Kamar-Taj.
Inside the grand hall.
For a moment, the atmosphere was a little awkward.
Even though the Ancient One was the supreme venerable of her era, she still felt a bit embarrassed.
Karl… this guy was simply too wild—like a rabid mad dog.
In all her years of cultivation, she had encountered countless powerhouses.
Master Sorcerers, Legendary Master Sorcerers, and even experts from other Dimensional Realms, Pocket Universes, and strange spaces beyond.
Her Astral Projection could be said to be unstoppable.
No one had ever been able to resist it.
As long as she slapped down with her palm, their soul would be knocked out of their body and forced to exist in a soul-state.
But now…
With that single strike—
This brat's soul hadn't been knocked out at all?
This brat's soul was far stronger than even a Master Sorcerer's!
The tightness with which his soul and flesh were bound together was far beyond her imagination.
She had never seen a freak like this!
In more than a hundred years of cultivation, this brat was the first one!
"You little…"
"Seems Mordo underestimated you."
"Your talent—within Kamar-Taj's history—could probably rank in the top ten."
The Ancient One's eyes shone with repeated flashes of amazement.
"Ancient One-sama flatters me."
Karl spoke modestly.
The Ancient One really was a huge treasure trove!
With a casual move, he'd learned a powerful spell!
Astral Projection was an absurdly overpowered spell.
If nothing else, just the fact that he could study while sleeping alone was enough to double his available time.
Why could Doctor Strange become a powerhouse so quickly?
The contribution of Astral Projection definitely ranked first.
A sorcerer, after all—
The more you know, the stronger you are.
Besides learning spells, sorcerers also had to learn knowledge of the stars and the cosmos.
Kamar-Taj's magical works—like General Principles of the Laws of the Universe and A History of Kamar-Taj Magic—were filled with vast amounts of knowledge.
With Astral Projection, studying those would definitely yield twice the result with half the effort.
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Karl asked in confusion:
"Ancient One-sama, what were you trying to do just now?"
The Ancient One glanced at him and said calmly:
"I only intended to slap your soul out."
"You fought Kaecilius. I wasn't at ease."
"Child, you must understand—Dormammu's power is extremely terrifying."
"It's a kind of power that can corrode a person's mind."
"I had to examine your soul to be sure you weren't contaminated."
"So that's what it was."
Karl smiled.
"Then you don't need to do it yourself. I can do it on my own."
As he spoke, Karl's mind stirred.
In the next instant, Karl felt an exceptionally pleasant sensation—an earnest lightness flowing through him.
He watched as his body toppled, caught by Baron Mordo.
Then he looked at himself—his half-substantial form—and felt an intense sense of novelty.
The Ancient One's gaze toward Karl grew faintly wary.
Beside her, Baron Mordo shouted:
"When did you learn Astral Projection?!"
"This is a high-tier spell—you shouldn't even have been able to touch it!"
It wasn't strange that Mordo looked a little out of it.
Astral Projection was, in truth, an extremely difficult spell.
Because it touched on humanity's essence—
The soul.
So it was also a highly dangerous spell.
One careless mistake and it could cause soul damage.
Even among veteran sorcerers, there were only a handful who could handle it.
When did this brat learn it?!
Hearing that, Karl scratched his head and said awkwardly:
"Just now."
"Ancient One-sama slapped me once. I felt the power in it, and I learned it."
Mordo: ???
The Ancient One: ???
"You're saying you just felt that kind of energy, and you learned Astral Projection?"
"That's impossible!"
Mordo's expression changed drastically as he blurted it out.
This was soul-related magic.
The danger level was high, and learning it was extremely difficult.
Back then, he'd spent a full five years before he could use it proficiently.
Even now, he still couldn't do what the Ancient One did—slap someone once and knock their soul out of their flesh.
And for him to become the Ancient One's disciple, his talent spoke for itself.
Even so—
He still needed five years!
And he still wasn't fully mastered!
But Karl learned it just by sensing the power?
What kind of international joke was that?
"You brat… you're joking, right?"
"Just by feeling that power?"
"Did you sneak a look at a book about this spell?"
Mordo asked, sounding dazed.
"Really didn't."
"Master Sorcerer, I haven't even been to the library many times."
"I can't read Sanskrit."
Karl said a bit embarrassed.
Kamar-Taj's ancient books were basically like heavenly scripts—written in Sanskrit.
And there were a ton of technical terms. Even if they were translated into Chinese, he still wouldn't understand them.
Let alone Sanskrit.
How was he supposed to read that?
Hearing this, Mordo's body twitched. His features scrunched together, twisted to the extreme.
He felt completely numb.
In that moment, he understood a truth:
Sometimes, the gap between people really is bigger than the gap between a person and a dog.
The Ancient One beside him also fell into silence.
Her face showed no expression, but she didn't know what to say either.
What kind of international joke was this?
Just by sensing her power, he could learn a high-tier spell?
What kind of monster was this brat?
This was too exaggerated!
Even the Legendary Master Sorcerers from history weren't this freakish, were they?
According to historical records, even figures of legend like Merlin and Nicolas Flamel weren't this outrageous!
This brat… he really was a monster!!
The two of them fell silent for a while.
Karl, on the other hand, started to worry.
What was going on?
Why were these two suddenly refusing to say anything?
Don't tell me Dormammu had planted some method inside his soul?
That was the Dark Dimension's lord—nothing to underestimate.
So Karl hurriedly asked:
"Ancient One-sama, is my soul okay?"
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
The Ancient One raised her head and looked at Karl's soul.
With one look—
The emotions she had finally calmed down surged again, becoming jagged and unsteady.
Why was this brat's soul so condensed?
It was probably not much worse than her own.
A soul like this usually correlated with cultivation.
The stronger your strength, the stronger your soul.
She had cultivated for centuries and gained immense power.
Even though she had once suffered grievous injuries, the degree of her soul's refinement was still beyond ordinary people.
If her soul manifested, it would be practically tangible.
Karl's soul was nearly the same.
But—
This was a brat who'd only cultivated for a little over a year.
Where did he get a soul this condensed?
What kind of talent was this?
Was this brat a god reincarnated?!
(End of Chapter)
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