CHAPTER 42: MAGE

And this was only the beginning.

Deep in the cave, as the first Arcane Soul Mark fully formed and glowed within him, the entire Mana field stirred. The cave trembled softly. Thin traces of cyan-blue light danced through the air, drawn toward him like moths to a flame.

His eyes opened slowly, glowing with the same ancient hue.

"Finally... I completed one," Tian Lei muttered under his breath. "Took me three days for a single mark."

His voice was calm, but his heart stirred.

Forming a Arcane Soul Mark was no simple feat—it was like carving divine script into the essence of one’s being. But now that he had succeeded once...

The floodgates had opened.

And Tian Lei had just taken his first step toward becoming the Next Magus King.

Tian Lei slowly raised his hand.

A bluish arcane light shimmered around his fingers, dancing like threads of starlight. With a quiet breath, he traced a symbol in the air—simple, clean, yet ancient. The Mana around him stirred instantly, pulled toward his hand as if obeying an unspoken command.

And then it ignited.

A white flame bloomed to life in his palm, flickering gently like a lotus made of divine frost.

"Flames of Purification..." he murmured softly.

It was just a Level 1 spell in the Magus King’s vast arsenal. Something that, in traditional spellcasting, required three fully-formed magic circles to cast—a Tier III incantation. Most mages would consider it a mid-level miracle.

But Tian Lei had no circles. Only a single Soul Mark.

And yet, with that alone... he could already wield it.

He stared at the white fire, watching it dance calmly in his palm—pure, silent, and absolute. It wasn’t destructive like normal flames. It burned away lies, illusions, and corruption. It was a flame that is more for healing.

He gently closed his fist, and the white flame vanished—like a snowflake melting into light.

Tian Lei sat in silence for a breath, watching as the sea of Mana that had once flowed freely around him was slowly pulled back into his body. Within moments, not even a trace remained in the Immortal Cave. The atmosphere returned to stillness—rather returned to Qi filled Cave.

"Now I can wield Mana," he whispered, his voice low and thoughtful. "But to truly grow stronger... I need to continue forming Arcane Soul Marks."

Each mark carved into his soul didn’t just amplify his Mana—it expanded his very essence. But it wasn’t easy. It took time, effort, focus... and patience.

He glanced toward the sealed gate of the Immortal Cave. Outside, somewhere in the realm, his master Mu Qinxue was still exploring that Divine Beast-infested Secret Realm.

"I should focus on forming more marks later. For now..." he paused, gaze calm, "I’ll wait for Master to return with the Divine Beast. If she brings it back, my cultivation base will soar once again. And if I consume it prperly... I might gain a few of its innate abilities too."

With that, he sat back down, this time to cultivate Spirit Qi.

He closed his eyes and began circulating a different path—the foundation of his old power. As Spirit Qi entered his body, it flowed gently through the meridians and into his core. There, like a celestial engine spinning at the center of his soul, a grand and complex technique began to stir.

It was the Primordial Grade: Infinite Fortune Emperor Soul Sutra.

The very first cultivation method he had received from the Fortune Core—the golden core in his Divine Sea. This was a scripture that no one else could practice, not unless they carried the exact same Soul as him.

It wasn’t just powerful. It was absolute.

*****

"Disciple, come out."

On the fifth day of his cultivation, the talisman at Tian Lei’s side suddenly glowed. His master’s voice echoed through it, soft and clear.

"She’s back," he murmured, standing up as he stepped out of the Immortal Cave and made his way toward her abode.

Soon, he arrived at her familiar garden—the same place filled with fragrant herbs, flowing mist, and that elegant pavilion made of moonstone and bamboo. At its center, Mu Qinxue sat gracefully, sipping tea. The entire scene looked more like a painting than reality.

"Master," Tian Lei greeted respectfully.

She gave a small nod. "Sit."

He obeyed, sitting opposite her as she poured him a cup of tea.

"I brought back the four Divine Beasts," she said casually.

Tian Lei blinked in surprise. "Four?"

Without another word, she reached into her spatial ring and placed four black lotus petals on the table. Each one shimmered faintly, a powerful aura sealed within.

"Touch them and sense their presence," she instructed calmly.

Tian Lei hesitated for a moment, puzzled. But then he did as she said, placing his fingers on the first petal and channeling a thread of spiritual energy into it.

Instantly, his vision shifted.

Before him loomed a massive serpent—its body cloaked in endless snow, its scales formed from dark, crystalline ice. It was beautiful, terrifying, and... silent, like something long frozen in time.

Then he was snapped back to reality.

"These are sealed so they don’t awaken. Don’t worry," Mu Qinxue said as he caught his breath.

He moved to the second petal. This time, a massive tortoise appeared in his vision—its shell shaped like a towering mountain range. The third showed a hawk with wings that sparked with divine thunder, and the last... was a mighty ice dragon, its breath freezing even thought.

"These are the four Divine Beasts I obtained," she explained. "The dragon was especially troublesome."

Tian Lei exhaled slowly. "Master... I can only bond with one right now. Can I choose the dragon?"

Mu Qinxue raised an eyebrow, slightly puzzled.

Seeing her reaction, Tian Lei quickly spoke up—his words a careful mix of half-truth and misdirection. "Master, my physique can currently only support a single beast. Once I’ve fully bonded with one, my body need to get ready for another one. Until then, I’m limited to one Divine Beast."

Mu Qinxue studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly.

What he said wasn’t entirely false. According to the Primordial Beast Scripture: Celestial Heaven, the user could only form one Primordial Heaven Spirit Root—or "node"—at a time. And each of these nodes could only host one Divine Beast. Only after cosuming and putting a beast soul in first node would the next node begin to form. Once the second matured, another Divine Beast could be consumed and put it in, which will lead to production of third node and so on.