Sorcerer's Handbook-Chapter 597: She Doesnt Like Reading

Lise, even without him, would surely grow up happily in the Royal Palace of Yisuo. But if possible, he still wanted to see Lise grow up. She would undoubtedly be cute and beautiful, though her love for food might turn her into an adorable chubby girl… And Annan…

Anfel was also waiting for Igor. If he wasn’t around, Igor might just turn into a scoundrel…

And then there was the one in the Virtual Realm, the one he cherished the most, the one he could never let go of…

Ashe nearly gritted his teeth to dust, pushing through the waves of the current, keeping pace with Vesser!

My life has only just begun!

“My life cannot end like this!”

Suddenly, a piercing wail erupted from a legendary figure ahead. This wasn’t the first fallen one whose will had rusted, but the legends around grew tense. “Kina, don’t act rashly!” “Kina, calm down! You’re the mental sorcerer known as the ‘Dreaming Songstress’!”

Ashe didn’t understand why everyone was so on edge, but Silver Lantern’s voice beside him was grave. “Be careful.”

“Why?”

“Shouldn’t you know this better than anyone?” Vesser stared at Kina, who was being swept back. “Even without a spirit, a mental sorcerer is dangerous, let alone a legendary one.”

Ashe thought of Igor and nodded in agreement. Then he turned his gaze to Kina, preparing with Vesser to dodge at any moment.

But as Kina struggled, he began to sing a mournful melody with a clear, resonant voice.

Almost everyone froze, as an overwhelming sense of homesickness seeped into their minds through their ears.

This song of Kina’s wasn’t his strongest, but it was certainly the most effective-after all, most here had just learned they had lost over two hundred years of their past. Even Kina himself had rusted in will because he knew he no longer had a home to return to.

With the enhancement of legendary-level technique, combined with the raw emotion of despair, even without a spirit, it was enough to be called a Miracle.

But legends were still legends. Many shook off the melancholy instantly, while others slowed down. Yet, some sentimental sorcerers were dragged down by Kina’s invisible hand.

Thud.

Vesser realized she was being pulled back. She turned her head and saw a pitiful soul sinking into despair.

Ashe paddled forward with all his might, his face twisted as if he wanted to kill someone, but his body felt light and powerless, like a deflated balloon being swept away by the water. Rationally, he knew this couldn’t go on, but emotionally, he was unleashing months of pent-up grief.

He was human, after all. His heart wasn’t made of iron. How could he truly let go of the past? When he saw the Observer, he had been genuinely happy, even if it was just a false solace. At least he could talk to the Observer until his eyes grew moist.

These legends had only heard that their homes were gone. They hadn’t yet seen the Senlo Wasteland, and they still had a chance to return to their homeland.

But he…

Thud!

Just as Ashe was about to completely let go, Vesser grabbed his hand. She was still swimming, but dragging this deadweight, she too was swept away by the Golden Flow.

“It’s only because the Golden Flow has drained my strength,” Ashe said. “Otherwise, I’d definitely drag you down with me.”

What he meant was for Silver Lantern to let him go. But instead, she nodded. “As you wish.”

She pulled Ashe closer, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, still struggling against the Golden Flow.

“Do you want to die?” Ashe asked. “But if I’m gone, you’ll definitely be caught by the Circle Cicada.”

Kina’s mournful song still echoed through the passage. Vesser said, “I really didn’t expect you to be brought down by this song. To me, it’s just some unpleasant music.”

“It’s a good thing you can’t understand it,” Ashe’s voice actually softened. “Because you haven’t lost enough.”

“No, it’s because what I have far outweighs what I’ve lost,” Vesser stared at him. “Don’t you still have someone you love?”

“Don’t you want to kiss her lips? Don’t you want to feel her warmth? Don’t you want to be tangled up with her from morning till night?”

“I-“

“Don’t listen to that awful song, listen to me!” Vesser interrupted him, pressing close to his ear. Her voice was softer, more enchanting, and more captivating than the mournful song. “After you leave the Virtual Realm, the moment you open your eyes, you’ll see her. She’ll be half-asleep, clinging to you and whining. After you both freshen up, you’ll make breakfast together. In the morning, she’ll be reading in the study, and even though you’re not interested, you’ll sit beside her doing other things. You’ll occasionally glance at each other, share a kiss, or play around.”

“After lunch, you’ll go to the library to read. The library is supposed to be quiet, but you can never settle down. You’ll always try to make her laugh, earning warnings from others before finally calming down for a while. Occasionally, you’ll quietly read the same book together.”

“After dinner is your intimate time. This is when she’s most obedient to you all day. You can do whatever you want, but she always guesses your intentions before you act. Only when you’re both satisfied do you reluctantly lie down on the bed, gazing at each other as you enter the Virtual Realm…”

By the time Silver Lantern was halfway through her words, Ashe had already managed to resist the interference of the mournful song, regaining some strength.

And by the time she finished, he had completely stopped being swept back, his will to fight against the current fully restored.

Now, they were less than ten meters away from the Circle Cicada.

The lingering song grew closer. They turned their heads and saw Kina passing by them. They glanced at this despairing legendary sorcerer and continued their struggle upstream.

A moment later, the heart-wrenching mournful song finally stopped, signaling that the Circle Cicada had received a new snack.

“She doesn’t like reading,” Ashe suddenly said.

“I do,” Vesser replied.

At this moment, the Circle Cicada, having eaten a bit too much, let out a belch. Although it hadn’t stopped feeding, its body grew larger, and the chirping from its tymbal muscles became increasingly piercing.

With the Circle Cicada’s call, the flow of the Golden Flow Water slowed even further, but the intensity of its impact on the sorcerers’ wills didn’t decrease-it intensified.

If the earlier pressure from the Golden Flow was like a barrage of bullets raining down from all directions, now it felt like a massive iron ball rolling through, blocking the entire space. The former could be dodged with effort, but the latter had to be endured head-on.

“It can actually control the Golden Flow?” Ashe was stunned.

“The Circle Cicada’s earlier spellcasting used the Golden Flow Water as fuel, so naturally, it has limited control over it,” Vesser explained. “In essence, when a spirit casts a spell, it channels virtual realm power into reality through the Gate of Truth. Simply put, spellcasting requires spellforce and spellcasting materials. We sorcerers provide the spellforce, while the spirit transfers the materials from the virtual realm.”

“For example, spirits of the Time Sect consume Golden Flow Water, while fire, water, and Earth spells consume virtual realm materials. True creation from nothingness doesn’t exist in this world. All spirits can be said to be Spatial Miracles.”

Ashe recalled the resources he had found on the Time Continent and asked, “What about the Physical Sect, like Swordsmanship and Fist-Claw?”

“That involves the evolution of virtual realm materials,” Vesser replied. “But explaining it would be pointless-you wouldn’t understand.”

As they chatted, they didn’t stop moving, swimming desperately toward the main group.

With the resistance of the Golden Flow increasing, everyone’s speed had significantly dropped. Every inch forward felt like an immense struggle.

While the two were swimming back, three more individuals with rusted wills were swept downstream, lining up to await the Circle Cicada’s “blessing.”

As they approached the main group, Ashe and Vesser overheard the conversations ahead:

“Karsnas, after you survive, join me in rebuilding the Misty White cult!”

“No, I want to travel to other kingdoms. I want to visit the Blood Moon Kingdom, where Parase comes from, and see if the Blood Saints are truly as powerful as they say compared to our Dragon Blood Cultivation System.”

“Senlo is still our homeland. If it truly becomes a chaotic wasteland, I plan to rebuild it.”

“I want to go to the Gospel to seek an answer…”

Ashe was slightly puzzled by their sudden exchange of ideals, but Vesser understood their struggle. “Kina reminded them. They’re using words to strengthen their wills.”

“Without spirits, words can still be a powerful force if one masters the Mental Sect. In fact, if they weren’t proficient in the Mental Sect, they probably would’ve been swept away long ago.”

“The Mental Sect isn’t just about understanding others; it’s an essential path to knowing oneself. Any sorcerer who seeks inward is bound to achieve something in the Mental Sect, as it’s the only way to persist,” Vesser explained. “I’ve reached the silver level in the Mental Sect.”

“I’m at the Golden level,” Ashe said.

“Then why did you need my help?” Vesser teased.

As they spoke, they caught up with the main group and finally understood why even legendary sorcerers were using conversation to strengthen their resolve.

The Circle Cicada was growing smarter. Under its active control, the further upstream one went, the slower the current became, but the resistance was also more terrifying. It was gradually learning how to use the Golden Flow to its advantage, turning it into a tool for hunting.

Just staying afloat was an immense challenge for the sorcerers, let alone swimming forward.

Killing each other had become meaningless. Not only did the sorcerers lack the energy for it, but more importantly, the Circle Cicada was the one controlling the flow.

Moreover, everyone vaguely realized that the more people the Circle Cicada consumed, the higher its intelligence would grow.

“Ah!”

Karsnas was finally overwhelmed, swept toward the Circle Cicada’s mandibles by the slow current. This legendary sorcerer, who had wanted to witness the Blood Saints on the Blood Moon, couldn’t escape the fate of being swallowed by history.

Now it was Vesser’s turn to falter. She was repeatedly pushed back by the vast Riptide.

After all, none of the legendary sorcerers here were weaker than Vesser, and none had a smaller vision than her. But this was a temporal torrent that even they couldn’t withstand. The fact that Vesser had lasted this long was a testament to her legendary caliber.

Ashe didn’t say a word, simply falling back to her level. When Vesser glanced at him, Ashe looked slightly uncomfortable, glaring at her before turning his gaze forward.

For some reason, that look from Ashe acted like the finest whetstone, scraping away the rust from Silver Lantern’s resolve and sharpening her will. Vesser’s nearly shattered determination solidified once more, and together with Ashe, she continued to fight against the current.

After the Circle Cicada let out a second burp-like chirp, Mess, who was at the front, suddenly burst into cheers. Ashe and Vesser looked up and saw a distant torch glowing in the distance-

That was the end of the Trial’s passage and the starting point of the Golden Flow!