Chapter 46: Basic Meditation Method Upgrade

Chapter 46: Upgraded Basic Meditation Technique

After learning of the drawbacks of the Great Dream Soaring Art, Li Wei refrained from using it for several days.

Until he found a solution, he could only minimize its use as much as possible. Yet with such immense benefits and rare opportunities before him, completely abandoning the technique was no easy feat.

Gaining even a single zero-tier spell from a dream was equivalent to earning twenty gold coins. Not to mention the invaluable cultivation experience—something money couldn’t buy.

Such rewards stirred the heart, promising great gains from small risks—an opportunity too precious to forsake.

Recent events had disrupted his original plans, slowing the pace at which he hoped to upgrade his Basic Meditation Technique. Still, through relentless effort, he finally achieved the long-awaited breakthrough.

Sitting cross-legged in his study, Li Wei’s expression shifted subtly as if the world around him had undergone a profound transformation.

Distant magical elements, once scattered like stars across the void, now floated vividly into view around him.

He felt as though cradled by constellations, surrounded and embraced.

Fire, light, lightning, water, wind, earth, grass, ice, earth again, darkness… every magical element opened itself to him, laying bare its essence, ready to be drawn upon.

With a mere thought, he cast Ice Arrow.

Before him materialized a crystalline arrow over half a meter long—vastly larger than the earlier chopstick-sized projectiles he used to conjure.

He dismissed the ice arrow and focused his mind. The lingering frost drifted midair, reassembling into lines of shimmering script:

[Basic Meditation Technique (Perfected)] 0/∞

[Minor Fireball (Zero-tier, Minor Mastery)] 1576/4000

[Invisible Armor (Zero-tier, Minor Mastery)] 317/4000

[Great Dream Soaring Art (Zero-tier)] 50/10000

[Ice Arrow (Zero-tier, Proficient)] 154/2000

Once read, the icy letters dissolved into nothingness.

Li Wei turned inward, reviewing the changes within himself.

The skill panel showed progress, but not the tangible benefits of transcendence.

Upon introspection, he realized that the perfection of the Basic Meditation Technique granted more than just broader elemental affinity and greater mana—it also bestowed a significantly enhanced spiritual sense.

He had long known meditation strengthened one’s spirit. But as his power grew, the technique’s ability to further elevate his spiritual force had waned.

At first, during early cultivation, his spiritual strength would multiply several times over within a month. Now, growth had plateaued.

Extending his meditation from thirty minutes to three hours had taken merely three months. Another three months later, he’d managed only one additional hour.

That was the limit—no further advancement seemed possible.

Yet now, with the Basic Meditation Technique reaching perfection, his spiritual force shattered that ceiling.

Closing his eyes, Li Wei extended his awareness outward. Within a ten-meter radius, the world unfolded clearly in his mind.

His spirit replaced his senses, perceiving reality beyond sight and sound.

Compared to the ordinary world, this spiritual vision revealed swirling currents of magic—colors dancing in radiant hues, dazzling and chaotic.

Staring too long brought dizziness, a throbbing ache behind the eyes.

He withdrew his consciousness and exhaled deeply.

"At last... I can project my spiritual force."

With a flicker of thought, a tiny fireball ignited in his palm—less than a second passing.

A smile tugged at his lips.

"With the technique perfected, elemental channeling time has dropped to 0.5 seconds—nearly instantaneous casting."

Another thought, and the fireball soared from his hand, circling him effortlessly.

Within ten meters, the Minor Fireball obeyed him as naturally as moving an arm.

Swift. Precise. Obedient.

Whoosh!

Boom!

The fireball flew beyond the ten-meter boundary. Instantly, control slipped. He detonated it hastily.

Outside, the explosion startled many. A short-tempered neighbor flung open his window and roared, "Damn it! Don’t you know spells are banned in residential zones? Go practice at the damn training grounds!"

Li Wei, knowing he was at fault, scratched his nose and said nothing.

Soon, the irate apprentice quieted down.

Li Wei returned to contemplation, turning his attention elsewhere.

Examining himself anew, he noticed something astonishing—the persistent memory confusion that had plagued him was gone.

Thoughtful, he murmured, “As spiritual strength grows, self-awareness sharpens. It becomes harder for external forces to invade the mind.”

His eyes gradually brightened.

Perhaps this was the key—the way to counteract the side effects of the Great Dream Soaring Art.

By strengthening his spirit, he could resist the cognitive chaos caused by fragmented memories.

“The Basic Meditation Technique has reached its peak. It’s time to seek a new method.”

He went to the library, searching through ancient texts, and learned that upon becoming a full-fledged mage, practitioners typically advanced to higher-level meditation arts.

The Maple City Mage Tower passed down one such art—Crystal Meditation.

Prerequisites: Full Mage status. Tuition: two hundred gold coins or two hundred contribution points.

Crystal Meditation purified spiritual energy, removing impurities, enhancing mana control, reducing mental distractions during cultivation, and greatly improving efficiency.

Li Wei sighed inwardly. Neither the rank nor the gold was attainable in the near future.

“I wonder… if I could obtain Crystal Meditation from a dream.”

But even as he thought it, he doubted it would be so simple.

After all, only full-fledged mages practiced the Crystal Meditation Technique within the Mage Tower.

Targets were scarce, and the rest times and locations of full mages were unpredictable.

The chance of entering their dreams was simply too low.

"Never mind. I'll try anyway—worst comes to worst, I'll just buy my way in."

"But still… how does one become a full mage? By awakening a supernatural trait?"

Li Wei felt lost.

He had already perfected the Basic Meditation Technique, yet there was not even a hint of an awakened supernatural trait.

He was certain—he was the only one in the entire Mage Tower who had reached perfection in the Basic Meditation Technique.

Most apprentice mages barely achieved mastery at the "minor completion" level.

Those who reached "major completion" were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

Gu Ze had once told him that his casting speed for Ice Arrow was among the fastest of all apprentices.

Even so, Gu Ze still needed about six seconds to cast it.

Five seconds of elemental charging time—that was fixed, unchangeable.

He could only shorten the time spent constructing the spell’s form.

This meant Gu Ze’s Basic Meditation Technique had reached only the "minor completion" stage.

With "major completion," elemental charging time could be reduced to just two seconds.

Any apprentice mage with major completion could easily cast spells within five seconds.

That much was evident.

Li Wei flipped through books searching for answers, but every clue he found was vague and inconclusive.

No one had ever explained to him the process or principles behind awakening a supernatural trait.

It was unnatural. For truth-seeking mages, such an important matter should never remain obscure.

Li Wei sought out Gu Ze, hoping for answers.

"Master Gu Ze, how exactly does one awaken a supernatural trait?"

Gu Ze looked at him in surprise. "You’ve already reached this point so soon?"

He couldn’t help but feel astonished—never expected Li Wei’s progress to be this rapid.

Li Wei chuckled awkwardly. "Not really. Just curious."

Gu Ze shook his head. "Ambition without foundation is dangerous. Each stage has its own goal. Aim too far ahead, and you lose your drive."

"Still… given your talent, you’ll reach this stage before long. Fine—I’ll tell you. As it happens, I’ve recently gained some new insights myself."

(End of Chapter)