The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

Wang Ya’s gaze swept over every Wizard present. With Wizard Yi Si drawing everyone’s attention, he felt less pressure using the Eye of Truth for his observations.

Of course, his gaze flickered past the other Wizards quickly. He couldn’t linger for too long; their senses were all exceptionally sharp.

Even so, Wang Ya managed to gather a good deal of useful data.

[Target: Gusai Wizard]

[Power: Level 3 Wizard Apprentice]

[Spiritual Power: 38]

[Physique: 30]

[Particle Energy Unit: 27]

[Projected Wizard Path: Elemental Wizard]

He could now accurately obtain data on their Particle Energy Units and make a preliminary judgment about their chosen Wizard Path.

If he were to face unknown enemies or opponents, this would provide an informational advantage and give him the upper hand in a fight.

Gusai Wizard had to be among the strongest of the Level 3 Wizard Apprentices.

Compared to an Extreme Wizard Apprentice, however, the gap was still immense.

Wang Ya’s gaze fell upon Wizard Yi Si. It wasn’t just his terrifying stats. Even from such a distance, the mere sight of him caused an indescribable fear to well up from the depths of Wang Ya’s heart.

White motes of light, incredibly small, began to emanate from the pores of his skin—so tiny that the other Wizards couldn’t see them.

But Wang Ya, with his Eye of Truth, perceived them keenly.

[Target: Wizard Yi Si]

[Power: Extreme Wizard Apprentice]

[Spiritual Power: 47]

[Physique: 27]

[Projected Wizard Path: Elemental Wizard]

Wizard Yi Si seemed to sense something, his gaze instinctively flicking in Wang Ya’s direction.

The expressions of Gusai Wizard and Wind Wizard, who stood by Wang Ya’s side, remained unchanged.

Wang Ya tensed slightly, but his expression remained calm.

Lando Wizard even grinned and gave him a thumbs-up, mouthing what looked like words of encouragement.

Wizard Yi Si’s gaze lingered on Wang Ya for a moment. His face was expressionless; no one knew what he was thinking. He then gave a cold snort. With a resounding CLICK, the great doors to the Battlefield opened, and he strode inside.

The Wizards from the Bailin Clan and the Purple Gold Flower Clan gritted their teeth and followed him inside.

Gusai Wizard clapped Wang Ya on the shoulder and said meaningfully, ”Don’t worry too much. You need to focus on preparing for the Secret Realm competition two years from now. If you can secure a spot in the top three, you’ll receive unimaginable benefits. A host of opportunities will present themselves, and you’ll be the one doing the choosing.”

”But that’s only if you have the Ability to pull it off,” Gusai Wizard added.

As the massive Stone Gate slowly swung shut, the cold, neutral voice rang out once more.

”Battlefield selected: The Sea. Battlefield Level: Four. Pay 600 Dark Points to enter the Observation Room.”

Some Wizards had already begun to silently pay the fee with their Wizard Marks. As their palms touched the Stone Gate, a silver-gray light enveloped them, and they passed through a Teleportation Array into the Battlefield’s interior.

”Come on, let’s go in too.”

The more time he spent with him, the more Wang Ya felt that Gusai Wizard wasn’t as difficult to get along with as his fierce appearance suggested.

After being verified by the Battlefield’s Witch Array Core, Gusai Wizard led Wang Ya inside.

The Observation Room was even more peculiar than he’d expected. It wasn’t a separate room at all; they had appeared directly on a vast, endless ocean.

SPLASH!

The waves surged, and the salty, damp air was incredibly familiar to Wang Ya. He had once crossed the vast, boundless Endless Sea to reach the Dark Land Headquarters.

The sky above was filled with endless white clouds. As the water swelled, a few Sea Beasts breached the surface. Gazing into the distance, he could see no horizon.

Seeming to notice the astonishment on Wang Ya’s face, Gusai Wizard spoke up. ”This is the most unique thing about the Battlefield. Do you think what you’re seeing right now is real or an illusion?”

Wang Ya took a deep breath, composing himself. His gaze fell upon a reef not far away. Wizard Yi Si stood on a massive, moss-covered rock. On another large reef opposite him stood the four combatants.

The combatants seemed unable to perceive their presence, and yet here they were, undeniably on this very ocean.

The waves lapped at his feet, the tide swelled and receded, the water slipped through his fingers when he crouched to touch it, the light reflected off its surface... Wang Ya gave his answer. ”It’s real,” he said, ”and it’s also an illusion.”

Now it was Gusai Wizard’s turn to be surprised. ”I didn’t think you’d actually understand. The illusory and the real correspond to our physical bodies and our Spiritual Power. The construction of this Battlefield was a joint effort by many Official Wizards.”

”To achieve this, the Divine Blood Wizard, our master, expended too much of his strength. He slept for a full fifty years before waking, and even his Wizard’s True Form was affected.”

Gusai Wizard had just revealed another secret.

The Divine Blood Wizard is an Official Wizard, and there is also a Divine Blood Lineage and a Divine Blood School.

They primarily recruit Wizards who follow the Mechanical Wizard Path, though occasionally an Elemental Wizard will choose to join the Divine Blood School.

Most of the buildings and construction projects in the entire Dark Land were undertaken by the Wizards of the Divine Blood School.

Wang Ya contemplated the connection between illusion and reality, between body and Spirit. Gundas’ Dog possessed a similar nature, as did this Battlefield.

’If I can fully grasp this concept,’ he thought, ’perhaps I’ll have no trouble analyzing and utilizing Gundas’ Dog, or even the Evil God’s Heart.’

But the problem lay right before him. It seemed so simple, yet he couldn’t wrap his head around it.

He was gradually beginning to understand why he had been so stumped by Gundas’ Dog, why he could only place them in cultivation chambers.

The scope of his knowledge was still far too limited.

Gusai Wizard spoke up. ”Your confusion is normal. At your age, forget about understanding illusion and reality—I was still getting hung up on the minor details of mastering Witchcraft.”

”Don’t overthink it. You just need to remember one thing: Wizards abide by the principle of equivalent exchange. This principle may not hold true in all situations, but you must still adhere to it as a fundamental concept.”

”Perhaps you can summarize it in a single word: Balance!”

”Illusion and reality, Spirit and body... achieve Balance, realize the union of Spirit and flesh...” Gusai Wizard suddenly stopped. The battle on the field had begun.

The spectating Wizards watched with rapt attention. Some even took out devices resembling True Sight Balls to record the confrontation.

Though his eyes were on the life-or-death struggle between the two sides, Wang Ya’s mind was racing.

Scattered ideas seemed to click into place, connected by the single word Gusai Wizard had spoken: Balance.

His eyes grew increasingly bright. His entire presence, along with his Spiritual Power, began to transform.

’The path of illusion is Extraordinary Spiritual Power, where the Spirit influences reality to create an Extraordinary manifestation. You could also call it the Power of the Mental.’

Gusai Wizard’s attention had been fixed on the battle, but the shift in the presence beside him was so obvious that he noticed it immediately.

His gaze fell on Wang Ya, filled with surprise and even a hint of shock.