Chapter 360: 366.Chapter 366 Sage

366. Chapter 366 Sage

Near home, feeling timid?

Lin Ke did not have this emotion.

The closer to the Quet Islands, the more vivid the past memories became.

At that time he had just transmigrated, or more accurately, awakened his past-life awareness.

He was filled with fear of the unknown world, and also filled with curiosity.

Like a tiny snail wanting to go far away, but before acting he must first measure his surroundings with his antennae.

He carried a system he considered standard equipment for transmigrators, hiding in his heart an unknown arrogance.

His father was a blacksmith who earned a living making farm and fishing tools.

Besides handling household chores, his mother raised sheep and dairy cows.

Life had no hunger or cold, not wealthy enough to reach a modest prosperity, but Lin Ke never went hungry or cold.

Leading five Newbloods with medium-or-higher quality, he entered Holledi Viscount's castle, and Lin Ke suddenly recalled that day's events.

A wizard sat in the main seat, his face unobscured, yet his features could not be made out.

The eligible youths below stepped forward one by one, full of anticipation to test their talent, each leaving disappointed and disheartened.

After the White Sail reached the first island, Lin Ke did the same, looked the same, without a ripple.

I had thought that upon reaching the Quet Islands, it would still be the same, unchanged.

However, once the talent assessment truly began, Lin Ke's calm heart stirred.

Past events surfaced one after another.

Lin Ke, Ni Andong, immediately set out, leaving a clone behind while his true body hid in the void, heading toward the home of his memory.

In the Stormy Sea, ambient magic concentration is extremely low, unsuitable for sustained spellcasting.

Go quickly and return quickly, just take a look.

"They moved away?"

In an instant he arrived at the original address; the blacksmith shop and the house behind it were gone.

In its place stood a larger blacksmith shop.

Lin Ke felt a thought, followed the blood relation, and quickly found the Gelande family.

Upon arriving at the new residence, Lin Ke discovered it was a manor-style castle more luxurious than Holledi Viscount's castle.

Mr. Gelande was leisurely enjoying the servants' attendance, eating heartily.

Red wine, roasted chicken, mutton chops, veal chops, and various seafood.

A table full of delicious dishes, solely for Mr. Gelande's enjoyment.

Originally sturdy and robust, Mr. Gelande, after long indulgence, has become pot-bellied, a wealthy gentleman.

Mrs. Gelande, in the garden lawn, personally led a three-year-old child in learning to walk.

A family of three, happy and content.

The child, presumably tired from walking, sat down on the ground unwilling to move.

She summoned a maid to watch the child, Mrs. Gelande walked to the table, hesitated a moment, and said: "Moer, another wizard has come today to test talent; you say, could it be Lin Ke?"

"I don't know."

Moer, that is, Mr. Gelande speared a piece of steak into his mouth, chewing while speaking vaguely: "Don't worry about Lin Ke; he has long become a true wizard, doing well now. Otherwise, how could we enjoy these? Does Holledi Viscount dare to put on airs of nobility before me?"

"Alas!"

Seeing her husband only wanting ease and enjoyment, Mrs. Gelande sighed and said no more.

She picked up a glass of juice from the table, walked to the garden lawn, and gazed in a direction.

Katopuli Harbor lies in that direction.

Back then, her son Lin Ke departed from Katopuli Harbor, leaving the Quet Islands.

Two years after his departure, the family's fortunes began to rise completely.

More and more people queued up to offer money.

Each year more than the last.

Although she lacked experience, she also understood that this was because her son had become someone she dared not even imagine, bringing about the change.

Just as her husband Moer said, her son might not need to lift a finger; merely having an idea would change Holledi Viscounty into Gelande Viscounty.

He had truly become a great figure.

There's no need to worry.

Just live well, live peacefully day by day, and enjoy happiness.

But alas, a son travels a thousand miles while the mother worries.

Can one really achieve not worrying?

Mrs. Gelande does not know whether others can, but she herself cannot.

Lin Ke watched his mother gazing into the distance, very much wanting to reveal himself to see her, for a family reunion.

However, after revealing himself, what should he say then?

And what would happen then?

Would it not be the case that a middle-aged man, upon seeing a young master, would call out "sir" instead?

Lin Ke thought it would happen.

Things remain but people change; let those beautiful memories stay in the past.

After a deep look at his mother, Lin Ke turned and left.

Each contained a drop of potion rich in easily absorbable life force, falling into Mr. Gelande's red wine and Mrs. Gelande's juice.

Both were unaware and drank it down.

Change won't happen immediately; it needs gradual release.

After noon, Lin Ke led those who had bid farewell to their families, and after the seven Newblood had eaten a lavish lunch at Viscount Holiday's castle, they left the viscounty, boarding the White Sail ship at Cathopli Harbor to return to the west coast.

Mr. and Mrs. Grand just noticed the changes in themselves.

One's body returned to health, all fat gone, regaining a sturdy, muscular build, and seemingly possessing inexhaustible strength.

One's wrinkles faded, old ailments from youthful overwork healed completely, skin becoming smoother than a maiden's, returning to youthful beauty.

With such changes, who could still not know what happened?

This year, the mage overseeing the aptitude test was none other than their son, Linke Grand.

Moreover, their son had come back to see them.

He just didn't show himself to meet them.

"Lin Ke..."

Mrs. Grand gazed once more at Cathopli Harbor, as if seeing a ship bearing her son drifting far away.

Once they left, there would likely be no day of return.

A crystal-clear tear slid from the corner of the eye.

"Go, little Lin Ke, develop well, don't worry about home."

Mrs. Grand murmured to herself, unable to hold back tears.

"Mom, Mom..."

At that moment, their three-year-old son woke from his nap, fussing to find his mother.

She wiped her tears with a handkerchief, composed herself, picked up her son, and began to play.

Life must go on.

On the White Sail.

Lin Ke withdrew his gaze, turned and entered the cabin, no longer troubled by the past.

In the world of immortals and martial arts, he had once repaid the debt of bearing and raising.

Thus this time, he was well versed.

He also understood Dean Fryst's intention in arranging his return to the Storm Sea.

It was not to sever ties with the past, but rather to remember his origins.

Repaying the debt of nurturing is not to cut ties completely, but to let oneself be guilt‑free and travel light.

After the metamorphosis period, upon becoming a sage, attending to family again would come at a great cost.

Lin Ke understood this deeper meaning.

Over the next few days, the White Sail sailed smoothly and reached the west coast.

After that, the recruitment of Newblood had nothing to do with Lin Ke.

He merely emulated the early ways of Sage Paro, offering some inconspicuous reminders.

After returning to the academy, Lin Ke settled into work.

Each day he clocked in, sat in the office, reviewed papers, and examined patents.

It was not leisurely and carefree, yet neither was it burdensome paperwork.

As time passed, the metamorphosis period arrived quietly.

Lin Ke clearly sensed the existence of the world's will—a feeling that cannot be put into words.

If one must compare, it is like a speck of dust beneath the starry sky, suddenly discovering the vastness and greatness of the stars, as well as their inclusiveness.

It also felt like being nurtured in fetal form within the world of immortals and martial arts.

Perhaps describing the world's will as a mother is not quite appropriate.

But the feeling given to Lin Ke is exactly that.

Resonance with the world's will began.

The days of truthfulness also began.

Speak truth, act truthfully, cannot manage expressions, cannot feign emotions.

Most importantly, one must not deliberately avoid social interaction.

Embarrassing incidents will naturally occur one after another.

"The Free‑to‑Do‑Anything" Asande, Benevolent Brother Group, and Social Anxiety Group, as the people most often in contact with Lin Ke, each couldn't help but chuckle.

Without professional training, they'd probably burst out laughing.

Faced with this situation, what could Lin Ke do?

He could only accept it openly.

Covering one's ears while stealing a bell does not meet the requirements of the metamorphosis period.

In grasping the rules, Lin Ke had already started, and his progress was extremely rapid.

However, the overall progress in resonating with the world's will was somewhat lacking.

Lin Ke knew the cause, was not panicked, and did not think he would fail to advance.

Just…

Seeing that each day left one comment, already over eighty had accumulated with no reply.

Lin Ke couldn't help feeling a bit irritable.

Mo Li went to the northern borders for exchange study; to this day there has been no word.

Asking Dean Fryst, the reply is always the same: everything is fine, don't worry.

Lin Ke also wanted not to worry.

However, in the metamorphosis stage, speaking truthfully and acting genuinely—what matters is reality, what is demanded is sincerity.

Then the question arises.

Counting the eighteen years that the immortal-martial world has already faded, Lin Ke has actually gone nineteen years without seeing Mo Li.

Not counting those eighteen years, it's been almost four months since they last met.

How, then, is Lin Ke's sincerity toward Mo Li?

What, then, is Mo Li's significance to Lin Ke?

Standing before the office window, Lin Ke suddenly asked himself these two questions.

These two questions are interrelated: one becomes two, two become one.

Understanding one naturally yields the answer to the other.

But ah, such questions are really not that easy to figure out.

After asking himself these two questions, more than a month passed, and Lin Ke still could not give himself a definite answer.

Until one early morning, the Portable Smart Brain chimed twice, receiving two voice messages.

The sender was an unknown account; Lin Ke opened the message and listened, and the voice was most familiar.

"Lin Ke, I've come out."

"I miss you so much!"

Mo Li's voice was soft and gentle, her tone and emotion not fiery, like the murmuring flow of a small stream.

To Lin Ke's ears, however, it sounded like thunder from the ninth heaven.

A booming sound.

All doubts, all confusions, were utterly shattered.

The dust veiling his heart was thoroughly shaken away.

Lin Ke confronted the deepest part of his own heart.

There lay a series of scenes.

There was a girl demonstrating how to test wizard aptitude; there was a girl clumsily using CPU skills; there was a girl who caused trouble, and after breaking her peaceful life, harbored deep regret in her eyes; there was a girl who suddenly awakened, resolutely studying; there was a girl crouching on the lawn, silently awaiting return, worried sick; there was a girl discovering the gap ever widening, again and again giving her all; there was a girl, in various matters, silently acting as a capable inner helper...

Even a passing goose leaves a trace.

Human hearts are not stone; they can be warmed.

Unbeknownst to him, the girl had already taken up residence in his heart.

"Mo Li..."

Lin Ke drew a deep breath and whispered softly.

Mo Li is his whetstone, and also his magical power.

A faint smile spread across Lin Ke's lips.

The progress of his resonance with the world's will suddenly reached perfection; he could at any moment complete his promotion and become a Sage.

Countless insights surged toward Lin Ke.

However, Lin Ke actively seized only one of them; the other insights must compete on their own, showing superiority, before Lin Ke will adopt them.

The insight he actively grasped is actually a very simple truth.

Yet Lin Ke considers it the most profound and hardest to fully understand.

Wizards are also human.

Being human, they possess the seven emotions and six desires.

Facing one's desires, acknowledging them, being a truly genuine person—only then can one be a truly genuine wizard.

Lin Ke picked up his Portable Smart Brain and initiated a video call request to Mo Li's new account.

Soon, the call connected.

Looking at the background, Mo Li was on an aircraft, surrounded by many people.

Wizards from the Auspicious Fertile Seek-Thought Academy, Beast-Taming Wizards of the Northern Border, those he had seen and those he had not.

Lin Ke paid no heed to them, merely gazing at Mo Li and earnestly saying, 'I miss you too.'

Mo Li fell silent at his words, then grew somewhat surprised, and then delighted.

This was still the first time Lin Ke had responded to her so bluntly, right?

"Wait for me to come back."

Mo Li's eyes, originally weary from the burdensome exchange studies, suddenly burst forth with boundless vigor.

A kind word warms three winters.

Lin Ke's simple sentence 'I miss you too' meant far more than a kind word to Mo Li; it was proof.

It proved that Mo Li's efforts were not one-sided, that her perseverance was not in vain.

With many people around and much chatter, Mo Li forcibly restrained her excited heart, not immediately pouring out her innermost feelings.

After the call ended, Lin Ke rose, personally went to the kitchen, prepared a heartfelt midnight snack, and awaited Mo Li's return.

At three a. m., Mo Li, via successive relay transmissions, crossed thousands of mountains and seas, returning to the lakeside villa.

Upon entering, Mo Li could no longer suppress her emotions, bursting into Lin Ke's embrace like a cannonball.

She wrapped both arms tightly around Lin Ke's neck, locked her legs around his waist, buried her head in his shoulder, and clung with all her might.

She longed to merge herself into Lin Ke's body, never to part again.

A thumping-thumping sound rose, like a war drum.

It was the sound of their two hearts frantically beating for the reunion.

Blood surged, emotions erupted.

Mo Li abruptly lifted her head, gazing at Lin Ke with a dazed look, and opened her mouth to bite him.

They exert great force.

They want to eat Lin Ke.

At this moment, in this situation, how could Lin Ke show weakness? He likewise bit back.

You want to eat me, but I also want to eat you!

A great battle is about to break out.

The two are fighting fiercely, indistinguishable, shocking heaven and moving earth, fire sparks flying everywhere, lightning flashing and thunder roaring.

When the wind and waves calm, hearts are content.

Lin Ke released the suppression on the progress of resonance with the world's will, and quietly advanced to sage.

Mo Li, with a blank mind, became the sole spectator.

Gained a tiny bit of harvest!