American comics: Incredible comprehension, hand-crafted forbidden spells

"I was just killing time, so I casually studied alchemy, and I never thought I'd actually manage to pull it off. At first, I thought it was just some scrap iron," Lin Jie explained honestly, scratching his head.

Ancient One: ...

What a piece of junk!

You call this a piece of scrap metal?!

We might as well just smash up all of Kamar-Taj's armories and sell them for scrap!

The Ancient One has studied alchemy for so many years, and at most he has only created three decent magical artifacts.

The rest of the equipment was either a gift from others or something they smuggled from elsewhere.

You're a kid who just conjured up a sword in the stone on your first try?

Master Gu Yi now fully understands that the disciple she has taken in cannot be described simply by the words "good comprehension".

This luck, this fortune, it's like God is feeding us!

However, whether Lin Jie forged the sword in the stone or the sword in the stone reappeared in the world through Lin Jie's hands, the Ancient One had no idea.

Her eyes flickered slightly as she looked at Lin Jie and asked, "By the way, did you encounter any strange people before you came in?"

"A strange person?" Lin Jie frowned, thinking carefully for a moment. "There was a woman, dressed quite provocatively, who came over and said a bunch of nonsensical things, and then disappeared in the blink of an eye."

Thinking back to the woman named Qing, Lin Jie felt increasingly uneasy.

He spouted that nonsensical phrase, "the woman who will accompany you for life," and then just disappeared? What's going on?!

"Ignore her and focus on practicing your magic," the Ancient One said casually, glossing over the matter.

She knew exactly what was going on.

With the appearance of the sword in the stone, the contract that the Merlin family has guarded for generations will naturally be activated.

When King Arthur pulled the sword from the stone, Merlin became his advisor.

Now that the sword is in Lin Jie's hands, it's only natural that the Merlin family has come knocking.

The woman was able to sneak into Kamar-Taj by taking advantage of the gap when Lin Jie broke the barrier.

Now that the barrier has been repaired and reinforced, she will not allow any external factors to interfere with Lin Jie's growth into a qualified Supreme Mage.

"The sword is a fine sword." The Ancient One turned her gaze back to the sword in the stone, her tone sincere. "But no matter how powerful a magical artifact is, it depends on the skill of its master. The stronger the master, the greater the artifact's power. Therefore, you must not slack off in your training."

Lin Jie nodded emphatically; he understood this principle. One must be strong oneself to succeed.

"However," the Ancient One smiled slightly, then changed the subject, "you do indeed have a great talent for alchemy. You should make more magical artifacts in your spare time; they will surely come in handy in the future."

Lin Jie was overjoyed by the Ancient One's straightforward support.

With official permission, he can now openly manufacture equipment.

"A good magical artifact can make a sorcerer even more powerful. This sword is not bad, but it is still lacking in the grand scheme of the multiverse." The Ancient One pointed out the limitations of the Sword in the Stone without any hesitation.

Indeed, compared to the Cosmic Cube, a monstrous artifact containing the fundamental laws of the universe, the Sword in the Stone is still a bit too inexperienced.

As long as Lin Jie can completely master the Cosmic Cube, even if he only unleashes one-tenth of its power, it will be enough for him to roam freely in the universe.

"Understood, Master. I will continue my in-depth research."

Lin Jie made a solemn promise.

The Ancient One nodded, picked up her teacup, and took a sip. "Researching magical artifacts is fine, but personal cultivation is fundamental. How's the progress on the spatial power I had you study?"

The Ancient One never mentioned that Lin Jie had cleaved half of Kamar-Taj, which finally put Lin Jie's mind at ease.

He quickly reported truthfully: "I feel quite clear-headed lately. I've mastered spatial distortion, but the range is still relatively small; currently, it can only cover this temple at most."

As soon as those words were spoken...

The Ancient One's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air.

Although she appeared to be leisurely drinking tea, her heart was actually in turmoil!

Four days...

It only takes four days at most!

This kid actually figured out how to distort space?!

The Ancient One knew that Lin Jie's talent was abnormal, but this abnormality was too blatant and defied all the rules!

Spatial magic! That's one of the most profound laws of the universe!

The Ancient One originally believed that Strange's talent had reached the limit of human potential, and that with careful guidance, he would definitely become the most outstanding Sorcerer Supreme in the future.

But compared to Lin Jie, Strange's talent is simply utterly crushed!

When the Ancient One returned and saw that Kamar-Taj had become a ruin, she was somewhat annoyed, feeling that her disciple was too much of a troublemaker.

But now, that feeling of frustration has vanished in an instant!

Instead, a wave of ecstasy washed over them!

At this rate of development, it's absolutely certain that Lin Jie will succeed the Supreme Master!

"master?"

Seeing that the Ancient One hadn't moved for a while, Lin Jie couldn't help but call out softly.

The Ancient One snapped out of her daze, put down her teacup, forcibly suppressed her shock, and calmly commented with three words: "Not bad."

The Ancient One's evaluations have always been unbiased and impartial.

This will neither discourage the apprentices nor make them arrogant or complacent. What a monk needs most is a calm and ordinary mind.

"You can't let your guard down; you have to keep practicing," the Ancient One continued to instruct. "You need to combine the spatial power with the Tesseract to comprehend it. With the power of the Infinity Stones, your progress will be rapid."

Lin Jie nodded seriously and took notes.

Just then, the Ancient One suddenly changed the subject: "Today, I'm going to teach you a new spell—Astral Projection. If you find that name hard to pronounce, you can also call it 'Out-of-Body Experience.' A top-tier sorcerer must possess an indestructible soul."

Lin Jie was taken aback.

Out-of-body experience?!

Isn't this Stephen Strange's favorite trick in the movies?

Being able to float out and read while sleeping is practically an essential skill for time management masters!

"Astral projection is a high-level magic. Its core lies in strengthening your soul, which is what you often call mental power," the Ancient One explained patiently to Lin Jie.

This magic is a required course for all the Sorcerers Supreme throughout history.

Not only are they highly capable in actual combat, but they also exude an air of superiority.

This is a signature skill for any high-ranking mage, because it demands extremely high levels of mental control from the caster.

The Ancient One believed that Lin Jie's current foundation was fully qualified to learn this high-level magic.

However, this move is also extremely risky.

When the mind and body are separated, if there is even the slightest distraction during the spellcasting process, or if there is strong external interference, the soul may never be able to return to the body.

To ensure Lin Jie's safety, the Ancient One's expression turned serious, and she sternly warned, "You can go back and figure out the principles of this magic yourself. However, you must promise me: you absolutely cannot attempt it without my protection! Until I am certain you have fully mastered it, do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Holiness!" Lin Jie, sensing the seriousness of the matter, immediately responded loudly.

"Very good. Now, I will teach you the method of astral projection."