Above the mage

Chapter 696 Restoration of the Strange Object

The first newly formed star trail is still the "Mana Storage" star trail.

It is not as slender as the early mana storage orbits, but rather much thicker.

The light and color were also deeper, like a wide galaxy, slowly unfolding inside the magic crystal.

Thanks to the blessing of the Zhenbing bloodline, its condensation process was extremely smooth.

Ice magic gently adhered to the outline of the light trail, layer upon layer, and condensed into shape in just a few breaths.

Complementing the initial mana storage star track, the simultaneous operation of the two star tracks doubled Gaode's total mana.

Immediately following, the second spell star orbit began to condense.

The spell trajectory in the middle of the third ring is "Spell Acceleration".

This star trail has a silvery-white color and is more dynamic than other star trails.

When light particles converge, they move at extremely high speeds, like shooting stars.

It did not follow the original star orbit trajectory, but took shape in the gap between the three initial star orbits, slender yet containing extremely strong energy.

Once the spell accelerates the formation of the star trail, the spell model's operating speed will instantly surge, providing a more significant boost than the initial star trail condensation effect.

Furthermore, for projectile spells, such as magic missiles and fireballs, the Star Orb will automatically draw mana, significantly increasing the projectile speed.

The final condensation is an elemental star trail.

The elemental star trails in the middle of the third ring are called Elemental Return.

It is the most unique of the three newly formed star orbits.

The light is a mix of ice blue and blue.

As it coalesced, the ice elemental mist that had been swirling in the meditation room suddenly became extremely violent, forming an ice-blue light stream that surged into Gao De's body like a rushing brook.

Following the magical energy channels that permeate Gao De's entire body, the energy flows into the magic pool and eventually surges towards the Star Core Magic Crystal.

These icy light streams gently adhered to the outline of the star trails, not only completing the condensation of the star trails but also forming a thin layer of ice patterns on the surface of the star trails, making the star trails appear more substantial.

The moment the star trail took shape, Gao De felt a clear connection, as if he had established a deeper link with all the ice elements in the world.

In the future, when casting ice spells, any excess ice elements that dissipate into the air will be automatically drawn back by the star trail and reintegrated into the mana pool.

This reduces mana waste and allows subsequent ice spells to become increasingly powerful due to elemental stacking.

This allows Gaode to become stronger with each continuous battle.

The three new star orbits condensed and took shape one after another, echoing and operating synchronously with the initial three star orbits inside the magic crystal.

The six star trails are like six flowing galaxies, interwoven into a dense energy network.

The entire condensation process proceeded without any hindrance. The enhancement of the Zhenbing bloodline made the six star trails seem to have always existed together within the magic crystal, forming a seamless whole.

The difference in combat power between each minor level of a third-ring mage, aside from the difference in basic stats, is primarily due to the bonus provided by Star Orbit.

With the six star orbits operating in sync, Gao De's total mana, casting speed, and the power of ice spells have all improved by more than one level compared to the early stage of the third ring.

Feeling his combat power had increased to another level, Gao De nodded in satisfaction.

He had only been promoted to a third-ring mage for five months, and for a large part of that time he was trapped in the desolate and barren Soul Domain, which seriously delayed his cultivation progress.

Even so, he still managed to break through to the mid-stage of the third ring.

This is the ruthless power of bloodline; like an innate gift, it propels one forward steadily without requiring deliberate effort.

Even the most exceptional mage talent cannot match the power of bloodline in terms of leveling up a mage.

After all, no matter how talented one is, one still needs to hone their skills day after day, spending a lot of time and energy to refine their magic. If they slack off even slightly, they will stagnate.

With the mage's level successfully upgraded, the purpose of returning to the Northern Territory can be considered basically achieved.

With a flick of his finger, Gao De slowly dissipated the remaining ice elements around him, having already made up his mind: to return to Mithril City as soon as possible.

He still held many third-circle spell recipes from the Duchy of Xidian.

Those were spells that his Zhenbing bloodline failed to awaken when he advanced to the third ring.

To add these spells to one's spell repertoire, one must concoct corresponding spell potions.

After finishing the challenge at the Ryugaku Academy, his main purpose for traveling was to collect various magical plants and other raw materials to concoct these magical potions.

Unexpectedly, unexpected twists and turns occurred along the way, and they mistakenly entered the desolate and barren soul realm.

Now we must return as soon as possible to continue this unfinished "great undertaking" and further enrich our spell repertoire.

Gaode has always maintained a "better to have too much than too little" attitude towards magic.

Even if he rarely gets to use many spells after mastering them, he will still learn them without hesitation.

The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, it is a proven fact that the more spells one has mastered, the stronger the specializations one awakens when ascending to higher levels. This is beyond doubt.

Secondly, the mages in this world are mana-based mages, not magic-based mages.

The only thing that limits spell casting is "mana," so having more spells on hand can always come in handy at crucial moments, which is never a bad thing.

More importantly, he can afford the cost.

For other mages, learning spells is undoubtedly a demanding task that requires a lot of effort, energy, and money. Naturally, they cannot learn everything at will; they can only choose the spells that are most suitable and practical for them to study in depth.

But all of this is much easier for Gaode.

Aside from the fact that his financial investment was the same as other monks, the time and energy he devoted to it were far less than what other monks imagined.

After awakening the [Resonance of All Laws] feat, he had an even more crucial reason to learn magic:

Many spells, even those rarely used and seemingly useless, can serve as "raw materials" to resonate with other spells and fuse into unexpectedly powerful fusion spells.

However, before returning to the Plantagenet Dynasty, there was one more thing that Gaode had to take care of.

He turned and left the room, strolled to the farm outside the city, and immediately found a small man diligently performing his duties as minister.

Valar Bay, around Flora Forest.

From a distance, the stone house still appears simple, built from rough stones.

At the entrance of the stone house, Yan Gang lay half-reclined on a deck chair, holding a gleaming iron hoe in his thick hand, poking at the ore beside him with a few casual taps.

The iron shovel struck the ore, producing a soft, tinkling sound.

A steady sound of footsteps came on the wind, neither hurried nor slow.

Yan Gang's ears twitched, and he subconsciously straightened his back, suppressing his annoyance and instantly adopting the stern demeanor of a senior member of the Yang family. Without raising his head, he grunted, "Who is it?"

But as soon as he said that, he felt a clear gaze fall on him.

He subconsciously looked up and met Flora's big, dark eyes.

The little figure was sitting on Gaode's shoulder, staring intently at him.

Yan Gang's Adam's apple bobbed, and the air of authority he had just put on instantly deflated. His tone softened involuntarily: "Why are you here?"

One thing can subdue another.

Gao De suppressed a smile and slowly walked forward.

He carried two large jars of wine in one hand and gently placed them on the stone table at the entrance of the stone house.

"Master Yan Gang, I apologize for bothering you." He said calmly, "Knowing that you enjoy Moutai liquor from Phoenix, I brought some extra this time to help you pass the time."

Upon hearing the words "Maotai," a glint of light flashed in Yan Gang's eyes: "Although this liquor cannot compare to the century-old spirit treasured by the Yang family, it is still drinkable."

"This kid is always so eager to please me, I'm afraid he's got some trouble to come looking for. Never mind him, I'll drink first. What can he do if I don't help him?" Yan Gang thought to himself.

Gao De pretended not to hear this, looked around, and casually asked, "Where is Master Du Linhuo?"

"He went to Jaber's place again to mess with that damn furnace." Yan Gang curled his lip, his tone carrying a hint of "disdain".

"It takes you so long to work on a broken stove. You're still not skilled enough. If it were me, I could crush it in no time," he muttered.

As he spoke, he had already unsealed the wine jar.

The rich aroma of the liquor burst forth instantly, mingling with the robust flavor of roasted wheat and the mellow fragrance of grains, spreading freely through the air.

Yan Gang immediately took a large gulp, his face full of satisfaction, and his eyes cleared a bit. He asked directly, "Speak, what is it?"

Gao De, whose intentions had been exposed, was not embarrassed. Instead, he smiled and shook his head, slowly raising his hand to reach into his pocket and taking out a round, watch-shaped object.

The dial was worn and old, and at first glance it looked no different from a piece of junk.

Only the astral energy that subtly emanates after the synchronization reveals its extraordinary nature.

It is a travel watch.

"Master Yan Gang," Gao De handed the travel watch to Yan Gang, "this is a rare item called the travel watch, but it was unfortunately damaged."

"Your skills are superb, and you are proficient in forging all kinds of extraordinary tools, so I would like to ask you to take a look and see if it can be repaired, and what method should be used to repair it."

Yan Gang glanced at the object in Gao De's hand and casually said, "Let me see."

In his view, even if it was a strange object, it wasn't anything rare.

Born into the Lava Plains Sheep family, he has seen countless strange and wondrous objects in his life.

You've seen quite a few extraordinary pieces of equipment that are comparable to or even surpass extraordinary artifacts.

The Yang family's wealth is so great that few forces in the entire plane can rival them.

To put it dramatically, in the Yang family, even a fire poker might be an extraordinary piece of equipment that has been forged and enhanced.

Therefore, this dilapidated and severely damaged watch, even if it were brand new, would not catch the eye of this top forging master of the Yang family.

However, he was bored out of his mind at the moment, and having drunk the Moutai liquor that Gao De had brought, he had no reason to refuse.

Moreover, although the Yang family has a ban on making extraordinary equipment for outsiders, it is not considered a violation to just help take a look and see how to repair it.

Thinking this, Yan Gang casually reached out and, with a flick of his finger, took the travel watch dial.

My fingertips had barely touched the watch face when I casually brushed against it.

At first, he didn't think much of it, but when his gaze fell on the exposed star iron and refined gold gear, his casual expression instantly froze.

The nonchalance in his eyes was gradually replaced by surprise, and his brows furrowed unconsciously.

He subconsciously brought the watch face closer to his eyes, squinted, and gently stroked the twisted and deformed gears with his thick fingertips.

A faint magic emanated from his fingertips as he examined the material and forging process of the gears.

The more he investigated, the more serious his gaze became.

He swallowed back the sarcastic remarks he had prepared, his tone filled with astonishment: "This—this material, it's actually star iron refined gold, and this outer shell, so clear and tough, its texture far surpasses ordinary crystal... It's actually astral crystal?! Even more remarkable is the craftsmanship—"

Born into the Rongyuan Yang family, Yan Gang has forged countless extraordinary weapons and tools in his life, and has seen countless exquisite crafts.

Such a sophisticated structure is something I've never seen before.

Even though the entire dial is twisted and deformed, you can still see the ultimate craftsmanship and exquisite skills when it was forged.

At least in terms of the forging quality of these watch-like instruments, it has already surpassed the highest level of the Yang family.

His previously casual attitude completely vanished, replaced by the focus and rigor befitting a master.

Master rock steel craftsmen hold the highest respect for top-notch craftsmanship.

He carefully turned the watch face over, examining every scratch and every part.

He then slowly infused his magic into the dial, carefully examining its internal structure and energy fluctuations.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, his fingertips paused slightly, and a look of even greater surprise appeared on his face. His tone was tinged with disbelief: "Wait—this object—it actually has self-healing abilities?"

"Self-healing ability?!" Gao De was even more surprised.

"Yes," Yan Gang nodded, concentrating his mind as he continued to slowly inject magic into the dial.

After examining it carefully for a moment, he slowly raised his head, his tone filled with certainty and amazement: "That's right, it does indeed possess self-healing abilities."

"But at this moment, the astral energy is exhausted, and the self-healing speed has become extremely slow, almost imperceptible."

"The crystal on this outer shell was originally an astral crystal used to store astral energy. I don't know what it went through, but it has acquired the dual ability to absorb and supply astral energy."

"But now it is severely damaged and the astral energy is completely exhausted, so it can no longer absorb astral energy from the outside world, and its self-healing ability has also stagnated."

Gao De was overjoyed and quickly asked, "Master, if we replenish it with enough astral energy to restore the astral crystal to its original state, will it be able to absorb astral energy and repair itself on its own? Are there any other auxiliary methods needed?"

Yan Gang frowned, then looked down at the travel watch dial in his hand, tapping the twisted gears lightly with his fingertips. His tone became increasingly serious: "It's hard to say. Its self-healing ability is just the foundation; the star iron and refined gold gears inside are too severely twisted and deformed."

"Even if this astral crystal is restored to its original state and can absorb astral energy normally, it will take a very long time to repair itself, and it may not be able to fully restore itself to its original state. There is a high probability that it will leave behind the hidden danger of poor transmission."

"If we want to repair it quickly and perfectly, we still need to rely on a large amount of astral energy supplied from the outside."

Then, top-tier forging masters will be needed to straighten the twisted star iron and adamantite gears and repair the damaged astral crystal shell, so that it can be completely restored to its original state.

"This is the most feasible approach."

Clearly, both of these conditions are very demanding.

But Gao De was happy.

For him, both of these conditions were predictable.

Astral energy... Both Eevee and Yggdrasil can provide it.

Although both are currently in a situation where even landlords have no surplus grain, at least there is hope.

As for the forging master... isn't this one right there?

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