Chapter Sixty-One: An Exceptional Lesson

Mulan did not simply regurgitate passages from any particular book; although some of the principles he taught were quite simple, they were seldom spelled out directly in magical texts. Often, such books were ambiguous or even internally contradictory. Much of what Mulan presented in his class was his own distilled understanding—a synthesis of old knowledge with new insights, the result of meticulous cross-referencing of numerous magical tomes. Many of these books were, in fact, quite dangerous; if one's will was not strong enough, delving too deeply could corrupt the mind, leading to grave and difficult-to-cure maladies.

At his core, whether in his work during the twenty-first century or now, Mulan had always been deeply responsible in his duties. Even if there were complaints, once he accepted the role of professor, he would never slack off or merely go through the motions like some others, who might not even bother to show up on the first day or would simply make an appearance without real engagement.

Truth be told, Mulan had expected there would be some sort of opening ceremony. In the end, there was none. Walton only showed up briefly in the morning and, when questioned by Mulan, merely replied that everyone was busy, so the ceremony could be postponed or held for the next batch of students—a perfunctory answer, to say the least.

But Mulan would not settle for such perfunctoriness. Instead, he wanted his students to understand what they were learning and what they would one day face. At this moment, he opened his notebook, though his gaze never once fell upon it. With a black charcoal pencil, he wrote directly on the white wall of the lecture hall: "The Power of Existence."

"Students," he began, "you must understand that stepping into the arcane world is not simply about opening a door to wonders—it also brings immense dangers. Compared to the warnings found in various magical texts, many of which are self-contradictory or explain the same knowledge under different terms, I, as your professor, hope you first grasp an abstract yet tangible concept: the Power of Existence."

Mulan’s staff had become his teaching pointer; he tapped the wall gently, indicating the bold letters above.

"The so-called Power of Existence can be explained in two parts: first, the existence of things themselves; second, the force that sustains their existence. Ordinary matter has its inherent existence, which can be explained through physics and chemistry. But what we must understand is the power to alter the very nature of things through supernatural means. Broadly, this is the goal of all magical arts; more narrowly, it refers to creating or maintaining things through extraordinary power."

"For instance, the creature in the hat is an embodiment of the Power of Existence, and a rather advanced one at that. Though it may look cute in its glass jar, if you ever let it out, you’ll see just how terrifying it can be."

Cute? Professor, you must be joking. None of us ever thought it was cute.

Many students felt the same, and even Handel regarded Mulan’s remark as dark humor.

"The Power of Existence is also crucial for your own development. It is a cornerstone. On a small scale, it sustains your mental stability, reflecting your willpower. On a grand scale, it allows you to unleash your creativity and imagination, thus shaping your own understanding of the world. This foundation runs parallel to the Five Elements, yet it also transcends them!"

Mulan wrote the title "The Five Elements" with his charcoal pencil, then began listing subheadings. All the students were diligently taking notes; some even transcribed every word Mulan said, their shorthand impressively swift.

Handel had already decided he must seek out Mulan for private tutoring. He had often heard Lord Jonester humbly claim to be just a novice standing at the edge of the vast arcane world, but now realized how truly learned he was—and that he was, in fact, a professor at Black Castle. Handel had once naively hoped he might be Jonester’s classmate, but that was clearly wishful thinking.

Mulan himself had felt some trepidation about becoming a professor, but the students—regardless of age—were giving him due respect, which made teaching far more rewarding.

"The Five Elements are: the Primal or Creative Element, the Fundamental Element, the Transitional Element, the Special Element, and the Sacred or Fallen Element. In many books, these are numbered from one to five."

"The Creative Element represents infinite possibilities, and it also signifies the future."

"The Fundamental Element represents the essence of matter—such as your own existence."

"The Transitional Element involves various magical potions and influencing factors, as well as your past qualities and understanding; it stands for the past."

"The Special Element is a crucial reflection of your mental state and is vital in the growth of a power called Totem. Incidentally, in arcane studies, any item that surpasses common understanding and can influence your mind—whether positively or negatively—is also called a Special Element."

"As for the Sacred or Fallen Element, this concerns something particularly important. Their Power of Existence is extraordinarily potent, each possessing strange or formidable powers, but they are often extremely dangerous. Their creation, according to many magical books, is attributed to the influence of true gods or evil gods. These are the objects many extraordinary individuals vie for—relics."

Mulan spoke at length, determined to lay a solid foundation of understanding about how an extraordinary being is formed.

"All Five Elements are vital for becoming an extraordinary individual. Apart from the fourth and fifth, the first three are absolutely indispensable; without them, one lacks integrity and a stable existence. But what kind of existence am I referring to? Can anyone answer?"

Suddenly, Mulan turned to the class and posed a question without warning.

This question caught everyone off guard. Even though all were attentive, they were also anxious; few dared meet Mulan’s gaze, pretending instead to be lost in note-taking or deep in thought.

Dozens shared this demeanor, and Mulan found it both amusing and rather enjoyed this little mischief as a new professor.

He waited over ten seconds, but no one dared raise a hand. After some hesitation, Handel gritted his teeth and raised his hand.

"Yes, you there—please stand and answer."

Though he knew Mulan, Handel’s heartbeat was racing as he stood, fists clenched.

"Professor, I believe it is the existence that forms a world."

"Clap, clap—"

Mulan applauded and nodded toward Handel.

"Very good, that’s correct. This shows you listened carefully and are able to reason things out for yourself. What is your name?"

Mulan had not asked everyone to introduce themselves on the first day; he preferred to get to know each student through their participation. If someone remained unknown to him by the end, that would be a sign they were not up to standard.

"Professor, my name is Handel—Handel Linton."

"Please be seated, Mr. Linton."

Handel sat down, thrilled, while many students glanced at him admiringly; some felt a pang of regret—they had thought of the answer but lacked the courage to speak up.

Mulan had succeeded in energizing the class. He turned back to the wall and wrote the titles of the Three Worlds.

"The Formed World is the ultimate expression of our understanding of supernatural power. It embodies both our cognition and the source of our strength. The different stages along each path of progression are each a construction of a Formed World. What kind of extraordinary person you become will be matched by a corresponding Formed World. Certain mysterious creatures may differ, but for humans, there are no exceptions, not even for those who no longer consider themselves human."

He wrote not only "Formed World" but also "Archetypal World" and "Material World" as subheadings.

"We cannot discuss the Formed World in isolation. Leaving aside the specifics for now, we already know that using the Five Elements, or some of them, ultimately aims at constructing a Formed World. But besides the Formed World, there are also the Archetypal World and the Material World. The Three Worlds and the Five Elements are closely interconnected."

"The Material World serves as the foundation that carries everything. You can think of it as the world in which we exist, or the world as you perceive it. Both the Outer World and the Inner World fall within this concept—though those are two new terms. We’ll discuss them later."

Mulan drew a circle in the air with his staff.

"What did you see?"

The students looked at each other; one nervously answered, "We saw you draw a circle, Professor..."

"Exactly. On the level of the Material World, you see me draw a circle. But on the level of the Archetypal World, I used muscles and bones, expending my own energy, to move the staff in a circle. That energy came from my breakfast and previous reserves. The staff stirred the air, producing a faint breeze, and this staff is not an ordinary one—perhaps it also affected some form of energy, causing some interference... Do you understand what I mean?"

The students stared at Mulan, and many immediately began taking notes.

"Haha! I can see some of you are catching on. Yes, that is the Archetypal World—it stands for truth, or rather, the truth as you understand it. It represents the essence of the world, or your understanding of that essence. It is the sum of your accumulated knowledge, but also a test of your innate potential and even luck. The Five Elements are the foundation, while the Archetypal World is the earth, the soil. Without the Archetypal World, you cannot construct the Formed World—or at least, you cannot build a Formed World with stable existence!"

Though it was only half a lecture, Mulan’s effortless yet penetrating explanations had gently opened a door to the arcane world for this group of students. Some were ecstatic, some lost in deep thought, others wracked with headaches, but Mulan observed every reaction.

"Professor, you keep mentioning the Power of Existence and the stable existence of the Formed World. What happens if it is unstable?"

A small boy suddenly asked this question.

Mulan regarded him seriously, his expression growing grave. All the students felt an oppressive pressure; the classroom fell silent.

"An excellent question. What is your name?"

"Professor, my name is Benjamin Chakus."

Mulan nodded, then a cruel smile appeared on his lips.

"If, on the cognitive level, the faith level, or at the very level of the Power of Existence in the Formed World, one suffers a devastating blow, then one collapses. And this collapse is not as simple as you might think. It may cause one to lose rank and suffer serious harm, or it could lead to total mental and physical disintegration, or even leave you vulnerable to corruption and invasion in your weakened state, resulting in aberration and transformation into a monster..."

Mulan’s voice grew softer and softer, and the oppressive atmosphere increased. After his earlier lessons, no one thought the professor was joking.

At that moment, Mulan removed his hat, revealing the glass jar.

"Hehehehehe... He’s right. And the more stable and resolute one once was, the more terrifying the collapse. Mulan Jonester, I look forward to the day your world collapses. Hehehehe, I look forward to it..."

Mulan quickly replaced his hat, silently giving the demon a nod of approval. The creature was rather cooperative, even if it didn’t realize it.

"Today was merely an overview; we will not delve deeper for now. As for the factors influencing the Power of Existence, we must speak of the relationship between the Outer and Inner Worlds, the conventional boundaries between them, the dangers involved, and ways to avoid them..."

...

It took Mulan the entire morning to finish his lesson—much longer than he had anticipated. The students had become increasingly engaged, asking more questions, and his explanations often branched into new topics.

As a result, the class ran late, ending just before lunch.

Mulan now understood why his teachers used to run overtime when he was a student. Unlike his younger self, however, his students today seemed to enjoy the extended session.

Carrying his books back to his office, Mulan sat down with a smile—today had gone well enough. Looking around, he noticed the old wizard was nowhere to be seen.

Mulan resolved to study even harder; after all, it would not do for a professor to run out of things to teach.