It failed.
The spatial tension of the seventh track exceeded the limit of magic essence he could currently bear.
Jiang Lin wasn't discouraged.
He closed his eyes, replaying every detail of the attempt in his mind.
At the core nodes of the seventh track, the space elements had shown a momentary resistance.
It was a conflict between the magic essence he output and the inherent elasticity of space.
Zoe's notes mentioned that a different approach was needed—using magic essence to guide the space elements to tear themselves apart, rather than forcing them open.
He adjusted the way he output his magic essence.
This time, instead of injecting magic essence directly into the nodes, he transformed it into extremely fine threads. He wrapped them around the nodes, applying weak tension from multiple directions simultaneously.
The space elements began to deform slowly, like silk being pulled from both sides by invisible hands. The density in the center grew lower and lower, becoming thinner by the second.
Just as the rift was about to form, the magic formula collapsed again.
But this time, it collapsed because the spatial tension wasn't high enough.
He had been too cautious, and the tension he applied hadn't reached the threshold for tearing.
Jiang Lin took a deep breath and began his third attempt.
On the third attempt, the magic formula collapsed once more.
Jiang Lin frowned slightly, flexing his numbing fingers.
Looking at his total capacity at the 4th-rank early stage, his magic essence was indeed a bit stretched, but it wasn't entirely insufficient. The key lay in how to allocate the magic essence more efficiently, ensuring each node could complete its task with the minimum supply required.
He closed the notes and his eyes, dedicating himself entirely to calculating an optimization plan for the magic formula.
When Jiang Lin opened his eyes again, the sky outside the window was already beginning to pale with the first light of dawn.
An entire night had passed.
He didn't start a new attempt immediately. Instead, he stood up, stretched his limbs, and walked to the window, pushing it open just a crack.
The cool morning breeze rushed in, carrying the elegant scent of moonlight roses.
He turned and walked to the open space in the center of the living room, raising his right hand.
At his fingertips, pale silver spatial magic essence condensed once more.
He began to construct the magic formula.
The magic essence circuits lit up one by one at his fingertips.
The first track, passed.
The third track, passed.
The fifth, sixth, and seventh tracks—all passed.
As the end of the seventh track stabilized into form, the seven core nodes lit up simultaneously. The pale silver light condensed at his fingertip into an extremely fine, thin thread that radiated a heart-stopping sharpness.
The thread was only as thick as a hair and less than two inches long. It vibrated slightly as it hovered at his fingertip, the space at its edges distorted into a faint, dark halo.
【Spatial Cutting (Uninitiated) → (Initiated)】
Jiang Lin stared at the silver thread hovering at his fingertip, feeling the terrifying sharpness contained within.
This was spatial cutting—turning space itself into a blade.
His magic essence was being consumed far faster than normal. The rift seemed delicate, but it swallowed his power like a bottomless pit.
With his current magic essence capacity—which, at the 4th-rank early stage, was comparable to the 5th-rank early stage—he could only maintain this rift for ten breaths at most.
He took a deep breath and then spent two Random Skill Upgrade points.
【Spatial Cutting (Initiated) → Spatial Cutting (Superlative) → Spatial Cutting (Limit-broken)】
【Space affinity slightly increased.】
The moment the memory infusion ended, Jiang Lin snapped his eyes open.
He raised his right hand and made a gentle swiping motion in the air before him.
No magic formula, no condensation, no preparatory movements.
With just a thought, an extremely fine black gap opened silently wherever his fingertip passed. Its edges were as smooth as a mirror, and the void within was so deep it seemed capable of swallowing all light.
The rift existed for only half a breath before quietly mending itself. Space returned to its original state, leaving not a single trace behind.
But Jiang Lin knew that if that swipe had landed on a target, it would have been enough to cut through almost any defense below the 7th-rank.
Having learned two new magic formulas in succession, his space affinity had risen from almost zero at the start to a level where he could easily perceive and utilize space elements.
Though there was still a gap between him and a natural-born spatial elf like Zoe, he could now at least continue studying more profound spatial magic knowledge.
He walked to the coffee table, picked up Zoe's notes, and continued reading.
Over the next few days, he needed to master spatial anchoring and spatial oscillation, and then he could begin researching the architecture of long-distance teleportation arrays.
The difficulty of the latter was higher than all the previous formulas combined. It required precise calculation of teleportation coordinates, tearing a stable spatial tunnel between the start and finish, and maintaining enough spatial stability within the tunnel to accommodate a human body.
But he had already found the way.
When the first ray of morning sunlight spilled onto the floor through the gap in the curtains, Jiang Lin put away the notes.
He stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open to let the morning breeze fill the room.
Outside, the silhouettes of early-rising students were already visible on the tree-lined paths of Silver Moon Academy.
A few elven girls in silver-white uniforms walked by together, clutching thick magic tomes, their crisp laughter drifting on the morning wind.
Little Black jumped down from the windowsill and landed on his shoulder.
“That woman Zoe is probably going to be fuming because of you.”
“Why?”
“She practiced who knows how long to reach her current level, and you learned it in a single night. If I were her, I’d be pissed too.”
Little Black's tone carried a hint of schadenfreude.
“But that’s fine. The faster you learn, the sooner we can go back.”
Jiang Lin didn't respond.
He turned and walked toward the door. Today was the day for Fenrir and Alicia’s swordsmanship lesson.
At the Seventh Training Ground, Fenrir and Alicia had already been waiting for a while.
To Jiang Lin's surprise, there was an extra figure at the edge of the training ground.
Carlos was leaning against that heavily worn stone pillar, arms crossed. His dark brown eyes watched Jiang Lin approach through the morning mist, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“Tutor Carlos? What brings you here?”
“I heard you were holding classes here, so I came to take a look.”
Carlos stood up straight and rolled his shoulders.
“What, not welcome?”
“You’re welcome.” Jiang Lin walked to the center of the training ground and came to a halt. “I just happened to be short a sparring partner.”
“Alright then.”
Carlos stepped onto the training ground.
He didn't draw a sword. Instead, he used his finger as a blade, making a light swipe in the air.
Wherever his fingertip passed, the air seemed to be cut by an invisible sharp edge, leaving a very faint white trace.
“Let me see just how far your sword intent has progressed.”
Jiang Lin glanced at Fenrir and Alicia at the edge of the training ground. Both were staring intently at them, their eyes full of anticipation.
Jiang Lin withdrew his gaze and raised his right hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together. A very faint point of deep blue light condensed at his fingertips.
“Please, enlighten me.”
Carlos didn't waste words. He took a step forward, and the sword intent at his fingertip suddenly solidified, transforming into a nearly transparent three-foot-long sword.
The blade was as thin as a cicada's wing, almost invisible in the morning light, with only a circle of very faint silver light flowing along its edges.
Sword Intent Condensation.
This was something that could only be achieved after sword intent reached the “initial condensation” stage.
Carlos had spent twenty-seven years immersed in this step. While his sword intent blade wasn't as heavy as a physical sword, it possessed a level of lightness and sharpness that a physical blade could never reach.
“Watch out.”
Before Carlos's voice could fade, the sword intent blade was already at Jiang Lin's face.
It was incredibly fast and aimed at a tricky angle. The tip of the sword suddenly split when it was only three inches from Jiang Lin's brow.
One became three, three became nine. Nine sword lights bloomed like a silver lotus, sealing off all of Jiang Lin's angles for evasion.
Jiang Lin didn't retreat. He raised his right hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together. The point of deep blue light at his fingertip suddenly expanded, transforming into a three-foot-long deep blue sword.
The blade was completely transparent, with countless fine frost patterns flowing within. The edge was as thin as a cicada's wing, reflecting a cold, sharp light in the morning sun.
It was also Sword Intent Condensation.
But Jiang Lin's sword intent was completely different from Carlos's.
Carlos's sword intent was light and sharp, like a gust of wind passing through a forest.
In contrast, Jiang Lin's sword intent was cold and heavy, like an ancient glacier that would never melt. The moment the blade condensed, the surrounding temperature plummeted, and a thin layer of frost formed on the ground.
Clang!
The two sword intent blades collided in the air, producing a crisp sound like metal striking metal.
Carlos's nine sword lights were swept away by Jiang Lin's single strike, shattering simultaneously into a flurry of silver light particles.
Carlos took a step back, a flash of surprise in his eyes, though it was quickly replaced by excitement.
“Good! Again!”
He used both hands, his ten fingers flicking in rapid succession. Each finger condensed a sword intent blade.
The ten swords hovered, spun, and intertwined in the air, forming a precise sword array before all thrusting toward Jiang Lin at once.
This move was called “Ten Directions Sword Rain.” It was a technique Carlos had created himself during his twenty-seven years of traveling through Alderon, merging elven swordsmanship with human sword styles.
Each of the ten sword intent blades contained a different sword momentum—some were fierce, some light, some treacherous, and some domineering.
Attacking simultaneously, they were like ten swordsmen with different styles striking at once, making them nearly impossible to defend against.
Jiang Lin didn't dodge.
He simply raised the deep blue sword in his hand and made a light tap with the tip pointing upward.
First Style · Frost Condensation.
The sword moved without a shadow.
Those ten menacing sword intent blades froze in mid-air simultaneously.
Deep blue frost patterns appeared on the surface of the blades, spreading rapidly and covering them in an instant.
Then, the ten swords shattered at once, dissolving into countless particles of ice crystal dust.
Carlos's pupils constricted sharply.
He formed another hand seal. This time, what he condensed was no longer ten separate swords, but a single massive sword intent heavy sword.
The blade was over three meters long and as wide as a door, silver-white throughout, with complex elven runes flowing along the edge.
With a low shout, he raised the heavy sword over his head and brought it crashing down toward Jiang Lin.
This strike had no frills; it was pure power.
The moment the sword intent heavy sword fell, the air was compressed into a visible white shockwave. The frost on the ground was blown away by the fierce wind, and even the trees at the edge of the training ground shook violently.
Jiang Lin raised his sword.
It was still that three-foot-long deep blue sword, looking as tiny as a toothpick compared to Carlos's heavy sword.
But he simply parried it lightly. When the deep blue sword collided with the silver-white heavy sword, there was no loud boom and no shockwave—only a very soft clink, like an ice cube falling into water.
Carlos's heavy sword shattered.
From the edge to the hilt, it was eroded, frozen, and disintegrated inch by inch by Jiang Lin's sword intent.
The heavy sword formed of sword intent was penetrated by ice soul power the moment they touched. Its internal structure was completely destroyed, and it turned into a pile of fine ice crystals on the ground.
Carlos stood where he was, looking down at his empty hands and then up at Jiang Lin. His lips moved, but he couldn't say a single word.
At the edge of the training ground, Fenrir's jaw nearly hit the floor. He turned his head mechanically toward Alicia.
“Did... did you see that?”
“I saw it...”
Alicia's voice was dry.
“Tutor Carlos's sword intent was completely suppressed.
“It wasn't a suppression of power, but of realm.
“Teacher Matthew's sword intent is far stronger than Tutor Carlos's.”
A choking sound came from Fenrir's throat. He suddenly felt that having been forced to jump in circles by Jiang Lin with an iron sword was actually a privilege.
Carlos finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
“Those strikes just now... how exactly did you do it? My sword intent felt like it was made of paper in front of yours.”
Jiang Lin withdrew his sword intent, and the deep blue sword dissipated into a wisp of cold air at his fingertips.
“Your sword intent foundation is very solid, but it’s too scattered.
“Your Ten Directions Sword Rain disperses the power of your sword intent. Although there are many swords, the strength of each one isn't enough to break through my defense.
“While the last strike concentrated your power, it was just a simple stacking of force. It lacked the refinement of the sword intent itself.”
“Refinement of the sword intent...”
“Sword intent isn't magic essence; it doesn't get stronger just because you stack more of it,” Jiang Lin explained.
“Sword intent is the manifestation of a swordsman's understanding of the Dao of the sword. Its strength depends on how deep your understanding is, not on how much magic essence you condense.
“Your sword intent has been stuck at the ‘initial condensation’ stage for a long time, and you’ve only just touched the threshold of ‘intermediate condensation.’
“You’ve been constantly pursuing variations in techniques and increases in power, but you haven't continued to deeply refine the essence of the sword intent itself.”
Carlos was silent for a long time—so long that Fenrir began to shift his feet uneasily at the edge of the field.
Then, Carlos took a step back and bowed solemnly to Jiang Lin.
“I have learned much.”
“You two have seen enough, haven't you?” Jiang Lin turned toward Fenrir and Alicia. “Today’s lesson continues.”
Jiang Lin turned to Fenrir and pointed at the circle on the ground that was almost worn away.
“Continue yesterday’s practice. Stand in the circle and use Basic Swordsmanship to intercept my sword. If you last for the duration of one incense stick, you pass.”
Fenrir immediately snapped to attention, shouldering his greatsword and jogging onto the field.
Jiang Lin took the blunt iron sword from the weapon rack and walked to the edge of the circle.
He didn't strike immediately. Instead, he first glanced at Carlos, who was standing to the side.
“Tutor Carlos, care to join?”
Carlos was stunned for a moment, then he laughed and shook his head.
“No, I came to watch today, not to get beaten up. You go ahead.”
He walked to the edge of the training ground and sat down on a stone bench next to Alicia.
Jiang Lin withdrew his gaze and raised the iron sword.
The sword light fell like rain, once again pouring down toward Fenrir.
But this time, it was completely different from yesterday.
If yesterday’s sword rain was a torrential downpour, then today’s was a gentle spring rain.
Each strike wasn't fast—in fact, they could be called slow, slow enough that Fenrir could clearly see the sword's trajectory.
But the angle of each strike was incredibly tricky, always appearing in the place he least expected, forcing him to change his habitual way of striking.
...
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