After the little 'friendly' conflict was resolved, things became a lot more relaxed.

They all took a seat on the table at the Observation Deck. Daoist Chu and Monk Hushu had also joined them by this time and were introduced to Qiao De and Ziran. Content © 2024.

There, Lin Mu took the opportunity to ask Ziran several more questions about the elves, as well as their cultivation systems.

He got to learn that while most of the elves also utilized Qi for cultivation, there were a few elves in mortal worlds that actually used another type of energy.

"Mana?" Lin Mu repeated the word, finding it rather novel.

He couldn't get its meaning and was sure it didn't belong in the Dao Script either.

"Yes, Mana." Ziran nodded. "You can consider it an alternative energy that is found in some worlds instead of Qi. Though once the inhabitants of those mortal worlds would often switch to Qi once they expanded to other worlds or learned about cultivation." He explained.

"Wait… so they don't cultivate?" Lin Mu was surprised.

"Yeah, they use something called Magic." Ziran nodded his head.

Now that was a word that Lin Mu could understand. It was part of the Dao Script too and was often used in a lot of techniques too.

"How does this… Magic work?" Lin Mu asked.

"It is quite similar to how we use our Qi. Mana is the energy which can be used to fuel spells which are an equivalent of Qi skills." Ziran replied.

"Huh… No wonder they say all rivers lead to the same ocean… The words might be different and so is the fuel, but the core of it is the same concept." Lin Mu muttered to himself.

Ziran nodded, hearing that before speaking, "though there are some differences. Such as the fact that Magic is relatively easier to use and learn than Qi."

"Oh? How so?" Lin Mu questioned with interest.

"A major part of magic is also based on runes. Just like how formations are made from runes, spells are also made from runes. Of course, the magic runes I speak are different from the ones we use." Ziran said first. "As such, as long as one knows how to use the runes and studies them, they can use magic. Something as simple as writing down the runes accurately is enough to trigger magic.

But that is only on the entry level. Those that are better and stronger don't need to do that and can utilize magic instinctively. And when one can do that, they are called as Mages." He explained.

Lin Mu's interest kept on rising the more listened to the man, especially considering the similarities between the two different systems.

"In fact, most mages when they reach the peak of power realize that they need superior forms of energy to progress further. This is when they start to discover Qi and adapt it." Ziran added, making it click for Lin Mu.

"Just like cultivators upgrade from Spirit Qi to Immortal Qi, or Vital Energy to Immortal Essence!" Lin Mu said out loud.

"Indeed. Though a Mage at their peak wouldn't need to use spirit Qi for too long. A peak Mage is strong enough to go against even a False Immortal." Ziran revealed another fact.

"Whoa…" Lin Mu couldn't help but be surprised.

"But that's not all. It takes far less item for a Mage to reach their peak than it does a cultivator." Ziran stated. "It might take a cultivator thousands of years to reach the False Immortal realm, but a mage will take less than a thousand years for the same." He added.

"What are the drawbacks?" Lin Mu could tell that there should be some trade off.

"The drawback is the main advantage of Cultivation… Longevity." Ziran answered. "While mages can live longer than mortals, they have a limit to their lifespan. Even with their magic extending their life, as well as some external resources, they often have a hard time living longer than a thousand years.

Not to mention, even if they live that long they still continue to age." He explained.

"That is a great disadvantage…" Lin Mu said with a frown. "At the expense of power they give up on longevity."

"Indeed." Ziran replied before taking a pause. "Though that is mostly an issue for Humans." He added.

"Huh?" Lin Mu raised his brows.

"Races like Elves are long lived. Even an elf that doesn't really practice magic much will live to at least a thousand years. Those that excel in magic will live up to three times as long." Ziran said with a smile. "Elves also tend to have a natural talent in magic."

"Oh my… I guess Magic isn't as favorable for humans." Lin Mu said with a chuckle.

"Though they also happen to be the ones that have brought the most development to magic. Naturally long lived races tend to get stuck up in their waves and forgo innovation. Humans on the other hand, keep on improving more and more." Ziran responded. "In fact, it is even said that it was a human mage that discovered Qi for the first time. In his pursuit for longevity he eventually realized Mana was not enough and discovered the new energy known as Qi." He stated.

"Interesting… And how about you. Being a half elf, do you also have a long life? And a talent in magic?" Lin Mu questioned.

"Nah, since I am only half blooded, I don't have the same long life. Depending on what elf blood a half elf has, they can have anywhere from a third to half as much longevity as normal elves." Ziran answered. "For example, half elves with High Elf blood have half as long longevity as a full elf. While half elves with dark elf and wood elf blood have about a third of that."

"Hmm… what about the talent in magic?" Lin Mu asked further.

"I do have that." Ziran replied, arousing Lin Mu's interest, who waited for him to explain.