"Lin Lei, did you feel it?" Derinkoort's voice echoed softly in Lin Lei's mind.
"Grandpa Derinko, I felt them! There are so many earth-yellow light dots… so many… there are too many. They're densely packed, thousands and thousands of them. Just on the back of my hand alone, there are over a hundred earth-yellow light dots floating there—there are just too many!" Lin Lei sensed the vast number of earth-yellow light dots drifting all around him, and his heart brimmed with joy.
When Derinkoort heard this, he was overjoyed.
"Good. Now, slowly, do as I say. Don't think about anything. Just stay calm…" Derinkoort's voice was almost hypnotic, and before long he brought Lin Lei out of his meditative state. At the same time, Derinkoort released his hold on those earth-system elements, and the concentration of earth elements in the surroundings returned to its normal level.
Coming out of the meditative state, Lin Lei felt utterly refreshed—completely different from before. Even in his waking state, he could sense the faint fluctuations of earth-system elements around him, though not nearly as clearly as during meditation.
"Grandpa Derinko, I can still feel the fluctuations of those earth-yellow light dots right now. I really can! They're not clear, but I can vaguely sense them." Lin Lei was practically bursting with excitement.
For the first time stepping into the world of mages, his heart was racing with thrill.
"What did you say? You can still feel them now?" Derinkoort was stunned. The concentration of earth elements had already returned to normal, and Lin Lei wasn't in a meditative state anymore… If he could sense them while fully awake, then Lin Lei's element affinity must be…
"Grandpa Derinko, why aren't you saying anything? How's my element affinity?" Lin Lei asked worriedly.
At this point, he had no idea whether his performance was good or bad.
"Good, very good. Your element affinity is extraordinarily high." Derinkoort's face was lit up with a broad smile. "As far as I know, it would be hard to find even one in a thousand mages whose element affinity could match yours. Truly."
Lin Lei felt his heart leap. He was so excited he didn't know what to say.
"Of course, element affinity is only one part. Mental power is what matters most! After all, as long as you have enough time, magic power can keep increasing. Only the limitation of mental power is the greatest obstacle to a mage's advancement." Derinkoort's tone turned serious.
Lin Lei took a deep breath and nodded.
"Now let's test the second thing—how strong your mental power is." Derinkoort looked at Lin Lei gravely.
Lin Lei knew that mental power was critically important.
"Grandpa Derinko, what do I need to do?" He looked at Derinkoort, already prepared.
"Nothing at all." Derinkoort chuckled.
"Uh…" Lin Lei was taken aback.
"I'm the soul spirit of the Coiling Dragon Ring, and you are its master. I can fully sense the strength of your mental power. There's no need for any test at all… I can tell you right now!" Derinkoort smiled at Lin Lei.
"My… my mental power—how is it?" Lin Lei held his breath.
The strength of one's mental power determined one's fate.
"Your mental power is about ten times that of an ordinary person your age," Derinkoort said with a smile.
A wave of delight surged through Lin Lei. Ten times.
That was no small number.
But Derinkoort continued: "Mages are rare—roughly only one in every ten thousand people becomes one. The main reason is the high demand for mental power. The minimum threshold for a mage is to have mental power five times that of an ordinary peer. Reaching ten times the norm only puts you at an average level among mages."
All of Lin Lei's earlier excitement deflated in an instant.
"If you were taught by an ordinary instructor, you'd likely reach the level of a fifth- or sixth-class mage at best. However… if your teacher is me, that's a different story entirely." Derinkoort's white eyebrows lifted, and a glint of confidence shone in his eyes.
Lin Lei suddenly realized what that meant.
Of course—Derinkoort was a Saint Realm Grand Mage.
"So long as you're willing to work hard, Lin Lei, I'm absolutely confident you can reach the eighth class. Whether you can become a ninth-class mage, or even a Saint Realm mage, will depend on your own comprehension and opportunities," Derinkoort said sternly. "If you don't put in the effort yourself, you may not even reach the sixth class. And when that happens, you'll have no one to blame but yourself."
Having a good instructor was one thing.
But the most important factor was one's own effort.
"Grandpa Derinko, don't worry. I won't let you down, and I won't let my father down, or disappoint the Baruch Family." In Lin Lei's mind, the ancestral hall appeared before him—the rows upon rows of spirit tablets, and behind each one, the great deeds of those who came before.
Restore the glory of the Baruch Family!
His chest burned with a fierce, scorching passion.
"Good. Starting tomorrow, I will formally begin your training." Derinkoort gazed at Lin Lei, his eyes blazing with intensity. In that moment, the confidence of a Saint Realm Grand Mage once again radiated from Derinkoort's very being!