The High Magic Era...

After the Sea Folk ruled the continent of Amelia for over nine thousand years, the world changed with time. The seas gradually receded, and the land slowly emerged, as if by divine will. The Sea Folk's reign came with the changing of the seasons and the heavens, and with their downfall, the land races finally returned to the stage of the continent.

However, perhaps due to the near ten thousand years of submersion and erosion, although the seas were receding, the energies of the world were still chaotic, with various magical elements remaining especially active. Thus, the "High Magic Era" arrived.

This was an era dominated by "magic." Due to the extreme activity of magical elements, magical civilization naturally became the new mainstream, with various magical skills developing explosively. While some of these skills existed before, they were perfected and passed down through this era. In this grand environment, the elves, often called the "naturally magical race," gradually became the third generation of protagonists on the continent of Amelia, continuing their own brilliant chapter after the Giants and Sea Folk.

"The Protagonist One Hundred Thousand Years Later - Walking Beneath the Wheels of History"

...

The next morning, Luo Yan slowly woke from his deep meditation. Stretching his somewhat stiff limbs, he snapped his fingers.

As expected... nothing happened at all! (Sigh)

He rubbed his temples, not feeling too disappointed. In fact, a faint smile appeared on his lips. Was it realistic to expect to cast a 1st-level spell just after one night of meditation? Even the genius mages from the Elven Age, who could casually cast forbidden spells, wouldn't be able to do that.

In fact, last night's meditation was highly successful. After a full night of deep meditation, Luo Yan had opened seven magic channels and stabilized four of them. The remaining three were already faintly visible and looked like they could be stabilized within half a year.

Such progress was beyond what Luo Yan had expected. Before his rebirth, when he practiced the "Kill You 3000 Common Tutorial Low-level Meditation Technique (2.0 version)", it took him his first time meditating to only open four magic channels, of which only one stabilized. This time, the reason things went so smoothly was not just because of Luo Yan's rich experience, which allowed him to avoid many detours, but more importantly because of the sub-legendary meditation technique "Radiant Earth."

A high-level meditation technique had brought about such "terrifying" changes...

Now Luo Yan finally understood why, before his rebirth, the gap between him and his exceptional peers had been so large. This speed of cultivation was almost several times faster than before his rebirth.

Shaking his head, Luo Yan pushed aside the inexplicable emotions rising in his heart, quickly dressed, splashed cold water on his face, and ran to the backyard.

The morning mist was thin, and the air smelled of fresh earth. Luo Yan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His lungs felt cool, invigorating him and refreshing his spirit.

The backyard of Luo Yan's house wasn't very large, but it was enough for a five-year-old child to move around. There were a few Xilai Trees planted there, a large tree with lush leaves that provided excellent shade in the summer. In the fall, the trees bore sweet, red fruits that resembled mulberries.

The ground beneath the Xilai trees was covered with stones. On a summer evening, walking barefoot over it would bring a cool, refreshing sensation, like eating a chilled watermelon, soothing and invigorating.

Although the courtyard was small, it was perfect for Luo Yan to exercise. At the moment, he stood in the middle of the yard, jogging as part of his warm-up. This wasn't just playing; he was serious about strengthening his body.

Yesterday's meditation had gone smoothly, and now he needed to think about how to speed up his magic power cultivation. Luo Yan had several methods in mind, but most of them required magical tools or materials, which weren't practical for him at the moment.

Fortunately, he knew one very simple method to increase his magic power cultivation speed!!

Luo Yan kept running, leaping, and stretching his legs...

- Maintaining a strong physique was the simplest way Luo Yan knew to increase his magic power cultivation speed, and it was the most convenient method under his current circumstances. Despite how simple it seemed, this method could improve his magic cultivation speed by at least 10%.

"Magic is ultimately a battle of strength. A mage actually needs a strong body."

This was a phrase that Luo Yan's disciple, Allen, loved to repeat. At first, Luo Yan scoffed at the idea. Who ever heard of a mage needing a "strong body"? A mage's strength came from the mental power and magic they gained through meditation! So, mages spent their time meditating - who would waste time on physical exercise?

However, after a series of real-life experiences, Luo Yan gradually realized that Allen's words made sense. Whether mental power or magic, both were dependent on the body. Only with a strong body could a person have the energy to train effectively. Luo Yan also found through experiments that people with stronger bodies had a faster magic power growth rate during meditation, at least 10% faster than ordinary people.

This was just the minimum standard. How much faster could it be with the best condition? Luo Yan wasn't sure. When he discovered this phenomenon before his rebirth, he was already over 130 years old. His body hadn't aged yet, but years of lack of exercise had left him physically weak, incapable of intense workouts. As a result, his training effects had been limited.

Even so, after five years of consistent training, Luo Yan had benefited significantly. His magic power growth had increased by almost 10%. If he had started training at a younger age, the improvement would have been even more remarkable, but no one knew by how much.

...

...

...

Luo Yan ran lap after lap, gasping for breath. Though the yard wasn't large, running around it thirty times would be exhausting for an adult, let alone a five-year-old child.

After finishing, he stood still for a short rest, then struck a strange stance, letting out a loud shout. He swiftly executed eight outward kicks, followed by eight inward leg sweeps. A surge of heat ran up his spine, and sweat began pouring from his body, soaking his clothes...

This exercise method was something Luo Yan learned from his disciple, Allen. Luo Yan didn't know where Allen had picked up these peculiar exercises. They were completely different from the traditional methods on the continent of Amelia, but their effectiveness was extraordinary. After only a month of training, Luo Yan had seen significant improvements in his physical strength. After six months, he had developed a physique on par with a 2nd-level apprentice swordsman.

Due to his age and current conditions, Luo Yan could only do exercises such as jogging, jumping, and leg stretches. More intense exercises, like weight training or using equipment, were temporarily beyond his means. Still, after completing a full set of exercises, it took him nearly three magical hours, and he didn't finish until it was close to lunchtime.

Standing there, wiping off the sweat, Luo Yan reflected on some of the details from his previous life. He began planning how to improve his training methods. He would also need to figure out how to create some training equipment, although doing so would require explanations and would be a hassle.

Sigh... five years old... what an awkward age... (Sigh)

Just as he was lost in thought, the sound of footsteps approached, and Susan appeared in the backyard, smiling at Luo Yan and saying, "Son, done playing? Hurry up and take a bath before lunch. You're all sweaty! Be careful not to catch a cold!"

Luo Yan was left speechless. Playing? He was seriously "training"!

However, Susan didn't know what he was thinking. She had woken up to find her usually lazy son already out in the backyard exercising. She didn't fully understand what her quirky son was doing, but seeing him so seriously performing his moves, she assumed he was enjoying himself, so she didn't disturb him. When he stopped, she came over to call him for lunch.

Pouting in feigned protest, Luo Yan looked up and casually said, "No rush, Mom... Dad will be back soon. Let's wait for him to eat together!"

Susan froze for a moment, then covered her mouth with a smile and said, "Son, what are you talking about? You already miss Dad after just a few days? But they won't be back for at least seven days. He won't be home today."

Luo Yan rolled his eyes. He had forgotten that his father had originally planned to return after seven days but had come back early due to an unexpected incident on the road. He couldn't just casually mention this! It was too careless!

At once, Luo Yan felt guilty. He realized that he needed to be more careful about such details in the future. If he kept saying things like this, people might start thinking he was some kind of "prophet" or "fortune teller"! His dream was to become a "great mage," not a "mystic"!

With a childish grin, Luo Yan quickly used his advantage and smiled mischievously. He hurriedly ran to take a bath, and after a bit of delay, with his hair still wet, he emerged feeling refreshed, only to hear hearty laughter from the yard.

Dad! His dad was back!

The Eden Era…

Like the turning of the seasons, when glory reaches its peak, decline soon follows. After more than ten thousand years, the violent surges of the world’s power finally began to fade. Energies across the land settled, and the once-restless magical elements sank into deep stillness.

The force that had once ruled the world… became the quietest presence of all.

With the “winter of magic” upon the land, even the elves — once beloved by the gods — withdrew silently into the ancient forests, relinquishing their place as the masters of the continent.

The fourth rulers of the age were the Goblins.

They named their strength “craftwork” — and the world entered what they proudly called the Eden Era.

Great airships drifted across the sky, iron vessels belched steam along the rivers, roaring siege cannons shattered city walls, and precise rune-muskets formed terrifying battle formations. Upon these foundations, the Goblins built an empire unlike anything before.

The Era of Craft and Iron had arrived.

“The Protagonist a Hundred Thousand Years Later — Beneath the Wheels of History.”

…

The next morning, Luo Yan slowly emerged from deep meditation. He stretched his stiff limbs and snapped his fingers.

As expected… nothing happened.

He rubbed his forehead, but instead of disappointment, a faint smile curved his lips. Casting a 1st-tier spell after only one night of meditation? Even during the Elven Age — when prodigies wove forbidden spells like they were common tricks — that would have been impossible.

In truth, last night had been a great success.

After one full night of meditation, Luo Yan had opened seven magic channels and stabilized four of them. The remaining three were faintly visible, likely to stabilize within half a year.

Such progress had once been unthinkable.

Before his rebirth, when he first practiced the Common Beginner’s Meditation Manual (Revised Edition), he had opened only four channels — and only one stabilized. This time, the difference came not only from experience, but from the sub-legendary meditation technique:

Radiant Earth.

Only now did Luo Yan truly understand why the gap between him and the true geniuses of his previous life had been so vast.

This speed of growth… was frightening.

Shaking away the lingering emotions, he dressed, splashed cold water on his face, and ran to the backyard.

Morning mist drifted through the air, carrying the scent of damp earth. Luo Yan breathed deeply, and the cool freshness sharpened his spirit.

The yard was small, planted with several Xilai trees whose thick leaves cast wide shade in summer and bore reddish fruit in autumn. Smooth stones covered the ground beneath them; walking barefoot over them in the evening was cool and soothing.

It wasn’t large — but for a five-year-old, it was enough.

Luo Yan jogged slowly to warm up. This wasn’t play.

He was training his body.

His meditation had gone well. Now, he needed to find ways to increase the rate at which his magic power grew. Many methods required rare tools and materials — things he didn’t have.

But there was one method he could use right now.

He ran, leaped, and stretched.

A strong body — that was the simplest way to quicken magic cultivation. Even at the lowest level, it increased growth by at least ten percent.

“Magic is still a contest of strength. A mage needs a solid body.”

Allen, his disciple from his previous life, often said that. Luo Yan had laughed at him back then. Mages relied on spirit and magic — who would waste time training their bodies?

But reality had taught him otherwise.

Everything — spirit, mana, endurance — relied on the body that carried them.

Those whose bodies were stronger simply grew faster during meditation.

At least ten percent faster.

And that was only the baseline.

Before his rebirth, when he discovered this truth, he was already more than a century old. Though his body hadn’t yet decayed, long years of neglect had left him weak. He simply had no strength for harsh training — and his results had been limited.

Even so, five years of steady practice had increased his cultivation speed by nearly ten percent. If he had started young, the benefits might have been far greater.

…

Luo Yan ran thirty laps, panting heavily. For most adults, it would have been tiring — for a child, it was brutal.

He paused briefly, then assumed a strange stance. With a shout, he kicked outward eight times, then swept his legs inward eight more. Heat surged along his spine, and sweat drenched his clothes.

These movements were something he had learned from Allen.

They were completely different from anything commonly practiced on the continent, yet astonishingly effective. In only a month, his strength improved noticeably. After half a year, his body rivaled that of a 2nd-tier apprentice swordsman.

For now, he could only jog, jump, and stretch. True strength training was beyond his age and resources.

Even so, this routine took nearly three full hours. By the time he finished, it was close to noon.

Wiping his sweat, Luo Yan reviewed memories from his past life, considering how to refine his training. If possible, he would eventually need to design equipment — though explaining it would be troublesome.

Five years old… truly a difficult age.

Footsteps approached.

Susan stepped into the yard and smiled warmly.

“Son, are you done? Take a bath before lunch. You’re soaked — you’ll catch a chill!”

Playing?

He was clearly training.

But she simply thought her odd little boy had found a new game. She hadn’t wanted to disturb him.

Luo Yan pretended to pout. “No rush. Dad will be back soon. Let’s wait and eat together.”

Susan blinked in surprise, then laughed softly.

“What are you saying? You already miss him? He won’t return for at least seven days.”

Luo Yan froze.

Right — in his last life, something unexpected happened, and his father came home early. He couldn’t speak carelessly like this.

A hint of guilt crept into his heart.

If he kept slipping like this, others might start thinking he could foresee the future. And he had no intention of becoming some mysterious oracle.

He wanted to become a great mage.

He laughed it off and ran to bathe. When he finally returned, still drying his hair—

Laughter echoed in the yard.

His father was home.