Chapter 116: Cloudwater

Chapter 116: Cloudwater

Li Yi closed his eyes and focused his spirit, holding his identity token in his hand, immersing his mind into it.

Streams of serene light flowed continuously in his palm as he wore a thoughtful expression.

Besides identity verification and communication, the identity token had another property — the Thousand-Spell Tome.

All kinds of spells from the Thousand-Spell Tome were recorded on it.

This was not surprising. For a Mage, the incantations of ordinary spells were common knowledge and held little value.

Secret arts, especially those of Imperial Rank or higher, were truly precious.

“Hmm, not bad, not bad…”

Li Yi seemed to ponder something, observing with his mind while looking completely at ease.

What he was observing were level 2 spells.

His spiritual power was strong. He had the Great Soft-Shelled Turtle Aura of ‘Spring Breeze Turns to Rain’ within his body, his Magic Gesture was precise, and he had just slain his Inner Demon, casting a higher-level spell. What was almost impossible for others was no difficult task for him.

Each upgrade of a spell brought a world of difference in power, and the higher the level, the greater the gap became.

The difference between a level 1 spell and a half-step spell could not be compared to the gap between level 2 and level 1.

This was the reason all Mages strained their minds to climb higher.

His eyes suddenly flew open.

He had already observed all the level 2 spells once.

“Being of two minds is absolutely unacceptable. There are still seven days left. Choosing two of these spells to practice should be enough!”

“The environment in the Soul-Return Marsh is very special, so a targeted spell would be best…”

“Also, summoning spells can be prioritized. Now, without the Reverse Halberd, lacking a wingman, many things are inconvenient.”

Having established the criteria, Li Yi closed his eyes, and his spirit swept through them again.

This time, the observation went very quickly. Before long, he had narrowed it down to seven spells.

Next came the process of elimination.

One by one, spells faded in his mind until only two remained.

“Water Elemental Summoning.”

“Electric Storm Sphere.”

“Hmm, not bad…”

Elemental Summoning was the most widely used and versatile summoning art, divided into earth, wind, water, and fire lines. Elemental Summoning would continuously evolve as the spell level climbed.

Taking the water line as an example, the level 1 Dew Servant only had a healing spell and no combat ability.

The level 2 Water Elemental transformed into a powerful tank and ranged Mage, possessing powerful spells like “Ripple Shield” and “Swiftwater Arrow.”

Meanwhile, the level 3 Heavy Water Elemental, the level 4 Weak Water Elemental, the level 5 Waterfall Spirit, and so on, would see their power leap forward with each change.

The Soul-Return Marsh was a vast wetland. A Water Elemental would be in its element there and could also serve as a shield when necessary.

The Electric Storm Sphere was decided for another reason.

Most creatures in the Soul-Return Marsh were aquatic or Undead Creatures, and thick mist shrouded the place year-round, blocking the sun.

The lightning-based Electric Storm Sphere had excellent suppressive effects against either of the above types.

…

By the river.

The sound of flowing water was gentle. Leaves occasionally drifted down, the fleeting light and shadows creating a beautiful scene.

“Ha!”

With a grave expression, Li Yi shouted, his hands moving continuously. A sphere of water formed in mid-air.

Droplets of water converged from all directions, flowing and gathering in the air, coalescing into a vague humanoid shape.

In what would be its eyes, two faint cyan glows flickered up and down, seemingly possessing spirit.

“Will it succeed? These past days of practice haven’t been wasted after all…”

Li Yi’s eyes lit up, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

Pop!

Before his words even finished, the humanoid figure suddenly exploded. The river surface first caved in, then a huge wave surged forth, spreading out.

Li Yi couldn’t dodge in time and was drenched from head to toe.

“I turned Water Elemental Summoning into a water explosion spell! But where exactly is the problem?”

Not discouraged, Li Yi muttered a self-deprecating remark, sat down by the riverbank, his eyes shifting as he kept thinking.

His gaze rested blankly on the river surface, following the rise and fall of the waves. His state of mind also relaxed considerably.

“Wait. Water can be living or dead. Living water is clear, dead water is murky. My elemental summoning is still stuck at the level of the ‘Water Bullet Spell,’ without a beginning or end, just a pool of dead water. How can it coalesce into a Water Elemental?”

Once this idea became clear, this spell also began to take a vague shape in Li Yi’s mind.

Without another word, he stood up.

“Hah!”

His fingers and palms shifted. The Great Soft-Shelled Turtle Aura weaved through his fingertips. A pale cyan glow, like shining light, flickered as a trace of water hovered in the air.

The water sphere condensed, swirling incessantly, gradually expanding, vaguely taking on a broad, bulky humanoid form.

Ripples churned. The entity seemed to have veins as water currents flowed within it, cycling endlessly. In its eye sockets, two faint cyan glows suddenly shone.

Li Yi’s breathing gradually became ragged.

“It’s done. This time, it’s really done!”

By the riverbank, in the scattered sunlight, a Water Elemental stood proudly.

Its body was nearly three meters tall. Surging green waves covered its surface. Its lofty gaze carried a chilling pressure.

“Ripple Shield!”

A faint hint of joy colored Li Yi’s face. He looked it over and then commanded.

The Water Elemental stretched out its arms. A spherical water wall revolved around its body, shimmering with light.

“Swiftwater Arrow, shoot!”

Li Yi pointed at the river and issued another command.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Three furious water arrows, carrying angry shrieks, skimmed across the river surface. The arrows even seemed to cut the river’s flow, making the water pause for a moment.

“Good, very good!”

Li Yi nodded repeatedly, a satisfied look on his face.

He had already learned the Electric Storm Sphere five days prior.

Spell practice seemed somewhat related to comprehension of one’s realm. Because he had performed the secret art — “Thunderclap Strike” — Li Yi had gained some understanding of the Way of Thunder, making his studies much easier.

As for this “Elemental Summoning,” it had truly cost him no small amount of effort and hard work.

Perhaps summoning a fire elemental would have been easier… After all, he had “Maple-Shadow Flowing Fire” as a foundation.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Li Yi methodically began planning his next steps.

“The deadline to enter the Inner Manor is almost here. The procedures must be completed as soon as possible.”

“Unfortunately, it’s time to bid farewell to the Star-Slaying Knot!”

“That pipeline connecting the Meditation Chamber and the Star-Slaying Knot must be dismantled early. Otherwise, if someone discovers it, there will be big trouble… After all, Wang Sheng has already left, and who the new array maintainer will be is still unknown.”

…

Trial room.

“What’s going on? Why are you only coming now?” A curly-haired Mage looked impatient and knocked on the table.

“A few matters delayed me.” Knowing he was in the wrong, Li Yi hurriedly offered an apologetic smile.

“You came too late. Serves you right for your bad luck.” The curly-haired Mage chuckled coldly, a gloating look on his face. “For the Spell Apprentice Realm Meditation Chambers, all the mid-grade ones have already been assigned. Only the high-grade and low-grade ones remain.”

“Mid-grade?” Li Yi was taken aback.

Seeing that Li Yi was a complete outsider, the curly-haired Mage shook his head. “The higher you go in the Star Radiance Tower, the more outstanding the effects of the Meditation Chambers. Outer Manor Disciples are on the lower levels. For a Spell Apprentice’s Meditation Chambers, the low-grade ones are on the second floor, mid-grade on the third, and high-grade on the fourth.”

“Oh…” Li Yi nodded to show he understood, then asked, “So, how are the Meditation Chambers assigned?”

“Simple. Spar with me.” The curly-haired Mage pointed his thumb at himself, looking proud. “Those who can knock me down get high-grade. Those who can last three moves against me get mid-grade. The rest get low-grade.”

“So that’s how it is.”

“Now, you can only choose low-grade.” The curly-haired Mage smiled faintly.

“But, I’d like to try for high-grade…” After a pause, Li Yi suddenly said.

“Overestimating yourself!” Hearing this, the curly-haired Mage’s expression changed, and he spoke in a heavy tone.

“Jin He, give him a high-grade Meditation Chamber!” A figure came from behind the curly-haired youth. “I recall the Cloudwater Abode is empty? Assign the Cloudwater Abode to him!”

“Cloudwater Abode? Senior Brother Lin, you’re…” The curly-haired youth turned his head, his face full of astonishment.

Li Yi’s expression shifted. He recognized this person too. It was actually the observing Mage from his fight with Yu Qian.

He couldn’t help but sigh; this Star Radiance Tower was really too small.

“Greetings, Senior Brother. May I ask your esteemed name?” Li Yi hurriedly bowed in salute.

“Lin Heyan.” The observing Mage smiled warmly.

Lin Heyan was very attentive, bustling about before and after. Soon matters were settled. Li Yi thanked him repeatedly before leaving, thoroughly satisfied.

“Senior Brother, did you pull strings for him?” Jin He wore a puzzled look.

“Pull strings? Where’s the need for that? That young man fought Yu Qian to a draw, no, I should say, he had a slight upper hand.” Lin Heyan looked at the departing figure and said calmly.

“Yu Qian? That Heaven’s Pride of the Yu Clan?” The curly-haired youth’s mouth fell open.

“And that’s not all. I looked into it. He’s also a disciple of Master Wu Yi and is highly regarded by Master Fan Wen.”

“Ah? Masters Wu Yi and Fan Wen?”

These two names were like thunderclaps to the ears, shocking the curly-haired youth speechless.

“This kid is not simple! Although the Cloudwater Abode is precious, forging a good connection will definitely bring benefits in the future…”