"Simply put, that day Old Zhang invited me and Xu Zhaoting—the two contributors—to have a meal. He also wanted to show off a bit."
"So he invited Old Xue as well. As talents from Old Xue's class, they were brought along too—Zhou Min and Mu Bai."
"That morning, Old Zhang sounded me and Xu Zhaoting out, and that's when he saw my One-Thought Star Path."
"Xu Zhaoting, that loudmouth, had a bit too much to drink. Riding the moment, he asked about it, hoping to learn from me."
"And then I said…"
Wang Teng briefly recounted the story of the banquet, along with some speculation about how the two of them might have received guidance from Old Xue afterward.
He lifted his eyelids and noticed Tang Yue holding a piece of toast, listening with great interest.
"Go on—tell me more, go deeper!"
Seeing Wang Teng suddenly stop, Tang Yue didn't stand on ceremony with him. Since he could talk about it with others, it meant this wasn't some ultra-secret. Why bother prying when she could just take what was already there?
Wang Teng shot her a glance but didn't hide anything. The stronger Tang Yue became, the better it was for him. She was an extremely suitable steward.
"This actually starts from the fundamentals of star seeds. Our awakening relies on awakening stones, and which element we awaken depends on the attributes of the star seeds."
"Star seeds can open up stardust in the human spiritual world. They come in various attributes, can only be controlled by spiritual power, and can also be strengthened by essences."
"That means, at their core, they are spiritual particles with attributes. As a medium, they allow humans to manipulate magical energy. And because star seeds carry corresponding attributes, the stardust they open can only absorb magic of the same attribute—only then can one's realm grow."
"After that comes spellcasting. Humans use star seeds as the foundation, and through structures like star paths, star diagrams, star constellations, and so on, they pry open vast amounts of magical energy to form spells."
As Wang Teng spoke, a flash of insight crossed his mind. If essences could strengthen star seeds, then spiritual power should be able to do the same.
Moreover, this world had a very important concept: purity. Everything had a purity level.
Elemental magic diamonds were the ultimate condensation of single-attribute magical energy—materials at the forbidden-spell level.
Demonic creatures followed the same rule. The higher a demon stood, the more it specialized in a particular domain.
The more mixed its attributes, the lower its potential ceiling tended to be.
If star seeds were strengthened using essences, wouldn't that make their aura mixed? A demon's essence could never have the same spiritual aura as one's own—impossible!
That meant hidden risks. If one encountered a demon with powerful spiritual interference in battle, would the star seeds still obey one's will?
The difference between instant-cast spells and non-instant spells in combat was enormous.
If one wanted to climb to the peak, such potential risks could not be left unresolved. After all, magic had originally been developed from demon or divine-beast totems.
"So the time you can control star seeds depends on the amount of spiritual power you have. The more spiritual power you conserve, the longer you can maintain control."
"My method is refinement. Since star seeds are essentially spiritual particles, as foreign spiritual particles they naturally can't be fully controlled at first."
"So I completely suppress and irrigate them with my own spiritual power, thoroughly assimilating them into my own spiritual particles. Once they're truly yours, control is no longer an issue."
"I even discovered two additional benefits. First, when advancing to the intermediate tier, the star seeds split from the basic-tier ones are more than twice as easy to refine."
"Second, star seeds can serve as containers for spiritual power, absorbing excess spiritual power in daily life. Over time, this can effectively raise one's spiritual power level."
"That's the secret behind my instant-cast spells."
"As for conserving spiritual power, the method is to enter a state of constant meditation—unaffected by external disturbances—so spiritual power naturally dissipates less."
"Constant meditation is trained. It's about bringing the meditation you do on a cushion into daily life. The core is maintaining an unshakable state of mind."
"It's very difficult at first, but once you enter constant meditation, the benefits are immense. Not only does spiritual power stop leaking away, it can also resist illusions to a certain degree and greatly reduce the negative impact of various desires and emotions."
After explaining so much, Wang Teng picked up a glass of wine and took a sip to moisten his throat.
"Zhou Min and Mu Bai most likely got some ideas from Old Xue about conserving spiritual power—some superficial techniques. They have a bit of effect, but not much."
"And if they don't handle their emotional issues properly—forcing suppression to maintain a meditative state—sooner or later it will explode."
"Unless they can break through their own cognition and achieve constant meditation. But if they believe it's impossible in their hearts, then it basically is."
After hearing his detailed explanation, Tang Yue was utterly stunned. A cultivation method comparable to the foundations of great clans had been laid out just like that.
And it directly affected core aspects of a mage's growth: star-seed control, instant casting, accumulation of spiritual power—each one was a fundamental cornerstone.
"You're telling me all this in such detail… is that really okay?"
Suddenly, she felt uneasy, as if she couldn't bear the weight of this gift. What right did she have to accept it?
Because of that small favor?
She knew very well that even without her, with Wang Teng's talent and brilliance, he would still rise. He had countless ways to obtain resources.
Compared to this cultivation method, those little resources amounted to nothing.
Not to mention that he also possessed the most core secret of all—transforming demon cultivation!
An invisible pressure settled on her shoulders, making it hard for her to breathe.
His talent, his composure—sitting here felt like facing a future forbidden spell, exaggerated as that sounded.
She suddenly recalled an obscure treatise on the path of magic she had read before, which discussed magical cognition and each individual's magical will.
Any mage who achieved greatness inevitably possessed a unique magical path. Their understanding of magical theory contained profundities beyond ordinary comprehension.
Calling ordinary mages "mortals" made the disparity painfully clear.
Back then, she hadn't felt much reading it. But at this very moment, she truly felt as if she were facing a towering authority of the magical path.
Wang Teng looked at Tang Yue, who had sunk into a low, contemplative state—her body even seemed to tremble slightly.
He tossed the chicken bones in his hand onto the table, sucked his fingers clean, wiped his hands with a napkin, then stood up and walked over to her.
He bent down and scooped her up in his arms!
"Y–You—what are you doing?"
Startled by the sudden embrace, Tang Yue's face instantly flushed red. Her voice trembled slightly as her hands clutched his clothes.
"Of course~"
Wang Teng replied with certainty, the corners of his mouth lifting as he turned and carried her into his room.
Bang!
With the dull thud of the door closing, night fell and the black rose bloomed for the first time.