Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

In the secret room of Qing Teng Workshop, Chen Lin slowly opened his eyes. The sharp perception brought by the Moon-Eating Spirit Dew in his mental sea receded like the tide, leaving behind a slight feeling of fatigue after being overstretched. However, the refinement of his mental power had indeed improved slightly.

He looked out the window; the glowing moss on the rampart dome was fully illuminated, its soft glow dispelling the darkness beneath the earth. A new day had begun.

Yesterday, Liria's sudden summons inquired about Chen Lin's cultivation progress and the operation of the Green Vine Workshop. Afterwards, Liria set a goal for Chen Lin: if he could enter the top 20, Liria said she would give him a surprise.

There are no matches scheduled today, making it a rare rest day for the round-robin tournament.

As Chen Lin was preparing to head to the workshop to deal with the backlog of tasks, a magical paper crane shimmering with a pale blue light pierced through the multiple isolation arrays of the secret room and landed lightly in his palm.

The paper crane is made of pure magic, with a simple yet powerful emblem branded on its wings—a crossed lightning bolt and a shield, below which is engraved a line of small characters: "Green-topped Pavilion, noon, to discuss the trial."

"The Jade Pavilion?" Chen Lin raised an eyebrow slightly.

It was a relatively secluded viewing platform on the upper level of the fortress, located on the aerial roots of a huge guardian tree. It offered a panoramic view of the fortress and was usually only used by high-ranking wizards or esteemed apprentices.

He vaguely recognized the emblem; he had seen it on the robes of several elite apprentices trained within the strongholds at the top of the leaderboard. It seemed to be the symbol of their self-organized Southern Region Trial Preparation Group.

"Let's discuss the trial together..." Chen Lin stroked the paper crane, the Seed of Origin circulating coldly.

This is clearly not an ordinary invitation.

He just defeated "Iron Wall" Baroque in the top 50 competition, demonstrating the powerful defense after fusing with Golden Thorns and the ferocious vine strangulation tactics. His strength as a fourth-level wizard apprentice and his unique fighting style have attracted widespread attention.

With his status as "Master Liria's disciple" and "Master of Qing Teng Workshop," he was clearly regarded by the elite circle within this barrier as a qualified candidate to join.

"It's both an attempt to win them over and an assessment." Chen Lin understood instantly.

This circle brings together the most promising apprentices in the barrier, possessing more core trial intelligence, resource channels, and connections.

Joining means faster access to critical information, trading of rare resources, and the formation of temporary alliances to deal with the dangers in the Trial Tower.

However, it is also necessary to demonstrate sufficient value and potentially reveal some of your hand.

After weighing the pros and cons, Chen Lin decided to keep the appointment.

The path of a wizard is inherently fraught with risks; working in isolation will only lead to missed opportunities.

He needs the resources and connections in this circle, especially information about the deeper areas of the Trial Tower and the soul-healing artifacts.

As for exposure? As long as the core secrets of the Seed of Origin are not revealed, certain combat styles and symbiotic characteristics are meant to be used in the trials anyway.

At noon, at the Emerald Peak Pavilion.

The platform was naturally formed by the gnarled aerial roots of ancient trees, paved with smooth bluestone slabs, and surrounded by lush green vines that exude a refreshing fragrance.

The view is excellent, with layers of buildings, lush medicinal herb gardens, and scattered figures on the training field in the distance all visible.

The air was filled with the unique, calming fragrance of ancient trees.

There were already four people in the pavilion.

Leading the group was Evan Windwhisperer, ranked third on the leaderboard. He was a peak level four apprentice, a genius of the Windwhisperer family, and wore a flowing blue and white robe. He had an elegant demeanor and sharp, eagle-like eyes.

Beside him was Sophia, ranked fifth, a tall and athletic female apprentice with rock-like gray-white skin and a calm and heavy aura. She specialized in earth-based defense and strength enhancement.

The seventh-ranked "Shadowthorn" Kyle sat quietly in the shadows of a corner, his figure indistinct and uncertain, as if he could blend into the environment at any moment. He was a well-known stealth and assassination expert in the Bulwark.

The last one is Elena, ranked ninth. She is a female apprentice with a cool temperament and cascading silver hair. She is surrounded by faint fluctuations of star power and is skilled in prophetic spells and the manipulation of starlight energy.

Chen Lin's arrival caused a slight tension in the pavilion.

Four pairs of eyes instantly focused on him, filled with scrutiny, curiosity, and a hint of barely perceptible superiority.

"Welcome, Chen Lin, 'Thorns'." Evan spoke first, his voice as gentle as a breeze. "I am Evan Windwhisperer. These are Sophia, Kyle, and Elena. We watched all your matches, especially the one against Baroque; your defense and counter-attacks were quite spectacular."

His tone was gentle, but the implied "we've all seen it" carried an invisible pressure, suggesting their understanding of Chen Lin.

"Senior Ai Wen, Senior Sophia, Senior Kyle, Senior Elena." Chen Lin bowed slightly, his posture respectful yet neither humble nor arrogant. "I am new here, and I am very honored to be invited by you seniors."

"You're welcome," Sophia said in a steady voice, like the deep hum of the earth.

"Master Liria's judgment is correct. You were able to force Tamir to retreat and defeat Baroque with your strength at the early stage of level four, so you are qualified to sit here."

Her words directly pointed out the source of Chen Lin's value—his strength and Liria's background.

The battle with Tamir has become known, it seems Tamir himself revealed it. Sure enough, Master Liria's intention in taking on a disciple was not pure; a true worthy disciple wouldn't need such publicity.

Kyle simply nodded slightly, his gaze from the shadows sweeping over Chen Lin like a cold dagger, lingering for a moment, especially on the area covered by the right sleeve.

Elena nodded slightly, her silver eyes sparkling as if she were silently deducing something.

"Have a seat," Evan said, gesturing for Chen Lin to sit on the stone bench.

"I invited you here to discuss the Southern Trials. The Tower of Trials is fraught with danger, where opportunity and death coexist."

The selection process within the walls is just the beginning; the real challenge lies within the tower.

Our goal is to break into the top 100, or even higher, to compete for more resources for the barrier.

Going it alone is too risky. Cooperation is the wise choice.

He got straight to the point, tracing a line in the air with his fingertips, and a simplified diagram of the Trial Tower, constructed of magic, appeared, marked with some blurry areas and danger symbols:

"This is some of the intelligence we have gathered so far."

The tower's interior space is folded and the environment is varied.

Known dangerous areas include the "Heart of Lava," the "Shadow Corridor," and the "Corrupted Garden"... while opportunities, such as ancient heritage chambers, elemental essence pools, and rare magical plant communities, are often accompanied by enormous risks.

Elena's interface, ethereal voice:

"My stellar omens indicate that the energy fluctuations in the deeper areas of the tower during this trial are abnormal, which may be related to the periodic opening of the ancient 'Purification Temple' ruins."

There... perhaps exists a "holy spring" or a "life-giving crystal" capable of healing the wounds of the soul.

As she spoke, her gaze swept over Chen Lin almost imperceptibly.

Clearly, they had heard about Chen Lin's goal in treating Ella.

Chen Lin's heart skipped a beat!

"Purification Temple," "Holy Spring Water," "Life Crystal"! These were the clues he had been searching for!

He suppressed his excitement, his eyes sharpening: "The Purification Temple? Do you have any clues about its exact location or opening time?"

"Only vague directions and energy tide predictions."

Elena shook her head.

"The ruins are shrouded in a powerful spatial maze and protective array. Each time they are opened, the location is random and full of unknown dangers."

In-depth exploration requires strong teamwork and the ability to handle unexpected situations.

Her words were both a temptation and a test.

"Cooperation is based on trust and complementarity."

Sofia said in a deep voice, her resolute gaze fixed on Chen Lin.

"Your defensive capabilities, especially that energy-absorbing thorn armor, can play a huge role in the team, particularly when fighting against elemental torrents or physical impacts."

Your vine control and neurotoxins are also effective at restraining powerful individuals or clearing out mobs. But…”

She paused, then spoke frankly.

"Your weaknesses are also obvious. Your movement speed is average, and you lack effective long-range attack methods. When you need to provide rapid support, kite strong enemies, or attack aerial and long-range targets, you will become a burden to the team."

Kyle added coldly from the shadows, "In the Trial Tower, a single weakness could be the trigger for a total wipeout."

The atmosphere in the pavilion became somewhat somber.

Evan spoke at the opportune moment, his tone still gentle:

"Sofia and Kyle were blunt, but it's true."

Chen Lin, we recognize your value, but the team needs comprehensive combat capabilities.

If you can overcome your weaknesses in ranged attacks before the trial, or demonstrate other irreplaceable value, we would love to welcome you to join our core team, share intelligence and resources, and support each other within the tower.

Chen Lin remained silent for a moment.

The other party's attitude was clear: they acknowledged his defensive and control value, but his weakness in ranged attacks was a fatal flaw.

They offered the bait of purifying the temple, both to show sincerity and to exert pressure—to obtain clues to save Ella and team support, they had to solve this problem.

"I understand." Chen Lin raised his head, his eyes calm and firm.

"Thank you all for your candor. Ranged attack capabilities are indeed my current weakness. I will do my best to improve them before the trial. As for cooperation, I am very interested. I am willing to provide assistance within the scope of intelligence sharing and what I can do."

He did not make a 100% commitment, but expressed a willingness to cooperate and a determination to solve the problem.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Evan's eyes: "Very good. Well then, welcome to the 'Azure Summit Alliance' for the time being. This is our internal communication identifier."

He flicked his finger, and a pale blue wind imprint flew towards Chen Lin. Chen Lin caught it with his mental power, and the imprint merged into his identity badge.

"Intelligence will be updated regularly through the markings. Also," Evan looked at Sophia,

"Sophia, don't you have a detailed map of 'Wind Howling Canyon'? There might be traces of 'Wind Grass King' there. Although it might not be useful for improving Chen Lin's speed, it might be able to be exchanged for some resources."

Sophia nodded and handed Chen Lin a jade slip containing map information: "Consider it a small gift. Howling Canyon is northwest of the fortress; be careful of the Sky-Splittering Falcons there."

"Thank you." Chen Lin solemnly accepted it.

Although the Gale Grass King doesn't significantly improve his speed, and he doesn't plan to explore it in the short term, the map itself is quite valuable and represents an initial acceptance.

Leaving the Green Peak Pavilion, Chen Lin felt not much joy, but rather a heavy sense of pressure.

The clues to purifying the temple acted like a lighthouse in the darkness, guiding Chen Lin in the right direction.

His weakness in ranged attacks has been clearly pointed out by the elite circle, becoming the biggest obstacle for him to integrate into the core team and compete for deeper opportunities in the Trial Tower.