Still calling for recommendation tickets — brand-new novel, I really need them!
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During dinner, the three members of the Baruch Family and the butler Xili ate together. Little Wotton was lively at the table, filling the dining room with laughter. After dinner ended and old butler Xili carried Wotton off to bed, Lin Lei began talking with his father Hogg.
"Oh, Father, between mages and warriors, which one is actually stronger?" Lin Lei asked.
Hogg glanced at Lin Lei, smiled, and then shook his head. "Lin Lei, mages and warriors each have their own strengths. In terms of raw power alone, a mage and a warrior of the same level — the mage should have a slight edge. But the most important thing is… a mage's social status is far higher, a full tier above warriors. For example, that level-eight dual-system mage we just saw — purely in terms of status, even a level-nine warrior would be slightly inferior to him."
"If their power is only slightly stronger, why is the gap in status so big?" Lin Lei asked, puzzled.
Hogg laughed. "Before I answer that, you need to understand how mages are classified. Mages are divided into nine levels. Levels one and two are junior mages, levels three and four are intermediate mages, and levels five and six are senior mages. But the three levels above that — seven, eight, and nine — those are all extraordinarily terrifying. And above level-nine mages, there are Saint-realm mages!"
"The reason mages hold such high status is their devastating destructive power." Hogg picked up a cup of fruit juice, took a light sip, and continued.
"Destructive power?" Lin Lei looked at his father.
Hogg set down his cup and nodded. "A warrior, even a Dragon Blood Warrior, can only kill around a hundred enemies with a single sword strike. Facing an army of a million, at best he might kill the commander. But kill one commander, and the enemy can simply appoint another. A Saint-realm mage, on the other hand? A single Forbidden Spell can obliterate an entire city, wipe out hundreds of thousands of troops. If hundreds of thousands of soldiers are annihilated, what good does it do that the commander is still alive? For any nation, a Saint-realm mage is more terrifying than an entire army."
Lin Lei understood at once.
"Never mind Saint-realm mages — even level-eight and level-nine mages can unleash astonishing power on the battlefield. That is why the status of mages is so exalted." Hogg said with a faint smile.
Lin Lei nodded gently.
On the Yulan Continent, where warfare was the dominant theme, it was only natural that mages held such lofty status.
"Oh, right — Father, I remember reading in a book that mages have weaker bodies compared to warriors. But just now I saw that mage easily jump down from the back of a Rapid Dragon. Does that really look like a weak body to you?" Lin Lei pressed.
Hogg replied, "We'll get to that in a moment. Lin Lei, you should know that ordinary people on the Yulan Continent have a lifespan of about one hundred and twenty to one hundred and thirty years. But powerful mages and warriors tend to live much longer — usually two or three hundred years, sometimes even three or four hundred. The human lifespan maxes out at five hundred years. Only by reaching the legendary Saint Realm can one obtain an extraordinarily long life, practically infinite."
Lin Lei nodded. He had read this in books before.
"But Lin Lei, do you know why powerful mages and warriors live longer?" Hogg asked immediately.
Lin Lei froze. That powerful mages and warriors lived three or four hundred years — he had taken that for granted and never once considered the reason.
Seeing the expression on Lin Lei's face, Hogg chuckled. "Lin Lei, first of all, I need to tell you: between heaven and earth, there are elements of fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, light, darkness, and other attributes. Whether you are a mage or a warrior, you absorb the elements of heaven and earth to cultivate. This means that both magic and battle qi carry elemental distinctions. If you observe carefully, you'll notice that among the four male warriors in that mercenary team, the red-haired brawny man leading them wielded fire-attribute battle qi. Among the other three, there was wind-attribute battle qi and water-attribute battle qi… Battle qi has attributes, and so does magic!"
This was the first time since birth that Lin Lei understood that mages and warriors alike absorbed the very same elements of heaven and earth.
"The reason powerful mages and warriors live longer is this: when a mage absorbs the elements of heaven and earth into his body and refines them into pure 'magic power,' those elements circulate within the body and are naturally absorbed by the organs, muscles, and bones. This continuously improves the mage's physique. The better the physique, the longer the lifespan. The same principle applies to warriors — when they cultivate battle qi, they also absorb the elements of heaven and earth, refining them into 'battle qi' within their bodies. The circulating elements likewise improve their physique. The more powerful the warrior, the better the physique, and naturally the longer the lifespan." Hogg explained everything clearly.
Lin Lei's mind was flooded with sudden clarity. According to his father, even a mage's body was enhanced by the elements of heaven and earth — the body was actually in excellent condition.