"Whatever element you awaken, anything is fine. There are no useless magic elements in this world, only useless mages," Ark chuckled, uttering a classic quote.
"No worries, the Guiding Stones here are all mine, and it doesn't cost anything. If you want a specific element, using one really can greatly increase the probability of awakening it," Guo Liyu said, though seeing how determined Ark was to let it awaken randomly, there was nothing he could do.
These days, even a polite favor was impossible to give away—it was simply too difficult.
"Just let him have his way. Young people still have their own ideas," Dean Xiao also chimed in.
Guo Liyu had no choice but to find a brand-new, top-quality Guiding Stone that had never been used before.
"Yumian, you go first?" Ark said to Ding Yumian.
"You go first. I want to see you awaken first." Ding Yumian shook her head, gently pushing him forward.
Ark scratched his head, took a deep breath, and placed his hand on the Awakening Stone.
By this time, everyone else had already stepped outside. The room was dimly lit, leaving only Ark inside.
"The energy is abundant, and it's even been polished to a smoother finish."
Ark closed his eyes, resting his hand lightly against the cool Awakening Stone, feeling a sudden, inexplicable surge of nervousness.
Although he didn't really care which magic element he awakened, he had to admit that some magic elements looked incredibly cool right from the start, while others looked utterly pathetic at a glance. A difference definitely existed.
The smooth, cool Awakening Stone reacted instantly upon sensing the warmth of a human palm, slowly radiating a glow from the very center of the round stone.
Very similar to his first awakening, Ark, with his eyes closed, could clearly feel a strange energy flowing from his palm through the blood vessels all over his body, before flashing momentarily into his Spiritual Universe.
Somewhere within the chaotic expanse of his Spiritual Universe, it felt as though some tiny life form was being conceived and born. They altered this spiritual space, slowly, very slowly carving out a small territory of their own.
As tiny as specks of dust, they cautiously stood their ground in that region, emitting a soft radiance that was both warm and bright—not overbearing like the Lightning Element, nor volatile as others described the Fire Element.
"It's not the Fire Element, yet it's this bright. Is this the Light Element?"
Ark raised an eyebrow. The Light Element wasn't bad either; it was just a bit lacking in the early stages, but once it reached the Advanced-level, its strength increased dramatically. It belonged to the category of balancing offense and defense, and even came with a special effectiveness against Black Magic, plus the Power of Purification—though that last part could be ignored.
"What element is it?" Ding Yumian waited anxiously outside.
"It's the Light Element," Ark said, gently petting her little head. "So now it's your turn."
Mimicking her earlier gesture, Ark gently pushed Ding Yumian into the room and then waited with equal anticipation.
Even though the books from his past life stated that Yumian possessed the Fire Element—presumably something she obtained only after her Intermediate-level awakening, usually using the Fire Element to mask her psychic powers—would things still follow that predetermined fate this time?
Ark had no way of knowing, but he hoped for a change.
Finally, Ding Yumian pushed open the door of the awakening room and walked out, her head slightly lowered, looking rather unhappy.
In fact, she really was; low pressure was practically forming around the young girl, and a certain mental fluctuation was beginning to stir.
Dean Xiao's brows unfurled, and a smile actually curled the corners of his mouth.
"What element is it?" Ark hurried forward to ask."Wuwuwu~ It's the Water Element. Am I really that useless, Xiaozhou?" Ding Yumian looked up, her big eyes blinking as she acted spoiled toward Fang Zhou.
"It's fine, it's fine. The Water Element is great, it suits your gentle temperament very well." Fang Zhou smiled happily, and even picked up Ding Yumian directly, spinning her around a few times.
Things were truly different now. What Ding Yumian awakened was not the Fire Element, but the Water Element. The gears of fate had begun to shift, and there would surely be even more changes in the future!
Hearing this, Ding Yumian broke into a radiant smile, her little head gently rubbing against Fang Zhou like a little kitten, clingy and adorable.
Returning to Pearl Institute, Fang Zhou entered a new round of cultivation. Unlike before, Ding Yumian also began to overcome her fears and started cultivating.
The young girl sat cross-legged on the second-floor balcony, imitating Fang Zhou's posture as she closed her eyes and sat in quiet, serene meditation.It was already afternoon, and the bright sunlight draped over the young girl's delicate frame like a vibrant white veil.
Ding Yumian sat in an exceptionally poised and graceful posture, her rosy lips tilted upward in a slight arc, resembling a girl lost in a sweet dream.
Her raven-black hair cascaded like a waterfall, framing her petite, pristine face. Over the past year, her hair had grown quite a bit, falling well past her shoulders. She had kept it long simply because Ark had once mentioned that he liked long hair.
Ding Yumian did not have a completely sharp, tapered face; when she lightly pursed her lips, her cheeks retained a hint of baby fat. Her long, curled eyelashes, combined with autumn-water-clear eyes and her inherent gentle elegance, matched every description people held of a traditional maiden from the water towns of Jiangnan.
Ark quietly cracked open one eye, desperately wanting to steal a light kiss on her cheek while she wasn't paying attention.In the end, however, he did not take action. The young girl was his most precious treasure; how could he dare to profane her so easily? There would be plenty of opportunities in the future. For now, what he needed was to constantly improve his cultivation so that he could properly protect the girl before him.
"I can't delay any longer," Fang Zhou thought to himself. "If I want to understand the true usage of the Ark Core, I must battle monsters. How else can I level up quickly without grinding in the wild? I am already an Intermediate Mage. Once I can cast Intermediate-level magic, I will head out. I don't have much time left; in two years, the events in Bocheng will begin."
Fang Zhou just watched Ding Yumian silently.
He had always known what he needed to do. With his foresight and the cheat that was the Ark Core, his future held great promise. He was determined to completely change Ding Yumian’s destiny, and to change destiny, one required immense power!
*Thump-thump!*
Inside his Spiritual Universe, the Five-Thunder Shock Drum sensed Fang Zhou’s agitation, its rhythm pulsing like thunder in harmony with his churning emotions.
This was an ancient Lightning Element artifact, possessing incredible thunderous might. It tempered Fang Zhou’s Lightning Element stars at every moment, naturally providing the cultivation benefits of a Stardust Magic Tool.
Nearly three months passed in this manner. Fang Zhou felt a jolt in his spirit—he had finally completed the construction of his star map and could now cast Intermediate-level magic. By the way, he had also practiced his Light Element magic; he could now conjure a few flashes of Light Brilliance with his bare hands. He wouldn’t even need to turn on the lights for his late-night bathroom trips anymore—truly a cause for celebration!
"Dean Xiao, I want to head out. Give me a pass!" Fang Zhou summoned Dean Xiao once again.
Given Dean Xiao’s level of cultivation, he saw through the young man’s little schemes at a single glance.