I, a cultivator, have ended up in the wizarding world.

Chapter 466 Farewell and Farewell (Two-in-One)

At this moment, Rex also squeezed in. This once taciturn wizard, after experiencing the plane of justice, now had a much more composed demeanor.

He looked at the mental energy fluctuations emanating from Jemin, which belonged to a level five wizard, his brows furrowed, his tone filled with confusion and worry: "Then your situation... is too exaggerated, isn't it? Last time we met you were only level three, wasn't that long ago? How long has it been? This speed of advancement is too... unbelievable."

Seraphia patted her chest, looking still shaken: "Exactly! It hasn't even been a thousand years since we last parted, right? And you jumped straight from a level two wizard to level five! Are you crazy?!"

Faced with his old classmates' undisguised shock and concern, Jieming felt a warmth in his heart, but he could only smile wryly and explain, "There's nothing I can do. Something unexpected happened on my end. I encountered some special circumstances with my mental strength growth. It grew too fast, while my mastery of the laws... has always been pretty good. So after my mental strength reached the standard, the advancement was a natural progression. It was kind of... a forced advancement."

He has concealed part of the truth.

At first, Jemin only planned to advance to level three, but the Fair Plane made him die once, and the fear of death stimulated his mental power to keep rising.

Therefore, the promotion from level three to level four was indeed something that Jemin was forced to do.

However, his own mistake was to advance from level four to level five.

The reason for the promotion was that he discovered the Time Remnant in the Reincarnation Plane, an excellent method for physical training. In his excessive excitement, he forgot to consider the issue of mental strength.

As a result, his physical strength became so strong that he relied on the Qi cultivation method to instinctively connect the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit, which propelled his spiritual power to grow rapidly.

The advancement from level three to level six wizards only requires meeting two standards: mental strength and mastery of laws.

Jemin's mastery of the spiritual laws was already beyond the standard because he independently constructed a system of incense and deities.

Combining the two factors, his advancement did indeed feel like he was being "pushed along," rather than him deliberately pursuing speed.

Anya crossed her arms, her brows still furrowed.

She was the last among them to meet Jieming, and also the one who knew the approximate time it took for Jieming to advance through each level:
"When we last met, you had just advanced to level four, right? If you calculate the time, it's probably been less than five hundred years since you became a level four wizard. In such a short time, even if you are exceptionally talented... can your knowledge base, especially the theoretical knowledge of those high-level systems that a level five wizard needs to master, keep up?"

This is also what David, Rex, and Serafina are most worried about.

Wizard ranks are merely an expansion of the "container," determining the upper limit of the power that can be exerted, but the lower limit of power depends entirely on the amount of knowledge the wizard possesses.

Advancing too quickly often means that one's knowledge accumulation is insufficient, resulting in having a high rank but lacking the corresponding combat power.

Of course, normal knowledge-based superhumans, even if their thinking logic and thought patterns do not change, can still supplement the knowledge they need at a faster speed than at lower levels by relying on their powerful "hardware" performance after promotion.

But... this doesn't apply to wizards.

It's not that wizards can't do this, but the premise for using this method is that they must always be in a "stable" state, at least until they have acquired the necessary knowledge.

But wizards... have a compelling need for war.

Although Jemin always called the time between his two interplane wars a "mandatory rest period," in reality, for mid-to-low-level wizards below level six, the rest period was not mandatory; they faced mandatory conscription for the interplane wars.

As a social model highly compatible with war, wizarding societies not only represent honor and power but also symbolize responsibility in terms of wizarding ranks.

Simply put, whatever level of wizard you are, the commander on the plane battlefield will assign you tasks that wizards of that level need to undertake.

For example, a level 5 wizard's mission on the plane battlefield is usually to withstand the attacks of several or even a dozen level 6 creatures before the expeditionary force reduces the number of enemy races and their control over the plane to a certain extent. If necessary, they may even have to withstand and hold off level 7 creatures.

This task, while difficult for a regular level 5 wizard, is not impossible. However, for a mediocre wizard with only level 4 combat power, it is practically suicide.

Before a battle begins, a commander would not casually inquire about a wizard's combat style and strength, as this could be considered as spying on someone else's knowledge.

Of course, the wizards who become commanders are not fools. If they have the time and resources, they will definitely assign tasks based on the lower limit of the combat power of wizards of the same level.

In this situation, even if the fake wizard really couldn't hold on, at least there would be extra combat power to help him hold on.

However, in most interdimensional wars, the commanders are also the discoverers of the planes and the initiators of the war.

Many level six wizards have limited funds, so the overall combat strength of the wizard legions they gather is not very strong. When issuing missions, they can only issue missions based on the conventional impression of combat strength of the same level.

If a mediocre wizard were to encounter this situation and dare to reveal his true situation, he would most likely be tricked into death by the commander who wasted resources in a fit of rage.

If the actual situation is not explained, at best, only a mediocre wizard will die; at worst, the entire interdimensional expedition could fail.

Therefore, pursuing rapid advancement before accumulating sufficient knowledge is truly harmful to both oneself and others in the wizarding world.

Aside from inexperienced novices participating in a planar war for the first time, even combat-type wizards wouldn't be foolish enough to do such a thing.

Conversely, sufficient knowledge can lead to strong combat power, and even if a wizard's level is low, the gains in subsequent interdimensional wars will not be small.

Since wizards don't have the pressure of a lifespan, for many wizards, staying at their current level and continuously accumulating knowledge until they reach the upper limit of their current research capabilities is the optimal solution.

Of course, if someone like Viola jumps directly from level three to level six wizard, then they don't need to worry about this issue.

Because high-ranking wizards are not subject to mandatory conscription, and they genuinely have mandatory rest periods, they can fully replenish their knowledge at their leisure.

Hearing Anya's question, Jemin's bitterness deepened. He admitted, "In terms of knowledge accumulation... I really can't keep up. Many of the advanced fields a level five wizard needs to explore are things I've only dabbled in, and haven't even scratched the surface of. However..."

He changed the subject, his tone tinged with relief: "Fortunately, the foundation we laid before is still quite solid. Well... in terms of immediate combat strength, there hasn't been a serious disconnect yet."

But David's expression remained serious, and he asked a more crucial question: "What about your mastery of the laws? Jemin, don't tell me you artificially inflated your mastery by consuming large amounts of dimensional origins!"

This question hit the nail on the head, instantly making Rex and Anya, who were standing nearby, tense up.

In the wizarding world, this is an open secret, and a trap that many impatient people easily fall into.

The origin of a plane does indeed contain "knowledge fragments" of the corresponding laws, and absorbing them can quickly increase the value of "law mastery".

However, this knowledge is fragmented and one-sided, lacking internal logical connections.

It's like someone who has memorized all the definitions in a dictionary but doesn't understand grammar, rhetoric, and context; they still can't write beautiful articles or even express themselves fluently.

A systematic knowledge system is one that you build step by step through research, experimentation, and understanding. This system can be flexibly applied and innovated upon.

The "mastery" built up based on the origin of the plane is more like a rigid database, knowing what but not why.

It is rigid and inefficient to use, and it almost completely eliminates the possibility of further advancement.

After all, the so-called "100% mastery of the law" only refers to the minimum theoretical threshold required to "solidify the law".

It does not mean that you have fully grasped all the secrets of this law.

The depth and breadth of the rules are almost infinite; 100% is just a beginning, a qualification.

A wizard who reaches 100% mastery through the essence of the plane is practically a lamb to the slaughter in front of a wizard who truly achieves 100% mastery through his own research, even if the latter may only have mastered 80% of the "quantity," the "quality" is completely different.

Although what Jemin possesses is a figment of imagination, and theoretically there is no plane origin that matches his knowledge, he can still use plane origins with similar knowledge—just as consuming the water element origin can improve his mastery of time-related laws to a certain extent.

Jemin naturally understood the implications, and he solemnly shook his head: "You can rest assured about that. My mastery of the laws of spiritual energy, including my understanding of other laws, is all based on my own research, verification, and accumulation. I did not rely on the origin of the plane to take shortcuts. Although the process... did use some special conditions and resources to accelerate it, the foundation was laid by myself."

Hearing Jemin's affirmative answer, David, Rex, Serafina, and Anya all breathed a sigh of relief, and the worry on their faces largely disappeared.

As long as you have a solid foundation in the principles, even if your knowledge is temporarily limited, you will have plenty of time to make up for it later.

What I fear most is ruining my future for the sake of ranking.

"That's good..." David patted Jemin on the shoulder, quite forcefully. "You always manage to pull something out of the ordinary. Don't let us down in this war!"

"Be careful," Anya cautioned.

Rex didn't speak, but nodded vigorously.

David wanted to say something more, but just then, large swaths of teleportation light lit up again around them and throughout the vast assembly area of ​​the ship's position.

This marked the beginning of a more detailed group teleportation, sending the wizards to different predetermined locations according to their pre-arranged formations and tasks.

"Looks like we'll have to part ways." Jemin said regretfully, looking at the teleportation runes that were slightly different from those of David and the others that were lighting up at his feet.

"Take care of yourself!"

"Come back alive!"

"Let's do research together after the war!"

The group quickly said goodbye, their words brief.

Just before the teleportation light completely engulfed his vision, Jemin saw David wave vigorously at him, his mouth seemingly saying, "Don't die, we're waiting to see just how far you can go!"

A flash of light, and the figure vanished.

……

……

The light from the teleportation completely dissipated, and Jemin's feet landed firmly on the solid, slightly cool alloy floor.

He quickly looked around and, unsurprisingly, saw two familiar figures—Professor Clark and Senior Viola.

Clearly, when finalizing the battle team assignments, the higher-ups at Norren Workshop did take into account the existing rapport and cooperation among the wizards. Placing mentors and apprentices, friends, and long-term colleagues in the same combat unit would allow for faster formation of combat effectiveness and reduce the risks associated with the adjustment period.

At this moment, they appeared to be located in the middle and rear part of the entire massive ship's deck.

Through the sparse crowd and somewhat empty area ahead, one could see a dense mass of fierce-looking figures gathered further ahead.

Most of them were dressed in wizard robes or light armor that were easy to fight in, and their bodies were surging with undisguised fighting spirit and energy fluctuations. They were conducting final equipment checks, preloading spells, or exchanging tactical whispers.

Clearly, these people are one of the main forces in this war; they are the combat wizards of the Norn Workshop.

Although logistics wizards are significantly stronger than combat wizards in terms of status and combat power below the level of high-ranking wizards, the gap in status and combat power between the two is not so large after reaching level six.

After all, being able to reach level six indicates that choosing the combat or logistics system is merely a difference in the path, not a difference in personal ability.

As can be seen from the classification of high-level wizards, the number of combat wizards at the front and logistics wizards at the rear is basically equal at the high-level wizard level.

The reason Jemin was able to distinguish the "fore and aft" of the ship's position was because at the end of the vast space that had been specially cleared out directly in front of the ship's position, there was a strange sight.

A spatial rift so enormous it defied description, like a wound cleaved open by an invisible giant blade, hung in the sky.

It was not an unstable black turbulence; its edges shimmered with stable and complex silver runes, clearly reinforced by powerful spatial technology.

The interior of the crack is not absolutely dark or chaotic, but presents a constantly twisting and changing scene, like turbid water waves, with the desolate and lifeless terrain outlines that can be vaguely seen behind it.

Without a doubt, that meticulously crafted spatial rift is a stable passage to the "battlefield"—a massive decisive battleground designated by the Star Ring Federation, composed of multiple abandoned planes pieced together.

Jemin withdrew his gaze, turned to his mentor Clark beside him, and greeted him respectfully: "Mentor."

Instructor Clark nodded in response.

Jemin immediately noticed that his mentor's attire today was completely different from his usual style.

The slightly worn and plain gray robe that he wore year after year was gone, replaced by a well-tailored, clean-lined dark gray fitted robe.

The robe appeared to be made of ordinary material, but under the constant light source on the ship's surface, extremely subtle defensive runes flashed by.

What's even more eye-catching is that the mentor wore many "accessories" that you would never normally see: an antique-style brooch, several rings in different positions, a thin chain wrapped around his wrist, and even a few seemingly inconspicuous pendants on his belt...

If observed with mental power, each of these seemingly unassuming items would burst forth with a dazzling yet unique elemental aura, like a miniature sun!
They intertwined, forming a powerful yet restrained protective and amplifying force field that enveloped Mentor Clark.

His eyes, which were usually calm and even slightly tired, were now sharp as drawn swords.

Jemin then looked at Senior Viola.

At some point, she changed out of her usual elegant long dress and into a dark red battle robe, also covered with subtle runes and designed for ease of movement.

She was also wearing several dazzling ornaments, and her long hair was neatly tied up.

She felt Jieming's gaze, raised an eyebrow, and the corners of her mouth still held that habitual, slightly playful curve, but deep in her eyes was a calm and serene silence.

In fact, it's not just them.

Looking around, Jemin saw that almost everyone in his line of sight, whether it was the main combat wizards at the front, the support from the middle and rear, or special combat units like himself, was armed to the teeth.

Precious magical artifacts, life-saving items, and enhancement equipment that might normally be kept hidden were now being worn without reservation.

The entire gathering area seemed to have become a flowing "top-level magical artifact exhibition," where the light of various elemental attributes intertwined and reflected each other, yet was restrained by the powerful control of their masters, forming a silent but extremely oppressive ocean of energy.

Clearly, in the face of this decisive wizard war, the wizards of Norn Workshop went all out, pulling out all the stops.

Jemin looked around again, and suddenly his brows furrowed, as if something was missing.

“Professor…” He turned to Clark, speaking somewhat uncertainly, “Where’s Junior Ang? Wasn’t he assigned with us?”

Upon hearing this, Viola also stopped what she was doing—checking the rune array.

He looked up curiously and glanced around, but he didn't see the figure of the young wizard who always followed behind Clark, a man who was somewhat silent but had a determined look in his eyes.

"Strange... surely he shouldn't have been left out, right? Could it be that he just happened to be caught in the mandatory conscription rotation period and was temporarily sent to participate in other plane wars?" Viola guessed.

When Professor Clark heard Jemin's question, his usually calm and composed expression paused almost imperceptibly.

He slowly turned his head, his gaze first falling on Jemin's face, then looking at Viola, who also looked puzzled.

Seeing his mentor's subtle reaction, Jemin suddenly had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, Clark paused for a moment, then spoke in his characteristic tone—calm to the point of being almost indifferent, yet carrying an undeniable certainty:
“Anger…”

"already dead."

Viola's expression froze instantly, her habitual smile frozen at the corner of her mouth.

Clark paused, then unusually added an explanation, though his tone remained calm:

"He had bad luck in the last round of conventional plane expansion war. His squad encountered... a hidden level seven native creature within the target plane."

The words are concise and to the point. They do not describe the process or exaggerate the tragedy, but the phrase "level seven protozoa" is enough to explain everything.

For Ang, who only possessed strength at the second or third level, it was undoubtedly an irresistible disaster.

Jemin suddenly fell silent.

He looked at Professor Clark's calm profile, then at the fleeting complex emotions in Senior Viola's eyes, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Junior Brother Ang... that young wizard who had briefly crossed paths with me under Mentor Clark, a somewhat introverted but diligent and earnest individual.

He had actually... died silently in a distant interdimensional war in which he had not participated.

The path of a wizard is never smooth.

Exploring the unknown, plundering resources, and making enemies of all realms, death is the norm.

Jemin already knew this.

He even personally experienced the death of a close friend.

Even after all this time, Jemin still couldn't become as skilled as other wizards.

When death truly befalls someone you know again, the feeling is still somewhat... subtle.

Instead, it was Professor Clark who, after a brief silence, spoke again, his voice still steady:

"Alright, the dead are gone. You'll get used to it after a few more rounds. Now, we need to focus all our attention on the war that is about to begin."

His grey eyes swept over Jemin and Viola, his tone calm yet carrying a certain power:

"I don't want to be all alone after the battle is over."

Viola was the first to recover.

She took a deep breath, and the stiff curve of her face returned to its vibrant state, even becoming more upturned than usual.

Hearing Professor Clark's words, she curled the corners of her lips into a smile, her tone carrying a hint of provocation:

"Oh? Professor... you sound quite confident. Are you so sure you can survive?"

Clark glanced at her and flicked her forehead.

Under Viola's resentful gaze as she clutched her head, Instructor Clark remained expressionless, as if stating an objective fact:
"It's not confidence. It's just a reasonable inference based on existing data, the balance of power, the battlefield environment, and the countermeasures I personally possess."

The interaction between the two brought Jemin back to his senses.

He had just taken a moment to reflect and realized that while his inner emotions had fluctuated considerably, they were more of a sense of surprise and reflection on the passing of an acquaintance than sadness.

Although it may sound a bit cold-hearted, strictly speaking, his interactions with his junior, Ang, were not very deep, and their relationship was far from that of close friends.

He turned his gaze back to the spatial rift that stretched across the sky in the distance, feeling the powerful aura emanating from the countless wizards around him, a mixture of tension, determination, and killing intent.

He took a deep breath.

War is about to begin.

And death, perhaps, could strike anyone at any moment.

Including himself.

“I understand, mentor,” Jemin replied in a low voice, his eyes sharpening again.

(That's all for today. A busy new year.)
(End of this chapter)