NEC Chapter 49: Acquiring Spiritual Energy Channeling

In some ways, the teaching model of this world’s mage towers resembled a blend of Blue Star’s doctoral advisor system and small-class traini

In some ways, the teaching model of this world’s mage towers resembled a blend of Blue Star’s doctoral advisor system and small-class training.

Most of the time, apprentices rarely saw the true master of the mage tower, Master Hal. Instruction and guidance were handled by Hal’s disciples, or even their disciples.

Only those who reached a certain tier or displayed exceptional talent might be personally taken under Hal’s wing.

Unlike Black Crow Castle, Hal’s preparatory mage tower divided apprentices into distinct tiers.

At the top was the elite “Dawnlight” group, akin to Blue Star’s “gifted class” or “teachers’ kids class,” with abundant resources and bright prospects.

The middle tier consisted of two “Sunlight” groups, while the bottom tier comprised six “Glimmer” groups.

Chen Mo’s group, Glimmer Group Three, was the most basic training class in the mage tower.

Generally, there were three types of apprentices who could enter a mage tower.

The first were noble children choosing the path of spellcraft. These individuals had wealth and resources, and talent was often secondary, they could enroll regardless.

They paid the highest fees, received the most meticulous guidance, and included geniuses, slackers, and mediocrities alike.

The second group were the talent prodigies, regardless of noble or commoner status.

Talent was the cornerstone of ultimate growth, and this group was the one mages truly invested in nurturing. Nearly all of a master mage’s vassal mages and direct disciples came from this pool.

A saying held true in both warrior and mage circles: talent didn’t guarantee becoming a master, but without it, you definitely wouldn’t.

The third group were the miscellaneous disciples.

These formed the bulk of mage apprentices, shaped like a pyramid with a wide base and narrow top, spanning from non-tiered preparatory mages to third-tier Suncrown Mages.

Only a tiny fraction could complete the fourth-tier transition and become new elites in the Starry World.

Glimmer Group students were clearly those from modest backgrounds with limited family resources. Entering a mage tower might be their greatest chance to defy fate.

It must be acknowledged that, with centuries-old families and millennial nobles dominating the continent’s upper echelons, ordinary people had few paths to break through class barriers.

Either their nation faced cataclysmic upheaval, like royal overthrows or dynastic wars—or they underwent a transformative change, such as tier advancement or aligning with powerful figures.

Failing to break this barrier, most apprentices of this age focused on improving their technical skills as a practical life goal.

Even if they couldn’t advance tiers, registering as a mercenary and taking relatively safe jobs ensured they wouldn’t worry about food for life.

This already surpassed 90% of the continent’s commoners.

At this moment, Glimmer Group Three’s students had mixed feelings about Chen Mo.

Your classmate is better-looking, richer, and harder-working…

Their only solace was Chen Mo’s low “dual-energy” metrics, but seeing his relentless, day-and-night cultivation fervor, they felt a chill.

At this rate, even that small advantage would soon be overtaken.

They sensed their last shred of superiority slipping away.

Jealousy, envy, admiration, flattery…

A whirlwind of emotions!

Chen Mo had no time for his classmates’ sentiments. After a period of intensive foundational catch-up, he applied to learn [Spiritual Energy Channeling].

This was a key milestone in his study plan. After mastering it, he intended to perform his next bloodline sacrifice.

Per Morton’s explanation, Spiritual Energy Channeling was a high-level skill among basic spells.

It was basic because it required low initial mental strength and mana, but high-level due to its complex model construction and demanding precision control.

Morton spent half a day detailing the spell model and operational essentials, repeatedly warning Chen Mo not to attempt channeling offensive spells until he was proficient with the standalone model.

As an auxiliary model for standard spells, its function was as its name suggested: channeling!

For example, if a spell model was a circle, Spiritual Energy Channeling was like dividing that circle into equal parts by hand.

The more precise the model, the better the effect. If the divisions were uneven, it could even cause the main spell model to fail.

The core challenge was finding the points.

Spiritual energy could form orderly spell models due to its inherent regularity. Select two endpoints, guide slightly, and the energy would naturally form a straight line. The essence of channeling was pinpointing those critical “points”!

This operation heavily relied on “feel” and “experience.” Mages repeatedly practiced model reconstruction to hone their proficiency, aiming to instinctively grasp those endpoints.

But for Chen Mo, a college student versed in modern mathematics, couldn’t he just use a bit of mana to draw auxiliary lines? Easy, right?

Not entirely.

Chen Mo spent half an hour dredging up nearly forgotten memories, brushing up on geometry, and diving into problem-solving.

Dividing into four parts was a breeze—one line, one perpendicular auxiliary, done.

Six parts were manageable. Pass!

Three parts were trickier. Chen Mo toiled for over an hour, theoretically solving it, though practical execution in the void required more practice.

But five parts? That stumped him completely.

In certain situations, failing to solve a problem was like hitting a game bottleneck, maddeningly addictive, impossible to abandon!

For the first time, Chen Mo skipped his evening cultivation, scribbling furiously under lamplight, draft papers piling up densely on his desk.

The next morning, when he entered the study hall with bloodshot eyes, he immediately drew Instructor Morton’s concerned attention. Morton approached him at once. “What’s wrong? Did the potions make you unwell?”

“No, no, it’s about Spiritual Energy Channeling. I’m still unclear on some parts.”

Morton shook his head. “You’re too impatient. No one masters a new skill that fast.”

“Don’t rush! Take it step by step.”

During the morning lesson, Morton cleared his throat. “Ahem, today we’ll review a traditional high-level basic skill: Spiritual Energy Channeling!”

The entire Glimmer Group Three: “???”

Could the curriculum be changed so abruptly?

Since everyone in the group had already mastered this basic skill, Morton quickly recapped the essentials and, unusually, moved straight to Q&A.

“Any questions?”

The moment he spoke, every gaze in the study hall zeroed in on “Roy,” now deliberately seated front and center.

Those looks mixed envy, jealousy, resentment, and a touch of “as expected” disdain.

Chen Mo stood, unfazed. “Instructor Morton, I’m stuck on five-line channeling. I can’t accurately locate the channeling points, and despite spending hours, I haven’t found an effective solution.”

“You’re too hasty!” Morton frowned, habitually tapping the smooth lectern with a lecturing tone. “The foundation of Spiritual Energy Channeling is two-line channeling! Master that first…”

“Instructor Morton, I’ve already completed that!”

“Hmph, completed and mastered are different. Without rigorous practice, how can you achieve true proficiency?”

Morton stepped aside, gesturing to the front. “Come up and demonstrate. I’ll point out your issues.”

Chen Mo stepped onto the platform.

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