He continued to advance rapidly after that, becoming a Level 6 Mage by the age of 22.

At 34, he officially entered the Level 7 realm and, with extreme ease, grasped Tier Seven Root Magic.

His path was one of smooth sailing.

No matter what he did, success came as easily as breathing or drinking water.

Since birth, he had never met a Mage of the Same Tier who was stronger than him. Naturally, all sorts of young women threw themselves at him, and he had his fair share of romantic encounters.

Ahem... was it really necessary to mention that?

To get back on topic, he began to tell the story of his attempt to break through from Level 7 to Level 8.

Ascending from Level 7 to Level 8 is a massive hurdle.

The vast majority of Mages find it difficult to take this step. If the power of a Level 9 is comparable to a Divine Spirit, then the power of a Level 8 is equivalent to a Demigod.

A single Tier Eight spell can shatter entire continents, and the aftershocks of battle are enough to cover an entire Secret Sea.

With a mere flick of a wrist, they can reshape heaven and earth.

This is the power of a Level 8 Professional.

An Zheng, who had advanced to a Level 7 Mage at just 34, took a full 60 years to reach Level 8.

By the time he became a Level 8 Mage, he was already 94 years old.

This was roughly over 400 years ago.

He still had plenty of time. After all, he had 400 years of life left. Considering the time it had taken him to advance so far, the chances of becoming a Level 9 Mage in the remaining 400 years seemed very high.

After that, An Zheng rested for about five years.

Then, he once again embarked on the journey to break through to Level 9 Mage.

But he never expected it.

This time, he has still not broken through, even to this day.

The gap between advancing from Level 7 to Level 8, and from Level 8 to Level 9, was as wide as the sky and the earth.

"So, your master’s situation is very similar to mine."

Lu Cang looked at Iz.

Iz had also become a High-Level Mage at a very young age.

He was only 20 now, and already Level 6. His birthday was next month on March 1st, at which point he would only be 21.

"I won’t be stuck for that long," Iz said flatly.

"I once thought I wouldn’t be, either." There was a hint of weariness in An Zheng’s voice.

"Once you reach Level 8, you’ll understand."

"The Root Source... perhaps it is inherently incomplete. No matter how you try to prove it, the Law itself is flawed."

"We cannot become true Level 9 Mages by proving an incomplete Root Source."

"The path to Level 9 is a dead end."

"The only turning point, using the incomplete Root Source..."

"I must carve out a corner of the Root Source I have proven. This corner will no longer exist within the Root Source; it will belong solely to me. And by possessing this corner of the Root Source for myself, I can become a Level 9 Mage."

"I no longer have the time to prove a second Root Source."

"Izparut, sooner or later, you will have to do the same."

Iz shook his head and sighed. "If the Root Source is flawed, then one should find a way to complete it, not carve off a piece to make it even more flawed. An Zheng, do you think what you’re planning to do is befitting of a Mage?"

"If you were attempting to break through to Level 9 Mage through honorable and proper means, I would not stop you."

"But if you insist on using such an extreme method, I will not allow it, regardless of whether you want to become a god or a Level 9 Mage."

Lu Cang finally understood the source of their conflict.

After their impulsive exchange of words, they fell silent for a moment. An Zheng then spoke again, his voice calm. "Izparut, I was once a genius just like you."

"I have simply grown old, but I am not completely dead yet. And you are so certain that you can stop me."

A wind suddenly stirred within the room.

The Magic Power around Izparut fluctuated, causing the entire Space to tremble.

"Then I’m truly sorry, but I just so happen to be the strongest Mage of this era. No one can do what I wish to prevent."

"If you think you’re stronger than me, you’re more than welcome to try."

The corner of Lu Cang’s mouth twitched slightly.

’So, should I leave?’

’Don’t start fighting in front of me! I’m just a Level 4 Mage.’

’Weren’t you supposed to be teaching me Root Magic?’

’How did you two end up arguing in the middle of it?’

’Obades, you can see this, right? You have to protect me.’

Lu Cang stealthily activated his Shield.

At the same time, he used a spatial exchange to toss both his "Source" and "Core" outside the room...

He was ready to bolt the instant things went south.

The two of them faced off for a while longer.

Finally, Iz’s aura gradually receded.

Lu Cang let out a sigh of relief. It seemed they wouldn’t be fighting so easily after all.

"So be it."

His aged voice spoke, "If I were in my prime, I naturally wouldn’t fear you."

"But to fight you in this current body... even if I killed you, I would have no strength left to advance to Level 9."

An Zheng’s tone was calm, yet it betrayed a sense of resigned helplessness.

Mages are extremely rational beings.

They don’t engage in meaningless conflicts, nor do they do things that would result in mutual destruction.

Unless it’s an unavoidable conflict of interest or an inescapable clash of principles, it is very difficult for Mages to fight out of pure emotion.

"Lu Cang, listen closely."

"Regarding the Root Source..."

In An Zheng’s room, Lu Cang sat and listened to him explain his method of the Root Source. More than ten days passed in this way.

Suddenly, he felt a flash of insight rush into his mind.

Everything suddenly became transparent and clear. When he abruptly came to his senses, he realized February had passed by just like that.

March: The month of wisdom and knowledge.

Moon: Yug.

Celestial Phenomenon: Shards of Knowledge.

「Leap Year Blessing: Understanding」

For today only, you can understand all things with ease.

Everything An Zheng had said about the Root Source he had comprehended, Lu Cang instantly understood with perfect clarity.