Our Dharma Masters are like this.

Chapter 72 Promotion Standards
To help Zelil understand more intuitively, Marvin decided to demonstrate it himself.

He casually stretched out his palm.

In that instant, Zellir didn't even sense any magical fluctuations or premonitions of casting a spell before a dazzling, prismatic missile was swiftly formed.

One second, or two seconds?

Zellier couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice.

Instructor Marvin's Arcane Missiles charged faster than his own Fireball spell on Ash Wood base!
The arcane missile also aimed at the stone wall, its trail resembling that of a comet.

"boom!!!"

The moment it struck the stone wall, a magical wave several times stronger than before swept out, stirring up gusts of wind!
The stone wall summoned by Rili was completely destroyed.

“Come on, Zellir, give it another try,” said Mentor Marvin.

Zelil nodded, then closed his eyes and began to readjust according to what his mentor Marvin had just said.

Skip the step of perceiving the surrounding environment and immerse yourself completely in your own consciousness.

The magic began to surge again, outlining the structure of the spell along its trajectory. However, this time, after omitting unnecessary steps, the entire process of accumulating magical energy became smoother than ever before, almost like water flowing into a channel.

"boom!"

Zellir's arcane missiles roared out.

This time, he successfully reduced the casting time from more than seven seconds to more than six seconds, making it the same as the Flame Breath spell.

This huge improvement thrilled Zelil.

"Very good, you've made very rapid progress." Professor Marvin smiled with satisfaction.

My vision was indeed correct.

Ruili, who witnessed the whole thing from the sidelines, had mixed feelings.

Although he can now cast the level 3 spell Water Cutting faster than Zellir, that is the result of his years of dedicated training.

When Riley was sixteen, he was nowhere near as outstanding as Zellier.

Having released two arcane missiles in succession, Zellir's magical energy was somewhat depleted, but he still couldn't hide his joy.

He excitedly pressed one hand to his chest and bowed slightly to express his gratitude.

"Thank you for your guidance, Professor Marvin!"

"It's also because you have high comprehension that you were able to succeed on the first try."

Mentor Marvin tossed the crystal that Riley had previously used to Zelil.

"This is a source energy crystal. There's still a lot of energy left inside. It can quickly replenish your magic power. Don't let these two arcane missiles affect your meditation today."

"Thank you, Professor Marvin."

Zellier caught it steadily, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Professor Marvin, I actually have another question I'd like to ask you."

"Go ahead."

"What exactly is the process of advancing to the rank of a lower-level mage?"

This question has been troubling Zellier.

"Is it like you said, starting with level two magic, gradually increasing casting speed, and finally slowly transitioning to optimizing the spell structure of level three magic?"

"Hmm...that's the question."

Professor Marvin thought about it for a moment.

"Let me put it this way: the moment you truly become a lower-level mage, you will know it yourself without us having to recognize it."

"Through consistent meditation and practice, your magic power will continuously grow stronger. This gradual progress, when it reaches a certain threshold, will cause your Source Seed to undergo a transformation. That transformation will instantly boost your strength, and it's very easy to perceive." "The so-called evaluation criteria are really just a way for the guild to assess your strength, since they use this to distribute subsidies... But as long as you experience that transformation, you'll definitely pass the assessment."

“I see…” Zellier nodded thoughtfully.

The so-called transformation is the overall improvement that comes after attribute points reach a certain threshold.

"Then why only use casting speed as the criterion? Isn't there another criterion, such as the level of magical power?" Zellier asked again.

"Because this is the experience left by our predecessors, in the era when the magic system was not yet fully formed, mages could only explore and cultivate in the direction they had chosen."

Marvin said.

"Some people focus on increasing the intensity of their magic during meditation, while others focus more on improving their level of magic manipulation. But without exception, those who improve their level of magic manipulation break through first and reach the next level."

"That's why the guild established an assessment standard based on casting speed. This is to better guide you in the right direction and prevent you from going astray."

“I see… Thank you for your explanation, Professor Marvin,” Zellier said respectfully.

"Alright, keep up the good work with your training. I have high hopes for you. Keep it up!"

After offering a few words of encouragement to Zelier, Marvin led Riley away from the arena, and the mages on the viewing platform gradually dispersed.

After Instructor Marvin walked away, Zellier flipped his hand and put the source energy crystal he had just retrieved into his bag.

He couldn't bear to use such a good thing right now.

Anyway, you don't need to meditate to become stronger; it's inefficient and boring.

Zelier had seen the price of Source Crystals at the trading post; they were at least five or six gold coins each.

Consumables that can quickly replenish mana are always in high demand, and wealthy mages will keep a few on hand for emergencies.

Just as Zelier was about to leave the training ground, a familiar shout came from the viewing platform.

"Zelil!"

Zelil looked in the direction of the voice and saw it was Lant, who jumped up and down to greet Zelil.

“Hey, Lant.” Zellier waved back.

Lant jogged down from the viewing platform, his eyes shining with admiration.

"You were so cool just now!"

Lant stretched out his hand, mimicking Zeril's gesture of releasing an arcane missile.

"In the blink of an eye, he unleashed such a powerful spell! And after listening to Instructor Marvin's teachings, he was able to improve immediately. I still don't quite understand what he means."

"Really? Haha... It's alright."

Zelil was a little embarrassed by Lant's undisguised praise.

"I believe you will become a junior mage before Riley does!"

Lant looked confident and said with a determined expression, "I've been working hard lately. Ever since you told me those things last time, Zelier, I've been practicing non-stop since I got back. You see?"

Lant opened his palms forward and began to charge up his magic.

The surrounding temperature was dropping, and water vapor began to condense in Lant's palm, slowly turning into ice crystals.

About eight seconds later, a sharp-edged ice cone finally took shape.

The icicle shot towards the broken stone wall with a "whoosh," blasting out a burst of snowflakes and ice crystals.

Although the casting speed is still very slow and the understanding of the spell structure is still somewhat immature, it is a great improvement over the last time.

(End of this chapter)