So now that four months had passed, reaching the peak of apprenticeship wasn't something conspicuous.
And as long as it wasn't conspicuous, displaying one's talent appropriately was harmless.
"I remember at last month's gathering, you said you had just changed your Meditation Method? It seems your Magic Power level hadn't even recovered yet?" Lillian continued to ask.
"Yes." Colin nodded, already prepared for such questions.
He slightly furrowed his brows, hesitating before he spoke:
"The Meditation Method I originally practiced seemed to be more compatible with the Tin Saint Meditation Method. After switching, I quickly recovered my Magic Power level..."
He wasn't worried that saying this would expose him.
As someone who had broken the limits of both the Circulation Meditation and the Tin Saint Meditation to the golden color, creating a Meditation Method compatible with the Tin Saint Meditation Method...
Though it was somewhat difficult, if one didn't care about efficiency in practice, nor about universality, it was still entirely possible.
And even if it weren't possible, if asked, he could simply hand over the Tin Ring Meditation Method.
The limit breaking of the Golden Paper was tailor-made for him.
This customization also took into account the factor that one must make progress when practicing with the Golden Paper.
Moreover, the reason for his rapid progress in cultivation was at least half because of the special effects of progressing with the Golden Paper.
So if someone else got the Tin Ring Meditation Method, at most, it would be a Meditation Method of excellent quality but lacking in universality.
"Well, before this, I was just a whisker away from the peak of apprenticeship. After changing the Meditation Method, it didn't take me long to reach the peak of an Apprentice."
He paused, then added.
The peak of apprenticeship is different from a peak apprentice.
The peak of apprenticeship is the culmination of the apprenticeship, the apex of the apprentice phase.
Whereas a peak apprentice, as long as an Advanced Wizard Apprentice has mostly eliminated their anomalies, can be called a peak apprentice.
Without the impact of anomalies, a peak apprentice's strength is generally stronger than that of an Advanced Apprentice.
And these so-called anomalies are caused by an Apprentice's incomplete mastery of the Meditation Method knowledge during advancement.
In other words, having completely mastered the Meditation Method with the Golden Paper and perfectly advanced, he could, in fact, already be called a peak apprentice after advancement!
Lillian nodded her head, then suddenly asked:
"How old are you this year?"
"Eighteen, almost nineteen," Colin paused before replying.
Upon hearing his age, Lillian's usually stern and calm expression finally showed a fluctuation.
"Follow me." She didn't explain much, just gave a command and then started walking ahead.
They hadn't walked far when her pace paused slightly. She turned back and added,
"Try not to mention to others that you've reached the peak of apprenticeship during this period."
"I understand," Colin said with a slight start, then responded in a lowered voice.
Perhaps it was because Lillian always spoke little, he found her impressively reliable.
Now that Lillian had instructed him so pointedly, he became extra cautious, engraving her words in his heart.
The two hurried along the School's neatly paved gray stone pathways.
Glancing around, Colin recognized that this was the road to Instructor Atbolde's residence.
'Could it be she's taking me to see Instructor Atbolde?' he thought.
After a few moments, as if a thought struck him, Colin suddenly said:
"Senior Lillian, concerning the Magic Stone I borrowed from you, I should be able to return part of it in about a week."
In this time, he had already amassed approximately 50 bottles of Blue Jiding Potion, and his success rate had almost reached fifty percent; it was no longer a losing proposition.
"Hmm." Lillian didn't turn her head, simply responding in a soft tone.
Her expression remained calm, but her mind was the complete opposite of her facial expression.
It seemed Colin still didn't realize his own talent...
Previously, she had thought that Colin's arrival here was because he was a rare Apprentice from a remote island, one who had advanced to an Advanced Wizard Apprentice in that remote place.
These conditions, combined with changing his Meditation Method, virtually sealed his fate as a prospect without the possibility of advancing to Official Wizard.
So she had always thought that it was because no mentor had taken Colin under their wing that he eventually had no choice but to come here.
But now it seemed that the Meditation Method that Colin had been practicing was actually compatible and harmonious with the Tin Saint Meditation Method!
As such, the impact of changing the meditation method was not significant, and the effect on his talent was naturally greatly diminished, now at most about ten to twenty percent!
Eighteen years old...
And at such a young age...
Colin, although not top-notch, could still be considered to have excellent talent!
How many years had it been since an apprentice with such talent came their way?
With Colin's talent, perhaps he could...
"Lillian Senior."
Colin's voice came again.
"What is it?" Lillian stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him, puzzled.
Colin extended his arm towards her, in his palm was a deep blue Magic Potion emitting a mesmerizing, hazy glow.
"What is this?" Lillian took the Magic Potion and asked, confused.
There were too many deep blue Magic Potions, and without a label on the glass tube, and without testing or being a Magic Pharmacist, she naturally didn't know what kind of Magic Potion it was.
"This is Blue Jiding," Colin replied, pausing before adding, "I made it myself."
At the last School gathering, he had told Lillian that he had finished his seclusion and would start gradually repaying the Magic Stone he had borrowed.
But another month had passed since then...
Even though Lillian had not urged him at all, the more she refrained, the more embarrassed he felt.
He didn't know whether Lillian believed in him or had given up hope of him repaying the Magic Stone.
"You made it yourself?" Lillian exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, I've only been learning for about a month... The success rate isn't high yet, this is the only bottle that turned out successful," said Colin.
Compared to having a sixty percent success rate after learning for a month... Or barely succeeding once after a month of trying, the latter was somewhat more normal.
"Yes, I feel like I'm improving quickly. Perhaps in another month, I might be able to increase the success rate to thirty percent and start making a profit... Then I'll start paying back the Magic Stones I owe you slowly."
"Mm," Lillian suppressed the surprise in her heart... Colin had given her another pleasant surprise.
To successfully create a bottle of Blue Jiding from scratch in a month, and to be confident of boosting the success rate to thirty percent in another month...
Colin's talent in potion-making seemed not inferior to his talent in wizardry training—perhaps even slightly better!
"Have you found a way to sell the Blue Jiding?" Lillian asked.
"Not yet..." Colin shook his head, "I'm planning to inquire at the potion shops later."
Lillian paused and then said, "I'll go and ask Betty for you—she's the Witch from whom you bought the Magic Erasure Potion last time."
"If you sell directly to potion shops, you'll only get sixty percent of the retail price."
"But through her, you might get eighty or ninety percent."
"I see." Colin was slightly startled, "Then I'll be in your debt, Lillian Senior."
"Mm." Having said this, Lillian continued to walk briskly forward with him.
They soon arrived at Atbolde's residence.
It was only at the moment they stepped onto the small path leading to the residence that Colin realized.
It was already past twelve noon, and he could no longer enter the mentor's study...
If she had indeed brought him to meet Mentor Atbolde, how could they see the mentor?
He had some doubts in his heart, but, looking at Lillian's retreating figure, he felt at ease.
As Atbolde's granddaughter and a First Rank Wizard, Lillian was unlikely to encounter any problems.
They walked a bit further, and to his surprise, Lillian didn't lead him into the villa.
Instead, she walked around to the back of the villa and brought him to a huge tree that almost required ten people to encircle.
The dense branches spread out like an umbrella, extending in all directions, casting a large shadow under the sunlight.
"This is Nado's main body," Lillian briefly explained.
She then stepped forward, placed her hand against the ancient tree, closed her eyes, and assumed a solemn expression.