Fortunately, Ye Chenfeng had Zhao Manyan as a reliable partner, someone who was also well-liked by his parents. Brother Zhao Manyan probably reasoned that pushing too hard could trigger a rivalry for the family heir position, so, adhering to the principle that less is more, he relented. After all, why refuse easy money? Besides, he was unaware that Zhao Manyan was skimming kickbacks. Ye Chenfeng chuckled at the thought. However, he had more pressing concerns.
At the Magic City business center, Ye Chenfeng went on a buying spree. Armor-enhancing magic tools? Bought. Shoes imbued with magic? Bought. Star-grasping speed enhancers? Seeing that he was on the brink of a breakthrough in both the space and light-shadow systems, he knew these tools were essential. He even eyed a winged magic tool, deciding he'd get it next month.
Breaking through to the intermediate level in his space and light-shadow systems would significantly boost his combat power. Currently, he could only cast intermediate-level space magic once before exhausting his energy. But once he advanced, he'd be able to use these spells repeatedly and wouldn't find himself in vulnerable situations.
Ye Chenfeng now fully understood why Mo Fan hadn't pursued mastery in the space system. It was incredibly challenging—an investment for the future. The space system's potential only grew with age and experience. Despite his many years of reincarnation and time travel, feeling his spiritual skills strengthen, he was only at the first realm of perfection. The path to mastery was steep, relying heavily on rare spiritual artifacts from heaven and earth, categorized into Spirit Seeds (2-3x power), Soul Seeds (4-6x), and Heaven Seeds (6x and above).
The dimensional system's cultivation was based on spiritual realms, divided into nine stages: the first three were minor, the next three intermediate, and the final three major. Unlike elemental enhancements, which increased power in set increments, the spiritual realms' influence varied. Ye Chenfeng estimated that the first realm matched a primary-level mage, the second an intermediate mage, with higher realms aligning with advanced mages.
The amount of magic power infused was a separate factor. Even intermediate-level thoughts could amplify basic space telekinesis to deal significant damage, but they were limited by range. It was like wielding a wooden sword that turned into iron—stronger, but still restricted. Yet, with advanced magic power, that sword would transform into a massive ship-cutting blade. Against large monsters, combining spiritual strength and magic was essential. Against smaller human foes, the space system's unparalleled might made it the most formidable in one-on-one combat.
The original novel didn't delve deeply into this, and Mo Fan, not specializing in the space system, lacked clarity on spiritual realms. But Ye Chenfeng knew that as he refined his magic, his spiritual realm would advance. Reaching the intermediate level in space and shadow magic could push him to the early stage of the second realm, with potential for even greater growth.
Despite years of cultivation, his focus had been on the Ice and Fire system due to its exceptional benefits—mutated seeds that enhanced his magic level, increased storage, and allowed dual magic releases. With enough money, he could buy spirit seeds, but space system cultivation remained arduous due to spiritual limitations.
Now, Ye Chenfeng was poised to break through this bottleneck. The sword of separation in his spiritual world had started to spin, mastering the space system and signaling that he would soon dominate that realm. Just as he was savoring this, his phone rang, interrupting his thoughts.
"Ong~ Ong~"
Ye Chenfeng frowned at the unknown number. Spam calls in the magic world? He dismissed it with a swipe and returned to his thoughts. This winter break, he was determined to make a breakthrough and advance all his magic systems to the intermediate level. His goal was to enter the three-step tower once school resumed, aiming for the third floor.
"Ong~ Ong~"
The same call again. Ye Chenfeng's frustration spiked. "You have three seconds to state your business, or I, the Supreme Mage, will unleash Heavenly Shock Star and send you to meet Uchiha Madara!"
Tang Yue, stunned on the other end: "…"
"What are you doing?" she asked, baffled.
"You have two seconds," Ye Chenfeng responded impatiently.
"I have important news to share."
"Beep~ beep~"
Tang Yue, who had just reinforced the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon barrier after learning the Black Church was targeting Ye Chenfeng, was left staring at her phone, astonished that he had actually hung up. She had only gotten Ye Chenfeng's number through Mo Fan, who was preoccupied with Xin Xia in Hangzhou.
Now, more determined, Tang Yue dialed again.
"Ong~ Ong~"
Bang!
Ye Chenfeng picked up. "Three seconds," he threatened.
"I'm Tang Yue. Mo Fan gave me your number. We need to talk," she said urgently before he could hang up again.
"Tang Yue? I—cough—Teacher Tang Yue, what's the matter?" Ye Chenfeng recalled their past encounters. Once, he had sought her help to confirm Mo Fan's time travel. Another time... well, that incident was best left unmentioned.
The first encounter was serious, but did he remember it well? Probably not. The second? Vividly.