But regardless of what Lillian thought,
according to his own plans, now that the closed training had ended, it was time to repay the Magic Stone.
"Um," Lillian responded without much expression, simply murmuring an acknowledgment.
"Alright." Colin nodded, carried his plate, and walked to the side.
Thus, everyone chatted intermittently while eating.
Through such conversations, he learned many interesting pieces of information,
like the recent world situation and amusing tales from the Schools.
However, Lillian was always silent, hardly participating in the conversation.
After a while, Atbolde announced the end of the gathering.
Click.
Colin pulled out his pocket watch to take a look.
It was only just now half-past ten in the morning... He had left home around nine o'clock, by which time the gathering had probably already started.
An early gathering like this, with solid dishes on the table such as roast squab and lamb legs plentiful...
Probably only beings with extraordinary power like Wizard Knights didn't have to worry about stomach issues.
"Come with me."
After everyone had left, Atbolde spoke slowly to Colin.
His tall figure was stooped as he moved silently forward, his wide grey Wizard Robe covering his legs and making him seem like a ghost floating along.
Soon, Colin followed Atbolde downstairs to the study.
Reclining in an ancient wicker chair that sprouted little green leaves, Atbolde beckoned, and a gnarled branch handed a crystal the size of a quail egg to Colin.
"Inside this is the part of the Tin Saint Meditation Method for advancing to Official Wizard," he said, watching Colin carefully.
Colin took the crystal, caressed its smooth surface, and listened intently to Atbolde's narration.
"Speaking of which, Colin, have you previously acquired some knowledge about advancing to Official Wizard, or rather, do you know what the most obvious difference is between a Wizard Apprentice and an Official Wizard on the surface?"
"I have learned a bit about it, and as for the biggest difference between Wizard Apprentices and Official Wizards—" Colin furrowed his brow in thought and slowly replied, "Could it be... Talent?"
"Yes," Atbolde nodded, "That is the most noticeable difference after a Wizard Apprentice advances to an Official Wizard."
He paused, then continued, "But in fact, the most fundamental difference between a Wizard Apprentice and an Official Wizard is in the Spirit."
"If the spirit of a Wizard Apprentice is a lake, then the spirit of an Official Wizard is a world."
"And this kind of world is also what we call the Spirit Sea!"
"Advancing to Official Wizard is the process of opening up the Spirit Sea!"
Colin nodded slowly, echoing:
"My instructors from the School I used to attend taught us—
'The essence of a Wizard's cultivation is the process of continuous growth and elevation of the Spirit.'"
"To my understanding as a student, those so-called acts of witchcraft or even Talent should all be outward expressions and applications of the Spirit."
"That's the correct conclusion," Atbolde praised, then added after a pause,
"Apart from being an external expression of the Spirit, Talent is actually a tool for advancing to Official Wizard."
"The spirit of a Wizard Apprentice is a solid and stable nucleus."
"If you rely solely on meditation to absorb Magic Power, you will hit a plateau, hardly advancing... let alone a qualitative leap."
"While Talent is like a seed."
"Just as a plant sprouts and breaks through the ground, when the Talent Seed sprouts, it can stretch the nucleus and open up the Spirit Sea!"
"So, the method for an Apprentice to advance to First Rank Wizard during the apprentice phase is to cultivate Talent. The purpose of all the preparations done in the Meditation Method at this stage is to ensure the Talent can successfully break through the ground."
Like receiving enlightenment, Colin exhaled a breath of relief, suddenly understanding.
He had previously bought books related to advancing to Official Wizard on Bananka Island and had read them many times over.
He knew that the key to advancing to Official Wizard was Talent, but what Talent was, why it needed to be cultivated, and the essence of advancement, these were all glossed over in those books.
But here with Atbolde, just a few sentences had led him to an instant understanding.
This was the advantage of having a mentor.
"Thank you, Mentor Atbolde."
Atbolde nodded slowly and then reminded him,
"The part of the Meditation Method for advancing to Official Wizard has been given to you ahead of time, but you have just changed your Meditation Method and haven't even recovered your Magic Power..."
"Remember not to be overly ambitious; only a solid foundation can support a tall building. Otherwise, failing to build a high-rise is a minor issue, but if one day the high-rise suddenly collapses... that would be irreparable."
Atbolde's words were unusually serious as he said this, and he even took special care to add a few more cautions:
"You must remember today's warning; only when you have reached the Peak of the Apprentice phase and can go no further is it time to start fulfilling the corresponding prerequisites for cultivating Talent and prepare for breakthrough."
"I understand, Mentor Atbolde," Colin said somberly.
A shaky foundation meant collapse on a high-rise, and for them Wizards, it meant mutation or corruption...
Although Golden Paper was valuable, if he became blindly overconfident because of it and lost caution... the consequences would probably be dire.