Above the mage!

Chapter 543 Master?

Of the 19 second-circle spells that Gao Dexin has mastered, more than ten can be used in combat, including:
[Earthbind] restricts flight;
[Bear's Resilience] enhances endurance and resistance;
The [Bull's Strength] enhances power;
The "Cat Elegance" technique makes the recipient more graceful, agile, and coordinated in their movements.
The [Frozen Metal] becomes significantly more powerful in Gao De's hands;
The [Shattering Sound Wave] of the Pulsatility system;
Similarly, [Thorns] can gain a power amplification when cast by Gaode;
[Geomagnetism] is extremely effective against creatures with metal armor or metal-based bodies;
A replacement for [North Wind]'s [Frost Sword];
The ice-themed version of the thorny thicket [Ice Thorns].

The room was simply furnished, with no superfluous decorations, except for a real-time map of Phoenix city hanging on the wall.

The lines on the urban construction map are rough but clear, clearly showing the current construction status and progress of Phoenix.

On the wooden table by the window, dozens of blank parchment sheets were spread out, with several quill pens neatly stacked along the edges.

In the center of the table, an incense holder made of moonlight white sandalwood stands quietly.

The tube has a warm luster, the delicate wood grain meanders like flowing water, and a faint sandalwood fragrance wafts out, mixed with a hint of mystery.

Gao De sat at the table and first drank a bottle of the [Super Memory] secret medicine, which was imbued with the lingering aftertaste, in one gulp.

My consciousness instantly became clear, as if coated with a transparent film.

Then, Gao De picked up the finely textured incense holder and gently unscrewed the cap.

Three sections of incense stick, each about the length of a thumb, immediately caught the eye, each gleaming with a mother-of-pearl-like luster.

The golden threads wrapped around the incense core are even more mysterious and unpredictable.

This is a mind-clarifying incense made from spirit petals and time sand.

Gao De took out a piece of incense and placed it on the incense holder on the table.

He then raised his right hand, gently snapped his thumb and forefinger together, and with a soft "snap," he had already cast [Spark Spell].

A faint but steady spark leaped from the top of the incense burner.

The sparks spread slowly, and wisps of smoke rose up with them.

This smoke is unlike the heavy, pungent smoke of ordinary incense; instead, it carries an almost transparent, ethereal lightness, slowly unfurling in the tranquil air, like a living, coiling serpent.

The smoke carried the unique, slightly bitter fragrance of the flower petals from the spirit world, and when inhaled, it brought a sense of peace to the mind.

Soon, the green smoke, following Gao De's breathing, seeped into his body in wisps.

In an instant, a strange feeling surged into his heart, as if countless invisible tendrils of thought were awakening in his mind.

They began to unravel the intricate and chaotic network of memories in Gaode's mind.

Those blurry fragments have become incredibly clear at this moment.

The stuttering and confusion that I used to experience when recalling things have all disappeared.

This feeling is like turning memories into a book, which Gaode can freely browse from a third-person perspective.

Gao De focused all his attention on the target he was trying to recall.

This first step in the spiritual clarity incense is about recalling how to plan a city and system that can prosper in the long term, rather than a "cement formula".

He regained memories of urban planning and construction blueprints, efficient logistics and military mobilization networks, and economics that he had seen in his previous life.

The experience of the birth of Ethernet taught Gaode a lesson:
In a world where supernatural powers exist, many "scientific and technological" problems can be solved with magic.

Therefore, we should not use the precious incense of spiritual clarity for a single isolated invention, but rather for systematic planning ideas and thought models summarized by past civilizations through continuous trial and error, and for social engineering solutions and institutional designs that have been verified over thousands of years.
These are the things that cannot be replaced by magic.

A series of clear urban construction blueprints unfolded in my mind.

The grid-like street layout, the concept of zoning planning, and the ecological cycle design—these urban construction blueprints, which have stood the test of time and been considered by masters in the relevant fields, are constantly being reviewed by Gaode Maps.

This is followed by various model road networks for transportation hub construction, including radial and nodal principles, as well as hierarchical mobilization systems and other concepts.

Finally, memories related to economics came flooding back, including key steps in the construction of the monetary system, "standard currency," the concept of public finance, and economic thinking such as "taxation supports development, and development increases tax revenue."

At this point, Gao De had to be grateful that he was born into a relatively wealthy middle-class family in his previous life.

From a young age, he traveled to many famous cities both in China and abroad with his parents.

Furthermore, his parents strongly adhere to the educational philosophy of "learning through play." Whenever they travel to a city, their favorite thing to do is to take him to visit places that showcase the local culture, such as museums, ancient city ruins, and other cultural buildings, and analyze the reasons for the rise and fall of the city from the perspectives of economic geography and history.

During this process, he learned about the "Haussmannian renovation" of Paris, the radial layout of Washington, D.C., and the contrast between the ancient capital's "front court, back market, left ancestral temple, right altar of the land" layout.
In addition, there was his learning experience at Kyoto University. As a mathematics student, many economics subjects, although not his major, were part of his general elective courses.

He had taken courses such as "Monetary Banking" and "Public Finance" and had some impression of the theories in them.

Economics is a very profound discipline, and these superficial explorations are certainly far from sufficient.

What he needs to do now is to recall all the economics-related books, then copy them, select the contents, and give them to Elsa to study.

In this respect, Elsa has far more experience than him.

Fortunately, Gaode has always been an excellent student in both character and academics. Although he has not studied the books recommended in these courses in a serious manner, he has honestly borrowed them from the library and read them through in a haphazard way.

Thirty minutes passed in the blink of an eye. The incense burned out, and the last wisp of smoke slowly dissipated into the air.

Gao De suddenly snapped out of that clear state of memory, feeling a slight throbbing in his brain, yet unusually clear-headed.

Without hesitation, the instant he regained his senses, he immediately cast [Mage's Hand+], picked up two quill pens, and began writing furiously on the blank parchment.

The rustling sound of parchment being rubbed together was particularly clear in the quiet room.

Gao De needs to write down everything he just recalled on paper during the duration of the [Hyperthymesia] drug.

After everything was finished, the parchment on the table was piled high.

Thankfully, there's [Hand of the Mage+], which only consumes mana; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to handle it even if my hands got sore.

Even so, Gaode felt his head was throbbing and even had a splitting headache.

This is a side effect of the "Hyperthymesia" drug, and it's unavoidable.

After rubbing his slightly swollen temples, Gao De cast a "Comfortable Sleep" spell on himself and went back to his room to rest.

When he woke up, it was already the next day. Only then did Gao De decide to check Anna's "homework"—after all, she was his personal student, and every time he returned to the North, he would take some time to fulfill his duty of teaching and imparting knowledge.

Fortunately, Anna's talent in this area was truly unparalleled in the world. Therefore, his "irresponsible" teaching method did not have any negative impact on the little girl.

In fact, this could be considered the most suitable teaching method for Anna:
For a player with such natural talent, she shouldn't be confined by any rules or regulations, but rather allowed to flourish freely.

Let her do whatever she wants, and she'll use her amazing talent and creativity to create many things you could never have imagined.

As soon as Gaode left the house, a staff member from the office rushed over, his face showing some urgency, but he still maintained a respectful demeanor.
"My King, the War Mother asked me to tell you that Master Dulinhuo has returned, and he has brought an elder from the clan with him. They are currently at the City Hall!"

"Du Lin Huo?" Gao De's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the news.

After being away for nearly two months, the Yang family finally arrived.

Although it is still impossible to determine the other party's intentions, at least they went to the City Hall first instead of heading straight to Flora Forest, and there was no probing or conflict, which is already a good thing.

town Hall.

Du Linhuo stood behind an old man, but his eyes couldn't help but glance out the window, thinking about the scenes he had seen on his way here after entering Phoenix.

He had only been gone for two months, and Phoenix had already undergone many astonishing changes since then.

For example, the farmland outside the city that was barren before I left has now grown rows of wheat stalks that are knee-high, swaying in the wind and stretching as far as the eye can see, with workers busy in the fields.

For example, the open space in the west of the city was still barren before he left, but now a building has sprung up. When he passed by just now, he even heard the children reading aloud from inside the building.

Clearly, that building is a school.

But while he was surprised by this change, he also felt that it was entirely expected and reasonable.

He had spent some time in Phoenix and had a clear understanding of the city's rapid development.

Having awareness is one thing, but truly experiencing this change firsthand is another.

Compared to the unchanging landscape of their Molten Plains for millennia, the rapid changes and innovations of Phoenix stirred a strange feeling within this relatively young mage in the Molten Plains' overall lifespan:

It's like someone accustomed to the cold winter suddenly stumbling upon a grassland in the warmth of spring.

"Du Linhuo, don't get distracted when the elders are talking." Just then, the old man in front of him suddenly spoke.

The sound was very deep and resonant, like the dull thud of steel being struck during forging.

Du Linhuo quickly averted his gaze, looked at the old man in front of him, and hurriedly replied, "Yes, Elder Yan Gang!"

He is one of the elders of the Yang family, and also his grandfather, named Yan Gang, who is also a sixth-ring mage.

At this moment, Yan Gang was sitting on a short chair used to entertain guests, his burly figure almost filling the entire chair.

Despite the extreme cold of the North, he wore a dark brown robe, and his bare arms were covered with burn marks of varying depths.

Logically speaking, a mage of this level should have plenty of ways to remove these scars, so it's unclear whether it was a special case or if the other party deliberately left them there.

Yan Gang's hands were broad and thick, with prominent knuckles, marks likely from years of holding forging hammers and pliers.

He must be quite old, with his hair and beard already white, but he still exudes a robust and vigorous aura.

His eyes calmly surveyed the office furnishings, finally settling on the excessively young War Mother Sunefa. There was no superfluous emotion in his eyes, only pure observation.

“Our king should be here soon, Master Yan Gang, please wait a little longer,” Sunefa said gently.

Yan Gang waved his hand and said loudly, "No rush, we just came here without giving any prior notice."

Then, he lowered his voice and muttered softly, "How come the roads here are wider than ours? These Ice People are small, but their roads are quite wide."

Du Linhuo sighed helplessly at the elder's "whispering".

Not to mention Sunefa who was right next to her, anyone passing by in the hallway outside could probably hear her clearly.

In response, Sunefa simply smiled and said, "Because the roads in Phoenix are not just for pedestrians in the planning, and what you see is not yet a road, but a half-finished product."

"A semi-finished product?" Yan Gang raised an eyebrow, but his words trailed off.

Because the door to Sunafa's office was pushed open at that moment, Gao De strolled in.

The moment Gao De entered the office, he noticed Du Linhuo and Elder Yan Gang, whom he had brought with him.

His clothes were unusual and clearly different from those of outsiders; his hair and beard were white, but he had a robust and healthy appearance. Yes, this is the style of a master painter in our minds.

He made his judgment and evaluation in his mind immediately.

The image of Elder Yan Gang perfectly matches his imagination of old-fashioned masters, which he had gleaned from watching and reading films and television shows.

This guy is a pro.

Thinking this, Gao De strode towards the old man, "Master Yang from the Molten Plains, I am Gao De, King of the Zhenbing Tribe, and on behalf of the Zhenbing Tribe, I welcome your arrival."

After Gao De introduced himself and expressed his welcome, Yan Gang quickly looked Gao De up and down, and couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Wait, why are the two leaders of the Zhenbing tribe both little kids?"

The other three people present couldn't help but twitch their lips at that moment.

Du Linhuo covered his face with his hands, looking like he couldn't bear to watch.

Only Yan Gang, the instigator, seemed oblivious. After muttering to himself, he put on an exceptionally bright smile: "I am Yan Gang, an elder of the Yang family. I've heard Du Linhuo mention your name in the clan before. I never expected you to be so young and promising. With such a young leader, the Zhenbing tribe has a bright future!"

What beautiful words! If it weren't for that opening line, should I pretend to be happy now, or should I pretend to be happy?

Gaode has a lot to say and wants to complain.

However, his leadership qualities allowed him to maintain a calm demeanor.

"I wonder what brings Elder Yan Gang to Phoenix this time?"

"What else could it be? It's all about that damn tree. Nobody else wanted to come, so they forced me to." Yan Gang muttered again.

At the same time, he wore a kind smile and said righteously, "Naturally, I have been entrusted by the master craftsman to protect your clan's sacred tree."

(End of this chapter)