Earth-element Magic (Part 1)

Linley’s excitement erupted like a volcano.

“Grandpa Doehring, can you really teach me magic?” Linley looked at old Doehring with uncontrollable excitement.

Doehring Cowart’s white beard lifted. “Linley, your Grandpa Doehring is a Saint-level Grand Magus. Even if your aptitude is not very good, I can still teach you magic. Of course... if your aptitude is poor, your achievements will be poor as well.”

If other magi heard Doehring Cowart say this, they would be shocked.

Within the circle of magi, aptitude was the most important thing. Without aptitude, one could not become a magus. That was recognized by many people.

Yet Doehring Cowart dared to say that even someone without much aptitude could be trained into a magus. If anyone else had said it, it might have been boastful nonsense. But this was a Saint-level Grand Magus from more than five thousand years ago!

“Low aptitude means low achievement?” Linley’s heart shook slightly.

He wanted to become a magus in order to restore the Baruch Clan’s glory. Even if he could not reach that height, it would be enough to fulfill the wish of the Baruch Clan’s patriarchs over the centuries: to recover the clan’s inherited treasures.

But to achieve that, strength was extremely important.

“Linley, do not worry. Your magical aptitude has not been tested yet. Who knows whether it is high or low? Perhaps it will be exceptionally good.” Doehring Cowart stroked his white beard and smiled.

Grandpa Doehring’s calmness steadied Linley’s heart.

“Grandpa Doehring, how is magical aptitude tested?” Linley could not help looking forward to it.

“Testing magical aptitude is very simple.” As soon as Doehring Cowart spoke, suddenly—

Footsteps sounded outside the door. On hearing them, Linley became flustered and hurriedly whispered, “Grandpa Doehring, hide! Someone is coming.” It would be terrible if a Saint-level Grand Magus from the Pouant Empire five thousand years ago were discovered.

But Doehring Cowart only smiled faintly and did not move at all.

“Grandpa Doehring—” Linley grew anxious.

“Creak.” The bedroom door opened. Steward Hiri looked inside and smiled when he saw that Linley was awake. “Young Master Linley, I did not expect you to wake so quickly. Are you feeling better now?”

Linley immediately forced out a smile and nodded. “Thank you for asking, Grandpa Hiri. I feel much better now.”

But inwardly he was frantic, and he kept glancing toward Doehring Cowart. Doehring continued standing there with a smile. “What is Grandpa Doehring doing? Sigh, if he is discovered, explaining it will be troublesome.”

“Young Master Linley, it is time for lunch. Since you are awake, come eat with us,” Hiri said with a smile.

“Oh, all right.” Linley looked once more toward Doehring Cowart, now thoroughly puzzled. “What is happening? Grandpa Hiri does not seem able to see Grandpa Doehring at all.”

Seeing Linley look repeatedly at an empty area beside the bed, Hiri asked in confusion, “Young Master Linley, what are you looking at beside the bed? Did something fall there? I can get it for you.”

“No, nothing.” Linley immediately rolled out of bed. “Grandpa Hiri, let us go eat lunch.”

Though Hiri found Linley’s reaction strange, he did not think much of it and nodded with a smile. Linley put on his clothes and shoes, then glanced uneasily toward Doehring Cowart again. Doehring smiled at him, moved, and vanished from Linley’s sight.

“He went into the Coiling Dragon Ring.” For the first time, Linley clearly sensed a ring spirit within it.

Unlike before, after Blood Binding, Linley’s understanding of the Coiling Dragon Ring had clearly risen to another level.

“Linley, you do not need to speak aloud. Just speak to me in your mind, and I can hear you. You are the Coiling Dragon Ring’s owner, and I am its ring spirit. We can communicate through our minds easily.” Doehring Cowart’s voice sounded within Linley’s mind.

This greatly startled Linley.

“Grandpa Doehring?” Linley tried speaking in his mind.

“I heard you.” Doehring Cowart’s voice echoed in his mind as well.

Linley was instantly delighted. But he was so focused on speaking with Doehring Cowart that he did not watch his feet. He tripped over the threshold, and Steward Hiri turned around in front of him with a smile. “Young Master Linley, watch your step.”

“I know, Grandpa Hiri.” Linley smiled.

As he happily chatted with Doehring Cowart in his mind, Linley entered the hall and sat down. Lunch was quite rich today, including a fragrant roast lamb. Seeing Linley arrive, Hogg smiled. “Linley, sit down.” He personally tore off a roasted lamb leg and handed it to Linley.

“Thank you, Father.”

Linley was somewhat surprised. The clan’s finances were strained, so their usual meals were very plain. Yet today there was a whole roast lamb.

Linley did not know that while countless stones descended on Wushan Town, they had killed not only people but also many livestock. Today, not only the Baruch Clan but even some commoner families were eating an unusually lavish meal.

“Grandpa Doehring, why could Grandpa Hiri not see you just now?” Linley asked Doehring Cowart in his mind.

“Linley, I must tell you that no one except you can see me. I now exist in the form of a soul, and souls are intangible. Eyes cannot see them. Only because you are the owner of the Coiling Dragon Ring can you see me,” Doehring Cowart carefully explained.

Linley understood.

Grandpa Doehring had already said that he had died long ago. Only his soul remained now.

“Grandpa Doehring, does that mean you can appear beside me whenever you want in the future?” Linley asked joyfully in his mind.

As soon as Linley finished the thought, he saw an old man in a moon-white robe with white hair and beard abruptly appear beside him. It was Doehring Cowart. Hogg, Steward Hiri, and Wharton continued eating and talking without sensing his arrival at all.

“Wow!”

Hearing about it was one thing, but seeing everyone at the table fail to notice Grandpa Doehring still amazed Linley.

“Not everyone is unable to sense me. Anyone whose soul is at the same level as mine can detect my existence. Of course... if I hide inside the Coiling Dragon Ring, no one can discover me.” Doehring Cowart’s voice sounded in Linley’s mind.

“At the same soul level as you, Grandpa Doehring?” Linley ate as he communicated with him mentally.

“Those at the same soul level as mine should be Saint-level experts. Only Saint-level experts can barely sense my existence. And that is only if I emerge from the Coiling Dragon Ring. If I enter it, they cannot discover me.” Doehring Cowart smiled.

Linley nodded in his heart as he gripped the roasted lamb leg and took large bites.

“Linley, eat more carefully,” Hogg said with a smile when he saw how quickly Linley was eating.

Linley smiled at his father but continued eating very quickly. Before long, he had finished the large roasted lamb leg, burped contentedly, wiped his mouth and hands with a napkin, and stood. “Father, Grandpa Hiri, I am done. My head still feels a little dizzy, so I am going back to rest. Goodbye, Wharton.” Linley had finished first.

“Your head is still dizzy? Then hurry back and rest,” Hogg said anxiously.

The events of that morning had greatly shaken Hogg. At that moment, he had even thought Linley would be killed by the falling rubble. After going through that, Hogg’s attitude toward Linley had noticeably softened.

“Goodbye, Big Brother.” Sturdy little Wharton waved to Linley with his grease-covered hand.