Chapter Sixty: Radiant Sunburst Wave

“O all-pervading spirits of fire, heed my summons. Grant me the divine power of flames, the strength to annihilate all before me... Condense, Sun, Explode, Launch, Wave!”

In the spacious, empty underground training chamber, a clear chant flowed melodiously. As the fire elements swirled ever more densely around his body, Xu Wen used his hand in place of a pen, deftly tracing a simple hexagram in the air. With each final syllable spoken with measured clarity, the fire elements gathered around him began to transform in a wondrous way.

With every word uttered, a corner of the hexagram in the air lit up.

When five corners were aglow, the last part fell seamlessly into place, forming a dazzling six-pointed star, perfect and radiant.

“Go!”

His gaze fell upon a magic-embedded stone stele, capable of withstanding the impact of an eight-star spell.

At his command, the brilliant star formation vanished from before Xu Wen’s eyes. Almost simultaneously, a surge of powerful magic energy swept across the chamber, filling the space in an instant.

Boom!

A massive fireball, solid as a miniature sun, plummeted like a meteor, engulfing the stone stele in a flash—

But it was not over.

Xu Wen watched the enormous fireball, which still held its form, and smiled faintly, fingers clenching into a fist.

The underground chamber quaked violently!

From the heart of the stele, a ferocious blast of fire erupted.

Boom!!!

Within the thunderous explosion, the air was filled with the sharp, buzzing sound of projectiles slicing through space.

Countless blood-red firebolts shot out from the explosion’s heart, streaking toward the chamber’s walls with a furious crackling. Their power far outstripped that of a single-star firebolt. Many of the bolts veered toward Xu Wen, but faded out five meters short of him.

As the magic dispersed, the chamber’s systems quickly vented the chaotic elements. The walls, built to withstand six-star magic, instantly restored themselves, as did the unmoved stele.

Though no impressive marks remained, the air still pulsed with the violent aftertaste of fire, and the memory of the spell’s overwhelming force filled Xu Wen with delight.

Impressive indeed! No wonder, after numerous improvements, this three-star spell had become a ‘Xuan Heaven’ class magic!

Compared to the Emperor-level ‘Ring of Flames,’ its power was increased many times over. The manual spellcasting made the original ‘Condense Sun Breaking Strike’ into an instant attack, erasing its path and enabling close-range assaults that left opponents defenseless.

The initial strike hit like a meteor, bearing the strength of a high-level four-star spell. The ensuing explosion sent volleys of projectiles in all directions; each possessed the force of an ordinary three-star spell, and their intensity rivaled spells at three-star, level six. At close range, even a four-star practitioner would struggle to withstand such a relentless barrage.

This spell allowed a three-star mage to wield the might of a five-star. Small wonder that families possessing one of the Four Grand Codices guarded it as a treasure, never showing it lightly.

Xu Wen sat cross-legged in satisfaction, pride mingling with awe.

With his current spiritual power at three-star, level four, to cast a high-level ‘Xuan Heaven’ magic was almost unheard of on the Soul Continent—perhaps even impossible for others.

According to Harman’s records, he himself had only begun studying this spell at the six-star level and participated in its refinement, mastering it fully only on reaching seven stars.

That Xu Wen could now learn and control it owed much to his game experience in his prior life, and most of all to the chaotic sea of consciousness that had formed within him after his coma.

The utility of this chaotic consciousness far exceeded Xu Wen’s expectations. Not only did it surpass the ‘Elemental Cyclone’ in gathering magic and double the speed of recovery, it also greatly improved the flow of spiritual power and control over magic. Without it, an ordinary three-star practitioner would never manage such a profound and complex spell.

Even so, mastering this spell had taken half a month—equal to the time spent learning seven other three-star spells combined!

“It’s been over two months, and Master still hasn’t returned,” Xu Wen mused as he popped a stimulant pill into his mouth to recover his energy.

These pills had originally been meant for an Adventurer’s Guild mission—long since overdue—but that task had at least stocked him well for his academy entrance.

A year’s supply of stimulants was no issue, but his rations were nearly gone. If he wished to continue secluded training, he would have to go out.

More than two months had passed; the new students must have begun their formal studies by now...

“I wonder how Xie Zhan and the others are faring.”

Xu Wen wanted to see them, but remembering his current state, he dismissed the thought. His apparent strength was barely at two-star, level five or six. Without revealing his chaotic consciousness, he would only alarm them.

“Never mind...” Xu Wen sighed and resolved to wait a while longer.

After two months’ absence, the Horton-Klein family likely assumed he was simply engrossed in his studies at Azure Cloud Academy. As for Xie Zhan and the others, Harman had reassured them before leaving.

Walking the campus road of the Fire Arts Division at Azure Cloud Academy, Xu Wen drew frequent stares and muttered comments. Many looked at him with disdain and aversion.

The once-celebrated Xu Wen could only feel helpless.

After two months without bathing, even he could smell the pungent odor emanating from himself. His clothes were wrinkled and dirty, and his cultivation rank was among the lowest in the academy—no wonder he was scorned.

In truth, if he saw someone so disheveled and foul-smelling in this grand and illustrious school, he’d probably scowl as well.

Flushing with embarrassment, Xu Wen quickly ducked into a nearby bathhouse.

Seconds later, a dozen students burst out, cursing and half-dressed, pinching their noses as they hurriedly dressed and fled.

...

“How comfortable...”

Now alone, Xu Wen basked in the calm of the bathhouse, soaking in the pool and relishing the warm spring water cascading from the stone fountain. He sighed with pleasure as he scrubbed his body, untouched by water for months.

In the adjacent pool, the automatic cleaning system was busy skimming away a greasy film—a testament to Xu Wen’s prior state.

After more than half an hour of washing, Xu Wen finally emerged content, donning a new set of magical robes—

Wait.

They felt a little short.

Only then did Xu Wen realize his old clothes no longer fit; at some point, he’d grown taller—a height that now placed him among the tallest of his peers.