Chapter 17: Wind Crystal Stone

Chapter 17 Wind Crystal

On New Year’s Day, young John did not come to class.

He had abandoned his studies at the Mage Tower and returned home to inherit his family's estate.

The Goldshield family originated as knights, and their descendants possessed a unique knightly talent.

Leina had shown astonishing knightly aptitude since childhood.

Unable to match his sister on the path of knighthood, John sought another way.

That was why he chose to study magic at the Mage Tower.

But it ended in failure, so he returned to uphold the Goldshield legacy of knighthood.

According to Guze, John actually had decent magical talent.

Judging by normal progress for mages, he still stood a good chance of becoming a full-fledged mage one day.

Yet the arrival of Li Wei shattered John’s last hope.

In Li Wei, he saw the shadow of his sister once more.

If he was destined to be crushed by superior talent anyway, then perhaps it was better to walk the path best suited to himself.

At noon, after class, Li Wei spotted Jimmy waiting outside.

When Jimmy saw him emerge, he hurried over. “Mr. Li Wei, I’ve brought your payment for last month.”

He offered a coin pouch with both hands. “Your earnings totaled 52,314 copper—here are five gold coins and twenty-four silver ones. Please take them.”

“Last month, heavy snow blocked the roads. The *Dragon Knight* novels ordered by towns across the region couldn’t be delivered during Winter Festival, so your royalties dropped slightly.”

Li Wei accepted the pouch and nodded. “Thank you. You’ve worked hard.”

Jimmy smiled. “Not at all. It’s my duty.”

After bidding him farewell at the Mage Tower gates, Li Wei headed toward the Treasure Basin Trading Guild.

He had only two Anshen incense sticks left, and his stock of ice crystals was completely gone.

Without ice crystals, his rate of magical power accumulation would slow dramatically.

On the way, Li Wei counted his money.

Seven gold, fifty-four silver, thirty-six copper.

As his spiritual power strengthened, his meditation sessions grew longer.

Now, each session lasted nearly three hours.

One Anshen stick could be used twice at most.

Every month, he consumed thirty sticks just for daily practice—three gold coins’ worth.

And as his strength increased, the effect of the incense gradually weakened.

Even without it, he could now enter a meditative state within three minutes.

With it, that time shortened to one minute—hardly a meaningful difference anymore.

The boost to mana absorption had also dwindled from two or three tenths down to merely one tenth.

Still, Li Wei had heard that full mages kept Anshen incense burning constantly in their chambers.

That suggested the incense wouldn’t lose its efficacy entirely until at least he became an official mage.

After setting aside funds for the monthly Anshen incense, he had about four gold and fifty silver left.

Inside the Treasure Basin Trading Guild, the owner personally greeted him.

“Mage Li Wei, what else may I assist you with?” the man asked warmly.

Just moments ago, Li Wei had purchased thirty Anshen incense sticks in one go.

Such a big sale on the first day of the new year filled the merchant with joy.

Li Wei asked, “Do you have any ice crystals left?”

The owner shook his head. “None. All the ice crystals were bought up last month by senior mages from the tower.”

Li Wei’s expression darkened slightly.

Seeing this, the merchant quickly added, “Though we have no ice crystals, we do have a batch of wind crystals left over from last year’s inventory. Would Mage Li Wei be interested?”

“Let me see,” Li Wei said.

Soon, the owner returned with a box.

Li Wei opened it. Inside lay ten pale blue wind crystals, neatly arranged.

“These wind crystals come from the Storm Desert,” the merchant explained. “It suffers constant storms year-round, producing abundant wind crystals and cores of wind essence.

These were brought back by our caravan last summer. The matching wind essence cores were all purchased by senior mages, but these lower-grade wind crystals weren’t deemed worthy.”

Li Wei picked up one crystal, probing it with his spiritual sense.

He set it down and shook his head. “These are far inferior to ice crystals. And they’ve been stored too long—the wind essence inside has dissipated greatly.”

The merchant clenched his teeth. “I’ll sell this entire batch at a loss—thirty silver per piece!”

He hurried to explain: “Our purchase cost alone was thirty-two silver apiece, not counting travel expenses. I’m truly selling at a loss.”

Li Wei paused in thought, then nodded. He closed the box, pulled it toward himself, and placed three gold coins on the counter.

“I’ll take them.”

The merchant’s face lit up. “Thank you for your patronage!”

Li Wei gathered his things and said, “If you acquire any elemental crystals in the future, contact me.”

The merchant escorted him to the door, nodding. “Of course.”

Back at the Mage Tower,

that night, Li Wei began cultivating using the wind crystal.

Three hours later, his session ended.

Opening his eyes, he found the crystal in his hand had shrunk by half.

“One crystal only lasts two sessions. Ten should last me through the month if I’m careful. But I wonder if I’ll find suitable elemental crystals next month.”

After absorbing the wind essence, his affinity with wind element improved slightly.

Soon, he might be able to draw freely from ambient wind energy in the air.

Wind, fire, water, and earth were the four most fundamental elements in the world.

To perceive and absorb all four meant never being helpless in any environment, never unable to restore mana due to lack of resources.

Li Wei was determined to develop sensitivity to all four.

Currently, he still lacked attunement to water and earth.

He had already asked the Treasure Basin Guild to keep watch for those crystals.

He hoped, in time, to complete the set.

Soon, half a month passed.

Still, Li Wei received no word from Leina.

He never went to seek out Leina either.

After all, he had already mastered the Invisible Armor spell.

If she could let him watch a few more times, and keep things under wraps, that would be ideal.

But if not, it hardly mattered.

As long as no one knew he possessed the ability.

Fortunately, the Invisible Armor spell was inherently highly concealed.

Unless Li Wei spoke of it himself, even if he used it, no one would ever notice.

Unless, of course, he came under attack.

But he spent his days within the mage’s tower—how likely was an assault?

Whoosh!

A small fireball shot toward the wooden dummy standing in the open field.

Boom!

The fireball struck, erupting in a violent explosion.

Flames engulfed the dummy completely.

A moment later, the wind scattered the firelight, revealing the wooden figure unharmed before Li Wei.

Its surface shimmered with magical radiance.

A layer of invisible armor clung tightly to its frame.

Seeing this, Li Wei hurried forward to inspect the armor.

Though the fireball spell had nearly shattered it, the barrier still held, preserving the dummy intact.

He exhaled deeply, a smile spreading across his face.

"At last, I can withstand the fireball spell!"

After half a month of relentless practice, the defensive power of the Invisible Armor spell had improved dramatically.

From shattering at the slightest touch, it now fully resisted the force of a fireball.

With a wave of his hand, he dispelled the spell from the wooden dummy.

Then he glanced down at the ground, where words formed themselves in the soil.

(End of Chapter)