The atmosphere in the arena became tense in an instant. The spectators in the stands whispered with enthusiasm, most still not believing what they had just witnessed. A family member who was considered to have no talent at all suddenly showed a legendary spiritual body that even the elders rarely saw.
On the high platform, the senior elders exchanged meaningful glances. Lord Edmund, head of the Blackthorne Family, frowned deeply. He had tested hundreds of family members for decades, but the reaction of the spirit crystal just now was truly beyond his expectations.
"Family head," whispered Grand Elder Roderick beside him, "is that really the Ten Thousand Spells Spiritual Body? I thought it was just a legend..."
Lord Edmund shook his head slowly, his eyes not leaving Marcus in the arena. "Golden light with such intensity... there's no doubt about it. But how is it possible? We've tested that child countless times since he was small."
Meanwhile, in the arena, Theodore began activating his magical power. A light blue aura began to surround his body, indicating that he had reached the third level of mana refinement. The wind around him swirled, lifting dust and dried leaves.
"Marcus," Theodore said in a loud voice so everyone could hear, "I'll give you a chance to surrender now. Although you somehow managed to fool the spirit crystal, in real combat, you won't last even one minute!"
Marcus remained standing calmly, his hands relaxed at his sides. He felt the new energy flowing through his body - the inheritance from the Codex of Ten Thousand Spells. Deep alchemical knowledge, understanding of magical herb properties, and most importantly, the ability to sense the flow of mana around him with extraordinary clarity.
"Theodore," Marcus said in a voice that was calm but audible throughout the arena, "you've always liked to talk. How about we just start?"
Theodore was offended by Marcus's calm attitude. For years, he had enjoyed his position as a superior family member, while Marcus had always been the butt of jokes. Now, when Marcus showed a confident attitude, Theodore felt like his authority was being challenged.
"Fine! If you want to be humiliated in front of the entire family, I'll grant it!"
Theodore raised his hand, and a blue fireball the size of a fist formed in his palm. This was "Azure Flame Strike" - one of the most effective basic-level attack techniques for low-level wizards.
"Flame Strike!" Theodore hurled the fireball toward Marcus at high speed.
The spectators held their breath. Such an attack was enough to seriously injure a beginner wizard, let alone someone who had just awakened his magical core.
However, Marcus didn't move. His eyes followed the fireball's trajectory with strange calmness. In his mind, the alchemical knowledge he had just received began to work. He could see the energy composition of the fireball, understand its structure, even sense its weaknesses.
Just before the fireball reached him, Marcus moved his hand with a smooth motion, as if he were stirring a potion in the air. Faint golden energy flowed from his fingers, and something amazing happened.
Theodore's fireball began to lose its cohesion. The blue flame changed color, becoming paler, then crumbled into harmless small sparks before it could hit Marcus.
Total silence dominated the arena.
"What... what just happened?" someone whispered from the stands.
Theodore stared at his own hand in disbelief, then stared at Marcus with widened eyes. "Impossible! You... how did you do that?"
Marcus smiled thinly. He was surprised by what he had just done. However, the inheritance of the Codex of Ten Thousand Spells provided an instinctive understanding of magical energy manipulation. He didn't destroy Theodore's attack with brute force, but rather understood its structure and disrupted it from within.
"Is that all you have, Theodore?" Marcus asked with an almost mocking tone.
Theodore's face reddened with anger and shame. He couldn't accept that his best attack had been easily neutralized by someone he had always considered trash.
"Don't get cocky!" Theodore roared, this time concentrating more energy. Two larger fireballs formed in both his hands. "Azure Twin Strike!"
He threw both fireballs simultaneously from different angles, trying to make it impossible for Marcus to dodge.
But this time, Marcus didn't just stand still. He stepped forward, his foot movements following a strange pattern - a movement technique he understood from the magical inheritance. Each step seemed to utilize the natural energy flow in the arena.
When the first fireball almost hit him, Marcus moved his hand with a smooth motion that looked like stirring a potion in the air. Faint golden energy flowed from his fingers, but this time he focused it on the precise point in the fireball's energy structure.
Instead of trying to destroy or block the attack, Marcus used his magical understanding to manipulate the internal composition of the fireball. He disrupted the energy balance within the first fireball, causing it to veer out of control and collide with the second fireball in the air, creating a spectacular explosion.
This time, even the elders on the platform couldn't hide their amazement.
"Molecular disruption..." murmured the examining elder in a voice that was almost inaudible. "He manipulated the internal structure of the spell itself. That requires profound understanding of magical energy composition..."
Theodore stepped back, his face pale. He began to realize that the Marcus standing before him was not the same person he had always mocked and intimidated.
"Who are you really?" Theodore asked, his voice trembling between anger and fear.
Marcus stopped walking, standing casually in the center of the arena. His eyes no longer showed the doubt or fear that Theodore usually saw. Instead, there was calm confidence, as if he had mastered power far beyond their understanding.
"I am Marcus Blackthorne," he answered. "And I'm just beginning to show who I am."
Wind blew across the arena, lifting dust around Marcus's feet. For the first time in his life, he felt what it meant to have true power. Not just magical power, but also the confidence that came from the knowledge and abilities he believed in.
Theodore gritted his teeth, preparing a stronger attack, while the spectators waited with bated breath to see what would happen next in this battle they had never expected.