Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 142 Ashe's Promotion

Kate slowly opened her eyes, and the surging energy tide in the quiet room of the treehouse gradually subsided.

Deep within the pupils, the left eye teems with life like a forest in early spring, while the right eye is as desolate and profound as an ancient tomb. The mystery of the cycle of life and death flows subtly within them, ultimately settling into a deep and restrained state.

He felt a transformative change within his body. His Heart of Reincarnation was as stable as a mountain, and the rules of life and death reached an unprecedented harmony and power. His mental strength steadily stopped at the threshold of 290 points, officially stepping into the late stage of the first-ring wizard.

"The power of the Immortal Sacred Vine Branch, the Myriad Symbiotic Species, and the Eternal Night Howling Demon Lotus—the power of these three treasures has been perfectly integrated into the Reincarnation Nursery."

Kate looked inward and her mind became clear: "The origin of life is as vast as the sea, the rules of death are as deep as an abyss, the symbiotic system is closely connected, and the potential is greatly increased."

"Now, my strength is unmatched among first-ring wizards, and I can even put up a fight against some who have just entered the second ring."

However, his gaze quickly turned to the depths of his spiritual sea, to the [Reincarnation Storage Domain] that was stabilized by ethereal jade marrow and closely connected to Aishe.

Aisha's plant stretched out within it, its amethyst trunk even more crystalline, its starlight-studded leaves flowing with silver light, its aura having already reached the peak of a first-ring magical plant, just one step away from that crucial barrier.

"It's time," Kate decided. "The situation in Eternal Night Canyon is settled, and I'm in top condition."

Ashe has already accumulated enough experience; all she lacks is an opportunity and stronger resources to propel her forward.

The residual power of the ethereal jade marrow and the life-giving dew perfectly aided its final transformation.

With a thought, he sank his consciousness into the Samsara Storage Domain.

This subspace, which he created and reinforced with ethereal jade marrow, has now expanded to nearly 1,500 cubic meters. Its internal spatial structure is stable, and its edges shimmer with the luster of silver-white spatial barriers.

Ashe's plant took root on a floating island in the center, simulating a void environment. Its branches and leaves moved swiftly without wind, sensing Kate's arrival and conveying emotional fluctuations of joy and dependence.

"Kate, you're awake! Your aura feels so strong and stable!"

Ashe's mental fluctuations flowed like a clear spring, carrying heartfelt joy.

"Yes, this seclusion was very fruitful," Kate replied gently. His phantom appeared beside Ashe, gazing at the magical plant so closely intertwined with his own destiny. "Ashe, your accumulation has reached a critical point. It's time to break through the barrier to the second ring."

Aisha's branches trembled slightly, and the light of the Star Fruit flickered, revealing anticipation and a hint of barely perceptible tension: "Second Ring—I can feel that barrier, it's very strong—it requires a tremendous amount of energy and a deeper understanding of the rules."

"Don't worry, we're all ready."

Kate spoke with confidence, and with a wave of his hand, the phantom images of two supreme treasures appeared in the storage space.

One is the remaining core of the [Ethereal Jade Marrow], which still emits a soft silvery-white halo and seems to contain the birth and death of galaxies. Most of its energy has been used to stabilize the space. The other is the two remaining drops of [Life Source Dew] in the jade bottle, each drop containing a vast and boundless life essence.

"The remaining spatial essence of the ethereal jade marrow will build the most solid foundation of rules for you, guiding you to a deeper understanding of the true meaning of 'creation' and 'stabilization' of space, rather than merely 'traversal' and 'concealment.'"

Kate pointed to the ethereal jade marrow, "The life essence will provide the vast energy needed to break through the barrier and nourish your essence, ensuring a perfect leap in life form during the advancement process and preventing damage to your foundation due to excessive energy."

He explained in detail: "For a magical plant, advancing to the second ring is a leap in the essence of life and a qualitative change in the control of rules."

It means that your core will become more cohesive, the rules and runes will be completely solidified, and the absorption and use of energy will undergo a radical transformation.

More importantly, you will begin to form the prototype of your own "domain of rules."

Ashe listened intently, the starlight on the branches flickering as Kate spoke, as if she were trying to understand and digest this crucial information.

"The process will be somewhat painful and dangerous."

Kate solemnly warned, "The restructuring of rules and the erosion of energy will put enormous pressure on your plant's form and your spiritual consciousness."

You must guard your mind, guide your energy, and perceive the changing rules. I will protect you with the domain of the Heart of Samsara and harmonize your energy, but the most important breakthrough depends on yourself.

"I understand, Kate." Ash's resolve hardened. "I believe in you, and I believe in ourselves. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

"Alright! Let's begin!"

Kate no longer hesitated. She sat cross-legged in the treehouse, her Heart of Reincarnation operating at full power, her mind highly focused.

The illusory image within the storage domain solidified, guiding the power of the two treasures.

He first activated the remaining core of the ethereal jade marrow.

The chalcedony emitted an even richer silvery-white radiance, and streams of extremely condensed primordial power, containing the rules of spatial creation and stabilization, flowed slowly into Aisha's amethyst main body like trickling streams.

Om-!

Aisha's plant suddenly trembled, and its main stem instantly became almost transparent. Inside, countless silver light threads seemed to be frantically shuttling and weaving, constructing a more complex and stable spatial structure.

Its branches and leaves swayed violently, each starlight-sparkling leaf seemingly transforming into a tiny spatial mirror, reflecting...

It refracts the surrounding light and energy.

The pain is obvious. The reshaping of the rules is like breaking yourself down and then rebuilding yourself.

The mental fluctuations transmitted by Aisha were mixed with a strong sense of impact, but it kept its mind focused and tried its best to understand the true meaning of the new space that was pouring in—no longer simply using the gaps in space, but understanding the mysteries of the space itself in terms of "layering", "anchoring", "expansion" and "creation".

"Hold on, guide it, let your spatial patterns resonate with these rules!" Kate's voice rang out in its consciousness like a stabilizing force.

At the same time, Kate opened the jade bottle.

A drop of crystal-clear [Life Dew], radiating endless vitality and a soft glow, slowly floated out and dripped onto Aisha's roots.

boom!

Like rain falling on a long-awaited desert, or a star pouring into the core of a planet!

An indescribable surge of life energy erupted instantly, like a warm ocean, enveloping and immersing the entire plant of Aisha.

This energy is so pure and advanced that it doesn't violently impact, but rather nourishes everything, rapidly penetrating every cell and energy channel of Aisha, providing almost unlimited fuel and support for its transformation.

Ashe's pain was instantly and greatly relieved, replaced by an extreme sense of fullness and evolution.

Its branches and leaves grow and extend at a speed visible to the naked eye, the starlight becomes more dazzling, and the process of reconstructing the spatial rules within the trunk becomes smoother and faster due to the support of sufficient energy.

Its aura began to rise steadily, constantly impacting the invisible barrier between the first and second ring roads.

But that's not enough. The energy required to advance to the second ring is enormous, especially for a space-type magical plant like Aisha, whose potential and foundation are extremely strong.

Kate did not hesitate to draw out the second drop of [Life Source Dew].

With the infusion of the second drop of Source Dew, the energy surged once more!

Ashe's plant seemed to transform into a vortex of energy, frantically devouring this pure life essence.

Its form began to change noticeably—the main stem, which was originally sculpted like amethyst, became even deeper in color, and fine, mysterious spatial runes, as if naturally formed, began to emerge inside. These runes glowed faintly, reflecting the power of the ethereal chalcedony.

The most crucial change occurred in its leaves.

The edges of the leaves, which were originally woven like starlight, began to shimmer with a crystalline luster, as if liquid crystals were slowly flowing and solidifying.

The veins of the leaf turned into silver circuits, shimmering with the light of spatial energy.

The texture of the entire leaf is transforming from an energy body into an extremely stable crystalline form that is half energy and half matter.

This is an outward manifestation of the cohesion of rules and the improvement of essence!

It is an important sign of moving towards the second ring – element crystallization.

"Now! Gather your core rules and build your intermediate domain."

Kate gave a low shout, and the power of the Heart of Reincarnation's domain enveloped Ashe through the soul connection. It wasn't a forceful intervention, but rather a stable "framework" and "buffer" to help it manage the raging energy and stabilize the reconstructed rules.

Ash's mental state reached a peak, filled with pain and struggle, but even more so with determination and enlightenment.

It felt that its understanding of space had reached a whole new level.

It is no longer merely a "passerby" in space, but begins to try to become a "weaver" of space and "the master of a small area".

It guides the vast energy within the plant and the spatial origin of the ethereal jade marrow, converging, compressing, and condensing them towards the very core of the plant—the intersection of the three star fruits.

There, a tiny yet incredibly dazzling complex three-dimensional structure composed of countless spatial runes is slowly taking shape—this is its second-ring rule core, and also the seed of its future "Domain of Rules".

At the same time, the space around the plant began to distort strangely. A blurry, shimmering spherical area with a radius of about ten meters was faintly forming.

Within this area, the rules of space seem to have been slightly rewritten, becoming more "viscous" and "orderly," as if it had become an extension of Aish's domain.

This is the initial manifestation of the mid-level spatial domain—[Starlight Imprisonment Field]!

The erosion of energy reached its peak, and the condensation of the core rules also reached its most critical moment.

At this moment, all of Aisha's leaves were completely crystallized!

They are no longer illusory light and shadow, but have become real crystal leaves, as thin as cicada wings yet indestructible, with starlight and spatial runes flowing inside.

The entire plant appears to be sculpted from the finest amethyst and star-studded gemstones, exuding a dreamlike yet powerful aura.

The three star fruits at its top, their light subdued, became like three profound gems containing a small world within them.

Click—

It was as if a subtle sound, like a barrier being broken, echoed on the level of the soul.

Ashe's aura suddenly surged, breaking through that solid barrier and stepping into a completely new level.

The Second Ring Road! It's done!

The immense energy is no longer violent, but rather flows like a gentle stream, beginning to operate smoothly according to new rules and patterns.

The newly formed core of rules stabilized, slowly rotating and emitting powerful spatial fluctuations.

The surrounding mid-level domains gradually became clearer and more stable. Although the area was still small, it had already taken shape.

Aisha's plant stood quietly in the center of the storage area, its entire body crystal clear. Its crystal leaves moved without wind, emitting a pleasant, crisp sound like the tinkling of wind chimes, a sound that was the slight tremor of the space.

A vast, profound, and domineering aura naturally emanated from it.

It succeeded! It has officially advanced from the peak of the first ring to a powerful magical plant in the lower second ring!

"I did it! Kate! I did it!" Ash's emotions surged with indescribable excitement and joy, even tinged with a sob. "I feel—it's so amazing! The world seems clearer, and space—it feels like a part of my body!"

Kate breathed a long sigh of relief, a smile of satisfaction spreading across her face.

He could clearly feel that Ash's life essence had undergone a leap, and that her connection with his own soul had become closer and deeper.

Within the Cycle Nursery, the Spatial Garden section received significant feedback and reinforcement, becoming more expansive and stable.

"Congratulations, Ashe! From now on, the world is your oyster!" Kate sincerely congratulated her.

He carefully sensed the changes in Ashe after her promotion:

Symbiote: Ashe (Spirit of the Void Core)

[Rank: Lower Second Ring]

[Core Attributes: Space (Primary), Soul Control (Secondary)]

[New/Enhanced Abilities:]

1. Space Crystal Leaf: The leaf is completely crystallized, greatly enhancing physical defense and energy resistance. It can be actively activated to form a [Crystal Barrier] for absolute defense, or launch a [Crystal Leaf Storm] for wide-range cutting attacks.

2. Core of Rules - Heart of the Void: Condenses the core of the second-ring spatial rules, resulting in a qualitative change in the understanding and control of spatial rules, allowing for easier casting of high-level spatial spells.

3. Intermediate Domain - Starlight Imprisonment Field (radius 10 meters): Initially forms one's own spatial domain, which can greatly slow down enemies, interfere with spatial abilities, and enhance the effects of one's own spatial spells.

4. Advanced spatial blinking: The blinking distance, accuracy, and frequency are greatly improved, enabling continuous blinking over short distances.

5. Spatial Weaving (Beginner): Allows for temporary alteration of spatial structure on a small scale, creating simple spatial traps or barriers.

6. Enhanced Soul Resonance: The soul connection with the host and other symbiotes becomes closer, information is transmitted faster, and the ability to cooperate in combat is stronger.

This promotion was not only a surge in strength, but also a leap in her level of existence. Ashe has truly become a powerful force capable of influencing the course of battle.

"Consolidate your strength and familiarize yourself with your new power," Kate instructed. "We may soon face new challenges."

Ashe replied obediently, "Yes! I'll master the new ability as soon as possible! Thank you, Kate!"

Kate smiled and withdrew her consciousness from the storage space.