Kaelan meets the king in the grand hall, where sunlight filters through crystal panes and scatters faint rainbows across the marble floor.
The king's tone remains polite, but his questions circle one point—Kaelan's origin.
Kaelan answers with calm precision, crafting a tale as he goes: orphaned since childhood, taken in by an old hermit who trained him and gave him the name Kong Wuya. The old man passed away a few years ago, leaving him to wander the forests until he met the people of Chen Village and founded the Wuya Escort Agency.
The king listens, neither believing nor doubting, his eyes steady but unreadable.
Afterwards, they share a quiet lunch with the princess before Kaelan and Li Niyue leave the palace.
Inside the carriage, the rhythmic clatter of wheels fills the silence until the princess finally asks, "How much of what you told my father was true?"
Kaelan smiles faintly and answers, "What do you think?"
He steps down from the carriage when it stops before his home and says, before turning away, "Tomorrow, we'll meet again—but in different identities."
Inside, he walks through the decorated halls, maids bustling to prepare for the wedding. He thinks about the eatery business struggling in the city and how tomorrow's feast, attended by nobles and officials, could become its best advertisement.
He visits the chef and instructs him to prepare several dishes he once loved on Earth—unique flavours that would leave an impression on every guest.
Then he returns to the garden, where white crystal slabs lie scattered beside broken tools. He continues carving through the afternoon.
At last, after many failed attempts, he completes one slab. To the naked eye, the carving looks like a delicate blade of grass formed from countless dots and lines. But when he channels his spirit, the faint pulse of wood law emerges from it.
He studies it for a moment and murmurs, "This will not do."
The visualisation map's pattern can only be perceived through spirit sense—useless for those who have yet to awaken theirs. Its purpose is to guide beginners into sensing their spirit, not demand a power they don't yet possess.
If it cannot fulfil that role, it's nothing but decoration.
Kaelan crushes the slab into fragments and starts over, his hands steady, his gaze unwavering. He will not stop until the carving itself radiates presence—until one can see the power with naked eyes and feel its pressure in the mind.
As his blade moves across the white crystal, his thoughts wander toward the next step of his plan. The visualisation map alone will not be enough for preaching his wizard cultivation system.
The map serves only to forge and refine the spirit through the laws within it. But to build the foundation of a new system, another piece is needed—a universal meditation technique.
At the mortal stage of the Wizard path, the Wizard Apprentice Realm, cultivation focuses on refining spirit and Qi. Advancement to the Mana Refining Realm—the true beginning of the Wizard path—requires transforming that Qi into Mana.
For that, one must meditate.
Martial artists use inner breathing to strengthen Qi, but the process of turning Qi into Mana demands something purer—a meditation method that refines attribute-less mana, allowing each wizard to later shape their own unique energy.
But not now.
Only after he completes the Five Elements Visualisation Map will he create that meditation technique.
For now, he continues carving, his focus absolute, the rhythmic sound of chisel against crystal echoing through the room. Hours pass before he finally stops and turns his attention to something new—the law of molten coal.
He sits cross-legged, drawing in the fiery essence from the molten core, tracing its movement, its rhythm, its burning order. He begins to construct the basic Fire Element Visualisation Map.
With his deep understanding of fire—its fury, its hunger, its warmth—he quickly grasps the law hidden within the molten core. Fire Claw, Fire Ball, and Fierce Flame flow through his mind like old companions, and his mastery grows with every breath.
By the time the lamps outside his window are lit, he has solidified his comprehension of the Fire Law, the first spark of the Fire Visualisation Map taking form within his spirit.
During dinner, Chen Qi reports that the Mu Rice House convoy to the Chen Kingdom will depart three days after the wedding.
They had originally planned to leave before the marriage, hoping to stir trouble, but the princess herself visited the Mu residence—and the date was changed.
The next day, when noon sunlight spills over the streets, Kaelan stands outside his home dressed in his groom's attire.
The royal procession halts before his gates.
The princess steps down, veiled and graceful, her face hidden behind a delicate fan.
Kaelan walks forward, lifts her in his arms, and carries her across the threshold as the crowd cheers.
They bow to heaven and earth, completing the ceremony under the bright sky.
Later, the princess is escorted to his room, and Kaelan joins the guests, exchanging words and smiles through the long feast that follows.
When the night deepens and the revelry fades, he enters his room—where the princess waits.
And beneath the soft glow of candlelight, their marriage is consummated.
The next morning, when Kaelan wakes, warmth fills his arms—the soft body of the princess resting against him.
For a moment, he lies still, unwilling to move, the calm so rare that he almost wishes to stay in it forever.
He chuckles inwardly, thinking how true the saying is: women lead men to early graves.
Not because she would kill him, but because her presence tempts him to forget the path of cultivation.
Pleasure dulls ambition, and delay invites death.
He knows that until he becomes invincible—until the world itself bends before his will—he cannot afford such distractions.
Carefully, he disentangles himself from her, mindful not to wake her pale, exhausted form.
He dresses quietly and leaves through the side door into the garden, where the morning air carries a faint chill.
On the training field, the white crystal slab waits.
He sits, breath steady, and resumes his carving.
Hours pass before he finally leans back, landing softly on the ground, dust rising around him.
Before him, the finished carving gleams faintly—and even with his naked eyes, he can sense the breath of wood emanating from it.
He exhales, satisfied, and rises, brushing the dust from his robe.
Then he senses someone behind him.
Turning, he sees the princess standing at the edge of the garden, sunlight falling across her face.
She stands frozen, her gaze locked on the carving.
Her mind has entered the Wood Element Visualisation Map on the white crystal slab, and her spirit begins to refine itself under its pressure.
Disturbing her now would wound her spirit, so Kaelan quietly steps back and sits on the ledge near the side door.
Through his spirit sense, he observes streams of spiritual energy flowing into her body, her vitality slowly transforming into wooden mana.
He understands the cause.
Her body contains mana because of last night—his mana.
The princess had never been able to form Qi due to her rare constitution, which converts every form of energy into pure vitality.
But the intimate exchange between them circulated her vitality and his mana together.
His stronger energy suppressed hers, turning a part of her vitality into mana.
Left alone, that mana would have reverted to vitality within days.
But now, as she unconsciously learns from the visualisation map, the transformation stabilises—the change lingers.
Moments later, a pained groan escapes her lips.
She clutches her head, trembling.
The refinement process devours her unawakened spirit, and the strain pushes her to the edge.
"What did you carve?" she gasps, voice weak. "It's giving me a headache."
Kaelan rises, steps forward, and gently pulls her into his arms.
Her hands clutch at his neck as he strokes her back and whispers, "It's a visualisation map—to help awaken the spirit."
The princess lets out a lazy "Oh," melting deeper into his embrace.
"If you awaken your spirit," he says softly, "you can cultivate my wizard method."
Her body stiffens.
"What?"
She leans back, eyes wide, staring up at him as if she misheard.
Slipping from his arms, she steps away, her gaze darting from him to the glowing map.
Before she can focus on it again, Kaelan moves behind her and covers her eyes with his hand.
Li Xueyao tenses, startled.
"What are you doing?" she demands, trying to pull his hand away.
"Your spirit is weak," he says calmly. "If you force the visualisation now, it'll harm you."
She groans in frustration, spinning around to face him.
He withdraws his hand, meeting her gaze.
"Can only the visualisation map awaken my spirit?" she asks quietly.
"There are other ways," Kaelan replies. "Rare spiritual plants or pills can help too."
Her expression softens, and she slips her arm through his as they walk back to their room.
The next day, using his growing experience, Kaelan carves the Fire Element Visualisation Map.
When he finishes, he begins comprehending the earth element sealed within spiritual sandstone.
He doesn't continue through the night, as he will leave tomorrow.
So he sleeps with his wife.
The following morning, with the Mu Rice House convoy ready to depart, Kaelan and his subordinates set out north toward the Chen Kingdom.
Inside the carriage, the world rolls past the window, and Kaelan's eyes remain closed in meditation as he delves deeper into the law of earth.