Chapter 4: The Genius Runemaster & The Iceberg Beauty
Mist Cloud City. The Bamboo Grove Residence.
Jiang Yi stepped into the tranquil bamboo garden. The air here was fresh, filled with the scent of pine and expensive spirit tea.
In the center of the grove, an old man in blue robes was instructing a young woman.
The old man had a curly white beard and deep, wise eyes. He radiated an aura of elegance that ordinary martial artists lacked. This was Grandmaster Gu, the President of the Runemaster Association.
But Jiang Yi's eyes were immediately drawn to the woman standing beside him.
She wore a long purple dress that hugged her tall, slender figure. Her skin was as smooth as white jade, and her features were exquisite, as if carved by the gods themselves. However, her expression was freezing cold. She stood there like a block of ancient ice, keeping everyone at a distance.
Lady Zi Ling. The daughter of the City Lord.
[System Insight]
[Target: Zi Ling]
[Score: 92 (Iceberg Goddess)]
Jiang Yi smirked internally. 'Score of 92. Second only to Ruoyan. And she's an Iceberg type... interesting.'
"Grandmaster Gu," Jiang Yi called out, bowing slightly.
Grandmaster Gu turned around. When he saw Jiang Yi, he frowned. "Jiang Yi? What brings you here? Did your father in law send you?"
"No," Jiang Yi smiled. "I came for myself. I wish to learn about Mental Energy."
Grandmaster Gu chuckled, shaking his head. "Young Master Jiang, didn't we go through this three years ago? I tested you. You have zero talent for the Spirit. You are a merchant, not a Runemaster. Don't waste your time."
Beside him, Lady Zi Ling glanced at Jiang Yi. Her beautiful eyes held a trace of disdain.
She knew this man. The "Trash of the Jiang Family." He had money but no talent. To become a Runemaster required a heaven-defying soul. Without talent, even a mountain of gold couldn't help you.
"Grandmaster," Jiang Yi remained calm. "People change. I have already opened my Spirit Sea."
"What?!" Grandmaster Gu's eyes widened. "You opened your Spirit Sea?"
"Impossible," Zi Ling whispered, her cold mask cracking slightly.
Jiang Yi didn't argue. He simply closed his eyes.
Buzz!
A wave of invisible Mental Energy rippled out from his forehead. It was strong, steady, and dense.
Grandmaster Gu gasped. "This... this intensity! It's comparable to a 1st Rank Runemaster! How did you do this without a teacher?"
Zi Ling stared at Jiang Yi, her disdain replaced by shock. 'He actually did it? The merchant trash?'
Jiang Yi retracted his aura. "I had a sudden enlightenment. But I lack the technique to form a Soul Rune. I came to ask Grandmaster for guidance."
Grandmaster Gu strokes his beard, his eyes gleaming. The Myriad Treasure Pavilion was a powerful ally. If the young master had talent, it wouldn't hurt to teach him.
"Very well. Since you have opened the Spirit Sea, you are qualified to listen."
"A Soul Rune is the core of a Runemaster. Only by condensing one can you truly control the elements. There are three tiers: Mortal, Spirit, and Heavenly."
"Most Runemasters only ever condense a Mortal Rune. It has no special element."
"A Spirit Rune is rare. It possesses an elemental affinity—Fire, Water, Wind."
"As for the Heavenly Rune... that is a legend. It is said to be able to devour the heavens, but no one has seen it in centuries."
Grandmaster Gu smiled. "Let's start with the basics. Most Runemasters choose one of the Five Elements. Metal for sharpness, Wood for healing, Fire for destruction."
"Which one do you wish to learn?"
"Fire," Jiang Yi answered instantly. He needed alchemy flames.
"Ambitious," Grandmaster Gu nodded. "Fire is the most explosive and hardest to control. But very well."
He waved his hand, and a complex diagram appeared in the air, drawn with glowing spiritual light. "This is the Scarlet Flame Rune. Observe the flow of energy. Memorize the structure."
"Come, let's sit in the tea pavilion. I will explain the theory slowly. It usually takes a novice three months to understand the structure, and another year to condense it..."
The three of them sat down in the nearby pavilion. Grandmaster Gu began to lecture on the intricate pathways of the rune.
Jiang Yi listened, his Peak Comprehension working in overdrive.
Processing... Analyzing... Optimizing.
In mere minutes, the complex diagram that Grandmaster Gu described became crystal clear in his mind.
"I think I get it," Jiang Yi murmured.
"You get it?" Grandmaster Gu paused, frowning. "Young Master, don't be arrogant. I haven't even finished the introduction."
Zi Ling shook her head, her cold expression returning. 'Arrogant. He thinks Runemastery is child's play? It took me six months to condense my first Wind Rune, and I am considered a genius.'
Jiang Yi ignored their doubts. "Let me try."
He closed his eyes.
"Hey! Wait!" Grandmaster Gu stood up, alarmed. "If you try to condense it forcefully without preparation, your Spirit Sea will explode! Stop!"
But it was too late.
Inside Jiang Yi's mind, his Spirit Sea was already churning like a storm.
Buzz! Buzz!
A strange, rhythmic vibration echoed from his body. The air around him began to heat up.
"Condense!"
Jiang Yi mentally grabbed the shapeless energy and crushed it into the form of the Scarlet Flame Rune.
Resistance? Crush it.
Instability? Force it into submission.
CLICK.
A crisp sound echoed in the mental world. The rune snapped into place, glowing with a brilliant crimson light.
Jiang Yi opened his eyes.
A red light flashed in his pupils. He slammed his palm onto the stone table.
WHOOSH!
A palm-sized, perfectly formed Scarlet Flame Rune materialized in the air, burning with intense heat. The surrounding bamboo leaves instantly curled and browned from the temperature.
"Done," Jiang Yi smiled.
Silence.
Dead silence.
Grandmaster Gu's teacup slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor. He didn't even notice. He stared at the floating rune with his mouth wide open.
"Half... half an hour?" his voice trembled. "You condensed a Spirit Rune in half an hour?!"
"Impossible... absolutely impossible..."
Beside him, the "Iceberg Goddess" Zi Ling looked like she had seen a ghost. Her beautiful eyes were wide, her composure completely shattered.
'I took six months. He took thirty minutes? Is he a monster?'
She looked at Jiang Yi, her heart racing. For the first time, the "Trash Young Master" looked... mysterious. And terrifyingly talented.
Jiang Yi glanced at her, catching her stare. He winked.
"Lady Zi Ling, is there something on my face?"
Zi Ling blushed, quickly looking away, her heart beating faster than it ever had before.