Chapter 6: Separation Once More (Part One)
After a long while, he managed to pull himself up. The halo of light around his body had gradually faded, and the warm current had dispersed throughout his meridians, becoming imperceptible once more. Except for the sticky discomfort clinging to his skin, everything else seemed unchanged from before. Dragging his exhausted body back to the wooden cabin, he drew some spring water to soak his dirty clothes, quickly rinsed himself off, and then returned to his room to sleep.
Early the next morning, A Dai climbed out of bed, feeling that his spirit had recovered to its peak. Last night was the first time since Goris left that he hadn’t meditated; having already memorized all the notes, he decided to pass the time with meditation. A Dai had grown very interested in meditation lately. Over these past days, he had managed to summon blue flames, and his Fireball spell now reached over ten centimeters in diameter. What he didn’t realize was that, given his current magical power, he had already attained the level of a novice mage.
Two months after departing, Goris finally returned to the Illusory Forest. This journey had gone poorly for him; it took considerable time to gather enough Windsoothing Grass. When he spotted the wooden cabin, everything around remained silent, unchanged from when he had left.
“A Dai, A Dai—” Goris called out several times. For some reason, during his time away, he often found himself thinking about this clumsy, simple-minded boy.
“Ah! Master, you’re finally back!” A Dai dashed out of the room and threw himself into Goris’s arms, his joy overflowing beyond words.
Gris looked carefully at Adai. After two months apart, the boy’s body seemed much sturdier, his skin fair with a rosy glow. Though he still looked rather simple-minded, he appeared far more pleasing to the eye. Gris tried to calm his somewhat agitated emotions and said to Adai, “I’m tired. Go pick some fruits for me to eat. I need to rest first.”
“Alright,” Adai readily agreed, then rushed back inside, grabbed a bamboo basket, and ran toward the orchard. When he returned to the wooden cabin, he noticed a cloth bag had been placed on one of the chairs, while Gris sat nearby with his eyes closed, resting. “Teacher, here are the fruits. Is this the Xunfeng grass you retrieved? Shall I put it in the drawer?”
Gris opened his eyes, looked at Adai, and said with some surprise, “When did you learn to be so sharp, kid? This isn’t Xunfeng grass; it’s for you.”
Adai froze, pointing at his own nose as he asked, “For me?”
Gris nodded and said, “Go ahead and open it.”
“Thank you, Master,” A-Dai exclaimed excitedly as he hugged the heavy bundle close to his chest. It was his first time ever receiving a gift, and the surge of joy made his body tremble involuntarily. Slowly unwrapping the bundle, what appeared before his eyes left him stunned. Inside were neither precious treasures nor novel curiosities, yet to A-Dai, nothing could have brought him greater happiness. For there, astonishingly, lay a pile of pure white steamed buns. Though slightly cooled, they remained soft. Inhaling their fragrant aroma, two streams of tears rolled down A-Dai’s cheeks. Choking with emotion, he looked at Gris and said, “Master, thank you… thank you so much.”
Gris pretended nothing was amiss as he ate the fruit, saying, “What’s there to thank me for? They were just some cheap steamed buns. I originally wanted to bring you a few chicken drumsticks too, but they spoil easily, so I didn’t. Ah Dai, how’s the notebook I gave you coming along?”
Ah Dai took out the well-preserved notebook from inside his robe and handed it to Gris, saying, “Teacher, I’ve memorized everything.”
Gris was startled. “You’ve memorized it all? If you’re lying, don’t blame me for punishing you.”
Ah Dai said firmly, “Teacher, I’m not lying. I truly have memorized everything. Feel free to test me however you like.”
Gris said, “Very well, let me ask you: what kind of metal can forge the finest weapons?”
A Dai answered without hesitation: “To forge the finest weapons, three conditions must be met. First, you need high-quality raw materials. Based on their attributes, materials are divided into six types: Light, Darkness, Water, Fire, Earth, and Wind. Materials lacking any attribute are considered inferior. Among these, those imbued with Dark or Light energy are the hardest to find, yet they yield weapons of greatest power. Examples of Light-type materials include Brilliant Gold and Bright Silver; examples of Dark-type materials include Tungsten Steel Mother… Second, to forge the finest weapons, a stable temperature is essential. The higher the temperature, the fewer impurities remain in the finished weapon. The black flame you use already reaches nearly the highest possible temperature. However, since this black flame is generated through magic, it cannot be sustained for long periods, limiting its use to forging only small-sized weapons. Third, to imbue the forged weapon with spiritual essence, casting must align with celestial timing and terrestrial advantages. Even with identical materials and flames, weapons forged in different locations and under varying weather conditions will differ in quality. For instance, forging at higher elevations on clear days…”
Gris listened dumbfounded as A Dai recited verbatim the section on weapon forging from his own notes. The astonishment swelling within him defied all description. Given A Dai’s memory, how much time must he have spent to memorize this notebook so flawlessly!
“Enough, stop there. I believe you have completely memorized it. Starting tomorrow, just as before, continue assisting me with my experiments. Now, I need to rest.”
“Okay, Master,” A Dai replied cheerfully. He picked up the pile of steamed buns, sat on the bed, grabbed one, and took a hearty bite. It had been five months since he last enjoyed his favorite treat…
Starting the next day, Goris continuously began refining using his small cauldron. Since A Dai had memorized Goris’s notes, he could clearly predict the outcomes based on the raw materials Goris used; thus, Goris’s refining process served as a practical experiment for A Dai. What puzzled A Dai somewhat was that all the substances Goris refined were mixed metals. Though these metals possessed varying properties, they were all extremely precious. From the content of the notes, A Dai knew that any one of these metals could be forged into exceptionally high-quality weapons. Goris carefully stored away these refined metals, though their intended purpose remained unknown to A Dai.
On this particular day, after A Dai helped Goris successfully refine another piece of metal, Goris returned to his room to meditate, while A Dai himself stood at the doorway practicing his Fireball and Flame spells.
“Oh? Where did this little rascal come from?” a teasing voice rang out.
To Adai’s astonishment, a strange figure in red emerged from the mist. This person was dressed much like Goris, enveloped entirely by a large red cloak that obscured their face. In their hand, they held a long wooden staff and seemed to be sizing Adai up.
A Dai stepped back two paces in alarm and demanded, “Who… who are you?”
The figure in red robes declared proudly, “As for me, I am a great mage.” With that, he extended his right hand, as withered and thin as Gellis’s, murmured a few incantations, and a massive purple fireball half a meter in diameter appeared in his palm. Even from over ten meters away, the scorching heat of the flames made A Dai feel an intense burn. Glancing at the small fireball in his own hand and then at the enormous purple one held by the robed figure, A Dai felt utterly inferior and withdrew his magic.
“Haha! How’s that? Now you know what a great mage truly is! Hahahaha!”
“Hmph! Why show off your power before a child?” A black fireball, also half a meter in diameter, shot out from the wooden cabin, heading straight for the man in red.
The man in red was startled, took a step back, and let out a loud shout. The purple fireball in his hand soared up to meet the incoming black fireball. The fireball unleashed by the man in red was pure fire-element magic, whereas the one flying out from the room was Goris’s Dark Flame, a fusion of dark and fire magic. In terms of elemental attributes, the man in red was at a disadvantage, yet in terms of raw energy, he was far more powerful.
A-Dai suddenly felt his body grow light as a gentle breeze carried him ten meters away. Amid a thunderous explosion, sparks rained down from the sky, forcing the man in red to take an involuntary step backward. He cried out in astonishment, “Wow, hey big brother, your little brother comes all this way to see you, and this is how you treat me?”
Goris stepped out of the room, snorted, and said, “You’ve come to see me? I’d say you’re like a weasel paying respects to a chicken. Just seeing your arrogant demeanor makes me sick. Gorison, if you have something to say, spit it out quickly. There’s no warm welcome waiting for you here.”
The man in red, Gorison, gave a bitter smile and replied, “Big brother, I am your own flesh and blood; how can you treat me this way? By the way, who is he?” As he spoke, he pointed his wooden staff at A-Dai.
Gris replied irritably, “He’s my apprentice. What of it?”
Grisong chuckled and said, “I never expected you, big brother, to take on an apprentice; that’s hardly your style! Judging by the fireball spell that kid just used, he’s already at the level of a junior mage. Boss, where did you find such a promising talent? How about letting me have him? I still don’t have a single disciple myself.”
Gris snorted coldly. “Don’t even think about it. This kid is extremely important to me. Besides being my apprentice, he serves a far more significant purpose.”
“Ah! Boss, you… you couldn’t possibly be…”
Gris snorted and said, “Come inside. A-Dai, you stay outside and guard the door. Do not enter unless I give you permission.”
A-Dai responded with a murmur, staring blankly as Gris and Gerson walked into the wooden cabin. He thought to himself, Why can’t I understand so much of what they’re saying? Is that strange man in red my teacher’s younger brother?
Inside the room.
Gerson said, “Big brother, could it be that the boy you found is the one intended for that final experiment?”
Gris snorted and said, “Watch your words, you hear me?”
Grisong sighed and said, “Big brother, you’re truly ruthless! No wonder you’re called the Inferno Sorcerer. That child looked rather endearing in his naivety. Why did you have to…”
Gris suddenly grew irritable. “Stay out of my affairs. Speak quickly if you have something to say; if you’ve come here merely to spout nonsense, then get out.”
Grisong chuckled, not at all angered by Gris’s words. “Fine, fine, I couldn’t care less about your business anyway. What a pity for such a promising talent! The main reason I’ve come this time is to ask a favor on behalf of our Lord; I hope you’ll agree.” As he spoke, he swept his wooden staff through the air, tearing open a rift in space. Chanting a few incantations, a cloth sack floated out and landed on the ground. “This is an advance payment from our Lord; he wishes to obtain the results of your experiments in the coming days.” The sack opened automatically, revealing itself to be brimming with diamond coins, numbering well over a thousand.
Goris seemed not to have heard, snorted coldly, and said, “Want my experimental results? Don’t even dream about it. I won’t give them to anyone.”
Gorisong sighed and said, “Big brother, I’m not trying to persuade you, but what good does keeping those treasures of yours do? Especially this final experimental result of yours—didn’t you create it precisely to make your name known throughout the world? Why cling to it so possessively? If you ask me, you’d be better off doing as I do, becoming a…”
Goris cut Gorisong off, shouting angrily, “Enough nonsense! Take these worthless things back. I said I won’t sell them, and that’s final.”
Gorisong fell silent for a moment before saying, “Very well. Since you are unwilling to sell it, there is no point in my forcing you. I will explain the situation to our Lord myself. However, that child seems to possess considerable magical talent; perhaps you should reconsider. Is it truly worth sacrificing a life merely for an object?”
Goris replied without hesitation, “It is worth it. For this object, even if a thousand people were to die, it would still be worthwhile.”
Gorisong smiled bitterly and said, “Since you put it that way, I shall persuade you no further. Very well, elder brother, take care of yourself. I must be going. Should you change your mind, notify me using the usual method.” With that, Gorisong strode toward the door.
“Wait a moment.” Goris, remaining seated, called out to stop Gorisong. “My experiment may not succeed either. If it does, I will inform you. You too should exercise caution.”
Gorisong cast a deep glance at Gorisi before stepping out of the wooden cabin; Gorisi remained seated where he was, making no move to see him off.
Once outside the door, Gorisong glanced at Adai and sighed, “Kid, you’re on your own now.” With that, he chanted an incantation, stirring the surrounding air into turbulence, which gently lifted him and carried him drifting into the thick fog.
Adai stared blankly at the spot where Gorisong’s figure had vanished, remaining silent for a long while.

Parting Once Again (Part 2)
“A-Dai, why aren’t you quickly practicing the Fire Spell? What are you just standing there dumbfounded for?”
“Oh. O elements of fire that permeate heaven and earth! Please grant me your warm power, condense into a sphere…”
Another three months had passed. Although Garris hadn’t formally taught him, A-Dai had nevertheless learned much about alchemy from him. A-Dai was no longer the clueless boy he had been upon arrival; in Garris’s eyes, he had become a fully competent apprentice. Thanks to A-Dai’s help, all of Garris’s preparations were proceeding with extraordinary smoothness, advancing far sooner than he had initially imagined.
A-Dai had never mentioned the excruciating pain he suffered after eating the Fruit of Reincarnation. He feared Garris would be angry upon learning he had eaten something recklessly. Now, in A-Dai’s eyes, Garris was undoubtedly the most important person in his life. It was Garris who had led him out of the dark little town of Nino, providing him with enough food and clothing, and allowing him to learn so many wondrous things. To A-Dai, Garris had become entirely a kind and benevolent elder, inspiring in him nothing but deep reverence. In the depths of his heart, A-Dai had long come to regard Garris as his own father.
As time passed, Goris’s inner struggle grew increasingly intense. He knew clearly that to fulfill his wish, A-Dai was the key; yet, if the experiment succeeded, A-Dai would inevitably lose his life. After spending so much time together, Goris had unknowingly grown fond of this simple-minded boy, causing even someone usually ruthless to hesitate.
However, the allure of the experiment finally made Goris cast aside all reservations. That wish was simply too important to him. One could say that his life’s research hinged upon what might be his final alchemical refinement—a celestial phenomenon occurring only once every thousand years! Many master-level alchemists might wait an entire lifetime and still never witness such an opportunity. Desire triumphed over emotion; Goris decided to proceed as usual. When that day arrived, he would begin his ultimate refinement.
On this day, Goris summoned A-Dai to his side and said, “A-Dai, you’ve been here for over eight months now, haven’t you?”
A-Dai counted on his fingers, nodded, and replied, “Yes, Teacher, it has indeed been eight months since I arrived.”
Gris said, “I will leave here tomorrow to search for a very important ingredient. You will be in charge of this place while I’m gone.”
A-Dai was stunned and exclaimed involuntarily, “What? Master, you’re leaving again!”
Gris spoke solemnly, “I must find this ingredient; it is crucial for a very important experiment of mine. You must take good care of everything here. I estimate it will take me three months before I return.”
Filled with reluctance, A-Dai said, “Master, could you please take me with you?”
Gris looked at Adai’s expectant eyes and sighed inwardly: How could I possibly take you with me? The very reason I’m leaving is to distance myself from you, so that in the end I can steel my heart to use you for this experiment. With this thought, Gris clenched his teeth and said, “Enough of this childish behavior; I’m not gone forever.”
Choking back tears, Adai stammered, “Master, Master, please come back soon! Adai will miss you.”
Gris nodded silently and said, “Before I leave, I will teach you an application of fire magic. You must practice it diligently. Over these past eight months, your magical power has progressed quite well; you are now capable of using this spell.”
Under normal circumstances, if Gris had offered to teach him magic, A-Dai would have jumped up with excitement. But today was different; his reluctance to part with Gris far outweighed his desire to learn more magic.
Noticing the absence of joy in A-Dai’s eyes, Gris was momentarily taken aback. During this period, A-Dai had several times begged him to teach more spells, yet he had always refused. Now that he had voluntarily offered, why wasn’t A-Dai excited? Unable to hold back, he asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to learn?”
A-Dai shook his head and replied, “No, I do want to learn. But even more, I wish for you to stay. A-Dai wants to remain with his teacher.”
Goris felt a warmth surge in his heart, his throat tightening as if blocked, nearly causing him to blurt out an immediate agreement. For a long while, the old man and the young boy simply gazed at each other in silence.
“A-Dai, I promise you, once I return this time, I won’t leave again, alright?” Goris said gently. He clearly understood that if he didn’t depart from here soon, he would likely lose the resolve needed to use A-Dai for his experiments. Thus, he had no choice but to lie.
A-Dai’s large eyes instantly lit up, gaining a sparkle they had never possessed before. “Really, Teacher? Then… then I’ll wait for your return.”
Goris nodded and said, “Alright, now I will teach you a spell called Fire Meteor. The foundation of this spell lies in the Fireball and Flame techniques. You must listen carefully; ask me immediately today about anything you don’t understand, do you understand?”
Ah Dai nodded, focusing intently as he listened to Goris’s explanation.
The Fire Meteor is essentially a basic fire-element spell that launches multiple fireballs to attack enemies over a wide area. Its greatest characteristic lies in how its power varies according to the caster’s magical energy. For instance, if Goris were to cast it, he could unleash a Fire Meteor imbued with black flames, possessing such tremendous force that it would reach the level of an advanced spell.
“Before you can use the Fire Meteor spell, you must first merge your Flame Technique and Fireball Spell. Look, the flames you currently produce with your Flame Technique have already turned blue-green, yet the fireballs you launch remain red. That won’t work. You must…” After a whole morning of detailed instruction, Ah Dai had only barely managed to grasp most of the principles and methods behind the Fire Meteor. Fearing he might forget, Goris wrote down the usage instructions so Ah Dai could practice more effectively. In the afternoon, Ah Dai began practicing diligently, asking Goris about every doubt that arose. Surprisingly gentle, Goris patiently explained everything repeatedly without showing any sign of annoyance. Finally, by evening, Ah Dai managed to cast the Fire Meteor spell—or rather, he could now produce a shower of sparks, whose power was only sufficient to burn through leaves. Goris told him that he hoped, upon their return, to see Ah Dai capable of unleashing a cluster of blue-green Fire Meteors, each about one centimeter in diameter.
Early the next morning, Goris packed his things simply and, before A-Dai woke up, quietly departed with a heavy heart. He needed to find a place to calm his mind and mentally prepare himself for the final experiment.
With Goris gone, A-Dai felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Compared to the first time they parted, his longing for Goris had grown even more intense. Often, he would sit alone in front of the wooden cabin, staring blankly in the direction from which Goris should return. The Fire Meteor spell remained profoundly mysterious to A-Dai; despite his constant efforts to practice, his progress was minimal, far from demonstrating any real power.
Two months passed quickly. On this day, after picking fruits from the mist for his breakfast, A-Dai once again fell into his usual daze before beginning his magical cultivation. Sitting before the wooden cabin, he carefully took out a steamed bun shimmering with silver light and prayed for Goris’s swift return. Back then, unable to bear eating all the buns Goris had brought him, A-Dai had saved one. While Goris was bathing, he secretly entered the laboratory and, using artifact-forging techniques, coated the bun with a layer of silver-tin alloy crafted by Goris himself. This special silver-tin, forged by Goris, possessed the remarkable property of preserving freshness, marking A-Dai’s first independently completed experiment. Of course, Goris knew exactly what A-Dai had done, yet he pretended ignorance and never exposed him. That act of A-Dai’s had left a deep impression in Goris’s heart.
Gently stroking the silver-tin coating on the bun, A-Dai murmured foolishly, “Teacher, it’s been two months. You should be returning soon, right? Please come back quickly! A-Dai misses you so much.”
“Ding, ding, ding. Ding, ding, ding.” The bells hanging from the eaves suddenly rang. A-Dai was startled and rose from the ground. These bells had been set up by Goris initially; they contained a special magical device that would sound whenever anyone intruded within a three-li radius of the wooden cabin. The most ingenious aspect of this device was that the magical array embedded within it could distinguish between humans and beasts—meaning if an animal entered this area, the bells would not ring. Within one li of the cabin, Goris had made additional arrangements, creating an impassable barrier for wild animals. Thus, this place had never suffered any beast attacks.
A-Dai knew these intruders could not be Goris, because Goris always returned along a fixed route that would not trigger the alarm system. Could it be, could it possibly be outsiders? Who would come here? Although various traps set by Goris surrounded the area, A-Dai still felt tense. Following the method Goris had once taught him, he analyzed the sound of the bells and discovered that the intruder had triggered the device to the north—the very direction from which Goris usually returned.
As the saying goes, concern clouds judgment. A-Dai thought, could it be, could it possibly be that Teacher Goris has returned and accidentally triggered the mechanism? Could it? Could it really be him? The area three li away lay beyond the dense fog; although mist existed there too, it was much thinner. Having spent ten months here, A-Dai had already become thoroughly familiar with everything around him. Although he still did not know how to escape the Illusionary Forest, he could now clearly orient himself within a ten-li radius nearby.
No, Teacher Goris might be injured. It must be Teacher Goris; I must go meet him. Overwhelmed by intense longing, A-Dai rushed outward, plunging into the mist.
A-Dai sprinted with all his might, having long forgotten G里斯’s warning not to wander too far. Along the way, he oriented himself and pressed steadily forward. For A-Dai, whose health had already been fully restored, three li were nothing; soon enough, he had broken free of the thick fog.
“Clang, clang—ah!” The sounds of clashing weapons and anguished cries rang out incessantly. Alarmed, A-Dai rushed toward the source of the noise. From a distance, he saw over a dozen figures leaping and darting in fierce combat, while a corpse lay sprawled on the ground. Cautiously, he hid behind a large tree, scanning the fray to see whether G里斯 was among them.
After some time, still unable to spot G里斯’s familiar figure, he felt a pang of disappointment. His observation revealed that the group was split into two factions, twelve people in total: eleven clad in black formed one side, besieging a tall, broad-shouldered man wielding a broadsword. Because the distance was considerable, A-Dai could barely make out their features, distinguishing them only by the colors of their garments. The besieged man stood out most clearly, dressed in grayish-white. Multicolored glows flickered constantly across the combatants. All around, vast swathes of trees had been shattered to fragments by violent battle energy. Even from a hundred meters away, A-Dai could sense the terror these fighters inspired; their surging aura filled the air with a chilling, murderous intent. In his eyes, any one of them far surpassed the pirate captain he had encountered on the ship—the so-called Dark Demons G里斯 had spoken of. Especially formidable was the tall man in white, standing well over 1.9 meters, with broad shoulders and a wide back; he wielded his heavy sword with one hand as effortlessly as if it were a feather.
Though outnumbered, the white-clad man under siege seemed to be holding his own quite well. His broadsword shimmered with white light, continuously deflecting each attack from the eleven opponents. His swordsmanship was expansive and bold, brimming with an unstoppable momentum. Aside from him, the other eleven all wielded narrow swords; both blades and attire were black, so that at night their non-reflective edges would be nearly invisible. Like eleven venomous snakes, those narrow blades ceaselessly sought openings in the white-clad fighter’s defense.
Suddenly, the figure in white staggered for no apparent reason, and a venomous snake seized the opportunity to strike at his shoulder. A brilliant white light abruptly emanated from the man in white; gripping his broadsword with both hands, he swiftly swung it, carving three arcs of light through the air. Although the snake never actually bit his shoulder, the razor-sharp sword energy still tore through his clothing.
The eleven figures clad in black appeared utterly helpless before the suddenly erupting massive energy. They simultaneously retreated ten meters away, their narrow swords angled toward the ground as they fixed their gazes intently upon the figure in white before them.
One of the black-clad men spoke, his voice low and hoarse: “Lord Underworld, give it up. Stop struggling. If you were at your peak, we would never have dared to seek our own deaths like this. But now, poisoned by the unparalleled Holy Water, merely surviving this long is already remarkable. Come back with us and report. Given your status within the organization, if you sincerely admit your mistake to the Master, he will surely forgive you.”