After all, after limit-breaking, his space affinity would increase a bit more.
It would help him understand higher-tier spatial magic later on.
Zoe nodded in understanding, then shooed Jiang Lin out of the research room like she was herding sheep.
When Jiang Lin stepped out of the research room, the corridor was already lit with pale blue moonlight lamps.
Elune followed behind him, her pale purple eyes glancing at his back from time to time.
She had been hesitating to speak for a while now, her lips parting and closing several times, but not a single word came out.
“Say whatever is on your mind.”
Jiang Lin said without looking back, his pace steady and unhurried.
Elune's voice carried a hint of hesitation:
“I was just wondering... exactly how long will it take you to master all the basic spatial magic?”
She paused and added, “Master Zoe said that for those basic formulas, it takes at least a week just to be initiated, and years to become proficient. She’s the youngest spatial magic tutor in the history of Silver Moon Academy. If she says a week, she means a week. But you...”
“It probably won't take that long,”
Jiang Lin replied.
The two of them walked out of the Moonlight Tower. The night breeze brushed against them, carrying the elegant fragrance of moonlight roses.
When they returned to Elune’s building, dinner was already set on the coffee table in the living room.
It was once again the exquisite specialty dishes of the elves: golden, crispy roasted poultry, fresh vegetable salad, and a pot of steaming moonlight flower tea.
Little Black was curled up in a corner of the sofa. In front of him was an empty plate with a few fish bones left at the bottom. Clearly, he had already eaten his fill.
After eating, Jiang Lin opened his system panel.
He used a Random Skill Upgrade point immediately.
The familiar scene descended once again.
He arrived in that void-like dark room, sitting cross-legged in the darkness with no points of reference around him.
Only the space elements, like silver-white stars, flowed slowly in all directions.
Once. Twice. Again and again.
He constructed the formula structure for Space Perception, going from stumbling to a smooth, flowing execution.
His perception range expanded from one meter to ten, from ten to a hundred, and from a hundred to a thousand.
After an unknown amount of time, the formula was no longer just a formula; it had become a part of his body, like breathing or a heartbeat.
With just a thought, the surrounding space elements would spontaneously manifest in his perception, forming a spherical field with a radius of several kilometers.
Within this field, every ripple of space and every minute distortion was as clear as day.
The memory infusion stopped.
He opened his eyes and glanced at the system panel.
【Space Perception (Initiated) → Space Perception (Superlative)】
The memory infusion stopped, but it wasn't over yet.
He looked at the suffix of this skill on the system panel once more.
“Limit-breakable 0/1.”
Then, he used a Designated Skill Upgrade point.
An even more massive torrent of memories flooded in.
The visions this time were longer and more tedious than before.
He stayed in the dark room for an unknown amount of time, refining this basic formula over and over again in the most clumsy and time-consuming way.
There were no shortcuts, no sudden epiphanies—only a path built from countless attempts and failures.
Finally, the vision froze.
【Space Perception (Superlative) → Space Perception (Limit-broken)】
【Space affinity slightly increased.】
Jiang Lin opened his eyes.
The moonlight spilling through the window was reflected in his golden eyes.
But at this moment, he saw far more than just that.
He raised his right hand, a faint circle of silver light swirling around his fingertips. The light spread silently, penetrating the walls and the night sky, bringing everything within a radius of several kilometers into his perception.
In the next room, Elune was sitting at her vanity, holding a silver comb and idly brushing her already smooth, silver-purple hair.
Her lips moved slightly, as if she were talking to herself.
Jiang Lin didn't listen intentionally, but the information brought by Space Perception was too clear; those minute acoustic vibrations felt as if they were right next to his ear.
“...What should I wear tomorrow? The pale blue one? No, too formal... The light green one? I wore that once already...”
Jiang Lin withdrew his perception range.
He stopped listening.
He turned his attention further away.
The entire Silver Moon Academy was like a quiet island in the night.
Occasionally, a few late-returning students hurried along the tree-lined paths. The moonlight stone atop the Moonlight Tower emitted a constant, pale blue glow, and the runes on the tower's surface flowed slowly.
Further off, the lights of Silver Moon City were like stars scattered across the mortal world. Occasionally, a carriage would pass along the cobblestone road, the rhythmic clopping of hooves echoing clearly through the streets.
This was the effect of Space Perception after limit-breaking.
It was no longer a skill that needed to be actively triggered, but a passive, constant extension of his senses. Like breathing or a heartbeat, it naturally integrated into his perception system, as if he had been born with the organ.
Jiang Lin withdrew his gaze and sat cross-legged once more.
He didn't have the habit of sleeping; the night was equally precious to him.
Running three breathing techniques simultaneously, the holy light magic, ice soul power, and blood energy circulated through his body, gradually replenishing the mental energy and magic essence he had consumed today.
...
The next morning, Seventh Training Ground.
This training ground was located in a small grove in the southwest corner of Silver Moon Academy, far from the main teaching area and the arena. Few people usually came here.
The area wasn't large, about the size of half a basketball court. The ground was paved with bluish-gray stone slabs engraved with simple reinforcement runes, and a few heavily worn training dummies stood at the edges.
Fenrir arrived fifteen minutes earlier than the scheduled time.
He had changed into a lightweight training suit today. His two-handed greatsword, nearly as tall as he was, leaned against a stone pillar at the edge of the grounds.
Seeing Jiang Lin and Elune walking from the end of the tree-lined path, he immediately stood up, his burly frame looking like a small mountain in the morning light.
“Master Matthew!”
His voice was still as low as muffled thunder, but his tone carried a few more hints of respect.
Jiang Lin nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the training ground.
Alicia was already there, sitting cross-legged on a stone platform on the other side of the training ground, her eyes closed in meditation.
She opened her eyes at the sound, her pale gold eyes exceptionally bright in the morning light.
She didn't speak, but simply stood up and solemnly performed an elven warrior's salute.
“Everyone is here.”
Jiang Lin walked to the center of the training ground and came to a halt, his golden hair swaying slightly in the morning breeze.
“First lesson today: the basics of sword intent.”
Fenrir's eyes lit up:
“We're learning sword intent directly? Don't I need to forget those sword moves first?”
“Forgetting sword moves and learning sword intent aren't mutually exclusive.”
Jiang Lin raised his right hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together. A faint speck of deep blue light condensed at his fingertips.
“Sword intent isn't a technique; it’s an understanding and perception of the sword. Your sword moves are too numerous and rigid, so you must forget them first; otherwise, those patterns solidified in your muscle memory will hinder your perception of sword intent. But she is different.”
He turned to Alicia:
“Your sword moves are already flexible enough. You’ve touched the threshold of sword intent. What you lack is a catalyst, or rather, a correct direction.”
Alicia nodded slightly:
“I’ve been stuck at the 5th-rank peak for half a year, always looking for a breakthrough. Your strike yesterday allowed me to see the true form of sword intent. But I don't know how to condense my own.”
“Because you’ve always been imitating.”
Jiang Lin’s voice wasn't loud, but it was like a fine needle precisely piercing the deepest part of Alicia’s heart.
“Your swordsmanship teacher is likely one of the top few in the Silver Moon Kingdom. His sword intent is condensed and pure, so you have been imitating his path. But no matter how well you imitate it, it is ultimately someone else's path. Your own sword intent is something you need to find yourself.”
Alicia was silent for a long time:
“Then what should I do?”
“First, feel your sword.”
Jiang Lin walked up to her, reached out to take the rapier from her waist, laid the blade flat in his palm, and closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them again.
“How long has this sword been with you?”
“Six years.”
“Six years. Your aura is already etched into the blade.”
“But you haven't truly felt it.”
“Every time you hold the sword, you're thinking about the moves your teacher taught, the standard postures in textbooks, and your opponent's possible responses. You’ve never quieted your mind just to simply feel the sword's existence.”
He handed the rapier back to Alicia:
“Close your eyes, grip the sword, and think of nothing. Don't think about sword moves, don't think about combat—just feel the weight of the sword, its temperature, and its pulse in your palm.”
Alicia did as told, closing her eyes and gripping the hilt with both hands, the tip of the sword pointing toward the ground.
The morning breeze brushed through the treetops at the edge of the training ground, making a soft rustling sound.
Faint sounds of clashing swords and magic explosions drifted from other training grounds in the distance, but everything in this small grove felt exceptionally quiet.
Time passed minute by minute. Jiang Lin didn't speak again, just quietly watching her.
He knew this couldn't be rushed. Some people could capture that feeling on their first try, while most required days or even months.
But Alicia had already been wandering at the threshold of sword intent for half a year. What she lacked was never talent, but someone to tell her that the path wasn't ahead, but right beneath her feet.
Suddenly, the rapier in Alicia’s hand emitted a clear, crisp ring.
The ring was extremely faint, like a wind chime moved by a gentle breeze—almost inaudible—but it was definitely there.
Alicia snapped her eyes open, her pale gold eyes filled with surprise:
“I felt it just now... It responded to me.”
“That is the prototype of sword intent. What you need to do is continuously deepen that feeling until it evolves from a prototype into true sword intent.”
Jiang Lin nodded.
“This path is long, but you’ve already taken the first step.”
Alicia bowed solemnly, her voice carrying an unprecedented firmness:
“Thank you for your guidance, Master.”
Standing to the side, Fenrir watched with wide eyes, a choking sound coming from his throat:
“She... she touched the threshold of sword intent just like that?”
“Your path is different.”
Jiang Lin turned to him.
“Your foundation is too rigid. Those sword moves solidified in your muscles have become your instinct.”
“To perceive sword intent, you must first break those instincts.”
“For the next seven days, you will use only basic swordsmanship, just like when you first started learning the sword.”
“Chop, thrust, parry, deflect, point—every movement must be slow, slow enough that you can clearly feel every vibration of the blade.”
Fenrir scratched his head, the old sword scar on his chin twisting slightly with his movement:
“Seven days of only practicing basic swordsmanship?”
“Think it's easy?”
Jiang Lin walked to the weapon rack, took an unsharpened iron sword, and drew a circle about one meter in diameter on the ground.
“Stand in the circle. You're not allowed to take a single step out. Use basic swordsmanship to meet my sword. If you last as long as a stick of incense, you pass.”
Fenrir grinned, stroded into the circle, and gripped the hilt of his greatsword with both hands:
“I'm good at this! Come at me!”
Jiang Lin raised the iron sword in his hand and took a step forward.
Sword light poured down on Fenrir like rain from all directions.
Every strike was within the power range of the 4th-rank early stage, but the angles were tricky and the changes in moves were extremely fast. Fenrir barely blocked the first three strikes, but by the fourth, he was forced to dodge sideways, stepping one foot outside the circle.
“Again.”
Fenrir wiped the sweat from his forehead and stepped back into the circle, gripping his greatsword tightly, his gaze much more solemn than before:
“Again!”
Second round: five strikes.
Third round: seven strikes.
Fourth round: nine strikes.
By the fifth round, Fenrir finally managed to endure twelve strikes within the circle. The cost was his web between thumb and forefinger splitting, blood dripping down the hilt, and his wrists being so shaken that he could barely hold the sword.
But there wasn't a hint of defeat on his face; instead, he was filled with excitement:
“Again!”
The morning light grew brighter, and the sound of clashing swords on the training ground continued until noon.
When Jiang Lin finally announced the end of today's lesson, Fenrir slumped directly onto the ground, gasping for air, his training suit soaked in sweat.
But the fire in his eyes was more vigorous than ever:
“Same time tomorrow?”
“Yeah.”
Jiang Lin put down the iron sword and turned to Alicia.
“You don't need to practice anymore today. Understanding sword intent takes time to digest. Feel it more after you return, but don't force it.”
Alicia nodded, hesitated for a moment, then took an exquisite wooden box from her spatial ring and handed it over:
“These are pastries I made myself. They aren't anything valuable, just... a thank-you gift.”
Jiang Lin took the wooden box and opened it to take a look. Inside were over a dozen exquisite pastries neatly arranged, each shaped like a flower and emitting a faint sweet fragrance.
He closed the lid:
“Thanks.”
Alicia’s pale gold eyes brightened. She bowed slightly and turned to leave.
Fenrir also scrambled up from the ground, shouldered his greatsword, and gave Jiang Lin a warrior's salute:
“See you tomorrow, Master Matthew.”
Only Jiang Lin and Elune remained on the training ground.
Elune stepped forward, her pale purple eyes curving into two beautiful crescents:
“You really are a good teacher. Even someone as proud as Alicia is impressed by you.”
“I just told her what she already knew.”
Jiang Lin put the wooden box into his spatial ring and walked toward the exit.
“Let's go find Master Zoe again.”
“Mm-hmm!”
...
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