Chapter 176: Trial Challenge, Knowledge Assessment
The sudden commotion instantly captured the attention of everyone nearby.
Almost immediately, a crowd of people couldn't restrain their excitement and rushed toward Star Tower at high speed.
However, just as they were about to push open the doors, their faces filled with joy, an invisible wave of energy blasted them away.
"What’s going on?"
"Why can’t we get in?"
"Damn it, there’s a Defensive Magic Array!"
Several impatient cultivators couldn't help but unleash spells against the door, attempting to break through the protective array.
Yet, the spells hit the door with no effect, as if they were sinking into the sea, causing not even a ripple.
In the next instant, a bright light suddenly flickered at the top of the tower, and several beams of light descended from the sky, striking the cultivators who had attacked the door.
Seeing this, the crowd gathered in front of the tower changed their expressions and retreated in panic, seeking distance.
"What was that?" Traveler gasped.
Even from hundreds of meters away, he could feel the intense energy fluctuations contained within the beams of light.
That level of energy was terrifying enough to kill him instantly!
"Spell Turret," Su Nan explained. "It’s one of the standard combat devices of the Wizard Tower. One shot can easily eliminate a Third Circle Legendary Knight."
Scepter, Traveler, and Rose all turned to Su Nan in surprise.
"How do you know that?" Rose asked curiously.
Su Nan simply shrugged, offering no reply.
With the fate of those unfortunate souls serving as a warning, the surrounding cultivators and onlookers no longer dared to act recklessly.
"Get out of my way!"
A cold shout suddenly pierced the air, followed by a short scream.
McVeigh surged ahead, flying toward Star Tower and casually unleashing a bolt of lightning mid-flight to eliminate a cultivator blocking his path.
Seeing this, the others quickly stepped aside.
They lacked the confidence and strength to confront a Level Three Wizard Apprentice.
Ignoring the resentful gazes around them, the Truth Council's group all stared intently at the Star Tower, their eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation.
The towering pagoda before them represented their hope for advancement to Wizard!
Without hesitation, Megison and the others immediately took out their Rune Stones.
A faint glow emanated from the surfaces of the Rune Stones, quickly spreading to envelop each of them in a radiant light.
In the next moment, more than a dozen figures vanished into thin air.
This spectacle immediately caused a commotion among the onlookers.
"They're gone—no, they went inside!"
"Why can they enter?"
"Is it because of that stone? Does accessing the pagoda require some kind of medium?"
Realizing this, everyone's eyes flickered as they scanned their surroundings.
Among the crowd, there may be others who possessed similar stones!
Traveler clicked his tongue. "Those guys got a head start."
Despite his words, there was no trace of panic in his tone.
After all, their group included four Level Three Wizard Apprentices and one Third Circle Legendary Knight, not to mention Su Nan leading them. They were not afraid of the rabble surrounding them.
"Let's not delay; we must go in."
Su Nan took the lead, striding toward the Star Tower.
Seeing this, the others quickly stood up and followed.
Their group of five was already conspicuous, and their movements drew even more attention.
When they stopped in front of the Star Tower, revealing the stones in their palms, someone finally couldn't hold back any longer.
An other Wizard Apprentice suddenly raised his hand, shooting a beam of black light toward Rose.
Almost simultaneously, two Legendary Knights leaped into action, lunging at Ke Yi and Traveler, their swords slashing down with intent.
The actions of these three seemed to trigger an immediate reaction, and in an instant, the surrounding crowd attacked, dozens of them targeting Su Nan and his companions.
They were not blind to the strength of Su Nan's group, but faced with the allure of the Star Tower, the greed in their hearts ultimately overcame their rationality.
Moreover, there were only five targets, unlike the previous group from the Truth Council, which numbered more than a dozen. The attacking crowd was at least forty or fifty strong, and relying on their numerical advantage, they believed they had a chance to seize the stones.
"As for how to distribute the loot after taking it, that would be a concern for later.
But in the next moment, they realized just how wrong they were.
The instant they made their move, the counterattacks from Su Nan, Scepter, Traveler, and Rose arrived simultaneously.
Centered around the four of them, dozens of Magic Missiles suddenly erupted, instantly piercing through the seven or eight attackers who had charged the furthest ahead.
These assailants, who were at most one-ring legendary, were reduced to corpses in a single exchange!
Such a scene immediately stunned the remaining onlookers, who hesitated, not daring to advance.
However, Su Nan and the others had no intention of letting them go. Spells flew repeatedly, quickly decimating the surrounding crowd, leaving no one alive.
The Second Level Wizard Apprentices and one-ring Legendary Knights were no different from ants that could be crushed at will in front of Su Nan's group, even with the former holding a numerical advantage of more than tenfold.
Realizing the vast difference in strength between themselves and Su Nan’s group, the once-restless crowd fell silent.
No one dared to act any further, remaining at a distance and casting fearful, envious glances at them.
The four of Su Nan ignored them, as if they had merely stepped on a few ants.
Their complete focus was on the Rune Stone.
As the Rune Stone emitted a faint light that spread throughout their bodies, the next instant, the five of them vanished from where they stood.
When they came to their senses again, Su Nan found himself in a vast hall.
The entire hall was paved with White Jade Stone, its surface engraved with intricate patterns that seemed to contain an underlying order, radiating a peculiar sense of beauty.
The hall bore some resemblance to the control center on the top floor of the Dragon Bone Tower, but it was even more spacious. The walls contained many crisscrossing gaps, vaguely forming rectangle-shaped doorways close to the ground.
The ceiling, towering at least a hundred meters above, was studded with dense, precious Everbright Pearls that illuminated the entire hall brightly.
Just as Su Nan was observing the hall, a voice suddenly echoed from the void.
[Detection of entrants, initiating scan!]
[Scan complete. Entrant is Level Three Wizard Apprentice. Meets inheritance conditions. Now initiating inheritance procedure!]
[Welcome to Star Tower, Other: Wizard Apprentice!]
Su Nan stood a dozen meters ahead when the void suddenly lit up, and a phantom materialized out of thin air.
It resembled a gray-white meatball about the height of a person, its surface covered with a multitude of mouths, the inner workings faintly visible with fine, sharp teeth. At that moment, hundreds of mouths opened and closed simultaneously, emitting a slightly mechanical and monotonous sound.
[I am the Tower Spirit of Star Tower, the examiner presiding over the trial.]
[According to the rules of Star Tower, all entrants can challenge the trial. Success in the challenge grants an inheritance reward. Do you wish to challenge?]
Su Nan did not respond immediately; instead, he examined the meatball, claiming to be the Tower Spirit, with great interest.
Without much thought, he surmised that the so-called Tower Spirit was a mere illusion, likely a testament to the creator's self-importance. A genuine Tower Spirit was exceptionally rare. Even if a wizard had left an inheritance thousands of years ago, they would not have been willing to abandon the Tower Spirit in a place like this.
Moreover, the tone of the meatball's voice couldn't quite hide its dullness and mechanical quality. Its intelligence was clearly low, at best slightly superior to that of Long Lin's Butler number one.
Then again, the taste of Star Tower's creator was truly something else, having designed the external appearance of the auxiliary intelligent life form into such an unappealing shape.
After quietly muttering to himself for a moment, Su Nan declared loudly, "Challenge!"
The meatball paused for a second or two, then the mouths on its surface opened and closed in unison once again.
[Starting the trial matching!]
[Matching successful. Based on the challenger's age and cultivation level, the trial difficulty is set to the highest level!]
[Friendly reminder: The trial is divided into three stages. Please complete them within ninety days; otherwise, it will be deemed a failure!]
[Now starting the first stage, knowledge assessment!]
As the voice faded, a flash of light appeared before Su Nan, and ten phantoms suddenly materialized.
[Please select three of the following ten kinds of materials and describe in detail their names, effects, growth environments, etc. The information density and accuracy must meet certain standards.]
Listening to the voice in his ear and gazing at the phantoms before him, Su Nan felt a strange sense of nostalgia.
The scene resembled the moment he had taken the exam in his past life at the Wizard Academy.
"I didn't expect to be taking another exam here."
After a moment of contemplation, Su Nan turned his focus to the assessment before him.
Among the ten types of materials were common magical plants, rare metals, and various other peculiar items.
Su Nan glanced over them and quickly understood their significance.
These materials, though not extinct in the current Starlight Continent, were still extremely rare.
He suspected they could only be found in ancient texts.
While they might pose difficulties for other wizard apprentices, they were quite simple for him.
Without hesitation, Su Nan pointed to the first unremarkable, withered yellow grass on the far right and began to answer.
"Resurrection Grass, an extremely cold-resistant magical plant, primarily grows in harsh environments such as icy plains, volcanic regions, and miasma swamps. Its most renowned ability is to revive the dead. It can come back to life after being almost completely dried out and possesses a strong capacity for mutation. To adapt to its harsh living conditions, it often undergoes specific mutations and evolutions, giving rise to many variants."
"Resurrection Grass is imbued with a powerful life force. Direct consumption can slightly prolong one's lifespan, and it can also be used to create potions. It is one of the main ingredients of the Dawn Potion."
[Passed.]
Without surprise, Su Nan moved his finger to the second material.
It was a small, silver-white sapling, though in reality, it was a metal material.
The metal on its leaf-shaped surface gleamed with a starlight brilliance, making it incredibly beautiful.
"Star Silver Soul, a rare metal. Its growth environment must meet two conditions: firstly, a mine must be nearby, and secondly, it must be exposed to moonlight, with the concentration of energy particles meeting very strict requirements."
"The ductility and magical conductivity of Star Silver Soul surpass that of mithril. It can be used to craft magical items or refine puppets."
Without waiting for Meatball to interject, Su Nan pointed to the third translucent, irregular crystal and said:
"Dragon Crystal, a peculiar crystal that forms under specific conditions from the remains of deceased dragons. It contains the essence of the entire dragon corpse and has a wide range of applications. It can be used to cultivate magical pets, for biological modification, to create magical items, or to refine puppets."
[Passed.]
A hint of satisfaction crossed Su Nan's face; this type of question regarding the identification of materials posed no challenge for him at all.
Buzz!
Another ten phantoms appeared, but this time they took the form of ten bizarre-looking creatures.
[Please choose three of the following ten creatures and elaborate on their names, habitats, biological characteristics, etc. The information density and accuracy must meet a certain standard.]
“This time it’s about identifying creatures, huh?”
Su Nan remained calm, his gaze settling on the first jellyfish on the left, which emitted a faint blue glow.
The jellyfish was white and umbrella-shaped, adorned with densely packed eyes on its front—approximately 24 of them scattered around its head—creating a rather unsettling sight.
“Umbrella Jellyfish: a gregarious species typically found in deep sea areas. Highly poisonous; its internal organs can be used to brew potions, and its venom serves as enchanting materials.”
Next, Su Nan selected the second creature, the Demonic Eel, followed by the third, the Choker, explaining their details in turn.
Unsurprisingly, Meatball issued a 【pass】 evaluation.
Another easy victory.
“What’s next, recognition? Bring it on,” Su Nan said with a confident smile.
However, the next phantom that appeared surprised him; it was a book.
【Master this Spell and successfully cast it once.】
It’s actually about learning a Spell?
Su Nan raised an eyebrow in surprise but felt a sense of relief soon after.
A Spell generally involves more than ten or even dozens of fields of knowledge, and many Spells share commonalities.
In general, the more knowledgeable a wizard (or wizard apprentice) is, the easier it is for them to learn a Spell.
The reason high-level wizards can master low-tier Spells in a short time is not only due to their higher spiritual power, but also because their knowledge is far more extensive and profound than that of other wizard apprentices.
It’s akin to a PhD student solving elementary school problems—effortless.
Su Nan briefly flipped through the book, discovering that it contained a first-level Spell known as 'Bone Arrow.'
He recalled that this technique was not included in any of the Spell books he had collected so far.
If nothing unexpected happened, it should be a self-created Spell of the Star Tower’s builder.
"It made sense when you thought about it. Since this was an assessment, they had to provide a Spell that wasn’t found outside, to prevent any challenger from already mastering it, thus ensuring fairness.
“Zero Ring Spell.”
Su Nan's face broke into a smile.
Normally, even the fastest cultivators would need twenty to thirty days to learn a Zero Ring Spell.
But he was different. With the Golden Finger, even three days would be considered a long time.
Reining in his thoughts, Su Nan began to flip through the books.
[Reading "Boneyard Grasp," "Bone Manipulation" learning progress +0.15%]
The Spell learning progress was even faster than Su Nan had anticipated, with progress notifications popping up almost every few minutes.
In just two short days, Su Nan had successfully mastered this Zero Ring Spell called "Bone Manipulation."
The moment the notification appeared, he closed the book, reached out a finger, and a pale, sharp bone arrow materialized from thin air, shooting into the wall at the far end.
With a clang, the bone arrow shattered, but the wall remained undamaged.
[Passed.]
[Successfully passed the first stage.]
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