Charlie responded calmly, "First, how I establish my argument is my freedom. You can refute my points, but you cannot dictate my speech. Second, as a judge, if you have questions, it shouldn't be you doing so, especially not at this stage of establishing the argument.
This is a very formal occasion; you should adhere to the rules. Don't tarnish the honor of His Excellency the Law Master, and don't ruin such a meaningful debate!"
Aisha questioned his teacher, and Charlie countered in the same manner, leaving Aisha momentarily speechless.
Upon hearing this, Master Narl smiled; sharp-tongued Mr. Charlie had never let him down.
Seeing Aisha at a loss for words, Charlie continued with confidence: "Before this experiment, I didn't even know they were the same plant. So how was I able to allow it to naturally develop into a 'Grinning Face Flower'? There is an experimental process behind it.
I placed the seedlings of Crying Grass in different environments: varying temperatures, humidity levels, and light conditions. Using data for detailed differentiation and through meticulous observation, I found the living conditions that Crying Grass favored the most: dim light, a temperature of 10 degrees, soil with 70% humidity, and nutrient-rich organic fertilizer.
In this beautiful environment composed of data, without using any magical resources, the Crying Grass completed its transformation into the 'Grinning Face Flower'. This is the essence of data!
Thus, I personally like data very much because it reflects the most accurate reality.
Through this experiment, I discovered a backward aspect of the herbal medicine industry in the Vagrand Continent: regardless of the widely circulated herbal medicine texts or the esteemed senior masters within the industry, they perpetuate a bad tradition that involves vague, incorrect understandings of herbal methods and principles.
So, we see that any rules and methods we encounter are probabilistic, such as the survival rate of Crying Grass, the seed-setting rate of the Grinning Face Flower, the yield of various herbs, and so forth.
No one questions why? Nor does anyone try to explore the mysteries hidden within!"
At this point, an elderly man who had previously asked a question was shaken and fell into deep reflection; he was likely a master in the field of herbal medicine.
From then on, no one questioned Charlie's initial point. All present were intelligent people who naturally recognized the reason Charlie shared this story and fell into contemplation.
"Of course, none of this is the main focus of what I want to discuss today. It's merely an introduction to lead into my next topic.
Later, I arrived at the Arcane Ring, where I studied alchemy under Anthony and learned star meditation from Master Narl. I also explored magical rune construction. When I had time, I would attend many public courses from various teachers—magic, astrology, bestiaries, geography, and even art courses, a mix of subjects.
I also discovered the same phenomenon—astonishingly! The magic sanctuaries on the continent seem to suffer from a similar problem!
Everyone is very concerned about how to cast a fireball spell, how to learn a new spell, and how to quickly enhance personal magical power.
However, no one pays attention to the following questions:
How can one draw a standard six-point star array without a mold? What secrets are hidden in the spatial structure of runes? Why can magic circle diagrams provoke spiritual waves? Can we simulate the dissipating trajectories of fundamental particles through calculations…"
Charlie threw out a series of questions, plunging the entire hall into a strange silence.
Suddenly, a strong magical wave surged through the air. Accompanied by the dispersal of several arcane vortices, several prominent figures who were usually rarely seen appeared, including Aisha's teacher, Alfred.
Those were three venerable Law Masters!
In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall became tense, with all the spectators mesmerized as if petrified by a spell.
Aisha moved her fingers slightly, and in the distance, the host, Crowley, felt a gentle tremor in his ring as they exchanged a secret glance.
Within the nearly frozen air of the hall, Crowley cleared his throat softly, breaking the chilling silence, and said, "I must remind Mr. Charlie that the time for establishing arguments is over, and you still have not finished. Under the rules, I can give you an additional thirty seconds to articulate your point…"
"No! Let him continue," Alfred interrupted Crowley, without mercy.
It was truly an awkward moment!
Aisha clenched her silver teeth; she couldn't bear to see the small-minded triumph, yet she had to obey her teacher.
A look of embarrassment crossed Crowley's face. Though he was the editor of the thousand-year-old Magic Report and the royal chief magic advisor, who was not subject to the Arcane Ring's jurisdiction, he had once been an apprentice there and had a decade-long teaching career within the Arcane Ring, fostering a deep-seated reverence and admiration for the Law Masters.
Yet Charlie seemed unfazed by this pressure as he continued, "Currently, the development of magic is at a bottleneck that has lasted nearly thirty years.
It has been a long time since anything groundbreaking has appeared, no new foundational runes, and research into composite runes is comparably slow. More seriously, our most advanced wizards seem to be in a state of confusion, unable to find a way to advance, as if an insurmountable chasm lay before them, separating them from the levels of ancient transmission masters that are merely a legend.
Alfred pondered, "So where do you think the problem lies?"
Charlie did not respond directly: "My teacher, Master Narl, once said in drawing classes: 'I will teach you to find beauty in the lines, to think, to feel; this is a way of artistic perception. Perhaps it is not always correct, as even the wise have not found the right path. We are still exploring and attempting to present our perspectives to you; this is our insight, which may spark inspiration in some of the geniuses present.'"
This is a very good guiding attitude.
Afterward, I pondered the underlying reasons and felt that what we lack is a deeper exploration of magical philosophy, or rather, our level of thought is too shallow. We have not fundamentally understood what magic truly is.
This can be attributed to the entire continent's excessive emphasis on the application of magic while neglecting its theoretical foundations. The development of both is extremely uncoordinated, resulting in problems at the most basic levels of many rules and principles. These issues are concealed and transmitted in layers to more advanced fields, where you will discover that the current theoretical framework of magic is disintegrating and cannot withstand scrutiny, failing to support the high-end demands of advancement. This may be the root of the confusion!"
The hall fell into silence, yet these words stirred great waves in the hearts of many masters; they had never had such thoughts! They had never questioned theory!
Charlie added firmly, "In this regard, as the origin of high-level magic on the continent, the Arcane Ring must bear a significant part of the responsibility!"
His conclusion landed with a thud, plunging the auditorium, which accommodated tens of thousands of people, into a profound silence—so silent that even breathing could not be heard.
Charlie finally expressed his true feelings, and he did so in the highest magical hall on the continent, facing the most promising elite of magic. This was what he had always wanted to convey; if it could draw the attention of the higher-ups, then the knowledge he carried from Earth could play a more significant role. As for the impact it might have on the Vagrand Continent, only time would tell.
Aisha was at a loss for words. The young man before her felt completely unfamiliar; aside from some similar contours, his appearance and aura bore no resemblance to what she knew of Charlie. Was he not Charlie but rather Charlie's brother?
The many masters on the high platform fell into contemplation. Unlike ordinary spectators, they possessed more knowledge and had been troubled by certain bottlenecks for countless years, holding deeper insights. Being enlightened by a child was both a moment of realization and somewhat difficult for them to accept.
After a brief silence, the apprentices in the stands were the first to awaken from their astonishment. Many of them could not grasp the deeper meaning; they simply felt how cool it was to express such logically coherent statements in front of so many authoritative masters and to make them ponder!
Qianxue blushed, her eyes shining, "Wow! Brother Charlie is so handsome! So handsome!! Qing Tong, did you see that? Qing Tong?!"
Qing Tong's face turned slightly red as she silently withdrew her gaze, unable to suppress her surging emotions, and nodded slightly.
Colin praised, "The captain is really impressive!"
"The leader is the leader; even the Law Masters can be schooled!"
On the other side, Prince Weining's face darkened significantly, looking very displeased. The expression of Peter, sitting beside him, was even worse. The focus of the platform was his life-and-death rival. As Charlie shone brighter, the pressure on him increased.
Daniel, however, appeared more relaxed. His grudge against Charlie had passed. While he felt heartbroken about losing Qianxue, being defeated by such an opponent was not disgraceful.
After several minutes of silence, Alfred asked, "Well said! Although you are just an apprentice, your perspective has already reached a certain height. The issues you raised are precisely those commonly faced by great magic masters today."
Being recognized by the venerable Law Master himself immediately stirred a wave in the hall. Once people reacted, they began to applaud, and soon the applause surged like a tide…
"Then let me ask you, how do you propose to solve this problem?"
Charlie smiled gently, "Regarding this issue, I'm afraid I'm at a disadvantage. If it were so easy to find a solution, it wouldn't have troubled the masters for so many years. I can only offer some suggestions based on my perspective, and everyone can strive in that direction."
Alfred smiled, "Then please share your suggestions."
"I believe the essence of the problem lies in our attitude toward academia; it is too coarse! The most direct manifestation is our insensitivity to data! We must value data, use it to summarize rules, and find the most accurate methods to express those rules, rather than forcing half-baked interpretations.
As the forefront of magical thought on the continent, the Arcane Ring should endeavor to recruit more apprentices focused on theoretical studies and explore more theoretical research, placing importance on mathematics and summarizing fundamental principles."
"Very well said! I will certainly consider your suggestions!" Alfred nodded slightly, pondering for a moment before smiling, "I apologize for interrupting your presentation. Now, you may continue with your argument."