Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System

At an altitude of two hundred fifty miles.

The grand Artifact Refining Array, spanning several miles, was still rotating slowly in the void. Dark Gold Magic Silk Threads wove into complex and profound Dao Patterns.

But compared to five months ago, the True Sun Flame drawn into and gathered by the array had grown even more intense and vast. It had transformed into torrents as concentrated as liquid light and flame, endlessly scouring the three-inch Dark Gold Flying Sword at the array’s core.

The body of the sword had been burned by the True Flame until it was nearly transparent. Inside, countless tiny and intricate Dao Patterns were clearly visible, like a flowing river of stars.

With each tempering by the True Flame, the Dao Patterns grew more solid and gained a more divine quality, emitting a low, pleasant, continuous hum, as if resonating with the distant Sun.

Amidst this ceaseless tempering, suddenly, time stood still.

It was as if an invisible hand had gently pressed down upon it.

The rotation of the array, the trajectory of the burning True Sun Flame, even every shift in the Dao Patterns on the small sword... all movement slowed in an instant, approaching absolute stillness.

The void itself seemed to solidify into amber, seeking to eternally seal this region of space and everything within it in that single, scorching moment.

Yet, in the final instant before this "stillness" could become absolute...

VREEEE!

An incomparably clear sword cry, one that seemed capable of shattering the silence of eternity, erupted from the edge of the three-inch sword!

There was no build-up, no warning.

A beam of Dark Gold sword light—so concentrated it defied description, so pure it could sever anything—abruptly flared from the tip of the sword, then slashed straight upward!

The moment this sword light appeared, it sliced through the encroaching "stillness" as if cutting a frozen scroll in half!

Like the sharpest blade slicing through the softest silk, it severed the amber of frozen space-time!

The scorching void "came alive" once more. The array resumed its rotation, the True Flame continued to pour down, and the thin air carried searing heatwaves outward.

"Great Holy Sword," a deep, resonant voice said, "you are too impatient."

At the same moment the voice sounded, the tall and imposing figure of the Ironspine Duke materialized at the edge of the Grand Array, facing the Flying Sword at its core from a distance.

Above the Flying Sword, Murphy’s phantom projection coalesced once more, even more solid than before. "When it comes to you, this isn’t impatience."

The Ironspine Duke smiled. "You must be aware of what those people below are up to. The forbearance and schemes of the Cardinals; the ulterior motives of the Silver Tower, which pretends to be offering its full support; the faint, probing gazes from those old coots in the Sanctuary, sent through various channels... and even those minor plots hatched in the shadows by people who think they’re well-hidden. With your current control over the Holy City, and even the entire Continent, you can’t be completely oblivious."

Murphy’s phantom had an indifferent expression. "Did you come all this way just to spout this nonsense?"

The Ironspine Duke shook his head. "I’m merely curious. Aren’t you going to do anything? With your power and methods, even without acting personally, you have countless ways to reprimand, warn, or even eliminate those with treacherous intentions. Or is it that... you’re deliberately letting them act, perhaps even subtly encouraging them, to make the catalysis more intense and... accelerate your Elementalization?"

Murphy did not answer the question directly.

His phantom’s gaze swept over the faint outline of the Holy City below, lingering on the pure white Tower of Revelation. His voice was calm and steady:

"They haven’t done anything wrong. Adrian is working hard to resolve the conflicts between the new and old scriptures. Ambrosius is using his old connections to reduce external resistance to the changes. The Wizards from the Silver Tower have provided invaluable technical support, allowing the Enlightenment Potion to be created and the Tower’s curriculum to take shape more quickly. As for the petty schemes of certain individuals in the College of Cardinals, or the ambitions of certain Wizards... in the grand scheme of promoting reform, discovering talent, and increasing the overall strength of the Continent, they have indeed done their utmost and are great contributors. Why would I do anything to them?"

The Ironspine Duke said bluntly, "Regardless of your intentions, there’s one thing we both know for certain: you cannot change the fact of your Elementalization, nor can you reverse the Old Realm’s ever-increasing rejection of you."

"As the grandfather of Annie’s son, I’m giving you a choice: leave this plane of existence voluntarily and travel to the vaster Old Realm. There, you might find a way to halt or even reverse your Elementalization. At the very least, you’ll survive."

Murphy’s phantom replied coolly, "And what if I’m not willing?"

"It would merely take a little longer," the Ironspine Duke’s voice was unruffled, as if stating an established fact. "The outcome won’t change. The world’s balance will still return to its original state. Leaving now is the path of least cost. If you stubbornly remain until the rules expel you and force a transition, I’m afraid that in the chaotic wash of dimensional turbulence, not even this sword you’re currently tempering will be enough to protect your consciousness."

Murphy’s phantom seemed to chuckle softly.

"Ironspine Duke," he said slowly, each word echoing with perfect clarity in the sky two hundred fifty miles high, "have you forgotten... who is the number one expert on this Continent?"

The instant his voice fell—

At the core of the array, the three-inch Dark Gold Flying Sword trembled slightly.

A colossal beam of Dark Gold sword light, seeming to connect heaven and earth, erupted from the blade!

This beam of sword light was so pure, so concentrated, it was as if the glorious might of the True Sun Flame accumulated by the Grand Array over several months and Murphy’s own peerless will had all been fused into a single strike!

It cleaved through the torrent of searing True Flame, severed the flowing Array Dao Patterns, passed through the Ironspine Duke’s imposing figure, and finally vanished into the endless void above, leaving behind a faint golden scar that lingered long after, as if it had split the very firmament in two.

The moment the sword light passed through him, the Ironspine Duke’s figure rippled violently like a reflection in water, then rapidly turned transparent.

He made no attempt to resist, perhaps knowing that resistance was futile against such a strike.

In the final moment before his figure dissipated completely, his deep voice drifted over one last time, carrying a complex sigh:

"You will regret this, Murphy."

...

In the Holy City Market, Aurora was standing before a stall selling autumn flowers, her fingertips lightly touching a bouquet of pale purple cornflowers.

The instant the sword light flashed across the sky, she seemed to sense something. Her fingertips trembled slightly, and she lifted her head to gaze at the clear, crisp autumn sky.

She watched quietly for a moment before her long lashes lowered, and she resumed her unhurried selection of flowers as if her heart had merely been stirred by a fleeting autumn breeze.

Inside the Pope’s Office, Elizabeth was discussing matters with a Bishop in charge of constructing a new diocese.

Her words faltered for a fraction of a second as the sword light streaked through the sky. The fingers holding her quill tightened imperceptibly for an instant, leaving a slightly deeper ink blot on the parchment.

She then resumed listening with her usual expression, though her gaze seemed to inadvertently sweep across the horizon outside her window.

In the complex housing the College of Cardinals, Adrian, who had recently returned to work, was staring at a document detailing the distribution of the "Enlightenment Potion," his expression dark.

When that invisible yet heart-pounding ripple swept by, he shot up from his seat, strode to the window, and stared intently at the sky, his face flickering between shock and anticipation.

In the shadows behind him, Ambrosius’s withered fingers tapped lightly on the back of his chair. A sliver of icy light flashed in the depths of his murky eyes before they returned to a bottomless calm.

At the Holy City Research Institute, several researchers of Wizard origin were talking in low voices.

The moment the sword light passed, all conversation ceased.

The face of the leader under his hood seemed to lift slightly. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke slowly in a hoarse voice, "His Elementalization has grown stronger. The plan proceeds as before."

Deep within the Holy Hall Pharmacy, Freyja was lounging languidly against a lab bench, toying with a test tube filled with a brilliant green light.

The ripple from high above made her pause. Her gold-red eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed at the stone dome overhead, as if her sight could pierce through its many layers.

"Oh my," she murmured to herself, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Quite a temper. Looks like the little dragon kicked a steel plate this time."

In the Iscent Mountain Belly, inside the core chamber of the Mind Furnace, Edwin was operating a control panel as countless data streams and analytical charts scrolled across the display.

When the streak of sword light swept past, his eyes never left the screen, but his gaze behind his lenses seemed to deepen.

"Observed variable... Energy level has once again breached the threshold," he murmured so quietly that no one could hear.

Meanwhile, in the plaza at the entrance of the Tower, a brief welcoming ceremony was underway.

As the principal appointed by the Holy City, Eleanor, dressed in a solemn, dark blue formal gown, stood behind a temporary lectern, addressing the first batch of newly enrolled preparatory apprentices.

Her voice was clear and melodious, her speech orderly and lucid, as she expounded upon the responsibilities and future of the "Path of the Priest."

Just as she was saying, "Knowledge is power, but wisdom lies in its application"...

Eleanor’s voice paused for less than half a second.

She immediately looked up, her gaze seeming to pass over the young, expectant faces before her, past the pure white body of the Tower, and toward the boundless, clear autumn sky.

But the next second, she retracted her gaze. The gentle, encouraging smile on her face did not change in the slightest, as if that insignificant pause had been nothing more than a natural breath during her speech.

"Wisdom lies in its application," she continued, her voice as steady as before, now imbued with an even greater sense of conviction. "It lies in using the rules we learn to protect, to create, and to make this world even a little bit better. This is the true meaning behind the Tower of Revelation’s existence, and it is the starting point of the path that lies before you all."

Her gaze swept across the audience, pausing for a moment in the direction of Mo Ling and Bobby before moving on. She continued her inspiring speech as if the momentary disturbance had never happened.

In the audience, Mo Ling seemed to sense something and looked up at her sister on the stage, only to see Eleanor’s dignified and focused profile.

She blinked, then lowered her head and whispered to Bobby, "Principal Temeris speaks so well."

Bobby nodded vigorously, his small face full of sincerity. "Yeah! We have to study really hard!"

After the scar from the sword high above had completely faded into the void, the Holy City below remained as if nothing had happened, bathed in the gentle autumn sunlight and breeze.

Carriages and horses traversed the streets, and the market bustled with the sounds of the crowd.

For the vast majority of mortals, that sky-shattering, sharp sword strike from moments before was nothing more than an unnoticed, fleeting instant that had already passed.

The world continued to turn along its own trajectory.