A seven-level dual-system magician was already considered to have entered the ranks of the truly strong across the entire Yulan Continent.
But if you added "seventeen years old" in front of that title, the effect was entirely different. A seven-level dual-system magician — the Church of Light probably wouldn't even blink at one. After all, there was no shortage of powerful figures on the Yulan Continent.
But...
A seventeen-year-old seven-level dual-system magician? Forget the Church of Light lurking behind the continent — every single major faction on the entire land would be green with envy.
"A genius! A genuine genius!!!" Vice Dean Delant, an eighth-level magician, could barely contain his excitement.
The surrounding magic instructors were all stunned into silence. Every one of them understood exactly what a seventeen-year-old seven-level dual-system magician meant. This was nothing short of a miracle — at least for Ernst Academy.
"Yeah!" Yeru, Rein, and George all grinned at each other.
They'd been waiting to see exactly this reaction from the magic instructors, and it did not disappoint.
Vice Dean Delant's strength wasn't top three at Ernst Academy, but he had weathered plenty of storms in his time. He quickly suppressed his excitement and was the first to walk over to Lin Lei. "Lin Lei, do you have any idea what it means to be a seven-level magician at seventeen?"
"As if he needs to ask!" Derinkoort appeared beside them, smugly stroking his white beard. "A disciple trained by yours truly — how could he possibly be anything less?"
As a soul spirit, Derinkoort was invisible to the magic instructors present, none of whom had reached the Saint Realm and thus lacked the perception to sense him.
"Seventeen years old," Delant sighed. "In the entire history of Ernst Academy, ranked from youngest to oldest among all students who reached seven-level magician, you are the youngest. First place in academy history! And the previous record holder — the genius who reached seven-level at nineteen — eventually became a Holy Domain Grand Mage."
A silver-haired elder stepped forward as well. "Setting aside our academy's history, even across the entire recorded history of the Yulan Continent, you rank second youngest among all seven-level magicians. Second in the continent's entire history."
The Yulan Continent's recorded history spanned a far longer period and a much wider scope. Ernst Academy simply couldn't compare.
"Second in history?" Lin Lei was genuinely shocked.
How many geniuses had the Yulan Continent produced over the ages? To rank second among all of them was a staggering achievement.
"The number one in the continent's history was a Holy Domain Grand Mage from over eight thousand years ago. He became a seven-level magician at sixteen. The previous second-place — now bumped to third — reached seven-level at eighteen. That man only ever made it to nine-level magician in the end. It was related to a personal setback that fundamentally changed his temperament. So you could say... if we exclude you, of the ten greatest geniuses in recorded history, six went on to become Holy Domain Grand Mages and four became nine-level Great Mages."
A seven-level magician was commonly honored with the title of Grand Mage.
An eight-level magician was called a Magic Master.
A nine-level magician was called a Great Mage.
A Saint-level magician was known as a Holy Domain Grand Mage, or simply a Holy Mage.
"With your talent, becoming a nine-level Great Mage is an absolute certainty. All you need is time. And if you continue training this diligently, your chances of reaching the Saint Realm are very high indeed. After all, you are the second youngest seven-level magician in recorded history." The silver-haired elder looked at Lin Lei with utmost gravity.
Lin Lei did harbor hopes of reaching the Saint Realm, but his expectations were not especially high.
He understood something fundamental: magicians had a harder time advancing than warriors.
Both warriors and magicians needed mental power, but the degree required was vastly different.
Magicians didn't train their bodies — they focused exclusively on cultivating mental power. The vast majority of their effort went into spiritual development, and controlling magic power and the world elements all required mental power. A powerful magician's mental power was correspondingly terrifying.
Warriors were different.
For warriors, the body came first, then mental power and Battle Qi. A powerful body was necessary to withstand vast quantities of Battle Qi, while mental power was primarily for controlling that Battle Qi in combat.
Compare a seven-level magician to a seven-level warrior, and their mental power could differ by nearly tenfold.
"Even if I eventually reach the Holy Domain Grand Mage level, it'll take an enormous amount of time. But with my Dragon Blood Warrior talent, I'd probably reach the Saint Realm much faster." Lin Lei knew his family's history well. Dragon Blood Warriors typically needed only a few decades — a relatively brief span — to step into the Saint Realm.
Moreover...
A Dragon Blood Warrior who entered the Saint Realm was extraordinarily powerful, counting as a top-tier expert even among Saint-level beings.
"Lin Lei, you are the most accomplished student in our academy's history. Please stay on campus for the next two days at least. I'll bring in the finest portrait artist and the greatest stone sculptors to preserve your likeness and your sculptures in our academy forever." Vice Dean Delant spoke immediately.
This was a genius ranked second in the entire recorded history of the Yulan Continent — it naturally counted as a tremendous honor for the academy.
"My portrait?" Lin Lei froze.
He imagined having to hold a single pose for a long stretch of time in front of an artist or sculptor, and the mere thought made being the second-greatest genius in Yulan Continent history seem far less wonderful than it sounded.
The greatest genius in Ernst Academy's history. The second-greatest genius in the entire recorded history of the Yulan Continent. At only seventeen years old, he had already achieved the rank of seven-level dual-system magician. This jaw-dropping news spread through Ernst Academy at a staggering pace.
"A seven-level dual-system magician? At only seventeen? How is that possible?"
"It's no joke — half the academy's magic instructors were there to witness it, and Vice Dean Delant has already arranged for a portrait artist to capture Lin Lei's image. They want to preserve his likeness in the academy forever."
"Heavens, a seven-level magician at seventeen. At that rate, he could reach eight-level in ten years, nine-level in twenty. He'd be a nine-level Great Mage by his forties. He could probably become a Holy Domain Grand Mage before he even turns a hundred."