Ciel took a deep breath. He had never expected that mastering the basics of Occlumency would bring him such a pleasant surprise. He had experienced the benefits of a flow state before. In that state, his mind was unprecedentedly focused. Learning efficiency would be several times higher than usual!

The few times he'd entered flow states before had all played important roles in him breaking through magical bottlenecks. But this state was something that could be encountered but not sought. He had never deliberately forced it.

Yet he hadn't expected to actively master the flow state during the process of learning Occlumency.

"That makes sense. The requirement for Occlumency basics is to master one's mind and eliminate distracting thoughts. This seems quite similar to flow state. Being able to control flow state is only natural."

Light flashed in his eyes. "Let me test the effects of flow state."

Then, in his mind, the distracting thoughts that had just surged through were like ripples passing over a calm lake surface. Once gone, they left no trace. The lake of his mind became smooth as a mirror again. His heart felt clear and bright. Time seemed to lose all concept.

He slowly took out the Half-Blood Prince textbook he had obtained. He had gained considerable benefits from this textbook. His understanding of magic had directly stepped up a level. And now, his magical mastery was incomparable to before. Plus with the flow state's enhancement. Who knew how much new knowledge he could comprehend from it?

Rustle. Rustle.

The pages were slowly turned. The annotations left between the lines of the textbook came into his view. Some content he still couldn't understand. But some content now gradually showed signs of comprehension, revealing some insights.

There was also content he once thought he completely understood. Looking back now, he realised his understanding was still limited. Reading again brought new flavours.

Countless knowledge and insights flowed through his mind. Then, under the flow state's enhancement, they were chewed and digested by him at an amazing speed. Transforming them into his own nourishment.

On his system panel, almost all spells were flickering with light. Though limited by magical perception, those spells that had reached Platinum tier had no room for further improvement. But their lustre became more concentrated, becoming almost substantial.

This gave him the feeling that they were accumulating power. It was an improvement in foundation. Seemingly no actual change, but once the lock was broken, what he had accumulated now would burst forth!

Time passed minute by minute. He felt no distraction or fatigue whatsoever. Still immersed in the Half-Blood Prince textbook. Until he snapped out of it, exiting the flow state, did he feel some fatigue from his mind.

He had a moment of enlightenment. "Occlumency consumes mental energy. Maintaining it for too long will cause fatigue."

He immediately thought of Snape. No matter when, Snape always looked tired. He'd never seen him looking refreshed and energetic. He had originally thought this was because Snape was always shrouded in the shadow of Lily's death.

But now it seemed it might also relate to his double agent identity, needing to constantly maintain Occlumency. Even though Snape's Occlumency mastery was most likely Epic or even Legendary tier, maintaining it year after year would still be quite a burden.

Moments after thinking of Snape, he suddenly startled. "Wait. What time is it now..."

He looked at the time. "It's been nearly an hour and a half past the time I agreed with Professor Snape for another Occlumency training session. Flow state is too focused... this has advantages and disadvantages. Next time before entering a flow state, I need to prepare an alarm clock nearby, or I might delay important matters."

Then he immediately got up and hurried toward Snape's office.

At this time, in the office, Snape's expression was quite unpleasant, his brow furrowed with dark anger. But at the same time, he was also somewhat puzzled. Ciel wasn't someone who lacked perseverance or punctuality. What had happened to make him so late?

After hearing the knock, Snape said coldly, "Come in. Give me an explanation."

Ciel's face was full of apology. "Sorry, Professor. I practised Occlumency until I reached the introductory level. Then I entered a state of extreme mental focus. In that state, while rereading the Half-Blood Prince's notes, I increasingly felt every word was precious and wonderful. I lost track of time without realising it and ended up being late..."

Hearing his explanation, the dark anger in Snape's brow quickly dissipated. Obviously, his praise for the Half-Blood Prince's notes pleased him greatly. So he was engrossed in reading his own notes? Hmph, that was quite normal. At least this young wizard had good judgement.

But moments later, Snape suddenly paused. He realised what else he had said. His tone rose several degrees.

"Hm?! What did you say? Your Occlumency has already reached introductory level?!"

Snape's eyes widened as he stared at him. If he didn't know he was absolutely not a young wizard given to exaggeration, he'd probably throw him out right now. Mastering Occlumency basics in one day?

Clearly last time, he was still full of distracting thoughts. By Snape's estimation, even with assistance from the precious incense he'd purchased, he would need at least half a month of focused practice to have any possibility of basic mastery.

Yet after just one day, before his incense had even arrived, he had mastered it? This was even faster than when Snape himself had mastered Occlumency basics!

Under Snape's surprised gaze, he waved his hand modestly. "I just got lucky and found a shortcut."

Snape's eyes showed suspicion. A shortcut? For Occlumency basics, besides this special precious incense that could help suppress distracting thoughts, what other shortcuts could there be?

But he wasn't someone who liked getting to the bottom of things. After the shock, Snape quickly calmed down. Him having his own method to quickly master the basics was also good news for Snape. It could save considerable effort. Snape always valued efficiency.

Therefore, he immediately scrapped his original training plan for him. "Since you've already mastered the basics, you don't need to waste time on those meditations. Let's move directly to the next stage. I'll use Legilimency to try reading your emotions and memories. What you need to do is focus your mind and resist my reading."

Snape's tone paused briefly. "Of course. This is a very private matter. If I harboured ill intentions and took advantage of this moment to break through your mental defences, I could not only see the darkest emotions in your heart's depths but possibly even plant some suggestions in your mind."

A mocking smile appeared at the corner of Snape's mouth. "You'd better consider carefully..."

But having spent so much time with Snape, he wouldn't say he understood Snape completely, but at least he could figure out his tsundere personality. Prying into others' deepest secrets, planting suggestions in their minds?

In the original story, even when facing Harry Potter, whom he detested, Snape had never done such things. Much less to himself, with whom he had a decent relationship.

Moreover, he wasn't without countermeasures. In the original story, Harry Potter, under the extreme grief from Sirius's death, could use Occlumency to cut off his connection with Voldemort. He could also rely on extreme pain as a final safeguard.

Therefore, when Snape was exaggerating and seemingly threatening, he calmly nodded. "Professor, I trust you."

Snape was silent for a moment, then sneered. "That's your own choice. Alright, sit in the chair. In case something happens to you later, I don't want to see you convulsing and rolling on the floor stupidly."

After he was seated, Snape said coldly, "Get ready."

He nodded and immediately entered an Occlumency state. His mind became unprecedentedly focused. At this moment, Snape also looked into his eyes and waved his wand.

"Legilimens! Legilimency!"

Then a silver light struck his temple. He immediately felt his mental world being invaded. But unlike what was described in the original story when Harry and Snape practised Legilimency combat, Harry at that time hadn't actually mastered Occlumency basics at all.

Snape used this method simply to make him learn quickly through crude force. How terrible that experience was could be imagined. But now, he had already mastered Occlumency basics. Moreover, Snape's attitude toward him was incomparably better than toward Harry.

Even though he'd spoken so alarmingly before, during the actual mental combat, Snape was even more cautious than he himself. Afraid the Legilimency spell's intensity was too great and would cause him mental damage.

Therefore, under Snape's deliberate restraint, he didn't feel any extremely nauseating resistance. Nor was he one-sidedly suppressed. He could still resist Snape's reading.

But as the Legilimency spell continued, Snape's magic kept flowing like water, seeking flaws in his defences. Every moment made him struggle to resist. Gradually, he began feeling overwhelmed. Fleeting scenes began flashing rapidly before his eyes.

The distracting thoughts that should have been suppressed gradually became uncontainable. This meant he was on the verge of failing against Snape's Legilimency invasion.

But Snape was quite satisfied with his performance. "Alright. Let's stop here."

Snape spoke within his mental world. Then he prepared to end his Legilimency spell. But unexpectedly for Snape, he also spoke within the mental world.

"Professor. I can persist a bit longer."

His gaze fell on the system panel before him. In the mental combat with Snape, the lustre on the Occlumency text was literally becoming richer every minute and second. In this short time, the Black Iron lustre had already become much richer than before.

This was the benefit of sparring with the magical world's strongest Occlumency user! Progress was simply soaring! At this rate, he would definitely advance Occlumency to the Bronze tier today. How could he bear to end this?

Snape's eyes showed appreciation, but he still advised, "Don't force yourself. Your Occlumency is about to be broken through. Continuing to force it won't be effective."

He took a deep breath. "Professor. I have my own method to persist a bit longer."

The next moment, under Snape's ghostly stare, he produced a Shadow Thorns spike and viciously pierced it into his finger joint, then cruelly twisted it. The saying goes that fingers are connected to the heart. What entered his mind now was heart-piercing, bone-stabbing agony.

Snape cried out, "What are you doing?!"

But he exhaled in relief. Under the pain's stimulation, the distracting thoughts that had just emerged in his mind had vanished. His spirit was also reinvigorated, sufficient to continue resisting Snape's Legilimency spell.

"Professor. I'm just perking myself up. Now we should be able to continue, right?"

Snape's eyes widened as he looked at his still dripping fingers. Being injured by Shadow Thorns could cause pain that made people faint. Much less piercing finger joints and cruelly twisting like that.

He suddenly remembered him mentioning having a shortcut to quickly master Occlumency basics. Could it be this method?!

Snape had seen countless geniuses. But at this moment, his heart couldn't help but surge with shock and waves of admiration. What kind of "shortcut" was this? This was simply self-torture, self-mutilation!

No wonder this young wizard with poor talent could far surpass other wizards of the same grade. With such effort, how could he not succeed?

Snape also took a deep breath, his expression becoming serious. "Fine. Since you insist on this. Then, continue!"

Then he immediately felt the Legilimency pressure from Snape increase somewhat. He also immediately held his breath and focused, fully responding to Snape's offensive. Sweat gradually beaded on his forehead. He seemed oblivious.

Only when he felt about to be unable to hold on would he again produce a Shadow Thorns spike, viciously pierce another empty finger joint, and cruelly twist it, allowing himself to persist under such an offensive.

Before he knew it, all ten of his fingers were filled with Shadow Thorns. The duration of this Legilimency combat had also far exceeded Snape's estimation. He had never imagined that in the first such combat, someone could persist this long. Even he himself couldn't have done this back then.

Though this intensity wasn't much for Snape, continuing indefinitely was still considerable pressure. Gradually, Snape's forehead was also covered in sweat, his face somewhat pale.

But feeling increasingly strong resistance from his mind, as if he could see his mind becoming more consolidated. Like scattered troops gradually transforming into a well-trained army. A transformation was occurring in his Occlumency. Snape was willing to help him achieve this.

On his system panel, the Black Iron lustre on the Occlumency text had long since reached its peak concentration. Bronze colour kept spreading within it. Finally, when his forehead showed bulging veins and he had truly reached his limit... even inserting Shadow Thorns spikes again could only help him persist a few more seconds with diminishing returns... the Occlumency text was completely covered by bronze lustre.

[Occlumency (Bronze Tier)], advanced!

Instantly, he felt the pressure from Snape's Legilimency dramatically decrease. He could even expel Snape's Legilimency magic from his mental world while caught off guard. Though this was because Snape had been deliberately holding back, not displaying his full Legilimency mastery at all.

But at this moment, his heart was filled with joy. However, he then heard a muffled groan. Opening his eyes, he saw two lines of bright red blood trickling from Snape's nostrils. His heart jumped. Was this backlash from his Legilimency spell being reflected?

Snape waved his hand nonchalantly. "It's nothing. You don't think your half-baked Occlumency could actually harm me, do you?"

He said somewhat uncertainly, "Really? Then Professor... Do you have time later? Or tomorrow. Shall we continue?"

Snape's nonchalant expression immediately froze. "Do you think I'm so idle? Helping you practise Occlumency every day? In the future, I'll help you practise at most once a week. Now, get out of my office."

He left. Before leaving, he turned back and said to Snape, "Professor. Thank you so much for this time."

Snape snorted coldly. Then suddenly remembered something. "By the way. There's one thing... don't tell me you forgot. The Quidditch finals, there are only three days left, Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor. If you win, you'll help Hufflepuff make history."

He gritted his teeth viciously. "After you massacred our Slytherin team, creating the largest point difference in a thousand years of history! Alright, now get out! I don't want to see you again before the Quidditch finals start!"

Ciel paused, feeling somewhat ashamed. During this time, busy with plotting for Puking Pastilles and scheming against the two-faced spy, he had indeed forgotten about the Quidditch finals. He quickly bid farewell to Snape.

Then a thought that made his heart race flashed through his mind. "Speaking of which. That Elber Tree I planted in the clouds before. Calculating the time, it should be ready to mature, right?"