Chapter 498: The Highland Mage's Olive Branch (4)

"Child." The Highland Mage set down the teacup, resting his elbows on his crossed knees, palms facing upward. Luo Qi could barely recognize the shadow of an ancient ritual; though he could not discern the meaning, he suspected he had correctly guessed the implication of comfort and pity.

He imagined that in ancient times, priest mages used such gestures and expressions to pity families who came to plead for the unsolvable—he already belonged to the gods and no longer belonged to you. It was a pity he was born in an age of reason, knowing that those who were lost would not belong to gods either; they simply ceased the operation of their bodies, breathing stopped, circulation stopped, cells no longer replicated. They simply stopped, and the living could only continue to operate.

The words the Highland Mage said next, he could no longer quite take in.

"Progenitor Mages were all Telepaths, and telepathy is also a basic characteristic of those who can become gods. I do not know if Du Zhengyi can become a god, but the only known method of cultivation is for Mind Mages to connect their spirits through Meditation. Du Zhengyi, unfortunately, may possess preliminary telepathic abilities, but in the end, he is not a true Mind Mage and cannot transcend the flesh to reach the Other Shore through Collective Cultivation. Besides this, even without considering that point, cultivation requires a long time. Although occasionally some people reach transcendence while still relatively young, more people cultivate until they are very old before finally achieving perfection. I have heard that Du Mage is very ill, and his natural time should already be insufficient for cultivation."

"Mm." Luo Qi lowered his head to look at his hands. After a while, he remembered that no one in the room was continuing to speak, and he smiled as he raised his head, pulling himself together again. "It's fine, I had probably already guessed as much."

The Highland Mage looked at him calmly. He could feel the calm Spirit Fire of the Highland Mages; he thought they might be walking on the path to the Other Shore, and they were already able to cut off most of the sorrows and partings of the human world. Regarding the affairs of the human world, the Highland Mages were not indifferent; they solved what they could solve, stopped what they could stop, and helped what they could help. Judging by the reputation of the Highland Mages that Luo Qi had heard before, they never stinted on aid, but for those things they were powerless to change, they also never felt sorrow or concern.

Therefore, what the Highland Mage said next followed logically, and Luo Qi had also thought of it.

The Highland Mage continued, "For that portion of humanity that is sensitive and thoughtful, loneliness is already unbearable. For a Mind Mage, especially a high-level Telepath, walking alone is extremely dangerous. The myriad phenomena of the mind may be an afternoon garden to you, but they can also be an Avici hell. In the flicker of a single thought, you might sink deep into the spirit world, never finding the way back, or even failing to recognize yourself."

Luo Qi thought of a terrifying moment when he had believed himself to be an Alien monster of the Insect Race.

"Child, you do not belong to the mundane world," Hashi Mage said earnestly. "Do not rush to refute me, child; I am saying that you are in danger. I can see that you possess wisdom and do not lack reason; you should be able to understand the benefits gained after joining the Highland Mages. In the shared connection of consciousness, a mentor can guide your spirit and help you ensure your own integrity."

Luo Qi opened his mouth, momentarily speechless. He could feel the goodwill of the Highland Mage, but he was like a cat used to being kicked by strangers; others' kindness always made him a bit flustered.

He mumbled his thanks, then hesitated before saying, "I have an Anchor Point. But I haven't done it very well; they said I should use some long-lasting, unchanging things as an Anchor Point. In other words, I shouldn't use people as an Anchor Point."

"Ah." The Highland Mage sighed softly. "That is not your fault; choosing people as an Anchor Point is a human instinct. In the world of the Progenitor Mages, people in the same family would establish a stable spirit world. This spirit world itself could be viewed as an Anchor Point; the elders would soothe the young children through spiritual bonds, calm the anger of the youth, and adults would heal each other's wounds together. Although we have no chance to witness that world with our own eyes, most of us believe that it was a peaceful society where people were more introverted, but their emotions were profound."

"Doesn't that sound a lot like your situation?" Luo Qi couldn't help but ask.

"Yes," the Highland Mage said. "The first Highland Mage, that is, one of the three Progenitors you spoke of, summarized previous experiences and believed that this shared, interconnected spirit world was the key to why most of them were able to ascend. Therefore, he simulated this form, teaching the high-level Mages among the Mages who were willing to convert to connect with each other in a similar form and cultivate together. This method indeed broadened my horizons, stabilized our spirits, and allowed many of us to successfully reach the Other Shore. If you truly have no intention of cultivating, we can put this aside for now and only use the world you are familiar with as a comparison. Nowadays, among Lowland Mages, most Telepaths are born in alternating generations. To maintain the spiritual stability of a newborn Mind Mage, often the grandparents in the family will also conduct shallow spiritual connections with the child. We assume you have not had such an experience."

Luo Qi nodded. "I have not."

"Then you chose the person you trusted most when you were teetering in the spirit world; that is instinct. You only need to follow your instinct; at that moment, what people consider reason is actually not reliable," the Highland Mage said. "We would like to ask for your opinion one last time: do you formally give up the opportunity to join the Highland Mages?"

"Yes," Luo Qi said without hesitation.

If the Highland Mage still felt disappointment, they did not show it. "Then we will continue to provide you with education, just as we agreed with Pei Shu earlier."

"That... isn't that a bit too embarrassing," Luo Qi said.

The Highland Mage replied blandly, "Reducing the harm you bring to the Mage community is our duty."

Luo Qi awkwardly took two breaths, as if his mouth hurt.

He caught another thought. "Since the Progenitor Mages originally maintained spiritual health in family forms, when there were only three Progenitors left in the end, were they..." He held back the words that they were all mentally unhealthy.

"Their world was destroyed; naturally, they endured tremendous psychological trauma. But they were the most resilient people in the race, so they recreated Mages to continue their own kind."

Luo Qi didn't know how to evaluate them. Since they had already created new kin, why didn't they create them to be better at reproduction? Like having a litter a year, eight in a litter or something.

He pulled back his wandering thoughts and touched the Baby Book in his bosom. "The writing of the Progenitor Mages, those Magic scripts, have they ever circulated among the Highland Mages?"

"The Progenitor Mages never formally passed down the writing; the Highland Mages are not as greedy for the quantity of Magic as the Lowland Mages."

"Ah, I didn't mean that either." Luo Qi tucked the Baby Book deeper. "I'm not helping the Qionglin investigate."

"What we needed to discuss today has been discussed. When your body is a bit better, we suggest you continue the Meditation courses."