Resonance of Rules
Ling Yao's temporary residence seemed to be the only eerie and tranquil place in the eye of the storm within the academy city. The clamor, doubts, and fears of the outside world seemed to be shut out by that invisible barrier, with only the rustling of turning pages and the occasional brief questions and answers about energy models and mental resonance mechanisms.
Professor Eleanor Silvers became a regular visitor here, and enjoyed it immensely. Each "academic exchange" with Ling Yao was like a mind-blowing brainstorming session for her. The weighty classics and complex models she brought were often easily punctured by Ling Yao with a few incisive questions or a completely unexpected angle, and then, just when she was about to doubt her life, Ling Yao would throw out some seemingly plausible but intriguing "otherworldly insights" that she desperately wanted to understand.
This feeling is like a mountaineer who has been climbing for years and thinks she is about to reach the summit, only to be suddenly lifted up and shown a hidden path that she never imagined leading straight to the clouds, and even glimpsed a corner of an even more magnificent and beautiful landscape at the end of the path.
The phrase "painful yet joyful" is insufficient to describe even a fraction of Eleanor's feelings at this moment.
That day, the two focused their discussion on the "essential relationship between magic and elemental energy." This is the foundation of the magic system and one of the most debated areas.
“Mainstream theory holds that magic is a ‘catalyst’ and ‘glue’ that guides the arrangement and combination of elements after spiritual power resonates with external elements,” Eleanor explained, pointing to the complex energy flow model constructed on the crystal plate. “Different spiritual frequencies and spell structures will produce different resonance effects, thus forming ever-changing spells…”
Ling Yao listened quietly, but her gaze wasn't focused on the exquisite model. Instead, it seemed to penetrate the model and look directly at its core essence. Suddenly, she stretched out her finger. Instead of gathering magic at her fingertip, she drew upon a trace of the purest water element in the air, causing it to flow around her fingertip like a gentle elf, presenting a more restrained and agile form that was completely different from magic-driven power.
“Spirit is the guide, elements are the materials, and laws are the furnace, only then can magic be created.” Ling Yao spoke slowly, organizing her understanding of magic in the language of this world, “However, these ‘laws’ are conventional rules, not the original way of heaven and earth.”
The form of the water element at her fingertips began to change, sometimes condensing like ice crystals, sometimes vaporizing like clouds and mist, and sometimes rushing like a stream. The changes were seamless and unimpeded, as if it had life of its own, rather than being forcibly shaped.
"Your methods focus on 'form,' demanding precision in resonance and stability in structure, like painting with a ruler and compass, striving for realism but losing its spirit, and expending a great deal of effort," Ling Yao commented. The water element at her fingertips suddenly dispersed and then instantly condensed, transforming into a crystal-clear lotus flower that continuously bloomed and closed, breathtakingly beautiful, with no obvious magical fluctuations throughout the entire process.
Eleanor was mesmerized, yet simultaneously felt a profound sense of powerlessness. She knew Ling Yao was right; the magic system did indeed suffer from problems of being cumbersome, rigid, and inefficient, but… “If not, how can we ensure the stability and controllability of spells? Elemental energy itself is chaotic and dangerous…”
"Why must it be 'control'?" Ling Yao countered, the water lily at her fingertips quietly dissipating. "Why can't it be 'guidance,' 'following,' or 'responding'?"
She reached out again, this time simultaneously drawing upon a faint trace of water and a trace of fire. According to basic magical theory, forcing these two opposing elements together could easily trigger an energy conflict or even an explosion.
Eleanor instinctively held her breath and even secretly cast a shield on herself.
However, the anticipated conflict did not occur. The water and fire elements at Ling Yao's fingertips maintained a delicate balance, like playful fish, even subtly conveying a sense of interdependence and endless cycle!
“Look,” Ling Yao’s gaze seemed to penetrate the appearance of these two elements and look directly at their core energy essence, “Water flows downward and fire rises upward. They seem to be mutually exclusive, but at their core, they are both signs of surging energy and the mechanism of the rise and fall of yin and yang.”
She attempted to infuse it with a trace of extremely faint, yet imbued with a sense of supreme order, divine power (which she called "primordial power").
Something amazing happened!
The water and fire elements, which were originally barely in balance, seemed to be infused with a soul the moment they came into contact with that trace of "primordial power." They were no longer simple aggregates of energy, but evolved into a deeper and more harmonious state of coexistence! They even faintly emitted a weak yet pure aura, similar to... life?
Eleanor's eyes widened suddenly, staring intently at Ling Yao's fingertips, forgetting even to breathe! She was completely unaware that the recording crystal tablet in her hand had slipped from her grasp and fallen to the ground due to her extreme shock!
No conflict! No explosion! Two absolutely opposing elements, under the intervention of an unknown force, have achieved such perfect harmonious coexistence?! This completely violates the fundamental laws of the elements!
"This...this is impossible!" Eleanor exclaimed in shock, her worldview once again being violently shaken.
“It’s not impossible.” Ling Yao dispersed her energy, her tone still calm. “It’s just that you haven’t seen its ‘true’ nature.”
She walked to the desk, picked up the book "The Principle of Resonance of Basic Elements," and pointed to the direction she had just demonstrated.
“Magic, spiritual energy, elements, mental power… different names, but the underlying principles may be the same.” She tried to use the language of this world to explain a groundbreaking conjecture: “They are all different manifestations of the ‘energy’ that constitutes all things in the universe and flows endlessly. Just as water can be ice, mist, or cloud, its form is ever-changing, but its essence remains the same.”
The metaphor was somewhat novel to Eleanor, but she instantly grasped its meaning, and her heart pounded wildly!
“You mean… magical power and your kind of ‘primal power,’ or even the elements themselves, might be the same thing at the most fundamental level?! Just with different forms and attributes?!” Eleanor’s voice trembled with excitement.
“That’s a good way to think about it.” Ling Yao nodded. “Like musical notes, the five notes of the pentatonic scale, when arranged in different combinations, create completely different melodies, but at their core, they are all sound wave vibrations.”
She reached out again. This time, instead of drawing upon external elements, she attempted to simulate the most basic, attribute-less magical fluctuation frequency that she had previously studied, using an extremely faint trace of immortal power.
Then, she tried to perform a very basic "water manipulation" trick on a glass of water on the table—a simple trick that even a magic apprentice could master.
There were no incantations, no complicated gestures.
But the water in that cup really did rise slowly as if guided by an invisible force, forming a slender stream that meandered and danced in the air according to Ling Yao's will. Although the movements were a bit clumsy and not as agile and free as when she used her immortal power or directly manipulated the elements, it was indeed "water manipulation" in the magic system!
Eleanor froze on the spot as if struck by lightning, her mind completely blank!
Using... using that unknown "primordial power" to simulate magical fluctuations, they successfully drove magic?!
This isn't just revolutionary! This is like taking existing magical theories, grinding them into the ground, and then trampling on them a thousand times over!
If Ling Yao's conjecture is correct, what does that mean?
This means that, at the most fundamental level, there may be a bridge between the magic system and the Eastern system she represents, leading to each other and even to the origin of all things!
This means that a higher level of energy utilization may not be about pursuing more complex incantations and more precise control, but about understanding the most fundamental "force" and mastering the laws of its "change"!
“The origins of energy are interconnected, yet their manifestations are diverse…” Eleanor murmured to herself, her eyes gleaming with a frenzied excitement, as if she were witnessing a completely new and boundless universe unfolding before her. “So the reason your pills, runes, and formations are effective is not because they violate our laws, but because… they act on a deeper ‘origin,’ directly triggering a ‘change in the form’ of energy?! That’s why they can ignore some of the surface rules?!”
Ling Yao nodded approvingly. Talking to smart people is so much easier. Although Eleanor's understanding was still very basic, she was on the right track.
“However, knowing is easy, doing is hard,” Ling Yao added. “To glimpse the origin and control change is not something that can be achieved in a day. Your methods, though complicated, are the way of exploration and the foundation for accumulation.”
She wasn't trying to completely negate the magic system, but rather pointing out a completely different path that might lead to something higher.
Eleanor paced back and forth in the room, her hands trembling slightly with excitement. She felt as if she had touched upon some earth-shattering secret that could change the entire era!
“We need to verify it! We need to experiment! We need to build a new model!” Eleanor suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed intently on Ling Yao. “If your theory holds true, it will not only be a revolution in academia, but it might even… it might create a completely new power system that combines the strengths of both schools and is unprecedented!”
Countless experimental plans and research directions instantly popped into her mind.
Ling Yao remained noncommittal. Fusion? She had no interest in it. She had merely found a "way" for the people of this world to understand the origin of her power. As for what might develop from this, that was up to the world's own destiny.
In any case, the prototype of the "theory of interconnected energy origins" was proposed in this small house where the two were under house arrest, by an otherworldly cultivator and a local potion professor.
The energy it contains may be more astonishing than any forbidden spell, enough to one day completely overturn the high walls of cognition that have stood for thousands of years in this world.
The first to be impacted by this energy was naturally Eleanor Silverstalker, who was standing right next to her. The way she looked at Ling Yao had completely changed; she was no longer looking at an alien specimen that needed to be studied, but at a walking treasure trove containing endless truths!
She even felt that the previous debates about "heresy" and "witches" seemed so ridiculous and insignificant at this moment.
Judge Silas probably never dreamed that his meticulous suppression and isolation would not only fail to subdue Ling Yao, but would instead, by a twist of fate, push her onto a deeper and more unstoppable path.
The resonance of the rules has already begun.
The first person to understand the melody was completely captivated.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
