A Visit to the Door

Following that was a surge of drastic transformation.

His Spirit, which had been compressed and bound within a limited space by the bottleneck, was like a flood breaking through a dam, instantly surging and expanding! His sea of consciousness extended outward rapidly amidst violent tremors, while the range and depth of his perception increased at a staggering speed.

Everything in the room became clearer than ever before.

Without needing to open his eyes, his Spirit “vision” already covered the entire room.

He perceived the flickering brightness of the candle’s core, the subtle sizzling of melting wax, the drifting paths of dust motes in the air, the tiny wormholes within the wood grain, and even the nearly imperceptible air currents stirred by the night wind blowing past the eaves outside...

Every detail, no matter how small, was presented in his consciousness like a high-definition image.

It was more than just “seeing” clearly.

His hearing, smell, and touch—all his senses—became several times sharper under the reinforcement and integration of his Spirit.

He could “hear” the low-voiced conversation between the owner and a servant downstairs; he could “smell” the lingering scent of magical beast meat in Aidan’s room several doors away; and he could “feel” the slight rise and fall of the mattress fibers beneath him.

As for the Spirit itself, it underwent a qualitative transformation.

Previously, his Spirit had been like mist; though it could spread and perceive, it was somewhat ethereal and loose, with limited precision in control.

Now, his Spirit was like repeatedly tempered steel—condensed, resilient, and moving according to his will.

With a slight thought, a strand of Spirit could condense into a thread as easily as moving his own fingers, extending several yards away without breaking or dissipating.

With a bit of focus, it could form a clearly discernible invisible force field, strong enough to lift a light copper coin from the table.

Simply put—casting spells with his current Spirit would also be a qualitative improvement!

Control, stability, strength, capacity... every aspect had been enhanced.

Matthew slowly opened his eyes.

A faint light seemed to flow within his pupils, only returning to its usual depth after a moment. He exhaled a long breath of turbid air, which condensed in the air without dissipating, carrying a trace of imperceptible energy residue.

He had succeeded.

By leveraging the energy of four magic stones, he had forcefully shattered the bottleneck that had troubled him for days, officially stepping into the realm of a Second-Grade Apprentice.

Feeling the Spirit surging and flowing within his sea of consciousness—nearly twice as thick and condensed as before—Matthew’s lips finally curled into a faint, relieved arc.

“Though the breakthrough process wasn't smooth sailing, the harvest is quite bountiful,” he murmured.

“However, one can also see from this that the path of a wizard is indeed much harder than that of a Class holder... or rather, resources for the wizard’s path are even scarcer.”

He was only a Second-Grade Apprentice now.

Yet it had already cost him half of his magic stone resources.

If he wanted to promote to a Third-Grade Apprentice, the gap in magic stones and other required resources would surely be terrifying.

“Even a hero can be brought to his knees by a lack of funds!”

Just as the thought arose, the Spirit surging within his sea of consciousness suddenly became as active as a runaway horse.

Though this new power was majestic, it still carried the restlessness and defiance following a breakthrough, like boiling lava crashing around wherever his thoughts reached.

He immediately realized that he needed to regulate his Spirit now.

Otherwise, his Spirit would continue to overflow, potentially causing irreversible harm to the ordinary people in this small inn.

At the same time, he also needed to properly rein in the overflowing Spirit himself.

He quickly gathered his focus and closed his eyes again, sinking his entire consciousness into the sea of consciousness. The path of the 《Elemental Meditation Method》 surfaced clearly once more, but this time, the method and rhythm of its operation were entirely different from before the breakthrough. His Spirit no longer needed to struggle against barriers; instead, it surged through a wider and more resilient “riverbed.”

He guided this slightly frantic torrent, following the trajectory set by the meditation method, cycling and smoothing it over and over again.

Like taming a wild horse, it required patience and guidance rather than confrontation.

Matthew’s mind was like an experienced rider, sitting firmly at the center, sensing every bit of turbulence in the surging Spirit and then using a gentle yet firm will to slowly guide it back onto the right track. The external manifestation—the invisible force field capable of lifting a copper coin—gradually dissipated, and the outward-projecting sharp perception also slowly receded like a tide, condensing inward.

This was a process of transforming an “outburst” into “foundation” and settling “quantitative change” into “qualitative stability.” He needed to truly integrate this surging Spirit with himself, making it as natural as an extension of his own body, smooth and without hindrance.

Time passed in silence.

The night deepened outside the window, and the only sound in the room was the occasional soft crackle of the candle.

Matthew’s seated figure remained motionless, but his breathing gradually became long and steady.

The turbid air carrying the energy residue had long since dispersed, and his breathing now seemed to merge with the surrounding environment, showing no further abnormalities.

The restless torrent of Spirit finally became submissive and condensed under his guidance. Like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, it flowed in an orderly fashion into the expanded sea of consciousness, slowly rotating to form a more stable and profound Spirit vortex.

Although the total amount was massive, controlling it no longer felt sluggish or forced; instead, there was a heavy and fulfilling sense of stability.

This was the state Matthew sought in his heart, though reaching the level of absolute mastery would still require time and practice.

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