Tang Yue's speed in returning far exceeded his expectations. She had left in the morning, yet by noon she was already back at his door with the resources he needed.
After setting them down, she didn't linger and soon left the apartment.
Wang Teng didn't waste any time either. He stayed home, working hard to adjust his condition, determined to break through successfully in one go.
After two days of preparation, he decisively used the Nebula Vein. There were no issues at all—his Psychic Element smoothly advanced from a Star Dust to a Star Nebula.
Originally, he had only 7 stars. In one leap, that number increased by 42, reaching a total of 49 stars.
Those extra 42 stars still required his control, to be fully branded with his own imprint.
His spiritual power had already reached the third realm. As it continued to improve, his control speed would only get faster.
What once took two hours to control a single star now only required one hour to achieve the same effect.
With his current level, it was entirely possible for him to complete star control before heading to Magic City—of course, that meant relentless effort.
Any spare time also needed to be spent learning the star pattern connections for intermediate-level Psychic magic.
At the initial level, the Psychic Element had three commonly used spells: Psychic Ripple—Calm, Psychic Shock, and Psychic Wall.
All three were area-type spells. Their power was influenced by spiritual power level, the amount of magic energy, and the caster's mental state.
At the intermediate level, there were likewise three spells. The magic Tang Yue gave him were Psychic Ripple—Fear, Agitation, and Fearlessness. Building on the initial level, these spells extended their effects into the realm of emotional manipulation.
At this stage, magic power was no longer confined to simple base attributes—it required the caster's own understanding and insight.
For the Psychic Element, the eyes could be considered an innate magic tool. With sufficient comprehension and skill in manipulation, it was possible to project influence through one's gaze, causing a certain degree of effect or even control without explicitly releasing magic.
This was knowledge he had gained from reading advanced magic manipulation books in the library. Compared to initial-level magic, it already possessed a certain depth.
As for even deeper, high-level magic, the Tianlan Magic High School library didn't have such records. He only had some foreknowledge—knowing that high-level magic involved something called control.
How it worked in detail still required deeper understanding.
That said, he wasn't completely without clues. It most likely had to do with stars.
Stars were attribute-bearing spiritual particles. At the initial level, there were only 7—far too few to do anything beyond the basics.
At the intermediate level, the number increased sevenfold, reaching 49. This amount already carried real influence. If fully controlled, it could exert a faint manifestation of magical attribute traits.
At the high level, the number of stars would surge once again. If one could completely control those attribute-bearing stars or spiritual particles, it would inevitably allow partial bypassing of conventional spellcasting rules. This was most likely what high-level control truly meant.
Time passed swiftly as Wang Teng immersed himself in cultivation and study. In the blink of an eye, the agreed date arrived.
"Are you okay?"
On the train, Tang Yue looked at Wang Teng's pale face and darkened eye sockets. Her feelings were complicated. This guy…
"I'm fine. I've just been a bit busy these past few days—haven't been sleeping enough…"
"Ahh…"
Mid-sentence, Wang Teng yawned, the fatigue in his eyes deepening even further.
He hadn't originally been this exhausted, but thinking that if he pushed harder he might be able to cast his first intermediate-level spell, he'd squeezed his already limited time even tighter.
Fortunately, the outcome was still perfect.
"Alright, alright, stop explaining. Hurry up and get some sleep. When we arrive, I'll wake you."
Seeing his state, Tang Yue quickly cut him off, afraid that if this went on, he'd end up collapsing outright.
Sigh…
"You youngsters these days really don't know moderation at all."
"You don't understand the harm of overindulgence. Once you get older, you'll taste the bitter consequences."
"Miss, you should also pay attention to the young man's health. Don't keep demanding so much."
"You have to understand—there's a difference between one full meal and being full every meal. You've got a long life ahead of you."
The middle-aged man standing nearby, holding a standing ticket, wore thick glasses. The hair on his head was already quite sparse.
Though his face looked weathered, he spoke with sincere earnestness, sighing like someone who'd been there before.
He seemed to have been standing for a while—his lower back felt uncomfortable, and he occasionally reached out with his right hand to rub his spine.
Tang Yue's gaze flickered after hearing this, as if some image had come to mind. Her face flushed red. She wanted to explain, but hesitated, stopping herself.
The moment Wang Teng heard this, he was no longer sleepy. His eyes sharpened as he glanced at the man beside him. This guy clearly had a story.
"Uncle, it seems your wife must be very beautiful. Your life must be full of sunshine."
"Oh—no, no—"
"We're just an ordinary family. Of course, I love my wife very much."
The middle-aged man waved his hands repeatedly, but the happy smile on his face simply wouldn't fade.
"In that case, Uncle, your youthful charm must have been extraordinary, attracting swarms of admirers."
"No, no…"
"Little brother, I'd say you're also a rare talent among men. Look—this young lady beside you is also very beautiful."
"You've got excellent taste."
"Back in my day, when I first took my girlfriend to a hotel, I was just like you. We didn't leave the room for days and nights, the two of us tangled on the bed until we lost track of time."
"You have no idea—my girlfriend's demands back then…"
The middle-aged man seemed to be getting into the spirit of it, chattering endlessly about his past glory and tireless pleasures between the sheets.
He failed to notice that Wang Teng's already weary expression had begun to turn rather unnatural.
Tang Yue lowered her head. Her flushed face carried a trace of aggrieved anger. Sitting on the inner seat, her right hand reached toward Wang Teng beside her, twisting relentlessly.
Having never had a boyfriend, she was instinctively sensitive and resistant to such topics. Just hearing a few sentences made her heart race and her face burn.
What she hadn't expected was that Wang Teng—only sixteen and a half years old—could be so brazen as to openly discuss such topics with a complete stranger.
Wasn't he supposed to be low-key and taciturn?
Had all his past behavior been fake?
Or was it simply lust getting the better of him?
Did this guy… have thoughts on her?
…
Tang Yue felt her mind inexplicably filling with thoughts she'd never even dared to imagine. With her head lowered, her right hand continued twisting mechanically.
Wang Teng was also full of regret. Why had he brought this topic up in the first place?
Tang Yue might look like a woman, but her grip strength was truly terrifying.
It felt less like two fingers and more like a pair of pliers twisting his waist.
His physique was strong—he wasn't afraid of being twisted like this—but painful was painful.
He'd definitely need to be more careful next time. He also had no idea how this incident would affect how she viewed him afterward.
Hopefully… it wouldn't be a bad thing?