Kaelan stands atop the wooden tower, the wind brushing his hair as countless faces turn upward toward him. His gaze sweeps the field once—quiet, steady, unhurried.
When he speaks, his voice carries through the open air, neither loud nor forceful, but every word lands clearly, as though the wind itself bears his message.
"Wizard cultivation," he begins, "starts with the spirit. Every realm, every breakthrough, is a transformation of that spirit."
He pauses, letting the words settle before continuing.
"In the Apprentice Stage, the spirit awakens. One learns to introspect—to look inward, to sense the flow of vital energy, to guide it. From this awakening, one gains control over their body's energy and learns to draw spiritual energy from the world outside."
Faces in the crowd tilt upward, curious, some sceptical, some quietly awed. In this corresponding cultivating stage, only Qi refiners are able to absorb the spiritual energy. And it is because of their spiritual roots.
Martial Arts here are already aware of it because of his previous students. But most didn't see it for themselves and were sceptical. Now Kong Wuya confirmed it. Moods of many martial arts below the master realm lifted as if they awakened their spirit, cultivating the wizard way.
And continue cultivating Martial Arts till the Ultimate Master realm, and change to the Wizard Way. During those many years will pass and they can watch the development of Wizard Way.
"In the Official Wizard Stage," Kaelan continues, "the spirit expands outward, forming a domain. Within this domain, no attack can approach unnoticed—the spirit feels all things. A wizard at this stage can move objects with the will of their spirit alone, bending matter to intention."
A murmur runs through the audience, disbelief mingling with wonder.
"When one reaches the Golden Stage of the Official Realm," he says, his tone deepening, "the spirit grows strong enough to carry the body itself. A wizard at this level can take flight, not through physical strength or energy manipulation—but by the sheer power of their spirit."
Gasps ripple through the rows of cultivators, and even the Qi refiners' expressions tighten, their eyes glinting with challenge as only Qi refiners with Wind spiritual roots can fly.
Kaelan's gaze turns skyward, thoughtful. "And beyond that—beyond gold—lies the Spiritual Wizard Stage. Here, the spirit becomes tangible, physical, a force that can shape the world directly."
He lowers his head slightly, his calm eyes sweeping across the crowd. "I am in that stage now. The spirit within me has begun to take form—and I am still discovering what it can do."
A deep hush falls over the field. Even the wind seems to be still, waiting for the next words.
Kaelan's voice softens, almost like a whisper meant for each listener alone.
"The path of the Wizard is not one of blind strength or divine gift. It is the path of understanding—the spirit's evolution through knowledge."
Kaelan's gaze drifts over the gathered crowd and stops on the veiled woman in the front row. The faint shimmer of divine light behind her disguise confirms what he already sensed. The Twilight Clan…
He remembers their brief clash months ago—her golden light against his storm—and wonders, Why has she come? To listen? To judge? Or to kill?
His eyes shift subtly to the man seated beside her. The man's aura is calm, perfectly human to the ordinary eye, but Kaelan feels the faint hum beneath the surface—the mark of divinity.
Another god?
For a heartbeat, his thoughts darken, but he quickly steadies his breath. Not now. The sermon must continue.
He lets go of his suspicion and lets his voice fill the field again.
"To walk the Wizard Way," he says, "you must learn to visualise—to form an image, a concept, an aspect of the world within your mind and spirit."
"Through visualisation, you touch the essence of what you study. You sense the power behind that aspect—its structure, its rhythm, its truth."
He raises a hand, and faint light gathers at his fingertips. "When this image solidifies within your spirit space, when your spirit connects to it, your spirit awakens."
"Through deeper understanding, you advance your visualisation map—refining your spirit and, in turn, refining your cultivation."
Kaelan paces slowly atop the tower, his words deliberate and calm. "Thus, a Wizard who is talented, diligent, and patient—without a single rare treasure or spirit stone—can still reach great heights."
"Because the Wizard Way does not rely on wealth or bloodline. It relies on the spirit's strength, and the spirit grows through knowledge."
Below, the field ripples with murmurs—scholars nodding with excitement, Qi refiners frowning in disbelief, martial artists whispering to one another.
Yet the more they listen, the more they feel drawn in.
This path, built on comprehension rather than privilege, tempts even the lowest among them.
Kaelan closes his eyes, circulating his mana through the tower. The runes within the structure awaken, glowing faintly blue and gold.
On the first floor, the walls part with a soft mechanical hum, revealing the Four Elemental Energy Basic Visualisation Maps—Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind—etched in light.
Gasps rise from the audience. The runic formations shimmer, alive, radiating traces of their respective elemental energies.
Kaelan's voice echoes through the tower. "These are the four foundations of the Elemental Wizard Way."
Then, with another surge of mana, he channels his energy upward.
On the second floor, more panels shift, revealing five radiant diagrams—dense, complex, and alive with subtle vibrations.
The Five Material Elemental Visualisation Maps.
"These," Kaelan declares, "are the material aspects—the foundation for the Body Refining Wizard Way."
His voice rolls through the field, calm yet commanding. The glowing diagrams on the tower's walls shimmer like constellations—each line, curve, and rune pulsing with quiet life.
The faint resonance of law ripples from them, subtle yet undeniable, and the crowd can feel it—the order, the logic, the rhythm of creation itself.
Below, Nyxarin's black eyes narrow. His divine senses brush against the diagrams, tracing their structure.
Laws… hidden in drawings?
He frowns, intrigued despite himself. The faint laws of wind, fire, earth, and water flow through the visualisation maps—not pure, but delicately structured, like reflections of greater truths.
Now he understands why this new path demands so few cultivation resources.
Qi refiners and martial artists struggle for decades to touch the Laws at higher stages, their progress limited by bloodline and chance. But this Wizard Way—the comprehension of the world begins at the very first step.
He exhales slowly, his interest sharpening as his eyes drift to the water map. The soft blue glow ripples across the tower's surface like a living current, calm yet infinite.
The Water Element… it resonates with me.
Abandoning subtlety, Nyxarin releases a faint ripple of aura—his cover as an Ice Elemental Qi Refiner of the Core Formation Stage. The nearby cultivators instinctively shift away, sensing his power, and none dare question it.
On the tower, Kaelan's gaze sweeps over the crowd and lingers on him for a heartbeat—but only a heartbeat.
"Now," Kaelan says, "for one hour, you may visualise the maps."
The field stirs to life. Thousands of cultivators sit cross-legged, closing their eyes, their spirits reaching toward the diagrams. Some tremble in strain, others breathe steadily, their brows shining faintly as their spirits touch the visualisation maps.
For an hour, silence reigns—broken only by the occasional gasp as someone glimpses an elemental current within their mind.
Then Kaelan's voice rises again, even and soft.
"Enough. Return to your places. The visualisation maps will remain—you may continue to study them later."
One by one, the cultivators rise, returning to their mats. The murmurs fade as Kaelan resumes his teaching, explaining the structure of spirit domains, the interaction between knowledge and mana, and the harmony between body, mind, and world.
Time drifts. The sun sinks beyond the horizon, painting the clouds crimson and gold. By the time his voice quiets, the moon has climbed high, its pale light reflecting off the tower and the crowd below.
Kaelan looks over the sea of faces—nobles, martial artists, Qi refiners —and feels the shift in their hearts. Doubt has softened into curiosity, hostility into contemplation.
He sits down slowly, cross-legged atop the tower, his hands resting on his knees.
"Now," he says quietly, "you may ask your questions."
The field stills again, that brief calm before the storm.
Kaelan's eyes narrow slightly, and in his mind, he prepares.
Now comes the challenge.
A ripple of motion stirs the front row as a broad-shouldered martial artist rises to his feet. His aura presses faintly on the crowd—steady and sharp, the mark of one who has tempered his body through countless battles.
"Sir," the man says, cupping his hands in respect, "I have a question."
Kaelan nods. "Speak."
"I've reached the Ultimate Master Realm," the man continues, his voice heavy with restrained pride. "I achieved it by comprehending the power of the fist—a force born from struggle and will. But in your teaching, there's no visualisation map for such a thing. Where does the power of the fist fit into the Wizard Way?"
Kaelan studies him for a moment, then smiles faintly.
"These maps," he says, gesturing toward the tower walls where the elemental diagrams still shimmer, "are basic visualisation maps—foundations for spirit awakening, not limits to it."
He raises a hand, and threads of energy coil around his fingers—one heavy, dense like earth; one light and fluid like wind.
"The power of the fist you've grasped," Kaelan continues, "is not bound to form. It is an expression of two fundamental truths—the Law of Power and the Law of Strength. Both dwell within these basic maps, hidden within every movement of the elements."
He looks the man in the eye. "When you strike with your fist, what truly moves is not your muscle—it's the world's power responding to your intent. Study these elements deeply enough, and you'll find the essence of your fist hidden within them."
The man's eyes widen as if lightning has split his thoughts apart. For the first time, he understands the vague, ineffable power that guided his breakthroughs for years.
He bows deeply. "Thank you, teacher."
Kaelan inclines his head. "You've already begun walking the Wizard's path. You just called it something else."
The man sits, visibly shaken but enlightened. A murmur runs through the crowd—admiration, awe, disbelief.
And then, as if a dam has broken, dozens of hands rise into the air.
"Sir, how does one refine the body through mana?"
"Teacher, can a Wizard fuse with a demon beast?"
"Master Kong Wuya, can those without spirit roots awaken their spirit?"
Their voices rise all at once—curiosity burning like wildfire across the field, even those who came to mock now leaning forward with rapt eyes.
Kaelan sits calmly at the tower's edge, his gaze soft but unshakable.
One by one, he will answer them all.