The Heavenly Book appeared, and two Spirit Rings, one yellow and one purple, rose from the ground beneath Su Wen's feet, with the second Spirit Ring shimmering with purple light.

"My Second Spirit Skill still relies on the Martial Spirit as a medium to manipulate the elemental forces."

Rumbling!

Before Su Wen, flames begin to rise. This is the result of external elemental energy being converted into fire attributes and stimulated under Su Wen's Soul Power.

"Well, as Old Bai said, your control over the fire element relies on the manipulation of external elemental forces through Spiritual Power."

Just now, Su Wen expended Spiritual Power and Soul Power to use the Spirit Skill, triggering a small amount of external elemental energy to release flames.

"Your control over the fire element, like this, has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that you can call upon external elemental energy to transform into flames. However, the disadvantage is also very clear. These flames, not being transformed by your own power, are difficult to control freely."

While pointing out the pros and cons of Su Wen's method of fire element control, Xiao Zhan is also demonstrating it firsthand.

A flame appeared out of thin air in his palm.

Su Wen can sense that it is a flame generated by Xiao Zhan's Soul Power.

"Flames directly transformed by Soul Power are much easier to control."

The flame in Xiao Zhan's hand transformed into various shapes, sometimes a fireball, sometimes a flame sword, and even finally compressing into a massive flame, condensing into a Flame Needle!

Su Wen looked at the Flame Needle and took a deep breath.

He can feel the explosive elemental fluctuations from the Flame Needle.

After this needle hits its target, it has the ability to explode again, causing secondary damage.

At the same time, he also noticed a crucial point—Xiao Zhan didn't rely on Spirit Rings, and he didn't even release his Martial Spirit!

'Has his mastery over his Martial Spirit reached such a level?'

Su Wen marveled.

Although he has also envisioned completely digesting the power of the Martial Spirit, he hasn't made any progress so far.

"While your control over the fire element has its advantages, based on your current mastery of this Spirit Skill, you still cannot fully utilize the Spiritual Power and Soul Power you expend."

'Using the Spirit Skill, consumes Spiritual Power and Soul Power, in exchange for the ability to simply manipulate the elemental energy of the outside world. Is it possible to maximize this ability during this period and minimize the consumption?'

"Transform more flames with the least possible consumption!" Xiao Zhan sets a goal for Su Wen for the next few months: "For the next three months, your task is to continuously use this Spirit Skill, constantly improving the quantity of flames you can transform under the same amount of Soul Power consumption."

"No matter the quality or quantity of the flames!" he added.

Quality refers to the temperature and explosiveness of the flames.

Quantity, on the other hand, refers to the coverage area of the flames.

"Yes!" Su Wen responded.

Instead of directly training, he inquired about the technique Xiao Zhan used to perform the Spirit Skill without using his Martial Spirit or Spirit Ring.

"Hahaha, you've observed very carefully. This is a technique that Old Bai and I developed, using the inclusiveness of the book to internalize the mastered Spirit Skill and turn it into our own strength."

With that, Xiao Zhan began his demonstration.

Terrifying Soul Power erupted from beneath him, bursting with immense force, accompanied by explosions of flames that generated terrifying propulsion, turning him into a blur.

Xiao Zhan was engulfed in terrifying, explosive flames all over his body. The flames converged and rotated above his right fist, then suddenly blasted out with the momentum of a forward charge.

Boom!

A piercing hole surrounded by flames appeared on the trunk of a tree twenty meters away.

'Explosive Steps combined with Eight Extremities Collapse?'

Su Wen gasped in disbelief.

Recalling Xiao Zhan's demonstration just now, along with the complete change in his demeanor and Xiao Zhan's straightforward personality, Su Wen felt a pang of headache.

It seems—

"It seems Uncle Zhan isn't a mage."

No, considering his means of manipulating flames, which can also be used for long-range attacks, one might even call him a melee mage.

"I just demonstrated three major Spirit Skills, but I didn't need to release my Martial Spirit or Spirit Ring, and no one will see the Spirit Ring flashing before I attack" Xiao Zhan expressed satisfaction with Su Wen's reaction.

Yes, being shocked is the appropriate reaction.

"This is a technique developed jointly by Old Bai and me, but only I have mastered it, and I can only master it because of the abilities of my Martial Spirit's true form."

"Martial Spirit's true form?"

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