Magic Farm 104

Chapter 104: The Elven Teacher (80,000 Nutrient Solution Bonus Chapter)

It was that familiar sensation of his consciousness being drawn away.

By now, Qi Yu understood: this was a spiritual space constructed by the other’s formidable mental power, pulling his own awareness inside.

Teacher Karen’s classroom had worked on the same principle.

Even knowing the theory, when Qi Yu came to himself and took in the scene before his eyes, he still looked every bit the bumpkin.

Unlike the scene Teacher Karen had created—a perfectly ordinary room with simple furnishings, where all his lessons had taken place, with no view of the outside world—Qi Yu suspected Karen hadn’t bothered to construct any extra scenery at all.

But this was different.

Qi Yu saw a forest even more beautiful, lush, and endless than the Star Forest.

He stood on a riverbank, his feet sinking into soft grass, surrounded by clusters of unfamiliar flowers. Among the blooms, he spotted countless tiny insects flitting about, and thumb-sized little people with wings.

Ahead, a clear stream ran by, and in its waters, he could see small fish swimming leisurely.

It was a vast, exquisitely detailed, utterly real world.

So this was the spiritual world of His Excellency Egnor, the Archmage?

Qi Yu marveled, thinking: As expected of a Saint Magus—truly incredible.

But… why am I the only one here?

He hadn’t forgotten his purpose. With difficulty, he tore his gaze away from the little people and walked forward.

He walked for more than ten minutes, never seeing the same scenery twice, but still not encountering another soul.

Qi Yu stopped. He remembered that his first contact with this elven lord had been through the “Mental Power Cultivation Manual.”

Back then, when the other was still a Grand Magus, he’d set a high bar for readers: mental power of at least 50.

He’d even left a rather arrogant note, essentially saying the mediocre were unworthy of his notes.

So now… was this a test?

He closed his eyes and focused, letting silvery mental particles drift from his body and merge into the space around him.

They began searching for the core anchor of this spiritual world.

Qi Yu followed the guidance of his mental particles, walking forward.

He had no idea how long he walked before, at a certain spot, his feet came to a halt.

He opened his eyes.

Qi Yu saw a figure standing with his back to him.

The man was tall, clad in a blue-green robe, with long silver hair braided in intricate plaits, cascading like moonlight down his back.

A vaguely familiar voice sounded: “You arrived even sooner than I expected.”

Qi Yu relaxed: Yes, this was the same voice he’d heard when studying the “Mental Power Cultivation Manual.”

That meant this had to be the legendary elven Saint Magus, His Excellency Egnor!

The figure turned around, and Qi Yu finally saw his face, his eyes widening slightly.

“What are you staring at?”

Qi Yu blinked. “You… look expensive!”

He couldn’t quite explain it. The elf didn’t sparkle like a diamond, nor was he decked out in gemstone necklaces or rings, yet somehow he just looked… valuable.

The elf: “…”

He was silent for a moment, as if accepting something.

He asked, “Do you know why you’re here today?”

“I do.” Qi Yu was always respectful toward the strong and his teachers, and he answered obediently, “To study Advanced Magic Array Theory and Practice.”

“Wrong.”

Egnor said coolly, “First, I will teach you how to construct a mental barrier.”

“Mental barrier?” Another blind spot in his knowledge—Qi Yu was at a loss.

Egnor glanced at him. “If you haven’t constructed a mental barrier, then for beings like us, wherever you are, as long as you mention my name, I can sense it.”

“Right now, if your emotions become intense, I can know exactly what you’re thinking.”

A mental barrier was the very first spell most mages in this world learned.

Especially those with elders to guide them—most young mages were protected this way as soon as they became apprentices.

Qi Yu was an exception.

Still, it wasn’t too late.

Qi Yu understood.

He asked curiously, “Can you tell what I’m thinking right now?”

The elf didn’t answer.

“Close your eyes.”

Qi Yu obediently shut his eyes.

He “saw” silvery mental particles swirling around him, tracing out some mysterious pattern.

When the final stroke was complete, a faint silver barrier appeared around his body.

So this was a mental barrier?

The silver barrier shattered silently, scattering back into mental particles.

The elf’s voice drifted over: “Did you see it clearly?”

Qi Yu felt he had, and nodded. “Let me try.”

He manipulated his own mental particles, recalling the pattern he’d just seen, and traced out the unfamiliar design bit by bit.

A flash of silver.

A faint, shimmering barrier formed.

Qi Yu opened his eyes in delight, looking at his elven teacher.

He didn’t say anything, but the look on his face was obvious: waiting for praise.

“…”

Egnor nodded coolly. “It’s a simple spell, but for you to succeed on the first try is not bad.”

It sounded a little reluctant, but it was praise, no doubt.

Qi Yu was satisfied, his mind already on magic arrays. “Then, Teacher Egnor, can we start the advanced magic array lessons now?”

The elf refused him coldly: “No.”

Qi Yu: ?

The elf said, “Next is the second lesson you’re here for today.”

He lifted his hand, and dozens of books appeared out of thin air, floating in midair and surrounding Qi Yu.

Egnor tipped his chin. “When you’ve finished reading them, class is over.”

Qi Yu glanced at the two books closest to him:

“Elven Children’s Primer in Literature,” “How to Cultivate Your Aesthetic Sense.”

Qi Yu: ???

The elf had already turned his back, not wanting to look at him for another second. “Next time, if you’re dressed like that, stay away from my books!”

For someone usually so aloof, this was the harshest thing the elven lord had said all day.

Qi Yu looked down at himself in confusion.

Before opening “Advanced Magic Array Theory and Practice,” he’d just finished making the earthfire dragon thermal suit and had put it on to test it out.

So right now he was wearing the earthfire dragon thermal underwear set underneath, a dark red leather trench coat on top, and a pair of men’s tactical pants he’d gotten from a treasure chest.

Apparently, whatever you wore in reality, you wore in the spiritual space as well.

A dark red leather coat, matching thermal wear beneath, and black pants.

“I thought it looked pretty good…” he muttered under his breath.

Especially the leather coat—it felt so cool!

No sooner had he finished speaking than a sudden gust of wind blew him away.

When he landed again, Qi Yu found himself back at the riverbank where he’d arrived.

The pile of books had followed him.

The elf’s voice drifted to him on the wind:

“When you’ve finished reading, you can go back.”

“……”

.

When Qi Yu returned to the shelter, his eyes were blank, and he stared into space for a long while.

At last, he snapped out of it and opened the survival panel.

It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet.

Qi Yu was shocked: he’d spent ages in that spiritual space!

While he was inside, he’d worried that so much time had passed, he’d miss out on swallow points.

He hadn’t expected that, upon returning, it would still be the exact moment he’d been pulled into the spiritual space.

When he’d attended Teacher Karen’s classes, spiritual space and real time had been perfectly synchronized.

Was this the power of a Saint Magus?

Maybe in the future, he could find ways to spend extra time cultivating in Teacher Egnor’s spiritual world?

Even knowing that now, with his mental barrier, the other couldn’t hear him, Qi Yu still pressed his palms together in reverent praise: “Teacher Egnor, you’re amazing!”

Then he remembered that towering stack of books, nearly as tall as himself.

Since entering the survival game, he’d always been a genius mage who could master anything at a touch. For the first time, he understood what suffering meant.

He’d never known that knowledge could flow so smoothly into his brain—and then slip right back out again.

He looked down again.

Was this outfit really that ugly?

But overall, aside from that little flaw, this experience had been far more rewarding and surprising than anything else!

He couldn’t help wanting to share it with someone, and his first instinct was to call Dan Xingyu.

At that moment, Qi Yu suddenly realized: at some point, his relationship with Dan Xingyu had pulled far ahead of all his other friends.

Whenever anything happened, his first thought was to share it with Dan Xingyu, not anyone else.

When had that started?

Qi Yu thought about it seriously, but found it hard to pinpoint a single moment.

It seemed that, quite naturally, he and Dan Xingyu had just become the best of friends.

Maybe it was because he could cook delicious food no one else could, maybe because he was always the first to praise Qi Yu’s cat friend, maybe because, like him, he hid his real age, and they were about the same age…

As Qi Yu counted, it suddenly became clear: with so many good qualities, wasn’t it only natural that they’d become close friends?

He opened the comms orb.

The other side picked up quickly.

“What’s up?” Dan Xingyu couldn’t help asking. “Don’t tell me you’re sending me something again?”

“No,” Qi Yu said happily. “I was just going to tell you one thing, but now it’s two.”

Hearing the joy in his voice, Dan Xingyu smiled too. “So, what’s made you so happy?”

Qi Yu shared, “First, I saw an elf today!”

“An elf?” Dan Xingyu was surprised. “You’ve met a native over there?”

“No,” Qi Yu explained. “I got a book from a treasure chest, and when I studied it, I entered a spiritual space and met an elven teacher.”

From his tone, Dan Xingyu could tell nothing bad had happened, and he asked with great interest, “What do elves look like? Are they like the legends—pointy ears, super good-looking, glowing?”

Qi Yu thought for a moment. “He didn’t glow, but his ears were pointy. His hair was silver, and his eyes were emerald green—the same color as jade coins and Duoju’s eyes!”

He’d wanted to add his first impression—“he looked expensive”—but after being steeped in so many books on aesthetics, he realized Teacher Egnor had probably disliked him for it, so he swallowed the comment with regret.