"To master the Eastern arts, diligence alone is useless!"
Erwin nodded. The more powerful something is, the higher the threshold. That was only natural.
Sunny Finch led Erwin to a plaza. A large group of children dressed in robes were gathered there. They looked even younger than Erwin.
Sunny said, "These are all new students accepted this year. In your terms, they are first-years. For first-years, the professors take turns teaching them. After about a month, they will decide on their specialization—whether it's talisman crafting or spell formulation—both require exceptional aptitude! They must determine their talents. If they don't have talent for runes or arithmancy, they can only continue their selection from herbology or potions. Physical cultivation, however, is mandatory for all students."
Erwin nodded, his eyes lighting up with genuine interest. He listened intently as Sunny pointed out the instructor on the platform.
"This is our Master of Spellwork. Today, they're teaching the fundamentals! If you're interested, you can listen in."
Sunny led Erwin to two empty cushions at the back. The instructor glanced at them but said nothing, continuing his lecture.
Erwin listened to every word. He didn't know if he had any talent, but he was fascinated by the magical traditions of this place. Sunny lowered her voice to explain the concepts, worried he wouldn't understand the basics of Qi circulation.
If it were an ordinary person, they probably wouldn't grasp it. But Erwin?
He had a dark past involving an online book that claimed to be a cultivation manual. To learn it, he had actually studied the human body's meridians and acupoints, practicing according to the book. As for finding the 'Qi sensation' described... he'd convinced himself he felt a warm current in his stomach, but it turned out to be indigestion.
After arriving in this world, Erwin had tried to cultivate again, but achieved nothing. That confirmed it: a cheap online manual couldn't teach real magic.
Erwin listened attentively. The magic of the East and the spells of the West were completely different. First was the process of casting. Generally, casting a spell involved invoking magical energy through focused will, then releasing it. The trick to silent, wandless casting was that some wizards could activate their magical power with a single thought. This was the so-called silent casting, applying to wandless magic as well.
For Western wizards, incantations focused intent, and the wand amplified power—a process of enhancement. However, while these traditions had similarities, they also had differences. Their commonality lay in needing to mobilize magical energy within their bodies. In the East, this was called 'Qi' or 'internal energy.'
However, Eastern cultivation used meridian channels as the medium instead of incantations. Simply put, it required guiding magical power along specific routes through specific channels in the body to achieve a releasing effect. The difficulty lay in these channels. Depending on aptitude, some channels in the human body are unobstructed, while others are blocked. This is the most difficult aspect of Eastern cultivation.
Erwin was curious about the state of his own channels. The best way to verify this was to try it out.
No sooner said than done. Erwin began to draw magical power from his body according to the circulation method taught by the instructor. The moment the magical power flowed into his meridians, Erwin felt waves of stinging pain. But the instructor had just said this was a normal reaction to the channels being cleansed by magic for the first time.
Erwin didn't think much of it. He poured all his magic into his channels and began to channel it to the next. The second, the third, the fourth, the fifth... until the ninth meridian was successfully opened.
Erwin felt something surging forth from his palm—something he couldn't suppress. Instinctively, he flicked his hand towards the sky. The next moment, a fireball shot directly into the clouds.
At that moment, Sunny was stunned. The instructor on the stage froze. High above, the old men were also stunned.
"You... you learned it?" Sunny stammered.
"Does this count as learning? I'm not sure. I just followed the method and let the magic flow through once!" Erwin replied doubtfully.
Before Sunny could react, a flash of light appeared on the stage. The next moment, the instructor was beside Erwin.
"Extend your hand!"
Erwin obediently held it out. The instructor grasped his wrist, checking his magical core.
"Your meridians are undamaged; they weren't forcibly opened. Your channels are naturally unobstructed!"
The instructor's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. Sunny was also stunned. "Naturally unobstructed meridians? Does that mean he has the same constitution as that legendary ancestor?"
The instructor was about to speak when he suddenly stopped. A few minutes later, he said, "Tomorrow, I will be giving a lecture to the senior students on advanced techniques. You should come and listen."
Erwin's eyes lit up. He could learn a new skill. He quickly bowed. "Thank you."
The instructor waved his hand, said nothing more, and returned to his seat.
High above the clouds, several old men huddled together.
"His meridians are naturally unblocked... Tsk, tsk, tsk. With proper training, his potential is extraordinary!"
"His origin doesn't matter. Don't forget the responsibilities he bears?"
"That makes sense. Accumulating all the power he can is his path!"
"I'm looking forward to seeing how far this child can go. At least then we'll have witnessed another capable of mastering the complete art!"
Below, Sunny looked at Erwin in astonishment. "I never imagined you'd have such exceptional aptitude! How about a spar? I'm very curious about your strength."
Erwin was somewhat tempted. Sparring with a standard wizard was boring, but sparring with someone from this tradition was something he was very interested in.
"Alright, let's spar!" Erwin said.
Sunny sprang to her feet. "Come on, I'll take you to the duelling arena!"
...
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