Strange suddenly understood why there was no spark in front of him, he had habitually controlled his mental power.
Thinking of this, he directed his mental power towards the Sling Ring.
As mental power surged into the Sling Ring, sparks began to appear before him, but the portal still failed to form.
Lucas observed the new problem Strange encountered but did not continue to guide him.
Anyone with eyes could see that his rare morning visit to the training ground to give guidance was for Strange, but as the Sorcerer Supreme, he could not show favoritism in actual teaching.
Apart from Strange, the other apprentices were still stuck on the first step.
Lucas continued to move and speak.
"One should express humility and not be fixated on one point, nitpicking, but to understand the overall meaning by connecting the Before and After sections."
"Applied here, it means to grasp the key points. For apprentices, when visualizing the desired destination, first emphasize its most distinctive features, and then slowly add the minor details."
"Now, calm your mind."
A moment later, the sparks in front of one apprentice suddenly flickered, then stabilized again.
At this moment, the scene on the other side of the light circle was no longer the Kamar-Taj training ground.
Success!
The apprentice's face lit up with joy. She paused, then made a motion of pulling outwards with both hands, and the light circle expanded accordingly, transforming from a small circle into a large one that a person could pass through.
Lucas smiled and nodded, encouraging her, "After the first success, you only need to practice more to master it proficiently."
Lucas was not surprised that this apprentice almost skipped the second step to open a Portal after solving the first step.
The movements Mordo taught were enough to allow apprentices to unconsciously concentrate their mental power into the Sling Ring.
Strange couldn't do it because he was too deliberate.
Gradually, the other apprentices also completed their first attempt and began to practice continuously.
After a long while, Mordo called a halt to them, "A sorcerer's mental power is not infinite. Practicing spells requires restraint. You don't feel mentally exhausted now because of an illusion caused by heightened mental excitement."
"Today's practice ends here. Go back and meditate, and note down your current level of mental fatigue. This will help you understand your total mental power, avoiding accidental overdraft that could damage your soul."
"Yes, sorcerer Mordo."
Several apprentices nodded thoughtfully, as did Lucas.
He could directly see the mental power consumption of the several apprentices and knew they hadn't reached their limit, which was why he hadn't called a stop.
But others didn't have this ability. They could only find their mental power limit and avoid overdrawing by continuously testing and recording data.
After the apprentices left, Strange still wanted to try, but Lucas stopped him.
"Effort cannot solve all problems. The correct method is sometimes more important."
"Problem? My hands?" Strange asked.
"Not your hands." Lucas replied.
"How could it not be my hands?" Strange disbelieved.
Lucas smiled, and in front, sparks flickered, forming a golden portal.
Lucas said nothing, but Strange read a sentence from his actions.
A portal, does it need hands?
"Drawing a blade to cut water only makes the water flow more. Strange, you need to learn to go with the flow and borrow strength."
"How can I control it if I go with the flow? That's completely unfeasible."
Lucas smiled again, not arguing with Strange. He stepped forward, passing through the portal.
"Follow me."
Strange followed, and the two arrived at a classroom podium.
Lucas picked up a piece of chalk and handed it to Strange. "Draw a straight line."
Strange took it, but his hands trembled, finding it difficult just to hold the small piece of chalk steadily. He drew a line on the blackboard, and a crooked, discontinuous line segment of unclear meaning appeared.
Seeing this, Lucas handed him a ruler. "Try again."
With the help of the ruler, Strange successfully drew a straight line this time.
"Do you understand?" Lucas asked.
Strange argued, "If my hands were normal, even without a ruler, I could easily draw a straight line, and repeat it three thousand times without error."
Lucas was speechless. He cleared his throat and said, "This is just an analogy. My point is that when you couldn't fully control your mental power back then, you could use some external aids. When you used the ruler to draw a straight line just now, was it not you holding the chalk?"
"The movements taught by Mordo, as well as various spell incantations and gestures, all serve to guide mental power to cast the corresponding spells. You can rely on them now."
Pausing, Lucas continued, "Strange, I don't think you were born a genius neurosurgeon, capable of performing millimeter-level excisions with a scalpel."
Strange was silent for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Then what about you, teacher? Why can you open a portal without gestures, or even without a Sling Ring?"
Strange pointed at Lucas's fingers. When Lucas handed him the ruler, he had observed that he was not wearing a Sling Ring.
Lucas's expression became serious, and he sternly said, "A true master always carries the heart of an apprentice. Strange, put away your pride. You are a legendary figure in the medical field, but only a beginner in the world of magic."
"Of course, you can choose not to rely on the movements Mordo taught, and through repeated practice, control your mental power to open a portal, but what then?"
"Is it to prove your learning that you create your own script instead of learning the existing one?"
Strange was taken aback and nodded. "I understand, but I still have one question."
"What question?"
"How can I become a master in the world of magic, like you?"
"Strange, how did you become a legendary figure in the medical field?"
"Through day-in and day-out, year-in and year-out diligent study."
Lucas glanced at Strange. "Don't you think your talent in the medical field far surpasses ordinary people?"
Strange was stunned, then nodded proudly. He was a top genius in neurosurgery, hailed by the outside world as God's gift to the surgical community.
Seeing this, Lucas smiled. "I have good news for you: your talent in the field of magic also far surpasses ordinary people, on par with your talent in the medical field."
Strange's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Of course."
Lucas nodded, adding without changing his expression, "However, what you said is also correct. To become a true master, in addition to talent, you also need diligent study and practical application day after day, year after year."
"Strange, I don't think you immediately became a medical expert right after graduation, did you? Without those numerous surgeries, you wouldn't have become a legend in the medical community."
Strange nodded thoughtfully.
Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. Only by applying knowledge to practice can the effectiveness of learning be tested, and through this, continuously accumulate experience and improve shortcomings.
Patting Strange's shoulder, Lucas said earnestly, "Strange, don't worry. Once you achieve something in your studies, I will definitely arrange a good position for you, so you can fully display your talents and verify what you've learned."
Strange was moved. "Teacher, you don't have to break the rules for me."
"I am the Sorcerer Supreme, you are my disciple, and you possess excellent talent. I am entrusting you with an important task, no one can say anything about it."
"Besides, as long as you work diligently and achieve something, why worry about others' idle talk?"
Having said that, Lucas looked up at the clock on the classroom wall.
"In about half an hour, the students in the classroom will finish their physical education class and return. Strange, if you don't want to be caught as a thief or some kind of pervert, then you need to work hard."
With that, leaving a bewildered Strange behind, Lucas turned and left.
Strange wanted to follow, but found that Lucas hadn't opened a portal at all. He simply stepped forward and vanished from the spot.
It turned out that not only could one open a Portal without hands and a Sling Ring, but one could also do so without opening a Portal at all.
Lucas was not worried about Strange.
Strange's theoretical knowledge and mental power both exceeded that of an average apprentice. As long as he changed his mindset and no longer excessively pursued control over mental power, he would soon be able to open a Portal.
Even if he couldn't open it, the impact wouldn't be significant.
Lucas hadn't thrown Strange onto the Himalayas, so there was no need to worry about him freezing to death. At most, he would just end up in jail.
After leaving the classroom, Lucas did not return to Kamar-Taj, nor did he go back to the bookstore. Having made a rare outing, he took the opportunity to take care of other matters as well.