Everyone must be very curious! Since Zhong Shenxiu plundered so many magic books from Gandalf, why would he still engage in this transaction with Gandalf?

The reason is quite simple. As an Archmage, the magic books in Gandalf's ring were all highly specialized knowledge, rarely touching upon fundamental concepts—it was like trying to run before one could walk.

Although Zhong Shenxiu could deduce the basics through reverse thinking, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't miss anything, and doing so would inevitably consume a great deal of time.

Zhong Shenxiu was someone who detested wasting time; if there was an easy way, he wouldn't choose the complicated one.

At this moment, Gandalf, eager to escape Zhong Shenxiu’s clutches, immediately began teaching magic. Unbeknownst to him, Zhong Shenxiu was even more impatient than he was!

Magic is difficult if you find it so, and easy if you find it so—it is entirely dependent on one's comprehension.

Less than five minutes after Gandalf began his lecture, Zhong Shenxiu abruptly called a halt!

Seeing Gandalf’s confused expression, Zhong Shenxiu said impatiently, "Old man, don't test my patience. I asked you to teach magic! Skip all the so-called origins, history, and developmental processes—I have no time to listen to you drone on about that nonsense!"

Gandalf, accustomed to linear thinking, had started by rattling off a torrent of irrelevant details.

Catching Zhong Shenxiu’s somewhat hostile gaze, Gandalf nervously swallowed another mouthful of saliva, thinking to himself, This young master is truly hard to please!

With no other choice, he complied with Zhong Shenxiu's demand and began explaining the fundamental principles of magic.

Although magic is divided into several schools, their foundational principles are identical. They all rely on a person’s spiritual energy to perceive the surrounding elemental forces, resonate with them, and thereby unleash the spell.

Those with high magical aptitude can clearly feel the form and movement of the elemental forces, allowing them to resonate with them more effectively. Those with poor aptitude must rely on later practice to engrave that feeling into their minds and slowly correct any deficiencies.

Due to differences in physical constitution, different people have varying degrees of perception for different elemental forces. Some might perceive Wind elemental magic clearly, while others might have a better grasp of Earth elemental magic—this is what is commonly called one's "Body Affinity"!

Body Affinity is innate, though it can change through strenuous effort, it is rare.

Body Affinity can be tested using unique crystals, so a mage can know which school of magic they should study very early on.

When casting magic, the reason for chanting incantations is threefold: first, it allows the mage to focus their energy; second, it accurately and rapidly arranges the elemental forces in a specific sequence; and third, it reduces the danger of magical backlash!

Zhong Shenxiu listened intently while pondering one critical question: how exactly does one resonate with the elemental forces? What are the precise processes and underlying principles?

Zhong Shenxiu had a feeling that once he grasped this point, learning magic would be as simple as playing a game.

Because of cultivating the "Xuanwu Jue," Zhong Shenxiu's spiritual energy had already been refined to a monstrous degree. Furthermore, Zhong Shenxiu possessed the novel energy called "Mental Wave." In short, the magic of this world seemed tailor-made for him—a mere plaything!

Having previously researched "Dark Magic," Zhong Shenxiu quickly found the breakthrough point. The so-called "resonance," much like casting Dark Magic, involved using spiritual energy to emit a specific frequency wave, using this wave to guide the surrounding elemental forces. Through the principle of quantitative change leading to qualitative change, these elements would coalesce into a tangible form, ultimately manifesting the desired spell!

"So, it’s the exact same principle as casting Dark Magic!" At that realization, Zhong Shenxiu smiled, a genuine smile emerging from his core.

As Gandalf continued his lecture, Zhong Shenxiu conceived another daring idea: could he use his newly mastered "Mental Wave" to cast spells?

Thinking this, Zhong Shenxiu couldn't help but feel eager to try!

"Hey, old man!" Zhong Shenxiu suddenly interrupted Gandalf’s continuous rambling. "Tell me a few beginner spells first. I want to test my hand!"

"What?" Gandalf was startled, looking at Zhong Shenxiu with disbelief.

He truly found it hard to accept that Zhong Shenxiu wanted to cast magic without even attempting meditation first—it was an absolute joke. Was magic such a simple thing?

Though he thought this, Gandalf was entirely unaware that Zhong Shenxiu was not only a Necromancer but one whose power already far surpassed that of a "Divine-Demonic Necromancer"!

"Just tell me a few!" Zhong Shenxiu showed an eager expression.

Gandalf only mastered Wind and Space magic. Since he hadn't fully mastered Space Magic himself, he dared not speak of it casually, only telling Zhong Shenxiu about Tier One spells like "Wind Blade" and "Wind Bullet."

After speaking, Gandalf stared blankly at Zhong Shenxiu, musing to himself: Kid, you need to take things one step at a time; you can't rush success. Learning magic isn't playing house, nor can it be mastered instantly.

However, how could he know that Zhong Shenxiu had not only absorbed the theoretical knowledge but had grasped its very essence? With the essence grasped, he could extrapolate and apply it everywhere!

Just as Gandalf was secretly chuckling at Zhong Shenxiu’s ignorance, a scene unfolded that nearly made his jaw drop. Several Wind Blades materialized right in front of Zhong Shenxiu!

This, how is this possible? Gandalf’s jaw nearly fell off. He had seen geniuses of all kinds in his life, but this was the first time he had seen someone effortlessly cast magic after only hearing two sentences of explanation—it was unheard of!

How did he do it? Wait! Gandalf suddenly recalled something: He didn't chant any incantation just now, did he? Good heavens, what is going on here?

Zhong Shenxiu was unaware that Gandalf was currently undergoing a tempestuous inner turmoil; he was simply staring blankly at the Wind Blades before him!

"The power is a bit weak. Seems like it needs refinement!" Zhong Shenxiu thought to himself.

Angelica, who had been standing by observing, also wore an expression of shock. She hadn't expected Zhong Shenxiu to actually conjure magic in such a short span of time. Good heavens, what manner of learning speed was this?

Compared to Zhong Shenxiu, Angelica felt like an absolute fool.

Simultaneously, Angelica harbored a new question: Zhong Shenxiu was already an incredible Swordsman and Necromancer, and now he had mastered magic too. My God, just how formidable could he become?

A person's strength might be immense, but there should be a limit, right? What was the ceiling for Zhong Shenxiu?

Faced with that single display, Angelica was utterly lost!

"Hey, old man," Zhong Shenxiu glanced at the dazed Gandalf staring back at him, smacked his lips, and said, "Explain the other schools of magic to me as well!"

Zhong Shenxiu wanted to see if he could summon spells from other schools just as easily. It turned out that using the "Mental Wave" to cast magic was indeed feasible, and the speed was astonishing—it was deployed almost as soon as he thought of it!

Moreover, Zhong Shenxiu had an unsettling feeling: he thought he could rapidly cast spells consecutively using the "Mental Wave"! (This was an incredibly terrifying ability, the extent of which would be explained later!)

Gandalf, being advanced in years, processed new information slowly. Seeing Zhong Shenxiu's monstrous capabilities, he hadn't yet recovered from his shock!

Thwack! A crisp sound echoed as Gandalf received another rap on the head.

"Old man, what are you thinking about so deeply?" Zhong Shenxiu waved his small fist, wearing a wicked grin.

Gandalf truly belonged to the type that "asks for a beating when nothing is wrong." If you didn't hit him, he wouldn't snap back to attention!

Seeing Zhong Shenxiu looking at him with that familiar glint in his eyes, Gandalf felt goosebumps erupt all over his body!

"Th-that..." Gandalf looked troubled. "I only specialize in Wind Magic..."

"Didn't you claim to be an Archmage? How can you be so dense as to only know one school of magic!" Zhong Shenxiu exclaimed, looking at Gandalf as if he were a "knock-off" version.

Gandalf felt he had never been so utterly humiliated in his entire life!

"Forget it, tell me some more advanced Wind Magic," Zhong Shenxiu said with an expression suggesting, I'll let this oversight slide for now.

Subsequently, Gandalf recited some Tier Two and Tier Three Wind Magic spells, but what made his heart tremble was that Zhong Shenxiu managed to cast them again—and this time, they were "instantaneous"!

At that moment, Gandalf felt an overwhelming urge to weep. He had dedicated the better part of his life striving to achieve instantaneous casting of Tier Three magic, and this freak had learned it instantly! Heavens above, why didn't you grant me a sliver of that "abnormal ability"?

"Hmm, these three schools of magic barely qualify as actual magic," Zhong Shenxiu muttered to himself.

Gandalf was nearly driven mad. What did he mean by "barely qualify as actual magic"?

However, what truly shocked him was only just beginning.

"I casually flipped through these books you have," Zhong Shenxiu said, pulling one out. "The lowest level here should be Tier Four Wind Magic, and the highest, Tier Eight Magic, correct?"

Gandalf nodded dumbly, not understanding why Zhong Shenxiu brought this up.

Zhong Shenxiu paused in thought for a moment, then murmured to himself, "Testing them one level at a time is too tedious! Why don't I try the power of a Tier Seven spell first?"

Although Zhong Shenxiu's voice was not loud, both Gandalf and Angelica heard him clearly!

"What did he say?"

Gandalf stared blankly at Zhong Shenxiu, trying to decipher the meaning of that statement.

Angelica, standing nearby, was momentarily stunned, but she quickly understood. Her face changed drastically, and she immediately began retreating as far away as possible!

But then, Zhong Shenxiu uttered a phrase with a sly smile that instantly froze Angelica in place:

"Girl, the farther away you get, the more danger you're in!"

Angelica...