In Sumeru, pretend to be a scholar!

Farusan took out her sand-proof goggles from her bag and put them on. Wang Yan did the same, quickly taking out the prepared goggles and putting them on as well.

At the same time, Wang Yan also discovered that although the members of the caravan did not have sand-proof goggles, they all had their own methods. Most of them used light-transmitting strips of cloth to cover their eyes, while others simply wrapped their heads with cloths.

The methods may differ, but the logic remains the same.

It's to prevent sunlight reflected from sand from directly harming the eyes.

"How long will it take us to reach Aru Village?" Wang Yan asked.

Dixia smiled and said, "We've only just entered the desert. If we go another thirty miles, we'll reach the territory of Aru Village. No need to rush, we'll definitely be able to spend the night in the village."

The caravan was quite sturdy, and the pack animals used by the Aru Village caravan were all camels.

These pack animals are typical desert species; they are much better adapted to the current desert environment than to the rainforest environment.

Although the desert was unbearably hot, these pack animals were even faster than they were in the rainforest.

"Is Aru Village very big?" Wang Yan asked curiously. "Is it as lively as Kawan Post Station?"

Dixia shook her head, adjusted her posture slightly, and looked into the depths of the desert ahead: "It's not that big, the entire Aru Village has only about a thousand permanent residents."

"The location of Aru Village is very special," Dixia began to explain. "It is not in the deepest part of the desert, but is located on the key path to the rainforest. Backed by the desert and facing Kawan Station, you can think of it as a hand that the desert extends into the rainforest, and it is also the first harbor where the rainforest can resupply and rest after entering the desert."

"Because of its location, Aru Village has been an important settlement in the desert since ancient times. Many tribes and caravans would pass through here when traveling or resting."

She paused, a hint of emotion in her voice: "However, for a long time in the past, due to the prohibition of the Church and the barrier between the rainforest and the desert, Aru Village was more like a forgotten corner. People guarded their ancestral land and struggled to survive. They were not only oppressed by the Church, but also hated by many desert tribes, who believed that Aru Village had submitted to the rainforest."

"In short, things weren't easy for Aru Village back then, if it weren't for Candice..."

She shook her head slightly, the meaning of which was self-evident.

"And now?" Wang Yan asked at the opportune moment.

Upon hearing this question, a bright smile appeared on Dixia's face, and even her voice became much lighter:

"Now? Things are different now. Since Lord Grass God returned and abolished the desert ban, the Order of the Fathers has truly begun to focus its attention here."

"Policies began to favor the desert, and Aru Village, as the gateway connecting the two places, suddenly became very important."

"Based in Aru Village, Setare led a group of volunteer teachers to begin spreading education in the desert."

"The establishment of more comprehensive medical support points is extremely important for the desert, which lacks medical care and medicine."

"Furthermore, large purchasing caravans like ours have received support and convenience, enabling them to travel more safely and smoothly... all of which have truly benefited Aru Village."

"Scholars like you, those who come to investigate, those who come to provide assistance, and even some rainforest merchants who see an opportunity and want to do some legitimate business in the desert, all make Aru Village their first stop."

"The village is much more vibrant than before. Children can see more new faces and things, and everyone can exchange and buy more things."

"Candice often said that Aru Village is like a date palm tree that has been parched for a long time and is now sprouting new branches and growing more and more prosperous."

By the end, Dixia's tone was filled with joy.

Seeing Aru Village improve made her happier than becoming a hero herself.

"It sounds like Aru Village is already a paradise in the desert," Wang Yan exclaimed.

Dixia laughed and said, "It certainly can't compare to Sumeru City, but for the desert, that's for sure."

The two chatted for a while longer, mainly Wang Yan asking about various details of Aru Village in preparation for the subsequent exploration of the ruins.

The two ended their conversation only when the sandstorm ahead gradually intensified and Dixia needed to go ahead of the caravan to oversee things.

After Dixia left, Farusan looked up and said, "It's time for today's homework."

During the month-long trip, even while traveling with the caravan, Falushan never stopped teaching Wang Yan.

In fact, after getting to know Wang Yan, Falushan had figured out her disciple.

In terms of writing and language, Wang Yan was undoubtedly a genius. Farusan discovered that this student's mastery of writing and language was no less than her own, and might even be more.

If it weren't for Wang Yan's slight weakness in runes, Farusan would have suspected that Wang Yan was faking it.

Beyond words and language, Farusan was quite satisfied with this student; she was practically a blank slate, allowing Farusan to freely express herself.

Therefore, in addition to the Gnostic school's own writing, language, and runes, Farusan not only taught the King the art of mechanical manipulation, but also enjoyed teaching him all sorts of other miscellaneous things.

Including but not limited to elements, ley lines, classical texts, historical biographies…

You could say he teaches whatever comes to mind.

More importantly, Wang Yan learns quickly. Runes that make ordinary people dizzy can be memorized and used effectively by Wang Yan after just one study.

This talent even made Farusian somewhat envious and jealous.

"Okay, teacher, what are we going to learn today?" Wang Yan sat up straight, looking like he was listening attentively.

Farusan thought for a moment and said, "I've already taught you quite a few runes before. Today, I'll tell you about an important branch of rune evolution—spells."

Spell!

Wang Yan's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly, "Great! Teacher, I want to learn this."

The concept of magic exists in the Teyvat universe.

As mentioned in the one-star weapon [Apprentice's Notes], it is a study notebook left by a top student. The neat handwriting is very beautiful and records a lot of useful spells.

The two-star weapon, [Pocket Magic Book], is a meticulously compiled magic reference booklet that only highlights the key points for the exam.

Even the three-star weapon "Introduction to Magic" is indeed a book that teaches magic knowledge, despite being considered to have many errors.

Teyvat magic, or spells and incantations, are all closely related to elemental runes.

Farusan took out a slightly curled notebook from her bag and casually flipped to a page.

The notebook was filled with various intricate and complex arrays of runes. Wang Yan glanced at it and realized that even with the help of [Language Proficiency], he could only understand a portion of it at the moment, and the rest required slow analysis.

"Wang Yan, what do you think is the difference between the use of elemental runes by magic and the use of runes by mechanical arts?" Farusan asked.

Wang Yan thought for a moment, then shook his head: "Mentor, I don't know."

He didn't even know what Teyvat magic was like, so naturally he didn't know the differences between them.

Farusan was not surprised and answered directly: "The use of mechanical arts for runes is to inscribe the runes on a carrier in material form, and to use external objects, such as mechanisms, crystals and elemental fragments, to stably activate the power of the runes."

"With this method, as long as the scholar who creates the mechanism is skilled enough, the power it generates is predictable, repeatable, and measurable, just like the ruler and compass crafted by a craftsman, with minimal error."

As Farusan spoke, she lightly tapped the notebook in her hand with her fingertip: "But magic is different. It does not rely on external inscriptions, but uses human intention as a pen and spirit as ink to directly 'draw' runes in the void."

"Thoughts?" Wang Yan leaned forward slightly.

“Exactly.” Farusan nodded. “The so-called ‘outlining’ does not actually mean that you draw the shape of the rune in the air. Of course, some schools will use gestures or incantations to help concentrate the mind. The real core is that your consciousness must clearly and completely ‘visualize’ the shape, structure, and even the trajectory of the flow of elements within the rune.”

"When your understanding of a rune is deep enough and your will is strong enough, you can use your own mental power as a guide to mobilize the elemental forces in the surrounding environment, so that they are arranged and operated according to the 'intention' of the rune, thereby showing the effect of the spell."

She paused, her tone becoming somewhat distant: "This sounds like it's more free and flexible than mechanical arts, doesn't it? But precisely because its foundation lies in the 'user himself,' it's even more difficult to control."

"First of all, the intensity of each person's will, the depth of their understanding of the runes, and even their mental state at that moment are all very different."

"Therefore, even with the same basic rune, such as the most simplified wind rune [Flow], the effects can be drastically different when different people cast it."

"A powerful spellcaster can unleash terrifying power with the most basic spells, while some apprentices can only whistle through grass and trees."

"Is it okay without the Eye of God?" Wang Yan couldn't help but ask.

Farusan paused for a moment, then spoke: "If someone else asked me, I would definitely say: Only the holder of the Eye of God can do this."

"But you are my student, and I must tell you that the control of elemental power is not truly exclusive to those who possess the Eye of God."