Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 459 Wind, Earth, and Fire

"Before I begin the formal introduction, let me explain the purpose of today's test."

Salamander spoke in a deep voice:
"The competition of the Night of Elements is not a friendly sparring match in the academy."

The contestants hailed from across the quicksand region, each possessing a deadly weapon.

"If you're not strong enough, it's perfectly normal to die in the arena."

His gaze lingered on Ron's face for a moment:

"Therefore, I need to confirm your true combat strength to avoid making the wrong judgment."

After speaking, he gestured to the three people behind him:

"Come on, introduce yourself."

The first one to step forward was a male wizard who looked to be in his early thirties.

He was robust, with skin that was a pale copper color, like metal that had been baked in a furnace.

As he moved around, the temperature in the air rose noticeably, and even his breath carried a heat wave.

“I am Edwin Upton, Dean Salamander’s direct student.”

His voice was deep and powerful, like magma slowly flowing from the earth:
"Fifty-two years old, possessing one-third of the bloodline of a lava dragon."

Specializing in lava tectonics, he excels at using parts of his body to become lava for combat.

As he spoke, his right hand began to change.

The skin gradually turned dark red, and a rock-like texture appeared on the surface. The fingertips even turned directly into molten lava.

The whole process was smooth and effortless, as if the change was as natural to him as breathing.

"The magic compression rate is close to six times, which is quite good for its age group."

Edwin added simply, without any obvious boasting in his tone.

The second person to step forward was a relatively small young man with sandy yellow skin covered with fine scales.

As he moved, the stone slabs beneath his feet showed subtle signs of sandification, as if he had some mysterious connection with the sand from birth.

"Lakusha Scale, a hybrid of desert lizardman and human."

His voice was slightly hoarse, but his enunciation was clear:

"His expertise lies in sandstorm control and terrain modification, and his maneuverability in sandy environments is comparable to that of a pilot."

To demonstrate his abilities, Laku waved his hand lightly.

The stone slabs in one corner of the training ground immediately began to turn into sand, and in the blink of an eye, they formed a small sand dune.

Under his control, the sand grains flowed like living things, sometimes forming vortices, sometimes turning into sand walls, ever-changing.

"In the environment of quicksand, this ability has high tactical value."

He said somewhat embarrassedly:

"However, faced with a genius like you, I can only do my best."

The last one was a slender female wizard.

Her bones were noticeably lighter than those of an average person, and she made almost no sound when she walked.

Occasionally, a gentle breeze would surround her, making her long hair flow gracefully.

"Patricia, a hybrid of the Windbird race."

Her voice was as clear as a silver bell, but her eyes were exceptionally sharp.
"Because of the special hollow structure of my skeleton, I am able to fly for long periods of time and am good at airflow manipulation and high-speed maneuvering tactics."

As she spoke, she leaped up lightly, her body floating in mid-air like a feather.

The surrounding airflow began to form a miniature tornado, lifting her to a height of two meters above the ground.

Although this type of flight is not as fast as specialized flight techniques, it has the advantage of minimal energy consumption and high endurance.

"My fighting style leans towards guerrilla tactics and harassment, and I hope it will bring you a different experience."

Salamanda nodded in satisfaction:
“These three are the best of the younger generation in our Desert School. Each of them has unique bloodline advantages and tactical characteristics.”

"Although Laku and Paitui may not be as strong as you overall, their expertise in certain areas is enough to represent the high level of bloodline wizards in the Shifting Sands."

A look of anticipation appeared in his eyes:

“By sparring with them, we can better assess your chances of winning in the Night of Elements.”

Ron carefully observed his three opponents and began to analyze the tactics in his mind.

Edwin's lava bloodline means he has strong frontal combat ability, but his mobility may be relatively lacking.
Laku's ability to modify terrain is troublesome; we need to find a way to limit his scope of application.

Patrice's high-speed maneuvers are the most challenging to deal with, requiring precise prediction to effectively counter them.

"Then let's get started."

Ron gently stroked his right hand, and a silvery metallic liquid surged from his body, quickly condensing into a familiar sword shape.

"Please give me more advice."

………………

However, Dean Salamander did not arrange the test in the regular training area on Leviathan's back as everyone expected.

Instead, he mysteriously led the group to the deepest forbidden zone of the Sand Sea School—the interior of Ramses' spine.

"Stay close to me, don't fall behind."

Salamander walked at the front, her eyes, like molten gold, gleaming faintly in the darkness.

With each step he took, dark red runes appeared on the walls of the passage beneath his feet, guiding those behind him.

This passage is entirely composed of living tissue, with its walls covered in vein-like patterns that undulate rhythmically with the heartbeat of the ancient beast.

Occasionally, warm air currents emanate from the depths, carrying an ancient and mysterious aura.

"Dean Salamander, where are we going?"

Ron, walking in the middle of the group, couldn't help but ask.

He spent too little time with the Sand Sea School and never delved into Ramses' inner workings.

"Let's go to a place that's more suitable for testing real combat capabilities."

Salamanda answered without turning her head, her voice echoing in the narrow passage:
“The training grounds on the ground are too mild; they can’t really test real reactions in extreme environments.”

"Since we're going to participate in the Elemental Night competition, we have to get used to that life-or-death battle atmosphere."

As you go deeper, the passage begins to slope downwards, and the temperature gradually increases.

Ron could sense that they were approaching a key organ within Ramses' body, where the behemoth's core life energy was concentrated.

After walking for about twenty minutes, a huge chamber suddenly appeared in front of them.

This is an oval space, roughly the size of several football fields.

The ceiling is hundreds of meters high, and the surrounding walls are blood-red and semi-transparent.

Countless fine blood vessels, as thin as hair, are faintly visible within, like a giant web of life.

In the center of the chamber, a huge heart was beating slowly, each contraction causing a slight tremor throughout the space.

A magma-like liquid flows across the surface of the heart, constantly radiating a warm and powerful life force.

"This is Ramses' third ventricle."

Salamanda finally stopped, her voice filled with awe:

"The entire Sand Sea School's magic supply comes from the energy conversion of this heart."

“Conducting combat tests here will not only test your strength, but also your ability to adapt to a high-magic-radiation environment.”

As he spoke, he walked to the center of the chamber and began preparing for some kind of complex spell.

Salamanda's body began to radiate a blazing light, and lava-like patterns appeared on her skin.

He opened his arms as if embracing the whole world, and then began to chant a spell:
"Ignis Vitae FormatorTellus Liquens Architectura"

As the incantation was recited, the entire ventricle began to undergo dramatic changes.

The ground began to soften and melt, like a candle being baked by high temperature.

But this melting is not chaotic or disorderly.

Under Salamander's precise control, it was reshaped into a standard arena shape.

The molten ground flowed like mercury, gradually forming a circular battle zone with a diameter of 500 meters.

The edge of the area rises to form a ring-shaped protective wall.

The whole process lasted nearly ten minutes.

When the spell was complete, an underground arena made of semi-molten rock appeared before everyone.

"Oh My God"

Laku couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, his eyes filled with awe at such a large-scale terrain-modifying spell:

"You are able to perform such precise elemental reconstruction inside a living organism."

As a wizard who was also skilled at terrain modification, he felt that the difference between himself and Salamander was like that between a mediocre bricklayer and a master sculptor.

"This is just a basic application."

Salamander waved casually, then flew to a special spot on the highest level of the arena.

There stands a throne made of pure obsidian, its surface engraved with intricate fire elemental runes.

The moment he sat down, the entire throne began to emit a deep red light, creating a wonderful resonance with the lava floor of the arena.

“Now, let me explain the rules of the test.” Salamanda’s voice, transmitted clearly through some kind of mental echo, reached the ears of everyone present:

"This will be a four-person free-for-all with no restrictions, except that lethal attacks are not allowed."

"Edwin, as my direct disciple, will be facing all three of you at the same time."

Upon hearing this arrangement, Ron couldn't help but re-evaluate the seemingly honest and simple lava bloodline wizard.

The fact that Salamander could put Edwin in a one-on-three situation shows that his strength is far greater than it appears.

"also."

Salamander's lips curled into a dangerous smile:

"During the battle, I will occasionally throw some 'little surprises' into the arena to test your ability to adapt to extreme environments."

"Remember, the Elemental Night arena won't provide you with a comfortable fighting environment."

He gently stroked the armrest of the throne, and a complex array of spells immediately appeared on the obsidian surface:

"Now, everyone to your positions."

The four young wizards walked to the center of the arena and stood apart as Salamander had instructed.

Edwin stood in the very center, his憨厚 (honest and simple) expression completely gone, replaced by extreme focus.

Ron, Lackey, and Pattridge formed a triangle around him, each keeping a distance of about fifty meters.

"The test begins!"

With Salamander's command, the battle broke out!

Without any hesitation, Edwin immediately entered a semi-molten state.

But unlike the previous demonstration, this time his transformation was more thorough and more terrifying.

Its height increased to five meters, its entire body was covered in thick lava armor, and every breath it took emitted high-temperature flames.

Two pairs of wings made of pure flames stretched out from his back, like those of a legendary fire demon.

—A ring of lava rain!

Edwin flapped his wings, and dozens of lava balls fell and quickly grew to the size of cars, bombarding three directions simultaneously like a meteor shower.

Each lava ball contains terrifying energy enough to flatten a small mountain, leaving a long trail of fire in the air.

Laku reacted the fastest, immediately unleashing his most proficient spell.

The ground of the entire arena began to flow violently, converging on him like liquid.

—A ring of sand dune shield!
A dozen or so thick sand barriers rose up in front of him, each layer several meters thick.

But the impact of the lava ball far exceeded his expectations.

Several lava balls, controlled by Edwin, blasted through the first seven layers of barriers, creating a deafening explosion.

Laku was thrown away by the shockwave and rolled several times on the ground before coming to a stop.

Patricia chose a completely different approach.

Her body became as light as a feather, and as she spread her arms, translucent wind membrane wings extended from under her armpits.

—The storm in the first ring is accelerating!
The witch darted through the air like lightning, her movements unpredictable.

Although she successfully avoided most of the lava balls, one of them still grazed her wind membrane.

The intense pain caused her to lose her balance and fall sideways to the ground.

Ron's performance, however, surprised everyone watching.

He did not use any fancy defensive spells, nor did he make any dramatic dodging maneuvers.

Instead, he simply used the simplest method to dodge with minimal effort.

Every lava ball flying towards him would miraculously glide past him, sometimes coming within a few centimeters.

Throughout the entire process, his expression remained calm, and he even had the leisure to observe the fighting situation of the others.

"Very good, no wonder it comes from the Crystal Spire."

Salamanda narrowed her eyes slightly, a look of keen interest appearing in her pupils:
"Is it a predictive talent, or some kind of special perception spell?"

But he wasn't surprised; while this level of ability was rare, it wasn't unprecedented.

What truly interests him is the desire to test the limits of this ability.

"In that case, let me increase the difficulty a little."

Salamander gently stroked the armrest of the throne, beginning to unleash the first "surprise" into the arena.

The rune array at the base of the obsidian throne lit up, and streams of molten lava gushed forth from the ground.

These lava flows did not erupt randomly, but rather, under Salamander's precise control, formed a complex labyrinthine structure on the battlefield.

The high-temperature magma river meandered across the ground, dividing the originally flat battlefield into dozens of irregular small platforms.

Each platform is constantly rising and falling, while the lava rivers between the platforms are sometimes wide and sometimes narrow, and may be cut off or connected at any time.

"Let's see what you do now."

Salamander observed the four men's reactions with great interest, wanting to see how they would continue fighting in such extreme conditions.

Laku quickly adapted to his new environment.

He discovered that although the lava rivers were scorching hot, their surfaces had already begun to cool and form a crust.

—The sand and soil have solidified!
This is his racial talent enhanced by magic, so it doesn't require any spellcasting prelude and consumes magic power to a minimum.

He threw large amounts of sand into the magma, which quickly formed a temporary, passable bridge.

He then began jumping and moving between different platforms, trying to get closer to Edwin.

Although Patricia's wing was injured, she was still able to glide short distances.

She uses rising thermal air currents to increase lift, moving between the tops of the platforms.

Occasionally, it will unleash wind blade attacks, which, although limited in power, can serve as a harassment tool.

Edwin, facing an attack from two opponents, not only did not appear to be struggling, but instead became more and more courageous in the fight.

—Lava Giant Fist!
His right arm began to swell rapidly, eventually forming a huge fist the size of a house.

Magma flowed across the surface of the fist, and its interior contained a terrifying power capable of shaking mountains.

With a single punch, he shattered the entire platform where Laku was located.

A massive shockwave spread outwards, causing even several nearby platforms to begin to sway precariously.

At the last second, Laku transformed into a sandstorm, barely escaping being hit directly.

But his magic power was already more than half depleted, and his face turned pale.

Just then, Ron finally launched his counterattack.

Since it was a friendly sparring match, he did not intend to use the overly harmful "Sonic Oscillation - Erosion State".

The magic sword in his hand quickly transformed, and the liquid metal reformed into the shape of a composite bow.

Golden-red light flowed across the bow, like a living flame.

When he drew back the bowstring, an arrow made of pure light automatically condensed on the string.

The arrows were as bright as miniature suns, dimming even the lava glow of the arena.

—Super Magic Radiant Ring!
Not one, but twelve arrows of light were fired simultaneously.

Each one was designed with a completely different trajectory, some were straight, some were parabolic, and some were even spiral trajectories that bypassed obstacles.

Because he had no worries about running out of magic power, Ron also added a super magic enhancement at maximum power.

This comprehensive attack forced Edwin to take it seriously.

He folded his wings together to protect himself, and the heavy lava armor began to concentrate on his wings.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of explosions rang out, and each light arrow that hit its mark unleashed a terrifying heat wave and blinding light.

Edwin's lava armor protected him from most of the attacks, but the last two arrows still left charred marks on his back.

As expected, light and heat-attribute attacks have almost no effect on opponents with high resistance, even with the addition of super magic.

Ron thought to himself, wondering if he should expand his conventional attack methods.

"it hurts!"

Edwin roared, but instead of being angry, he became excited:
"Finally, a worthy opponent!"

More powerful energy began to gather behind him, and the temperature of his fiery wings rose sharply.

The temperature in the entire arena rose by tens of degrees as a result, and even the air began to distort and deform.

"Edwin is preparing to use 'Lava Eruption'."

Salamander leaned back slightly on her throne, thinking with some dissatisfaction:

"He was forced to use this move so quickly. I'll have to give this kid more practice when we get back."

"However, this move is as powerful as a small volcanic eruption."

If Ron can't withstand this attack, the battle will be over.

Just as Edwin was about to unleash his finishing move, an unexpected incident occurred.

(End of this chapter)