Chapter 282: Expansion and Deepening of the Laws

The office's heavy wooden door closed gently, shutting out the figure of the junior student, who appeared slightly ill at ease yet strove to maintain composure.

Inside, the room once again resumed its unique atmosphere, a blend of knowledge and solitude.

Mentor Clark's gaze remained fixed on that complex energy structure diagram; the quill in his hand unconsciously tapped a node, and as if mentioning it casually, he broke the silence:

"That little rascal Viola... it seems she has taken another step forward regarding the Laws."

Hearing this, Gao Jie Ming paused for a moment, suppressing the subtle feelings stirred by the junior student, and looked at his mentor in confusion: "Eh? Mentor, why do you say that?"

Clark finally lifted his eyelids slightly, shifting his gaze from the blueprint to land on Gao Jie Ming.

His tone was calm yet carried certainty: "Although she loves causing trouble, at her core she is a supreme efficiency-seeker and rarely engages in purely meaningless pranks."

"For her to deliberately send you on a wild goose chase to find me this time, I fear... she intended to use your reaction to verify certain new changes in her own control over the Laws."

He paused, then added, "If you harbor doubts, you might as well contact her now. That girl is probably waiting."

Finding reason in this, Gao Jie Ming activated the communicator once more.

The light screen lit up, and Senior Sister Viola's figure appeared immediately, wearing the cunning smile Gao Jie Ming knew so well.

Before Gao Jie Ming could ask, she spoke first:

"Yo, Junior Brother... judging by the background behind you, it seems you've already reached Mentor's place. How was it? After being slightly teased by your Senior Sister, do you feel very... hmm?"

She deliberately drew out her tone, carefully examining the expression on Gao Jie Ming's face.

Then she pursed her lips, appearing somewhat disappointed: "Tsk, as expected, still so calm. Not even a hint of pain or anger after being played; how boring! I wanted to collect some data!"

Listening to her words, a trace of puzzlement inevitably rose in Gao Jie Ming's heart.

Senior Sister Viola's wording and tone seemed to imply that she could now actively "dominate" or "require" the anger of others?

Had the emotions she could control expanded beyond just pain?

Moreover, did this influence no longer require close-range contact to take effect, as it had in the past?

Seeing Gao Jie Ming's confusion, Mentor Clark set down his quill and explained in his usual steady, lecture-like tone:

"For a Level Six Wizard to advance to Level Seven, the core lies in constructing a deeper layer of the complete Law they control. There are mainly two directions."

"The first is expansion." Clark extended his withered finger and drew a horizontal line in the air, "This means broadening the coverage scope of the Law horizontally. For example, if one originally controls only the 'Temperature' Law, one can attempt to expand it to the higher-level 'Energy' Law, or even the 'Fire Element' Law."

"Those who go far can even make the influence method of their own Law become more... conceptual and abstract, no longer bound by concrete forms."

"The second is deepening." His finger moved vertically downward, "This means vertically enhancing the depth and precision of manipulating the Law without changing the Law's own scope."

"For instance, one might no longer need to act directly on the target, but instead exert influence through an event strongly correlated with the target, utilizing the threads of fate to indirectly and more covertly leverage the Law into effect."

Hearing this, clarity dawned in Gao Jie Ming's eyes.

So that was it; however, Senior Sister Viola's abilities seemed to involve hints of both directions simultaneously.

"Senior Sister," Gao Jie Ming turned curiously toward the light screen, "which direction did you choose?"

On the other side of the screen, Viola immediately straightened her back, her face written with the three words "Praise me," and announced triumphantly: "Hmph! As a genius destined to leave a name in Wizard history, naturally I chose—both!"

"Nonsense!" Mentor Clark rebuked softly, his tone carrying a trace of sternness, "The path of Laws requires down-to-earth effort and gradual progress! Must I teach you the principle that greed overrides digestion?"

However, Gao Jie Ming keenly perceived that beneath Mentor's seemingly reproachful words hid a trace of nearly imperceptible... satisfaction?

He instantly understood that Mentor Clark did not truly oppose her but was using his own way to remind Viola not to advance rashly.

After all, among Wizards of the same level, the disparity in strength often manifests in the breadth and depth of their understanding of knowledge.

A Wizard capable of balancing both the "expansion" and "deepening" of their Law undoubtedly possesses broader potential and stronger combat power.

"Gao Jie Ming." Mentor Clark turned his gaze to him, his tone rarely carrying a note of admonition, "On the Wizard's path, the value lies in self-awareness; knowing one's limits is a virtue."

"But remember, do not underestimate yourself or draw boundaries around your own potential. Do not let the advancement speed of others disrupt your own pace; if you truly have surplus capacity, polish yourself to the limit at every stage and solidify your foundation... this will greatly benefit your future path."

These words struck Gao Jie Ming's heart like an evening drum and morning bell.

His expression turned solemn, and he bowed respectfully: "This student shall keep the Mentor's teachings in mind."

"As for you..." Clark turned to look at Viola in the light screen.

"I did not expect you to reach this step in less than three hundred years. I originally thought that your previous haste and rashness would cause you to stall for a long time, but it seems... you are more planned than I anticipated."

Viola proudly accepted Mentor Clark's praise: "Of course! As I said, I am a genius!"

"In that case, our genius should be able to repay the money she owes me very soon, correct?"

The moment Clark spoke these words, Viola's complexion collapsed instantly: "Cough, cough... well, uh... oh my, I suddenly remembered I have an experiment unfinished; I'm leaving first!"

With that, the communication light screen dissipated into a phantom; clearly, Viola had directly cut the connection.

Seeing the conversation seemed to have concluded, Gao Jie Ming also took his leave of Mentor Clark, not wishing to disturb the Mentor's continued research.

However, just as he turned to leave, Mentor Clark, without lifting his head, abruptly spoke a sentence as if talking to himself:

"Go to the new academy; may your employment proceed smoothly."

Gao Jie Ming's steps halted; he whipped his head around, looking somewhat stunned at the Mentor who was still bent over his desk writing rapidly.

He wanted to say something, but Mentor Clark merely waved his hand casually.

The preset teleportation array within the office activated instantly, wrapping Gao Jie Ming in gentle yet irresistible spatial fluctuations.

The next second, his figure vanished from the office filled with scrolls and instruments, directly teleporting to the plaza outside the academy.

Standing outside the familiar tower, looking back at the towering spire, Gao Jie Ming stood dazed for a moment.

Finally, smiling, he shook his head, boarded the teleportation array, and departed from this place.

(End of Chapter)