Map Star Points

The next morning, Matthew returned to that secluded valley alone once again.

The valley was lush with dense trees, and the morning mist had not yet dispersed. Only the chirping of birds and the babbling of the stream punctuated the quiet of the place.

He chose a flat, open space, stood still, took a deep breath, and sank his mind into his spiritual sea.

With a slight nudge of his thoughts, a strand of Spirit was drawn out like a fine thread, slowly circulating along the path recorded in 《Elemental Meditation Method》.

The air in front of his fingertips began to warp and heat up. After a few breaths, a fist-sized crimson fireball suddenly condensed into shape, hovering above his palm.

The fireball was not stable; the flames on its surface flickered slightly, and its light dimmed and brightened. Matthew focused intensely on maintaining it, fine beads of sweat already forming on his brow.

After about five breaths, he gently pushed his finger forward—

“Ssh!”

The fireball shot out abruptly, tracing a short arc before striking a half-man-tall bluestone about thirty feet away.

The stone's surface did not explode. It only let out a dull thud, leaving behind a scorched black mark with minor cracks webbing around its edges.

The flames quickly extinguished, leaving behind wisps of black smoke and a pungent, burnt odor.

Matthew slowly exhaled, dispersing his Spirit.

This was one of the few spells he could currently cast reliably. Its power was still limited, and his control was far from precise, but every successful cast gave him a more tangible understanding of controlling his Spirit and sensing elemental energy.

He walked over to the stream, scooped up some water to wash his face, and sat down to rest on a dry rock.

The morning breeze brushed through the treetops, bringing with it the fresh scent of vegetation.

Matthew closed his eyes, but Sutton's calm face and that pale green single eye from last night involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

Sutton's words echoed clearly in his heart once more:

“I am merely a Third-Grade Apprentice. I am not much higher than you.”

“Look at you... your Spirit is condensed and doesn't disperse, and your perception of energy has already reached the Novice level. I suspect you aren't far from becoming a Second-Grade Apprentice, are you?”

First-Grade Apprentice, Second-Grade Apprentice, Third-Grade Apprentice...

Before meeting Sutton, Matthew knew absolutely nothing about these terms.

All he had was that copy of 《Elemental Meditation Method》.

As for what Sutton had said about running the meditation method and channeling it into the book to reveal the map, Matthew had tried it after waking up in the middle of the night. Following the method Sutton had taught him, he sat cross-legged, focused his mind to run 《Elemental Meditation Method》, and slowly channeled a strand of pure and gentle Spirit into the pages.

At first, there was nothing unusual about the book. But as his Spirit continued to flow in, Matthew's heart suddenly stirred—it felt as if an extremely faint pull was coming from a great distance. It was fleeting yet undeniably real, like an almost invisible star point in the dark night, dim but firmly pointing in a certain direction.

“This feeling... it really exists.” Matthew's heart jolted, followed by a surge of clear certainty.

Though this pulling sensation was weak, it resonated with the same source as the Spirit he used when running his meditation method. It was by no means an illusion or a misconception.

Sutton was not lying. This guidance was indeed imprinted within the meditation method and the magic mark bestowed by the academy.

However, that pulling sensation only lasted for a few brief breaths before quickly fading away, receding back into the depths of his consciousness. No matter how much Spirit Matthew channeled after that, it would not clearly resurface.

He withdrew his focus, thoughtfully caressing the pages.

“Though the pull is real, it is so weak and fleeting... It seems Sutton's subsequent addition is the key.”

Matthew recalled Sutton's calm hint—

“If you can awaken the location of the map, then it means the matter has already settled.”

At this moment, this fleeting and unstable sensation precisely confirmed the current reality: “the matter has not yet fully settled.”

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