Time passed slowly, and soon, almost a month had gone by!
Aside from his daily mandatory magic training, Stephen Strange spent nearly all his time immersed in the sea of books. He was like a clean sponge, rapidly absorbing the theoretical knowledge from the books and gradually increasing his understanding of magic.
Although his progress in practising magic over the month was minimal, he still couldn't successfully create the simplest portal spell. Stephen's theoretical knowledge and understanding of some low-level spells surpassed Master Mordo's.
This was primarily due to Stephen's eidetic memory. He could quickly memorise any book he skimmed through and fully grasp its content in no time, allowing him to accumulate years of knowledge in just one month.
However, theory remained, and Stephen had a long way to go to apply this theoretical knowledge perfectly. At the very least, he needed to cast spells successfully.
...
"Master, we've all seen Stephen's efforts. Given that he's been here at Kamar-Taj for a month, with his talent, he should have at least mastered basic spells by now. Yet, as of this morning's training, he still can't create even the simplest portal. What could be causing this? Is there a way we can help him?"
Mordo sat across from Li Yue in the hall, an unusual occurrence. Their conversation quickly turned to Stephen, and Mordo's rare anxious expression revealed his concern.
"Don't worry, Master Mordo! Stephen's potential is far greater than you imagine," Li Yue replied calmly after taking a sip of tea.
Li Yue understood Stephen's situation, recognising it as a necessary part of his journey. In the film, the Ancient One pushes Strange to quickly realise his potential due to the impending threat of Dormammu. But without that immediate threat now, Li Yue felt there was no need to rush Stephen's development into a full-fledged sorcerer.
Stephen now had the luxury of time to adapt to his new identity as a sorcerer.
"Master, should we just stand by and watch, not offering any help?" Mordo asked, his tone revealing his reluctance to be passive.
"Of course not. While we can't directly assist, guiding him onto the right path is certainly necessary," Li Yue said thoughtfully as he set down his tea cup.
...
Li Yue then instructed Mordo to summon Doctor Strange. He taught Strange the astral projection technique, which the Ancient One had used to enhance her soul and mental strength.
Stephen was thrilled to learn this method. Through his extensive reading, he had been searching for ways to strengthen his soul and mind, though without success. However, he did know about meditation, realising it was a common practice among sorcerers to boost their mental strength and improve their connection to magical energies.
Yet, the specific meditation techniques weren't documented in the library's books. Descriptions varied among sorcerers' autobiographies, with differing effectiveness. Stephen struggled to decide which meditation method to adopt when Li Yue called him over and provided him with a comprehensive meditation technique.
...
Eager to try, Stephen began meditating the same night according to Li Yue's instructions. As he entered a meditative state, he felt his body become light, almost as if he could float off the ground, defying gravity.
"This must be the out-of-body experience. Incredible!" Strange thought, experiencing this for the first time.
In his astral form, Strange felt a wave of curiosity. He looked at his physical body, then at his translucent hands, which created ripples as they moved. His semi-transparent soul form, sparkling with tiny stars, was a sight.
If anyone had told him about this before, he would have thought they were crazy. But now, experiencing it firsthand, Strange felt only excitement and wonder.
Suppressing his thrill, Strange began meditating in his astral form.
...
He closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, his soul floating above the ground, seemingly breathing as it gently rose and fell.
As Strange's soul continued this rhythmic movement, tiny orange sparks of light appeared around him, drawn to his soul and absorbed upon contact. As he absorbed more of these sparks, his ethereal form became slightly more solid.
"This feels truly amazing!"
After a brief moment of feeling this sensation, Strange opened his eyes. Though his astral form didn't rely on sight, he retained some of his previous habits. Feeling his soul strengthen slightly, Strange was filled with excitement.
No wonder the meditation method taught by the Supreme Sorcerer was so effective!
With immense gratitude toward Li Yue, Strange closed his eyes again and resumed meditation. From that night on, the true Doctor Strange began to emerge.