Nascent Soul Rebirth: Starting as a Wizard

The carriage eventually stopped in a particularly quiet neighborhood.

The road surface is paved with neatly cut blue flagstones, and on both sides are carefully trimmed shrubs with feathery leaves.

Cuiyu Mansion is a five-story building. Its dark red exterior walls appear warm and dignified in the afternoon sun, while the pure white window frames and carved wrought iron balcony railings outline elegant lines.

Two security guards stood at the entrance, dressed in crisp dark blue uniforms and with upright postures. Their eyes were calm but alert, and their posture exuded a sense of discipline, quite different from the enthusiastic shop assistants in the commercial district.

Solo stepped forward, introduced himself as Catherine, and explained that he had come to visit as arranged.

A gatekeeper took the identification he handed over, examined it carefully, nodded slightly, and blew a short, rhythmic note with a small brass whistle hanging from his collar.

Soon, a young waiter, also dressed in a uniform but with a more refined style and a calm, silent demeanor, appeared in the doorway and bowed slightly: "Sir, please follow me."

The waiter led him to a small but comfortable reception room on the right side of the first floor.

The room was covered with a thick, dark blue carpet, and the walls were a soft beige. Two oil paintings depicting the sunrise over the Emerald Isle coast hung on the walls.

The fireplace was not lit, but the room was warm and inviting—several dark red crystals were embedded in the hearth, continuously radiating a steady heat.

Fresh white-petaled, purple-stamen flowers were displayed on a low ebony coffee table, next to several armchairs upholstered in deep blue velvet.

The waiter poured him a glass of water at just the right temperature, then quietly withdrew and gently closed the door.

The wait wasn't long.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the door on the other side was silently pushed open.

Leah walked in.

She was wearing a light blue academic robe that allowed her to move around easily, with a matching belt loosely tied around her waist.

Her long, golden hair was not loose or elaborately braided as she remembered; it was simply tied back, revealing her smooth forehead and still beautiful face.

Her features seemed to have lost some of the roundness of her youth, the lines had become clearer, and her eyes had changed, showing a more settled and calm expression.

Looking at Solo now, the calm, detached scrutiny remained unchanged.

Her gaze lingered on Solo's face for a moment, as if to confirm.

Then, naturally, the focus shifted to his brand-new indigo coat, the dark green cloak draped over the back of his chair, and the walnut cane leaning against the table.

When her gaze fell upon the decorative milky-white pebble at the tip of her cane, the corner of her mouth twitched almost imperceptibly—not a smile, but more of a subtle expression that mixed slight surprise, understanding, and a certain quirky amusement.

She had probably never seen this "brother" dressed like this before—trying so hard to imitate the mannerisms of a young person heading to college.

However, certain details and the overall feel still reveal a sense of belonging to a different world that is difficult to fully integrate into.

"Solo...brother." She spoke, her voice steady, revealing no emotional fluctuations, "Sister Catherine has been summoned back to the academy due to some urgent matter, and may not be back for a while."

Before she left, she specifically told me that if I arrived, I could settle in immediately; a room had already been prepared for me.

There was no inquiry about whether the journey was smooth, no small talk about how things had been since they last met; the situation was simply explained in a concise and clear manner.

She gestured slightly in the direction of the waiter, who immediately appeared at the door like a shadow.

"Please take this gentleman to the prepared room on the east side of the third floor," Leah instructed the waiter, then turned to Solo and nodded slightly.

"You should rest now. I'll let Catherine know when she gets back."

After saying that, she turned around and left through the door she had come in through, her figure quickly disappearing into the dim light of the corridor.

The waiter respectfully led Solo up the stairs covered with a deep red carpet with intricate patterns to the third floor.

The silver lamp holders on both sides of the corridor are inlaid with crystals that emit a soft white light, the light is warm and not dazzling.

They stopped in front of a heavy oak door at the end of the corridor.

The waiter opened the door with an exquisitely crafted brass key and stepped aside to let Solo in.

The room's spaciousness and luxury exceeded Solo's expectations—clearly, this was no ordinary guest room.

The entrance leads to a comfortable little living room, with an intricately patterned and exquisitely hand-woven oriental rug on the floor that is soft and silent underfoot.

A sofa upholstered in dark blue satin surrounds a warm, glossy ebony coffee table. On the coffee table sits a real, blooming orchid, its slender petals shimmering with a soft, bluish-white glow under the indoor light.

The inner bedroom was more spacious, with a large bed with four carved pillars occupying the center, and heavy curtains of dark blue embroidered with silver star patterns hanging from it.

The bedding on the bed is made of cool and smooth ice silk linen.

A large desk was placed by the window, and several quill pens, different colors of ink, blotting paper, and a stack of high-quality parchment with subtle patterns on the edges were neatly prepared on the table.

The entire room's environment was carefully controlled:

The temperature remained constant within the most comfortable range for the human body, the air was fresh, carrying a hint of the scent of grass and trees like a forest after the rain, and it was extremely quiet, completely isolating the faint noise of the street outside the window.

The waiter explained softly, "Sir, all the rooms in the mansion are equipped with basic environmental maintenance systems, including constant temperature, air purification, humidity control, and noise reduction."

If you have any special needs regarding light, temperature, or sound, you can touch the silver wavy pattern on the wall near the headboard or door for fine-tuning.

The windows face south, providing excellent natural light.

Looking out, you first see the meticulously maintained private garden inside the mansion, and further away, the layers of rooftops and streets of Emerald City.

Further away, near the horizon, the towering, uniquely shaped towers and domes of the Emerald Wizarding Academy can be clearly seen.

As the sunlight gradually slanted westward, the surfaces of some buildings seemed to be enveloped in a faint, unnatural glow.

The nearby city was already lit up, with carriages and people weaving together in a moving river of light on the streets, but all that prosperity and bustle was still palpable.

When it reached this room, all that remained was a faint, distant background noise.

The waiter placed a pot of hot water and a clean towel in the designated spot and bowed again: "Dinner time. Ring the bell. Have a pleasant rest."

He then quietly left, closing the door almost silently.

Solo placed the not-too-heavy backpack next to the bedside table, and casually leaned the brand-new walnut cane against the desk.

He walked to the window, pushed open a glass pane, and the cool evening breeze immediately rushed in, carrying the fresh scent of the garden plants.

It also brings a clearer, unique "feeling" mixed with subtle energy fluctuations.

On the spire of the tower facing the college, lights are being lit one by one, like stars making an early appearance, contrasting with the deepening twilight.

And the city beneath our feet, Emerald City, continues to operate at its own pace, its worldly prosperity unfolding—

For nobles, for merchants, for scholars, and for all those whose daily lives are influenced by the wizarding world even though they are not directly involved in it.

This scene stirred up a complex mix of emotions within him.

He came from Earth, an era of information overload and entertainment to the death, where dazzling screens, endless information, and highly convenient sensory stimulation were readily available.

Later, he arrived in the Xuanhuang Realm and witnessed the true power to move mountains and overturn seas, and to chase stars and seize the moon. Immortal cultivators had long lifespans and great supernatural powers, a kind of power that only existed in fantasy on Earth.

However, the life of cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm, while seemingly "rich," is actually quite barren.

Most cultivators spend their lives on tedious breathing exercises, dangerous exploration of secret realms, brutal resource competition, and intrigue-filled sect affairs.

entertainment?

That is indulging in trivial pursuits and neglecting one's duties; it is a sign of a lack of steadfastness in

An occasional moment of relaxation might simply be a pot of fine tea, a gentle melody on the zither, or a discussion of doctrines and teachings among like-minded individuals—its core remains centered around the single central principle of "spiritual practice."

Immortality and power are the ultimate temptations, but the road to this end is so monotonous it's suffocating.

The world of cultivators and the world of mortals are completely separated, like two unrelated layers. The mundane life and vibrant creativity of mortals can hardly reach those cultivators who live high in the clouds.

The world before them, the Emerald Isle where wizards and mortals coexist, presents a completely different picture.

Yes, the wizards (at least the apprentices) were clearly busy with their research, experiments, and power enhancements; their focus and urgency were evident in their hurried figures and rare appearances.

"Whether there is entertainment" and "whether to go to entertainment" are two different things.

In the Xuanhuang Realm, the former is true—the entire social structure and mindset lacks a mass-market entertainment supply for high-level cultivators, and also despises such a supply.

And here, in the Emerald City, Solo keenly sensed a possibility:

The world does not seem to have completely eliminated this possibility structurally.

The city prospered because of the college, yet it remained a self-contained entity.

Those exquisite shops, delicious food, comfortable carriages, and the magical array of amenities within the mansion...

While they primarily served the secular upper class, the "level" of their existence was clearly influenced by the spillover of wizarding skills.

The material life and entertainment of the ordinary class in a society that can produce constant-temperature crystals, soundproof barriers, and perhaps even more wondrous items.

In theory, it is entirely possible to transcend the purely medieval paradigm and develop a unique leisure culture that incorporates subtle supernatural elements.

Wizards may spend most of their time immersed in their own world, but their creations and their knowledge indirectly nourish the industry.

But it makes the ordinary lives of people in this city more colorful and provides another level of "enrichment".

This connection between power and secular life, this top-down, even subtle, pervasive influence of technology and ideas, is something that the strict isolation of the Xuanhuang Realm lacks.

This gave Solo a sense of novelty, but also a complex and indescribable feeling.

Entertainment on Blue Star is two-dimensional and consumerist, yet full of vitality and creativity; the pursuit of the Xuanhuang Realm is vertical and extreme, yet monotonous and cruel.

Here, a potential for horizontal development and interweaving seems to be subtly emerging.

The power of a wizard is not as completely transcendent as that of a cultivator.

It is closer to life, and even shapes life, even if the wizard himself may not care.

Is this connection good or bad? Does it make the world more vibrant, or does it harbor more uncontrollable conflicts?

The night was as dark as ink, and it had spread out completely.

The faint light of the distant college and the city lights nearby still stand in silent confrontation.

Solo drew the heavy curtains, temporarily isolating himself from the outside world.

The glow of the night-blooming orchid appeared even more serene within the closed curtains.