Utilizing mental force combined with different incantations to mobilize various powers, though he had only just come into contact with it, Wang Nan quickly grasped a few key concepts.
At this moment, he felt as though he were observing the world from a different perspective. The spirit power and mental force that were once familiar to him now appeared somewhat different.
After a while, Wang Nan patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder and handed him the life blade.
"This engraving knife is for you."
"Wang Dage…" Huo Yuhao looked up at Wang Nan.
"Take it. What you told me is far more valuable than this engraving knife."
Huo Yuhao took the engraving knife with both hands, carefully putting it away, and said, "Thank you, Wang Dage."
After chatting for a while, Wang Nan and Huo Yuhao came to the front yard and saw Beibei and Ma Xiaotao frowning as they looked at a letter in their hands.
"Senior Brother, Senior Sister, what's wrong?" Huo Yuhao asked when he saw them.
"Someone from the Academy just came. The Sun Moon Empire is preparing to change the rules for next year's Soul Duel Tournament and is currently discussing it with the other Three Great Empires. There's also a letter sent to the Academy, and since we're next year's participants, the Academy sent us a message."
Wang Nan and Huo Yuhao stepped forward to read the contents of the letter.
The previous All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Soul Duel Tournament had been changed to the All-Continent Youth Advanced Spirit Master Elite Competition, and participants were no longer limited to various academies but now also included Sect representative teams.
To limit the number of Sects, at least five of the Sect participants in the Elite Competition must have cultivation above four rings.
Although it was currently only a proposal and had not yet received approval from the other great Empires and Shrek, Wang Nan knew that this proposal would soon become a reality.
This change, besides the Sun Moon Empire wanting the Holy Spirit Cult to participate, was also an attempt to seize this opportunity to take down the young disciples of all sect academies on the continent in one fell swoop.
"Senior Brother, if it's just a change in rules, it shouldn't be enough for the Academy to specifically notify us, right?" Huo Yuhao had already finished reading the letter.
"Mm." Beibei nodded, "The Academy asked us if we wanted to represent the Academy or the Tang Sect in the competition."
"This matter is probably not a good thing."
As soon as Wang Nan spoke, the others turned to look at him.
Wang Nan glanced at Huo Yuhao. "The Sun Moon Empire has been restless for years, and suddenly changing the rules probably has other motives. We should think about it more carefully."
"Okay, I'll discuss this thoroughly with Tang Ya and the others."
Beibei couldn't make a decision immediately, so he finally decided to discuss it further with Tang Ya and the other Senior Brothers.
"Mm, after all, it's your own business, so you can make the decision. We'll take our leave now."
Just as Wang Nan and Ma Xiaotao turned to leave, Huo Yuhao spoke again.
"Wang Dage, I'll be in the Sect for a while recently."
"I understand." Wang Nan nodded.
Huo Yuhao's meaning was clear: if he had any questions related to "magic," he could come to the Tang Sect to find him.
However, Huo Yuhao didn't fully understand Wang Nan's thoughts.
For Wang Nan, the power system of another world certainly had its merits, but it wasn't enough for him to become completely engrossed in it.
The stones of other hills can be used to polish jade. For him, "magic"'s more important role was to provide him with another perspective from which to observe this world.
Unlike the way Spirit Masters utilize spirit power, the magic taught by Iliex involved using incantations to mobilize other powers. Although most of it was just basic content, Wang Nan could feel that every incantation and every character within them contained a unique rule.
Compared to directly using magic, he was more interested in its foundation and principles. In his mental sea, he constantly simulated those swirling characters, and his mental force changed accordingly. Wang Nan's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
"What's wrong with you?"
Ma Xiaotao was walking back to Shrek Academy with Wang Nan when she noticed that Wang Nan seemed a little off.
"Nothing." Wang Nan shook his head, blinked hard, and the golden light in his eyes gradually faded. Just like when he first began training as a child, he was simply excited after suddenly understanding another kind of power.
"I should go into seclusion for a while after returning to the Academy."
"Okay." Ma Xiaotao glanced at Wang Nan and nodded. "By the way, is what you just said true?"
"Which thing are you talking about?"
"It's about the Sun Moon Empire. Will they really tamper with the Elite Competition?"
"In your opinion, the Elite Competition involves the entire continent, so naturally, no one would dare tamper with it. But the Sun Moon Empire has been planning to go to war with the Three Great Empires. They wouldn't care about such things."
"And they've even allied with the Holy Spirit Cult, so they don't seem like people who would care about what others think."
"True." Ma Xiaotao deeply empathized. The scenes she witnessed during her previous monitoring missions flashed before her eyes. "Do you think the people of the Sun Moon Empire know that their royal family is cooperating with the Holy Spirit Cult?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she shook her head. "Probably not. No normal person would accept an Evil Soul Master."
Walking and chatting along the way, by the time they returned to Sea God Island, Wang Nan had already arrived beneath the Golden Tree, closing his eyes. The Golden Tree swayed slightly, and a faint golden glow covered his body.
Ma Xiaotao came to Wang Nan's side, and seeing that he quickly entered meditation with a steady aura around him, she quietly returned to Sea God Pavilion.
In his mental sea, Wang Nan was comprehending the new kind of power he had just learned.
Or rather, a new way of utilizing power would be more appropriate. Unlike the almost instinctive method of Spirit Ability, Iliex's magic usage was more like creating one's own Spirit Ability, requiring self-control of spirit power or mental force. This process, however, leveraged the power of incantations.
Perceiving, distinguishing, recognizing, guiding—in Wang Nan's current "gaze," the Golden Ancient Tree behind him was emitting immense energy. The surrounding Heaven and Earth elemental force also displayed a completely different state, almost like visible objects.
He finally understood why Iliex could so easily utilize the power of life gold.
From the perspective of "magic," even life gold, condensed to its extreme, was merely a manifestation of energy that could be guided and utilized simply by using different methods.
In contrast, the way Spirit Masters on the Douluo Continent utilized spirit power and absorbed other powers was much more "crude," making it difficult to absorb and utilize stable things like life gold.
Even with Wang Nan's decent comprehension ability, it was impossible for him to change the current situation of the entire Douluo Continent. However, feeling the rotation of the Soul Core in his glabella and recalling his past experiences and the initial cultivation method, he still had some new ideas in his mind.
With the Coiling Dragon Staff held horizontally in his hand, the aura around him began to "breathe" rhythmically.