CHAPTER 33: THE HEXAGRAM - EARTH, FIRE, WATER, WIND, VOID, SELF

“Wayne, would you like to become my apprentice?”

“To be honest, not really...”

Wayne wrinkled his nose. Silvia’s recruitment routine was too cliche, and her one attempt at showing off had ended in failure. She didn’t seem like an eminent master at all.

Besides, she was too young!

He had imagined a master with a long white beard, glasses as thick as the bottom of wine bottles, and a scholarly appearance weathered by years and experience. And they should be dressed in an unkempt, shabby robe and wielding a plain two-handed sword. Most importantly, they should be riding a dragon.

The sword was negotiable, but not the dragon!

A master with mature charm like Silvia was certainly easy on the eyes, but magic was a lifelong pursuit that shouldn’t be taken lightly. If he wanted eye candy, he would just turn to the three magical girls in his life.

Sensing the hint of contempt in his response, Silvia smiled and unleashed her overwhelming willpower to stir up a mana tide, pulling his consciousness into a bizarre and fantastical world.

The starry cosmos!

Wayne recognized the place—the world behind the Gate of Truth!

You’re late again, Sis. I’ve seen this before.

Silvia didn’t know that her attempt to show off had failed once more. She withdrew her mana and the illusion of the deep cosmos, declaring proudly, “Don’t let my youth fool you. I’m only two years older than you are, but I’m quite famous in the magical world. What you just saw was the Gate of Truth, the sacred realm countless mages dream of reaching. I have set foot within and returned safely.”

Yeah, me too!

His indifference read to her as youthful ignorance. It was normal for beginners not to understand the terror and significance of the Gate of Truth. She stopped her rambling and gave him a strange smile.

“How about this? I’ll introduce you to my daughter. In exchange, you become my student. Deal?”

“You have a daughter?”

He was deeply shocked, wondering which lucky bastard had managed to claim such a fine catch. He was also amazed by her shamelessness. Was her daughter even older than five? Didn’t her conscience hurt when she offered to matchmake the two of them?

“Yeah, she’s nineteen this year.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty!”

“It’s getting late. Let’s talk another day...”

***

Manor.

Wayne neither refused nor agreed to be Silvia’s apprentice, nor did he show any intention of returning the magic book. To be fair, he did acknowledge her competence. That brief glimpse of her mana tide had sent his supernatural sense screaming warnings. The danger level was second only to the Gate of Truth itself, proving her to be a powerful mage.

It’s just... something feels off!

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, so he attributed it to her unreliable demeanor. He also finally understood her unusual friendliness when they first met: she didn’t covet his body in the typical sense.

He did yearn for magic, desperately wanting to become powerful quickly—preferably surpassing Veronica, Vera, and Kristen overnight to reach the level of an excellent graduate at the academy.

After weighing his options, he realized that he didn’t have many choices. An excellent and powerful mage had come to his doorstep and even gone to great lengths to stage a scene. Playing hard to get would only make him an unwise snob, so he tacitly accepted her as his self-proclaimed master.

“I know you think I’m too young, making it rather embarrassing to have me as your master. Good eye. I am very young...”

“How about this? We can forego the usual addresses between a master and an apprentice. You call me big sister, and I’ll call you...”

She dissolved into giggles, her eyes lighting up with something he didn’t understand. She sounded like a witch about to devour someone.

She doesn’t seem like a good person. Does she worship some evil god?

“Allow me to reintroduce myself. I’m Silvia Valentine, devotee of the Goddess of Nature. I’m returning to Londan to be the District High Reverend, representing the Church’s highest authority and its most powerful mage in the Kingdom of Windsor.”

Radiating great confidence, she continued, “Now, do you think I am qualified to teach you?”

“Absolutely!”

Wayne changed his tune instantly, respectfully calling her master.

Silvia waved a hand at him and let out a lilting laugh, covering her mouth, “Just call me ‘sister’. It’s much more fun. I can hardly wait for the reaction.”

He didn’t know what she was talking about. They were alone together late at night, so he suspected that she was insinuating something inappropriate. He would advise her to be an ethical teacher. Her student had conservative views on relationships and couldn’t accept teacher-student romance.

“I was transferred back to Londan from Palis headquarters to take over a complete mess. Otherwise, your apprenticeship ceremony would have been much more proper and sacred. Now...”

You’re dating my daughter anyway. Formalities don’t matter within the family. Just listen to Veronica well from now on.

“Originally, I wanted to spend quite some time teaching you here, but Londan is in a worse state than I expected. I’ll return to the city in three days to take charge. Prepare to go without sleep for the coming three days and nights.”

She admitted that she coveted his talent and was willing to stay for three days for that. She didn’t bring up the favor to force him to accept the offer. She could see the resistance on his face when she put on the act; in such situations, forcing herself on him would not work.

She had to coax him into accepting her!

It was quite effective. Wayne seemed receptive; although he had not verbally acknowledged her, his body was honest and accepting of her as his master.

Damn it, the coaxing method works so well, she thought, thinking of her husband. How were you so skilled at it? Did you have other women before me?

Her expression grew serious as she assumed the role of a proper master, no longer speaking in a teasing tone. She had Wayne open the magic book with a hexagram on the cover and said, “This is the greatest masterpiece penned by the legendary mages of the church, summarizing over a thousand years of experience in magical cultivation, including the best meditation methods and the most comprehensive cultivation system. It’ll help you avoid wasting time...”

Following her instructions, he opened the magic book to the first page, featuring a hexagram drawn with six straight lines. It wasn’t a simple geometric pattern of two overlapping triangles, but a unified whole formed by interwoven lines.

“Black Forge Hexagram, Silver Cross Star, and Golden Triangle Star. Don’t worry about the latter two for now. Master the hexagram first. Only by lighting up the hexagram can you access the higher level magic.”

She sat down across from Wayne, pointing at the hexagram. “You must remember what I’m about to tell you. The hexagram represents earth, fire, water, wind, void, and self...”

“Earth is the foundation of life and represents the muscles, bones, and organs in a human body.”

“In nature, earth is the ground itself. All life—you, me, everything else—originates from it. It’s the foundation and the most crucial element for harmony in the hexagram system.”

“You can draw more earth elements into your body by connecting with nature and learning to commune with the earth...”

Her words seemed magical, giving him visions of the natural world. He traveled through forests and plains, walking barefoot on the earth to maintain constant contact to gain its wisdom and memories.

“Fire is the energy of life, representing human desires.”

“Human desires are endless. We already have ample life energy naturally, so mages need not draw fire elements from nature. What we have to do is learn to balance our desires and even suppress them.”

“The fire of anger, the fire of greed, the fire of lust, the fire of sloth, the fire of pride... We possess so many desires. If a mage cannot maintain tranquility, fire will consume the other five lights of the hexagram, making your magic impure and your thoughts chaotic.”

“At the same time, if tranquility goes to the extreme, a mage will lose all desires and the drive to go further in life. We must maintain balance and face ourselves honestly...”

Wayne found himself in a sea of fire and lava. The heat distorted his thoughts while forging his will.

“Water is the source of life, representing the blood and fluids in a human body, keeping our minds clear and our desires balanced.”

“Water is tranquil, gentle, and pure. Submerge yourself in water, and you will find the greatest balance in the world. It teaches us the preciousness of life and shows us that desire isn’t the highest pursuit—life is...”

“Water will help you extinguish fire, but remember, your fire must remain burning!”

He swam in the blue ocean, feeling like he were underwater yet paradoxically had become a vessel containing water. The two achieved balance, and his thoughts maintained absolute clarity as the burning flames dissipated, no longer controlled by desires.

“Wind is the breath of life. You can consider it the breathing you’re performing every moment.”

“Wind element doesn’t seem prominent in nature, but it’s the most active element, influenced by the other three elements while also changing them...”

“Your breathing changes due to your body and desires, which determine your physical condition. If your body and desires become corrupted, your breathing will become sluggish.”

“Conversely, if you can keep the wind element in you active, it can influence your body and desires, delaying corruption or even eliminating it. An excellent mage can maintain youth by keeping their wind elements active.”

“It’s life’s breath. It’s vitality itself!”

He felt the rhythm of his breathing, exchanging inner impurities for the purity in nature, keeping his body healthy and strong.

“Void is both energy and matter, both knowledge and the objectively existing patterns.”

“The first four elements are life’s basic elements. Void transcends them and exists as the most difficult to master element in the hexagram. It is the cosmos, existing beyond nature. It’s also known as ether.”

“The energy of the first four elements is limited, while ether’s space is infinite, possessing boundless knowledge. By making contact with it, your thoughts, wisdom, and even magic will be gradually amplified under its guidance.”

“Void is intimately connected with the four elements. The four elements constitute your life and determine how much wisdom you gain from contact with void.”

“To put it simply, void is knowledge, and only with knowledge will magic come. Communicate with void using your life, and magic will bloom like miracles, thereby altering reality.”

This time, Wayne found himself surrounded by a white void. Looking up, he saw a boundless starry sky, the countless stars representing the universe’s highest wisdom—it was where all knowledge and truth lay.

“Self—the ego, thoughts, and faith. It’s a mage’s lifelong pursuit.”

“We control mana with thoughts, fuel magic with mana, and alter reality with magic. Thoughts are rooted in perception yet transcend its limits, involving all the cognitive and intellectual activities in one’s self. Without thoughts, we are nothing.”

“In the process of acquiring knowledge, our thoughts will be under intense impact. To ensure that we remain rational, we must discipline ourselves with faith. We rely on divine protection to master higher wisdom.”

A mirror appeared before Wayne. In the reflection, his eyes were dazed, and his body was sickly pale. It was the skin color of the dead!

The eye-shaped sunburn on his chest suddenly split into a giant eyeball, corrupting his flesh and transforming him into an indescribable abomination with only tentacles and eyes, covered in viscous slime.

Then a green light shone down, dispelling his evil exterior and returning him to human form. It was sacred and natural. Vaguely, he glimpsed an elegant, graceful figure within the light.

Huh??? Master, haven’t you added too much personal touch? Are you not taking undue artistic liberty?

“The foundation of the hexagram is the four fundamental elements—the bedrock every mage must solidify. By mastering the four elements, you’ll be able to cast the corresponding spells. But magic and divine arts related to magic will require a devoted heart.”

Silvia had obviously taken some liberty to make him feel Nature’s greatness and embrace the goddess. She had spared no effort, using speech to weave illusions at considerable mana cost.

The illusions allowed him to intuitively experience the four elements, void, and self. It was a sophisticated way of guidance, similar to enlightenment. She had led him through the process of sensing and balancing the four elements, as well as recognizing the void and self.

Such was the benefit of having a good master. If he had gone to the night school, it would’ve taken at least a year for him to get to this point.

“The four fundamental elements will vary in strength for you, depending on your natural talent. Some are born ambitious—that’s fire. Some are naturally quiet and serene, leaning toward water. Some are born exceptional athletes, corresponding to earth. Those who maintain youth and enjoy longevity embody wind...”

“It can also manifest in the negative sense: the lustful is fire, the indifferent is water, the weak is earth, and the old is wind!”

“You need not deliberately pursue a perfect balance between the four elements. Only monstrous geniuses can do that. What you have to do is learn the four elements and combine them with your learned knowledge, outlining the hexagram with your thought.”

Silvia tapped on his chest. A hexagram flared faintly. “Complete this hexagram, and you’ll be a qualified mage. Your mana will increase dramatically as a result. Later, I’ll tell you about the Silver Cross Star and the Golden Triangle Star. Be patient. You have a long way to go.”

Wayne was thoroughly impressed. He had chosen the right master. She was the real deal.

Then he suddenly remembered something. “Um, Master, I already have a faith—the Goddess of Moonlight. I promised...”

“Are you registered?”

“Registered for what?”

“Then you’re not a devotee of Moonlight yet. Just switch. Follow your big sister down the path of Nature from now on.”

...You’re being so casual about it. Are you sure you’re not a member of the Free Mage Alliance?