Several days had passed since the auction in the City Lord's Mansion of Laifei City.
During this time, although Kael possessed the Wind Spirit Crystal, he did not recklessly absorb the immense energy contained within it. After all, the Wind Spirit Crystal was an exceedingly rare treasure, and Kael would not casually waste it without a high degree of confidence in success.
While he currently felt somewhat confident in breaking through to Level 11, he still sensed that something was missing—his comprehension of wind magic seemed slightly insufficient. Therefore, he refrained from hastily utilizing the Wind Spirit Crystal.
Since the time was not yet ripe, Kael simply paused his meditation and cultivation. At his current level, advancing in magic relied more on accumulated insights and enlightenment rather than relentless training.
On this day, Kael was in the City Lord's Mansion.
The mansion now employed many talented individuals, particularly those above Level 9 recruited from the training grounds.
Numerous mages had also appeared in the mansion, almost all of them above Level 8. This was because Kael had decided to hold a magic lecture in the City Lord's Mansion.
Upon hearing this news, nearly every mage in the city flocked to attend. Kael was now an undisputed powerhouse in the field of magic, and his lecture naturally drew countless mages.
This time, Kael was publicly sharing his knowledge of magic. The seats below were already filled, with Ella and Grace prominently seated in the front row, while Amelia observed from the side.
As for the other mages, each sat upright, listening intently.
"Master, my current Mana Oscillation has reached a bottleneck. I'm now at the peak of Level 4 Mana Oscillation but have been unable to break through to Level 5!" Ella was the first to raise her question, which was also her greatest obstacle at the moment. Ella had been a Level 9 mage for some time, but her inability to reach Level 5 Mana Oscillation had left her strength stagnant.
Mana Oscillation was divided into five levels. It was through Mana Oscillation that Ella and Kael had first met.
Kael felt somewhat embarrassed. After all, Ella was his first—and currently only—disciple, yet he had hardly ever guided her in magic cultivation.
Upon hearing Ella mention the issue of Mana Oscillation, many of the mages in attendance raised their heads attentively. Mana Oscillation had long been a major challenge plaguing Level 8 and Level 9 mages.
"Try performing Mana Oscillation for me—let me observe," Kael said with a smile.
Ella began her attempt. With a casual wave of her hand, she released a spell, causing her mana to instantly resonate with the surrounding air. The mana channels in her body fully opened, and her mana began oscillating.
Ella's comprehension of Mana Oscillation was quite refined. Her movements were coordinated, and every subtle detail was executed flawlessly, earning a silent nod of approval from Kael. Though Ella's innate magical talent was not extraordinary, her diligence and meticulousness were exceptional—qualities that would carry her far on the path of magic.
However, Kael immediately spotted the flaw in her technique.
"Your grasp of Mana Oscillation is decent, but your bodily control still has issues—you can't fully command your mana," Kael pinpointed the problem.
Ella nodded. "Master, please guide me."
Kael smiled. "Try again. This time, I'll direct you."
Following his words, Ella resumed her attempt. Her mana emitted a crisp, resonant hum. At that moment, Kael placed his hand on her back, channeling a wisp of his own mana into her body, guiding it through her mana channels.
"Calm your mind. Don't rush—let it flow naturally," Kael instructed as his mana gently steered hers.
His voice was like a clear spring, jolting Ella into sudden clarity. Her heart settled, and she adjusted her mana in sync with Kael's guidance. Gradually, she gained control over the oscillations in every part of her body. Under Kael's direction, she instantly shattered the barrier to Level 5 Mana Oscillation!
Tears welled in Ella's eyes. Level 5 Mana Oscillation—she had finally broken through! For years as a wandering mage, she had believed her strength would forever be capped at Level 9. Yet now, with this breakthrough, she saw hope of advancing to Level 10.
The onlookers were stunned. By the heavens… Did City Lord Kael just help Ella reach Level 5 Mana Oscillation so effortlessly? It was almost unbelievable. They all knew how difficult Mana Oscillation was—yet Kael had guided Ella to mastery with seemingly no effort…
Kael smiled faintly. "Your foundation was already solid—I merely provided a nudge."
Ella was too overjoyed to speak. She immediately raised her staff and, with a wave of her hand, unleashed a wind-element spell—Tornado.
As Ella steadied her mind, the roar of her Level 5 Mana Oscillation became unmistakable. The tornado howled through the air, yet within its fury, there was an unexpected undercurrent of tranquil wind energy.
Yes—tranquil.
To Kael's surprise, the wind elements no longer seemed violent. Instead, they carried a serene, harmonious quality, sparking a sudden revelation within him. This was what his wind magic had been missing all along!
The essence of wind was not merely fierceness, freedom, or agility—it also held calmness and harmony.
With this epiphany, Kael's mind cleared like the sky after a storm. Who would have thought that while guiding Ella, he'd uncover the true essence of wind magic?
Now that he'd grasped this truth, Kael wasted no time. "Today's lecture ends here. I must go to the Tower of Hope," he announced.
As he spoke, his Wings of the Wind God unfurled, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished.
"...That's it?"
The crowd stared in awe at where Kael had stood, their minds still reeling from the scene of him mentoring Ella.
"Success or failure hinges on this moment!" Kael thought to himself.
He gathered all the energy from the Wind Spirit Crystal, his body's mana channels fully opening as he guided the wind elements into himself. Originally, Kael had been just a hair's breadth away from mastering the wind element—yet that infinitesimal gap represented a qualitative transformation.
The familiar wind energy grew denser and more potent until, gradually, Kael's very body began merging with the elements. Once again, he sensed the power of wind.
"One final step... The wind element..."
This last step was, of course, the most critical and arduous. It was the barrier that had stalled Kael before. But now, the vast wind energy from the Wind Spirit Crystalbecame his catalyst, propelling him forward.
BOOM!
It felt as though a floodgate had burst open within him. Kael's entire body turned weightless, as if he had dissolved into the world itself.
The wind element—he had finally sensed it!
The second element: Wind!
Mana erupted from Kael's body like an explosion, flooding every corner of the Tower of Hope. The shockwave of energy radiated outward, its pressure palpable.
Coincidentally, the mages who had come to seek Kael's guidance had not yet dispersed. Suddenly, they were struck by a surge of mana so overwhelming it seemed to demand their submission. The staffs in their hands trembled and hummed in resonance, their mana surging uncontrollably. Their faces paled in unison—they knew exactly what was happening.
The mana in the air converged like countless streams merging into an ocean, all flowing toward the Tower of Hope.
Kael, City Lord of Laifei, had shattered the barrier of Level 10!
By fusing with a second element, he had ascended to become a Level 11 Mage!
"By the heavens... Lord Kael is only in his twenties!"
"This... this is..." Others were too stunned to speak.
The mana roared with a crystalline clarity, its resonance echoing across the land. Ella, Grace, and even Lone Wolf—still within the City Lord's Mansion—snapped their gazes upward, eyes wide with disbelief, utterly speechless.
Level 11. Fusion of a second element.
A tidal wave of mana gathered above Laifei's territory, lingering like an unshakable tempest.
At the base of the Tower of Hope, every mage stood frozen, their faces etched with awe.