Chapter 45: Blue Fireball

Chapter 45: The Blue Fireball

The problem now lay bare before Li Wei.

The solution was simple enough.

If he ceased using the "Great Dreamwalking Art" from this moment on, he would no longer suffer deeper erosion of his memories.

"Opportunity and danger coexist!"

That morning, over breakfast, Li Wei ran into Gu Ze.

Gu Ze looked particularly radiant.

Curious, Li Wei asked, "Master Gu Ze, did something good happen? You seem especially joyful today."

Gu Ze smiled. "A matter that has long troubled me has finally been resolved."

Li Wei chuckled. "Fortune favors the virtuous—perhaps your time has come at last."

Gu Ze replied cheerfully, "I'll take your kind words as an omen. This morning during cultivation, I sensed signs of breakthrough. Perhaps in a short while, I’ll become a full-fledged mage."

Li Wei said happily, "Then congratulations are in order, Master Gu Ze."

Suddenly remembering something, he asked, "Master, did Grandmaster Luo Ta visit you yesterday?"

Gu Ze nodded. "We spoke for the entire afternoon—I gained much from our conversation."

Li Wei glanced around; breakfast was nearly over, yet Luo Ta had not appeared.

He scratched his forehead, deciding to pay Luo Ta a visit himself.

After finishing his meal, Li Wei carried a tray of breakfast toward Luo Ta’s chamber.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Grandmaster Luo Ta, it's Li Wei."

The door creaked open. There stood Luo Ta, dark circles beneath his eyes, clearly having not slept through the night.

Li Wei handed him the food. "Forgive the intrusion, Grandmaster."

Luo Ta took the tray. "Come in. It's not an inconvenience. What brings you here?"

Stepping inside, Li Wei found the room in disarray—papers scattered everywhere, remnants of magical materials strewn across tables.

Seeing this, Luo Ta flushed with embarrassment. "Apologies. I forgot to clean up after last night’s experiments."

With a wave of his hand, he summoned a magical servant to tidy the place.

Then he led Li Wei to a relatively neat study.

"What do you need?" Luo Ta asked.

Li Wei said, "Recently, while practicing Ice Arrow Spell, I noticed my version is far weaker than normal. Why might that be?"

As he ate, Luo Ta replied, "Most likely due to your extremely low affinity for ice elements."

Li Wei asked, "Is there any way to fix it?"

Luo Ta raised three fingers. "First—abandon the Ice Arrow Spell entirely, and instead train in spells better suited to your nature."

"There are thousands upon thousands of spells in this world. No mage can master them all. One must know what to let go."

"Second—use magical materials to assist casting."

"The elemental magic in the world is influenced by personal affinities. Each person draws upon different forces. Yet the magic within materials is stable, far easier to control than free-floating elements."

"Third—cast via pure mana."

"Mana is the fusion of magical elements and mental energy. Mana *is* magical element!"

"After constructing a spell’s framework, actively fill it with mana instead of raw elements. In doing so, you bypass affinity limitations and unleash a spell’s full power. The cost, however, is that mana consumption becomes vastly greater than normal."

"Pure mana casting is typically reserved for non-elemental spells—like Mage Hand, Magical Servant, or Magic Shield."

"To be precise, even Magical Servant and Magic Shield aren’t truly pure mana spells. They’re only classified as such because the ratio of mana to elemental input exceeds thirty percent."

Li Wei listened, enlightenment dawning. With sincerity, he said, "Thank you, Grandmaster Luo Ta, for your guidance!"

Luo Ta smiled. "No need for thanks. Your words yesterday helped me find a new breakthrough."

"Indeed, exchange among mages remains invaluable."

Then, recalling something, he asked, "In a few months’ time comes the Mage Assembly. Are you planning to attend?"

Li Wei frowned. "Mage Assembly?"

Luo Ta explained, "It’s a gathering hosted by the Mage Association. Even apprentices may register. This year, it might be held in Feihua City."

"Mages from all corners will come—sharing cultivation insights, trading rare spellbooks and precious magical materials seldom seen elsewhere."

"At the last assembly, a vial of supreme potion surfaced—one capable of awakening supernatural traits instantly."

Li Wei gasped. "Can supernatural traits truly be awakened through potions?"

Luo Ta laughed. "Of course. Have you heard of the legendary Dragonblood Elixir?"

Li Wei had read of it in books. He asked in disbelief, "But isn’t that just fiction?"

"Not at all," Luo Ta said. "The Dragonblood Elixir is real—a genuine potion. Those who drink it gain part of a dragon’s physique and strength."

"One dragon yields only one vial. That alone should tell you how rare it is."

"In ancient times, the human empire hunted dragons en masse to produce these elixirs, forming legions of Dragon Knights. The dragon population plummeted, until they vanished from the continent altogether."

"Today, dragons are myth. Centuries may pass without a single sighting."

"Yet one who drinks the Dragonblood Elixir still inherits a dragon’s supernatural essence."

"I’ve strayed off topic. But in any case, I strongly advise you to attend the Mage Assembly. It would broaden your horizons greatly."

Li Wei said, "I’ll consider it."

"For now, I’ll take my leave. Forgive the disturbance, Grandmaster."

With that, Li Wei departed. Back in his room, he attempted pure mana casting.

It proved far more difficult than he’d imagined.

Several attempts at the Ice Arrow Spell ended in failure. So he switched to the Minor Fireball Spell—one he knew better, with finer control.

On his first try, he succeeded effortlessly: mana flowed into the spell model, replacing elemental force.

A small blue fireball flickered to life in his palm.

Fire elementals burn red. But a fireball forged of pure mana glowed blue.

Li Wei hurled it forward—and to his surprise, found he could guide it with astonishing ease.

The fireball circled around him, dancing through the air.

At a mere thought, it flew outward, then turned back, returning like a loyal pet.

Boom!

Mid-flight, he detonated it. The blue flame burst outward in a focused explosion, its force directed entirely away from him—leaving him untouched.

A look of wonder lit up Li Wei’s face.

Isn't this precisely the absolute control over magic he had once pursued?

Sensing the flow of magical energy for a moment, Li Wei faintly furrowed his brow.

Casting *Minor Fireball* without using fire elements consumed over three times the usual amount of mana.

And this was merely the standard version of the spell.

If it were the enhanced *Fireball*, the mana expenditure would be even more terrifying.

Improving spell control at the cost of vastly increased mana consumption—

this was mere trickery.

It was not the flawless mastery spoken of in ancient tomes, the hallmark of truly great mages.

Only when one reached that exalted state could one unleash area spells, slaying enemies while leaving allies unharmed.

Otherwise, releasing a wide-scale spell purely through raw mana would demand an expenditure infinitely greater than casting a single-target *Fireball*.

Even high-ranking mages would find such a burden unbearable.

In that case, there would be little difference left between mages and ordinary supernatural warriors.

After all, the greatest advantage of a mage over other supernaturally gifted classes lay in their ability to harness external cosmic forces far surpassing their own strength.

Unlike warriors, assassins, or marksmen, who relied solely on their personal might.

(End of Chapter)