Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 945 The Road to the Third Ring! The Trap of the Second Ring! An Abyss Ahead!

The witch Esther, dressed in a black robe, lifted her wizard hood and stood in a pavilion halfway up Mount Golden Crown.

She was originally a Sun Ring Wizard of Mount Golden Crown, and since Mount Golden Crown itself is a 5A-level scenic spot, there is no strict guard or restriction on others entering in many places. Therefore, she was still able to hide her figure and return to this place that she knew so well.

The witch Esther held a thorny rose branch in her left hand and a Dragon Soul potion surrounded by powerful dragon energy in her right hand, the dragon soul coiled around the potion bottle.

Esther the Witch raised an eyebrow.

"They're coming straight up? That's just what Ms. Anna guessed."

"It seems that Teacher Anna has some knowledge about the holder of this ancient dragon soul."

This was a scheme devised by the high-ring wizards, something even she, as a sun-ring wizard, couldn't fully comprehend.

At this moment, the Demon Dragon Wizard walked up the steps of Golden Crown Mountain. He walked up the steps without any hindrance, but when he reached the mountainside, a heart-shaped mark suddenly appeared on his forehead.

The moment the dragon wizard lowered his head, when he looked up again, he found that the steps that should have appeared before him, which he could easily walk up, had disappeared. In front of him was a cluster of peach trees, each one in full bloom. Flowing water and peach blossoms, a riot of color.

"Hmm? A maze?"

The dragon wizard smiled.

"They had been secretly investigating their student's bloodline for a long time, and eventually found out about us. They guessed that this would happen today, so through their student's contact with the reincarnation of King Alaric, they cast magic on me. They certainly had a lot of ideas."

"But that's all."

"In the end, he's just a third-ring wizard."

He pulled out an incense stick from his hand, stroked the tip of the stick with his index finger, and instantly the incense stick was lit. Smoke swirled and drifted into the distance, the mist condensing and not dissipating, turning into a white line in the air.

"This era has finally restored a little bit of the incense offerings to the Tower of the Black Sun. It's just too little. But that's enough."

"I want to go up there and kill that wizard with the dragon bloodline that has evolved to the second level with my own hands."

"This person absolutely cannot live."

Actually, he made a mistake at the very beginning. After discovering that Mount Golden Crown was covering up his investigation, he followed the divination results and sought out a wizard who was seriously connected to Locke, far away from Mount Golden Crown, and whose magic level was not high enough. He wanted to use this connection to find the wizard with dragon blood, but instead, he fell victim to the Heart Curse.

In this way, he lost contact with his original self and the Tower of the Black Sun in this era.

He was unable to send the message back or mobilize support.

However, killing a second-circle wizard should be a piece of cake for him.

However, the power of his clone was more than enough.

Moreover, this was just a test. His half-body did not enter Golden Crown Mountain at all, but was still observing from the foot of the mountain. Even if there were any traps or unfavorable situations, his half-body body could react in time and take countermeasures.

Even considering unfavorable circumstances, such as the wizard with dragon blood escaping from Golden Crown Mountain, his main body guarding the foot of the mountain could wait for him to come to him.

Even if he encounters some obstacles on this mountain, his half-body can launch a second attack at any time.

Moreover, he had already arranged a backup plan right next to that wizard with the bloodline of the dragon.

A backup plan that could ensure the death of that dragon wizard.

The dragon wizard glanced at the tortoise shell in his hand.

“We need to get closer; we’re still too far from that wizard. If we get a little closer, we can inflict the curse of the Black Sun Tower’s prophecy on him and use a simplified version of the Exile Curse—the Ten-Day Curse.”

"Once afflicted by the Ten-Day Curse, the Sun Ring Wizard is destined to die with the passage of time, facing his inevitable fate. But there's still a little distance to go."

The dragon wizard continued to follow the path of the condensing mist in the air. He frowned because his permanent defensive field was crumbling and his magic was being absorbed by the surrounding peach trees.

The dragon wizard saw the magic stripped from his body scattered in the air, and then absorbed by the petals of the peach trees here.

"Huh? Where am I?"

The dragon wizard saw a stone tablet in the middle of the peach grove, with four characters engraved on it: "Dragon View Peach Garden".

"Interesting. So the maze is just a side function. There are special imaginary roots in this peach orchard that can dismantle and strip away my magic."

"What a sophisticated imaginary root! I don't think there are such powerful imaginary roots in my time."

The dragon wizard pondered, "I can use divination magic to find the correct route out of here, but as I move around here, my magic will gradually be disintegrated and stripped away. This is a way to weaken me. It seems they are deliberately targeting me."

The dragon wizard shook the tortoise shell in his right hand, and suddenly the shell cracked open, revealing a gap. He glanced at the tortoise shell.

“I offered sacrifices to the Tower of the Black Sun and received the divination results… So that’s how it is. Non-human beings are rejected and restrained by this Peach Garden, and only humans can walk here.”

"I am a member of the Demon Dragon Clan, so I am not human. Therefore, I am restrained by this Peach Garden and should not have stepped into it."

"The solution is...human nature."

The Dragon Wizard looked at the divination result and shook his head slightly. Although he had a way to gain humanity and immediately break free from the restraint of this Peach Garden, the Black Sun Tower's style was paramount, and their reasoning was the most important.

Therefore, he had no need to change his ways for the sake of a powerful spell from a third-ring wizard of this era.

The dragon wizard took a few steps forward and suddenly saw a bright red rose growing inexplicably in a corner of the peach orchard. The rose was beautiful and captivating, and there was even a trace of blood under the rose bush.

The Dragon Wizard thought for a moment and immediately understood what had happened. He shook the tortoise shell again and performed a ritual for the Tower of the Black Sun.

"Human hearts are no match for divine calculations. No matter how unpredictable your thoughts are, they are all subject to the calculations of my sacrificial magic."

"So that's how it is. It turns out there's a struggle between two sides, each with their own agenda."

"So……"

He shook the tortoise shell in his left hand for the third time, and immediately a third crack appeared on the shell with a 'crack' sound.

Upon seeing this, the Dragon Wizard immediately smiled.

"It turns out that the Rose Witch of the Rose Council and the Red Dragon Witch of Golden Crown Mountain are fighting each other. Unfortunately, your schemes were all within my calculations. Human hearts cannot prevail against the will of Heaven."

"Anything I can calculate perfectly will not escape my control and can only be used by me."

The dragon wizard grabbed a branch of a rose bush, his right hand immediately covered in blood from the thorns, but he paid no heed. In an instant, the large red rose branch carried him upwards, towards the exit of the Dragon View Peach Garden.

It was clearly Anna the witch who secretly ordered Esther the witch to bring her power, in order to help the dragon wizard get away from Dragon View Peach Garden as soon as possible, to prevent him from losing too much power in Dragon View Peach Garden and falling into Catherine the witch's scheme, thus becoming powerless to fight against Catherine the witch.

Of course, the moment the dragon wizard grasped the thorny rose branch, he too fell under the Rose Witch's spell.

However, the dragon wizard had foreseen that the curse was not aimed at him, so he didn't care.

Because he had already calculated the final result in advance using sacrificial magic.

The prophecy of the Tower of the Black Sun is the truth. As long as the prophecy is successful, all the lines of fate will converge on this line. For tens of thousands of years, countless heroic wizards have tried to break this most terrible curse from fate, but in the end, they can only die with regret.

……

At the defense meeting, Catherine the Witch sat in the audience, picked up the Ganoderma lucidum plant, and began to handle her affairs.

She curled her lips into a smile. She was a wizard from a terrifying force from ancient times, whose reputation was unknown even today.

If it weren't for her student Locke, she probably wouldn't have noticed anything amiss with the Tower of the Black Sun.

But now that she's noticed it, she'll naturally have to take on this ancient force!
Unfortunately, Anna seems to have noticed it too. There's nothing we can do about it; it's always been like this. Whenever something good happens on her side, the other side will immediately follow suit.

This plan was started not long after Locke enrolled, so Esther knew part of it. Obviously, Esther had already told the Rose Witch her part of the plan.

At this point, during the defense, the Green Dragon Throne Witch announced that all participants could come up on stage at the same time to verbally attack each other, looking for the shortcomings and loopholes in each other's research. This officially began the debate in which all the wizards participating in the defense engaged in a battle of words.

Locke walked past the wizard Zeno.

"Zeno, I have something to tell you."

Zeno's body stiffened, and he looked at Locke with a strange expression in his eyes.

Locke whispered, "Although it's a chaotic battle, I think we might be the target of everyone's attacks. Because most wizards are taking the route of magical plant crystallization, if we don't eliminate them, none of them will have any chance. So, I estimate that I will be surrounded and attacked later."

Zeno whispered, "Huh? Oh... so you want to ally with me. You're looking for someone to fight alongside you?"

Locke said, "No. To be precise, it's about protecting you. This is actually a ranking system. You can think of it as everyone having their own ranking list in mind based on our performance in the first half. I guess those contestants probably ranked me first."

"Then you're second. Your project and mine both have some characteristics of the anti-magic crystallization technology route. So, they'll probably attack you, the second-place winner, first, and then attack me, the first-place winner."

Zeno looked at Locke in astonishment, his face slightly flushed.

"You mean, with my performance just now, I still managed to get second place?"

Locke looked at him in surprise, then patted him on the shoulder. At first, when he met Zeno, he thought he was aloof and arrogant, and disdainful of talking to others. Who knew that he was actually just a simple and innocent socially awkward person.

"Of course, Mr. Zeno, your performance just now was reasonable and well-founded. I believe that anyone with discernment would not think your performance was bad. So they will definitely gang up on you later. In the mode I'm talking about, as long as you are safe, I am safe. Because if they can't eliminate the second one, they can't touch the first one."

“Your defense just now has struck a nerve with all the wizards researching plant crystallization technology. They are probably all planning to cause you trouble during the debate. They can’t deal with me without dealing with you first. Your research is a knife that can bleed the plant crystallization research path. Therefore, I want to ally with you, I want to protect you.”

Wizard Zeno thought for a moment, then said, "Alright, I'll cooperate with you."

"Locke, I'm sorry... I didn't know you were such an excellent breeder. If I had known, I should have communicated with you more sooner."

Locke turned and glanced at him, then calmly walked back onto the podium.

After this defense, Locke felt that he finally understood why he hadn't transformed the Tree of Prosperity from Spring Prosperity to Summer Prosperity in the Three Cave Worlds. In the midst of his argument with the Blue Dragon Throne and the review panel, Locke, in his excitement, finally let out a burst of anger. This burst of anger made him realize that he had been thinking very wrongly before.

He realized that he was standing on the edge of a precipice. If he had taken just one wrong step, or taken only half a step further, he would have fallen into an endless abyss and become one of the old wizards he had just mocked.

Where does the problem lie?
Is it as I think it is?

Almost there.

Locke closed his eyes. He was almost there. He was currently only grasping the idea through intuition and fragments of thought. The idea was still immature in his mind, not yet fully formed, but he was just one step away from making it complete!

Seven second-circle wizards from Catherine the Witch's side took to the stage.

Locke discovered that the wizards of the Senate and the deacon group had finally realized that the special grant was not relevant to them, so they simply gave up. Even the two wizards who created the "Wall of Sighs" had realized that both the judging panel and the five judges actually preferred the magical plant crystallization technique to the research on the Wall of Sighs. Furthermore, their own performance wasn't outstanding, and compared to Locke and Zeno, their work seemed quite mediocre.

Therefore, those who were self-aware enough, feeling discouraged and wanting to avoid public criticism, voluntarily gave up on advancing to the second round of debate. If it weren't for the application for the special grant, no one would risk having their carefully crafted project criticized from beginning to end in front of so many people; that would be incredibly disheartening.

If it were comments from highly skilled wizard mentors offering insightful and comprehensive advice, that would be fine.

However, the wizards in the second round of debates are likely to be of similar skill levels. As a result, the debates often turn into nitpicking and psychological attacks, a kind of personality suppression behavior that seeks out loopholes in the other party's research, or even attacks on the shortcomings of other people's projects by using rhetorical tricks such as changing concepts. If a wizard has already devoted all his energy to this project for his special grant, it would be quite a blow to him if he lost the debate at this time.

Locke glanced at the seven wizards present, including himself, who were still answering their questions.

This turned into a complete free-for-all among the researchers within the Red Dragon Academy.

At this point, this year's special grant has finally turned into an internal struggle among Catherine the Witch's students. No matter who wins the special grant today, it cannot change the fact that their teacher is the ultimate winner.

Although the Jinmianshan True Knowledge Institute is large in scale and has a large number of researchers, it still cannot escape the control of its own teacher.

Locke was also inwardly amazed by the Red Dragon Throne Witch's flawless strategy.

At the command of the wizards of the Blue Dragon Throne, seven wizards stood on the podium for the defense.

Locke stood with Zeno, and the other five wizards indeed huddled together. They stood together and immediately launched an attack on Zeno in full view of everyone.

Zhuoma spoke first, asking Zeno, "Wizard Zeno, your evidence that the crystallized magical plants are not living beings is very weak. You only filled the Golden Channel with these crystallized magical plants, but you didn't verify whether the Golden Channel was usable. Even if I just stuffed some random materials into the Golden Channel, wouldn't it work?"

Wizard Zeno frowned.

"That's why I need to apply for special funding to obtain permission to actually use the usable section of the Golden Waterway. Only key laboratories have this kind of permission. The abandoned section of the Golden Waterway that I'm using now is no longer passable."

A smile appeared on the face of the sorceress, Droma.

"So, you can't actually be sure whether the crystallized magical plant is alive or not, because the evidence from your experiment is very weak, and even the logic is flawed. Isn't that right?"

Wizard Zeno frowned.

"This is due to limitations in experimental conditions, not a problem with my experimental methods. However, after the repair filling of the Golden Channel, I conducted some simple pressure tests and found that it actually met the requirements."

Another knowledgeable second-circle wizard suddenly asked, "What kind of pressure test did you conduct?"

Wizard Zeno frowned, but being a very serious and earnest person, he was naturally not good at debating and did not know that some debates were a kind of rhetorical technique.

"I conducted a maximum load-bearing test on the Golden Channel..."

The second-ring wizard asked, "But you didn't have a power wizard from Golden Crown Mountain test you, did you? Have you forgotten? The power wizards of Golden Crown Mountain are the best in this area."

“You’re not a professional wizard of the power school, which means your test results are incomplete, and that means your experimental methods are flawed.”

Wizard Zeno frowned.

"Maximum load capacity is the most important performance characteristic of the Golden Route, as it represents the total number and scale of void warships that can pass through a unit area..."

The brandy wizard suddenly spoke up: "But these things are irrelevant to the result you want to prove, aren't they?"

"As far as I know, the complete force and energy test for the Golden Channel consists of six major items. Furthermore, your maximum load-bearing capacity test method is incorrect. Because the Golden Channel's navigation conditions are complex, I observed significant flaws in your static load test. For example, you only waited ten minutes after increasing the load before conducting the deformation distance test… But as far as I know, this timeframe is before the Golden Channel's internal materials have stabilized; you should have waited at least another ten minutes. Your test results are likely due to erroneous observations…"

Zeno the Wizard frowned. He immediately began to explain, but Brandy the Wizard suddenly changed the subject, asking, "There's a problem. Even setting aside whether crystallized magical plants are alive or not, can the project you've undertaken, Zeno the Wizard, really repair the Golden Channel? Crystallized magical plants are, after all, magical plant materials, while the Golden Channel constantly faces the invisible energy of the void. Magical plants are living materials, whether dead or alive, and living materials are always easily restrained by the endless void."

Wizard Zeno nodded slightly.

"The formless energy of the void is indeed very effective against life materials, which is why the Golden Route cannot be built using life materials. You are absolutely right."

Brandy Wizard frowned. He noticed that Zeno Wizard had seized the opportunity and was actually trying to escape the vortex of logical interrogation created by his continuous questioning.

Zeno was more troublesome than he had imagined.

The Brandy Wizard had intended to quickly stump him, but Zeno Wizard, though caught off guard by his continuous questioning, was still able to answer in general.

This can't go on.

He was about to speak again, but Locke, who had agreed to form an alliance with the Zeno wizards, spoke up, having figured it out.

Just as he had imagined from the audience, Brandy and the others were planning to unite, first focus their attacks on Zeno to eliminate him, and then focus their attacks on him.

Their current strategy is to repeatedly ask Zeno Wizard questions, seize on a certain detail in his answers, and then ask him questions again. As long as Zeno Wizard cannot answer even once, it will greatly undermine his confidence and mess up his logic. It can also give the audience, the commentary team, and even the judges a psychological suggestion that Zeno Wizard's previous answers that had a specific potential connection to him were also problematic.

This is the solution that the five Brandy Wizards discussed below. They need to kill Zeno Wizard quickly, otherwise Zeno Wizard will keep saying that the crystallized magical plants are not living beings, and he will attack them in groups at all times.

Only after eliminating Zeno can they attack Locke.

At this moment, Locke suddenly spoke up, interrupting the Brandy Wizard's series of questions.

"Brandy Wizard, can you really complete your crystallization project for the imaginary root?" Brandy Wizard seemed to be stung by the question, and for a moment he felt a little guilty and uncertain.

"I have prepared a detailed list of the equipment required for the project and two sets of experimental procedures in the application."

Locke said, "But I've looked at your project proposal and found that some of the equipment on it is not available at Golden Crown Mountain, especially some small equipment and consumables. Are you sure you can buy them at Golden Crown Mountain?"

The brandy wizard's face turned red.

"you……"

"Of course, the review panel just praised my plan as very reasonable and my allocation of funds as appropriate."

Zeno the Wizard immediately realized what was happening. He glanced gratefully at Locke, then seized the opportunity to launch an attack on another wizard, Zhuoma, who was jumping around excitedly, saying, "Zhuoma the Wizard, is it really necessary to apply for special funding for your crystallization project of second-ring magical plants? I published a paper on the crystallization of second-ring magical plants. I can do it without applying for special funding. What's the point of applying for special funding for your project? Your project has no value in applying for special funding."

The wizard Zhuoma immediately jumped up. He opened his mouth to speak, but then fell silent for a moment, after all, he had also begun to doubt himself for a brief moment.

Yes.

Does something as simple as this really require a key laboratory?

After Zhuoma choked up, the other three second-ring wizards also felt a sense of shared sorrow. Zhuoma's level was about the same as theirs, but she just didn't perform well this time. If Zhuoma's research didn't deserve to use the key laboratory, then did they deserve it?
The Brandy Wizard witnessed this and thought to himself, 'This is bad. Locke and Zeno have actually joined forces. How could this be? Locke is one thing, but Zeno is so arrogant, as if he doesn't respect anyone at all. I hate that kind of attitude of his the most. How could someone as proud and arrogant as him join forces with Locke?'

The Brandy Wizard had no choice but to deal with Locke prematurely. He looked at Locke and launched an attack, saying, "Wizard Locke, I noticed a mistake in your defense just now. Now I'm going to point it out for you!"

Locke said, "Oh?"

What mistakes or oversights did you find?

The Brandy Wizard smiled smugly and said, "I think the biggest problem with your atavism project is that you're using seedlings grown from seeds and seedlings, instead of tissue culture seedlings made through cuttings!"

The heated debate at this moment elicited frequent nods of agreement from the audience. In any case, due to various unforeseen circumstances, the quality of this year's top-tier grants was actually higher than in previous years.

The wizards of the mysterious Heaven and Starry Sea also watched this scene unfold.

What's unusual is that the review panel has completely stopped talking, simply watching everything unfold in silence.

Locke said, "What's the problem? So far, I've only used magical plants from other laboratories that have standard mother plants. The plant factors of second-ring magical plants and first-ring magical plants are extremely stable."

"Moreover, the Queen's Chessboard and the Ice Magic Mirror can be used to sequence plant factors."

"It can definitely be used for comparison."

The Brandy Wizard said, "But tissue culture seedlings can ensure the stability of the plant factors of each plant, while the seedlings you grow yourself are more susceptible to the influence of soil, spiritual energy and magic, making it impossible to precisely control experimental variables."

Locke said, "I don't think there's a problem. First, the plant factors of a second-ring magical plant are very stable. Under normal circumstances, it's impossible to change its plant factors without sufficient energy levels."

"I don't need to waste money on something that's unlikely to happen. That would just be a waste of money. The point of experimentation is to do it in a way that is both cost-effective and efficient."

Many audience members nodded in agreement.

It's not worth spending more money for perfect data.

Because tissue culture seedlings are actually very expensive, a single aseptic plant cultured from a breeding seedling of Erhuan Magic Plant might actually be more expensive than an adult plant.

Who would do an experiment and play with seedlings worth five million or even ten million every day?

Moreover, the plant factors of the two-ring magic plant are very stable, so there is really no need to use tissue culture seedlings.

Locke held up a second finger. "Secondly, the purpose of my atavism is to restore some of the evolutionary possibilities of magical plants. I don't think the disordered plant factors of the seedlings will affect my result. It might even be better."

"Only chaotic plant factors can lead to unexpected results from reversion to ancestral evolution. Perhaps we can make unexpected discoveries in this process."

Locke asked, "However, Brandy Wizard, I still want to ask you that question: are you really confident that you can complete your project?"

"The most crucial issue is that the mechanism by which the Imaginary Root draws upon the spiritual energy generated by the Imaginary Sea has not yet been fully explored, as it involves high-level magical knowledge. Moreover, it's not just about the study of the Imaginary Root, but also about the study of spiritual energy. For your crystallized magical plant to be able to properly draw upon spiritual energy, these areas are so complex. Do you think you can figure it out within five years?"

"Are you confident? Does your team have a second-circle wizard who is skilled in spiritual energy, or a second-circle wizard who is skilled in imaginary number root theory? Neither? Since you don't have either, how do you plan to tackle these topics that even an expert specializing in these fields couldn't finish in ten years?"

The brandy wizard frowned, because Locke kept hitting his sore spot.

Special grants don't require much attention to project completion because the application process is extremely difficult. So when reviewing qualifications, people only look at whether you've received the grant, and only secondarily at what you've actually researched.

Therefore, brandy's original greatest hope was to obtain the necessary permits.

His main focus was on how to apply, so naturally he didn't have the extra energy to think about how to complete the application.

How do I complete this?

Of the numerous research projects related to the magical plant crystallization technology that Yunze Wetland has applied for today, how many project leaders dare to confidently tell everyone that they can definitely produce some results?
Having a good technical approach and securing a project and publishing in a top journal are two completely different things from having a good technical approach and producing results and publishing in a useful top journal.

After all, some of the content in top theoretical journals is almost as far-fetched as the wildest hypotheses.

It's not that they're not clever enough, since those things are based on a lot of very abstract, hypothetical magical content.

The Brandy Wizard couldn't answer Locke's question, after all, he didn't know when he would finish. Making such a boast in front of so many people, it would be troublesome if he couldn't deliver.

The Brandy Wizard remembered the method he had devised to deal with Locke. He gritted his teeth and simply ignored Locke's question, refusing to answer it because he couldn't.

He asked Locke, "And you, Wizard Locke?"

"Which wizard present here is not our predecessor? We wizards should respect our teachers and elders."

"The second-circle wizards present are all our predecessors at Golden Crown Mountain, who have made great contributions to our mountain. We should treat these seniors with respect and be grateful for their past research achievements, which allow us to stand on the shoulders of giants and move forward. Instead of mocking them as old people and us as young people."

As soon as the Brandy Wizard said this, it immediately drew frequent nods from the panel of thirty second-ring wizards.

The Brandy Wizard said to Locke, “You’ve only been in our Golden Crown Mountain for a few years. Do you know how many of these people truly love magic and truth? Some have toiled for years, just for a single experimental result. Some have countless students, teaching a large number of geniuses for the wizarding world, some even more talented than you and me.”

“Wizard Locke, I think your attitude towards them just now was very wrong.”

"The reason we can stand here today and talk so freely is because of the unwavering pursuit of truth by our predecessors. You can't take advantage of your youth to laugh at those who are older than us. Don't you know that everyone gets old eventually?"

The brandy wizard said, "People grow old as soon as they are born, just like a flower that eventually withers after it blooms, just like the sun that eventually sets after it rises."

"Your atavistic evolution also violates the laws of nature. Nature evolves forward, but you insist on going backward. Your research violates the laws of nature!"

The brandy wizard seized the opportunity to bring up an academic question at the end, bringing the topic back on track to prevent Locke from finding fault.

There were some scattered applause sounds. When the Brandy Wizard turned around, he saw that it wasn't just the wizards on the commentary team who were applauding him, but also a small group of audience members.

However, most wizards felt that what he said in his defense was a bit off, so although they agreed with him to some extent, they did not offer any encouragement.

The Brandy Wizard looked at the Red Dragon Witch in the audience, who remained expressionless.

He looked at the five judges, four of whom were third-ring wizards. They didn't react much, but simply kept their heads down, using their magic quills to record their evaluations of the judges' performances.

The brandy wizard affirmed himself in his heart.

"I'm definitely no match for Locke in an academic contest. He's too menacing; I felt intimidated when we looked at each other. But if we can exploit his attitude—his biggest mistake just now—we can minimize his score. Besides, as a white wizard, he was truly lacking in composure."

Locke stared intently at the brandy.

Brandy, feeling intimidated by Locke's stare, even took a half-step back. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Locke stared at him and said, "No, you're wrong. The greatest disrespect is betraying yourself."

The brandy wizard was taken aback. "What did you say?"

Locke shook his head and said, “I mean, my research does not violate the laws of nature. The greatest violation is betraying oneself. What is magic? Magic is turning the impossible into the possible, a doctrine that constantly explores the unknown. When a wizard believes that something is impossible, he has betrayed himself.”

You're saying everyone gets old?

"This is unreasonable."

The brandy wizard looked at Locke with a puzzled expression.

"Everyone gets old, what's unreasonable about that? Even a third-ring wizard will eventually die of old age. All life will grow old. This is a natural law in the endless void."

Locke looked at the brandy wizard and said, "At least for wizards, the statement that people grow old after they are born cannot be true."

"Similarly, getting old doesn't necessarily mean you can't be young."

Only now did Locke finally understand why he had pushed the prosperity of spring into the prosperity of summer, and why he had been so uneasy.

the reason is simple.

I made the same mistake as the brandy wizard back then.

That is the belief that summer will inevitably follow spring, just as people will inevitably grow old after they are born.

Locke closed his eyes. Why can't it still be spring after spring?
The cycle of the seasons is a natural law, but as a wizard, I am also constantly pushing my limits in the process of pursuing truth as an ordinary mortal. I have already broken through the limits of my race's soul twice.

As a complex number limit breaker, I am constantly creating more and greater possibilities for myself.

If that's the case, then why do I think that summer should follow spring?
Why must spring develop into summer?
If he followed the cycle of the four seasons, Locke instantly realized that two major problems would arise. First, he was a human being, not the natural climate, and he could no longer treat himself as the natural climate.

The cycle of the four seasons is a natural law, not a human response. As a wizard, one should constantly pursue the greatest possible possibility, which means constantly seeking spring in the cycle of the four seasons.

Indeed, in the face of the natural laws of the endless void, a world, a civilization, or a person cannot remain in spring forever.

But for an individual wizard, the so-called racial breakthrough means constantly pushing the limits, surpassing oneself, and finding possibility in the impossible.

'It's a mid-level upgrade trap...'

Locke saw the path of the four seasons' cycle and upward movement.

"The path I was originally going to take was one of constantly creating new levels within the second ring, which is why I was able to see the brilliance ahead. If I had taken that step back then, I could have become a Star Ring Wizard ahead of time. But my intuition told me that something was wrong."

Of course something's wrong.

That's the Second Ring Road.

It's not the road leading to the Third Ring Road.

Going against the grain leads to immortality, following the grain leads to mediocrity.

If one truly follows the changes of all things, then what is the point of being a wizard, seeking truth, or pursuing some kind of third ring?
Locke looked at the brandy wizard and said, “People may grow old, but that doesn’t mean they can’t stay young. As wizards, we are always exploring our own potential. As long as the potential is endless, we will always be young. Magic is the doctrine of turning the impossible into the possible. Have you not heard that Zhou, though an old state, was ever new?”

"People must change; if people don't change, they will grow old. Everything must change. Big changes bring disaster, while small changes bring innovation. If a person or thing is constantly changing, then its spring will never end. So, continuous change occurs within the unchanging, and that is my Star Ring Forging."

Brandy looked confused.

"What are you talking about? Are you crazy?"

Locke sighed. So that's how it is. No wonder no one had reminded him before.

It turns out that those people knew that if they didn't want to understand this matter, even if someone reminded them, they would just consider it nonsense.

Or perhaps this defense session was originally arranged by my teacher as a reminder.

If you can't overcome it yourself, it means you've reached the limit of your potential.

The possibility of breaking through the third ring road in the future is infinitely reduced.

Because once a great magic spell is forged, it is difficult to modify. It can only be modified based on the original. And back then, I almost took the step of Summer's Prosperity in the Three Caves World.

These strange objects from around the world are truly dangerous.

If you're not careful, you might accelerate time, which could lead you astray and to the end.

The path to the pursuit of truth is indeed arduous.

Locke closed his eyes, his shadow was cast on the floor, and suddenly a star ring condensed behind him.

Under the tempering of the fire of literature and martial arts, cracks began to appear on the star ring. Locke's magical pressure expanded upwards, and the massive star ring he projected onto the ground began to crack.

Countless cracks began to fall off, revealing a smaller, yet more refined, golden halo within.

Catherine the Witch smirked.

Neptune stood up, preparing to leave.

"What? Isn't it okay?"

"I thought your potential was limited to this."

"It seems you do have the qualifications to challenge for the Third Ring Road; I see those qualifications. So, I know how to teach the third lesson."

Neptune left the conference room immediately.

The Red Dragon Witch frowned as she looked at the Sea Queen's Throne, clearly displeased.

"Next time, we need to make a rule that alcoholics cannot participate in the defense meeting."

"Was Locke's potions teacher this kind of person?"

"It seems I need to remind him to avoid witchcraft wine."

At this moment, the wizard from the Starry Sea showed interest in his eyes.

"Both he and Zeno are quite good. Zeno is the kind of talent we expected to see in our Starfield Sea project, but this wizard seems to be an exception. I always said that the wizards of our Eastern Frontier have extraordinary magnanimity!"

The Brandy Wizard stood in front of Locke, watching Locke's magical pressure rise continuously. He swallowed hard, feeling utterly devastated.

How could Locke advance to the Star Ring Wizard level after just a few words with him?

No, he himself has no hope of advancing to the Star Ring, so why is Locke about to attempt to reach the Star Ring, especially after exchanging a few words with him!

The Brandy Wizard was utterly devastated at that moment.

Despite his verbal attack, Locke not only didn't lose his composure, but he also immediately understood something and realized he was about to break through to become a Star Ring Wizard!

At this moment, the thirty second-ring wizards on the review panel all looked at each other in disbelief.

"A breakthrough to the Star Ring during the defense? That's quite rare in the history of Golden Crown Mountain, isn't it?"

"This guy's talent has actually reached this level?"

"Seeking change within constancy? This young wizard's ideas have made me wonder if my thinking has been too rigid. Shouldn't we old folks also change and revitalize ourselves?"

"Could it be that we old folks can still have a second spring? Hmm... This young man is so bold. His courage doesn't really make me angry. On the contrary, it makes me think that young people these days are really amazing. Talking to him has actually made me feel more energetic. Maybe he's right, I do have a bit of a lethargy in me."

　I'm asking for some monthly votes at the beginning of the month. I tried to write more words today. I'm advancing to the Star Ring level tomorrow!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)