Alice indeed ordered two cups of coffee. One was a New York-style mocha, and the other was a classic latte. When the coffee was served, Alice handed the mocha to William first, “Master, try this one. It’s a New York specialty.” Knowing William wasn’t fond of cold beverages, she specifically ordered both hot. Taking a sip, William praised, “This is really good.” Alice offered the other cup, “And this one?” After another taste, he remarked, “This is also excellent, a bit bitter, but richer in flavor.” Curiously, Alice inquired, “Which one do you prefer?” Holding the latte, William responded, “I’ll go with this one.” Alice nodded slightly, picked up the mocha, and sat across from him. Taking a gentle sip, she murmured, “I really like this mocha too. It has the essence of New York.”
William gazed intently at Alice.
Feeling his stare, Alice lowered her head, her heart racing, her body tense.
William eventually asked, “Aren’t you bothered drinking from the cup I sipped from?”
Startled, Alice looked up with a blushing face and tried to play it cool, “Why would I mind? You’re my master after all.”
“That’s good to hear. You seemed a bit nervous,” William commented earnestly. “Perhaps I’ve been a bit harsh with you at times, but if you don’t want that coffee, you don’t have to drink it. I’m not that intimidating.”
“Why would I think that? Master, don’t overthink things. I wouldn’t ever mind,” Alice quickly replied before downing a large sip of her coffee.
She never expected William to be so direct, which left her slightly flustered.
William began reading a book, not dwelling on the matter.
“Tonight, Evelyn and I are attending a social gathering. Can you manage the store?”
“Oh! Sure,” Alice murmured, her head lowered. “Evelyn’s grandfather’s health has improved from a few days ago. He might be able to undergo the surgery this month.”
Without looking up, William responded, “Handle that as you see fit.”
Alice then posed some questions about the things to be cautious of during fasting.
William patiently answered each of her questions.
According to him, adopting specific methods to enhance energy efficiency would yield twice the results with half the effort. When starting the fasting, she could initially consume some nuts. Moreover, it was crucial to select a place with a good ambiance conducive to meditation. Parks in big cities or the Catskill Mountains not far from New York were excellent choices.
After finishing her latte, Alice looked at William with a mournful expression, “Master, do I have to rely solely on those nuts?”
For a food enthusiast like Alice, consuming only nuts every day felt like torture. Especially when she looked forward to tasting various dishes at William’s place daily, fasting and energy enhancement seemed less critical in her eyes.
Without giving it much thought, William replied, “Of course not. Fasting is merely a method to cleanse impurities from your body. I can set up an AuraField in the bookstore. You just need to meditate there for three hours daily.”
Typically, a Soulmancer’s fasting training would indeed require them to diet for three to five years, consuming only some nuts or specific ingredients daily. But Alice was William’s disciple. Given the significant benefits of the food prepared by William for energy training, why did she need to fast as strictly as others?
“AuraField?” Alice’s eyes lit up, “What materials do we need?” ．
“Go upstairs and bring down that special pen and paper,” William said, putting down his book, preparing to set up a mini energy field for Alice.
Alice immediately ran upstairs and returned with the unique writing tools, “Master, let me help you set it up.”
William nodded, picking up the pen with a hint of concern in his heart. Considering the modern era they lived in, compared to ancient traditions, would such a mini energy field truly be effective?
William was well-versed in the mysterious formations of Soulmancers. He recalled some ancient magical circle patterns he had learned during his interactions with Zeus’s son, Hermes. He often reminded himself that in this bustling metropolis, any small action could have far-reaching effects. So, when constructing this magic circle, he didn’t choose any special materials, just using ordinary writing ink.
Alice had already prepared the ink for him. William gently dipped his pen, focused his mind, and activated the ancient formation. His brushstrokes gracefully landed on an oak table in an old New York library. To Alice, it felt as if the entire world had vanished, leaving only the dancing shadow of William’s pen before her eyes.
With his first stroke, a brilliant rainbow appeared across the New York sky. On the streets of New York, countless people stopped in their tracks, looked up, and were astounded by this sudden spectacle.
William, immersed in his world, was completely unaware of the global impact his actions had made. Far in the Rockies, the song of dragons echoed through the mountains; in the central plains, despite the blazing sun, the stars in the night sky twinkled. In the major cities of Europe and Asia, stars that were usually obscured by light pollution now shone brightly, as if they were stars from heaven.
Astronomers worldwide were stunned. What phenomenon was this? A starry sky under the sun, it defied all logic!
But all of this lasted only a few seconds before the world returned to normal. Faced with such an inexplicable sight, how would the scientific community and the general public explain it?
Only within those secret cultivation groups hidden within the city, a number of discreet Soulmancers stared excitedly at the sky.
“What on earth happened? Was an ancient large-scale energy field activated?” “Such an immense power of the stars turning into spiritual energy. Is New York’s destiny about to change?” “Yes, New York! More spiritual energy is converging towards New York! Could it be that some kind of energy artifact has appeared in New York?”
…
When William finished his last stroke, he slightly furrowed his brows, murmuring, “The effect of this AuraField seems to have exceeded my expectations.”
If those Soulmancers were to know that all this happened just because William drew a small AuraField in the library, they might gather in front of the library, forming a long line to bow down in reverence.
“Master, the impact of your AuraField is simply astonishing!” It was indeed extremely astonishing!
However, on the whole, William was quite satisfied. He had tried to control the effects of the AuraField as much as he could. Had he used special materials or incorporated his own blood, New York would probably be swarming with Soulmancers by the next day.
“Is the AuraField done just like that?” Alice, looking perplexed, stared at the fading ink on the table.
Although she had closely observed every stroke William made, now that the AuraField had vanished completely, she felt like she had amnesia, not recalling any of the patterns.
“It’s done!” William put down his brush, picked up a book, and said, “Pack everything up. I’ll teach you a new breathing technique different from what you usually use. You won’t need to meditate anymore, and you can enhance your abilities at any moment.”