C43 Minute Subtlety Stage
Zhang Xing had never fully devoted himself to the practice of magic since he first learned it. Yet, in the span of the last two hours, he had been utterly engrossed in the repetitive use of his magical skills. As a third of the sand trickled down the hourglass, he was startled from his trance by a sudden tremor in his body. He had glimpsed magic elements unlike any he had seen before. What could have caused this change?
He cast a few more magic arrows, but nothing seemed amiss. He proceeded to unleash the Intermediate Magic Thunderbolt and the High-Level Magic Meteor Shower. His gaze intently probed the air for the magic elements, his eyes reflecting deep contemplation.
"When I was casting these lower-level spells, I felt an unexpected connection between them," he pondered aloud. "I've overlooked these nuances before, but when I focused earlier, I noticed the spells I cast were smaller, yet their potency had increased."
"It was as if I had compressed a snowball until it was extremely dense before hurling it. The force was significantly stronger." Zhang Xing's murmurs trailed off as he fixated on the flickering magic arrow in his grasp.
Closing his eyes, he channeled all his concentration inward. Seconds later, his eyes snapped open, revealing a glimmer of insight. A Fireball materialized in his right hand and he hurled it at the water barrier, where it burst and vanished without a trace.
"That's not enough. The increase is too slight. The Fireball, the size of a human brain, still needs further compression." Another Fireball appeared in his hand, this time half the size of a typical head. It struck the barrier with a resounding impact, causing a noticeable tremor.
Invigorated, Zhang Xing compressed each of his other magical skills in turn, and their power visibly grew. He then unleashed a relentless assault on the barrier, his satisfaction palpable.
As the hourglass reached its midpoint, his initial rush of excitement waned. He recalled the upcoming competition where he would represent Saint Laurent Academy in a month's time, and he felt his current strength might not be sufficient.
"This won't do. Saint Laurent Academy is in last place, ranked sixth. The students from the other academies are sure to be as formidable as Vicious Beasts."
"Geniuses are certainly not in short supply. And there are definitely those who dare to challenge higher ranks."
"I can't summon Hei Bao to fight for me. I need to practice more!"
As the sands of time slipped away, Zhang Xing unleashed spell after spell, oblivious to his surroundings.
Unbeknownst to him, the Fireball he conjured had shrunk to the size of an apple.
The magic arrow, once as thick as a wooden stick, had slimmed down considerably, resembling a spear.
The once intimidating Thunderbolt had become more refined in appearance.
As two-thirds of the time elapsed, the Fireball had shrunk to the size of an egg, its power multiplying, repeatedly striking the water screen barrier and making it quiver.
With only five minutes remaining, Zhang Xing's mind thundered, and the world before him transformed.
A bridge formed between the magicule within him and the magic elements in the air, creating a rainbow of hues.
The once dull magic elements now danced with vitality.
Zhang Xing felt at one with the magic elements, and the magic elements with him.
Though his magicule had not increased significantly, he could now summon the Fire Element, qi attribute, and water attribute with just a thought.
President Jager's eyes bulged in disbelief as he witnessed three magic arrows materialize simultaneously.
They were as tangible as real arrows. The first was a fire arrow, radiating intense heat and a fiery hue.
The second was a qi arrow, silver and transparent, yet solid.
The third was a translucent water arrow.
The trio of arrows struck the water screen barrier in a flash, causing a resounding boom that made the entire chamber tremble.
President Jager swallowed hard, his face alight with ecstatic joy, his lips quivering, "This is the pinnacle of the Minute Subtlety Stage!"
