Chapter 204: A Legacy of the Millennia Wizard Family
Returning to his original cave, Su Nan glanced back just in time to see the pitch-black Space Channel rapidly shrink, ultimately transforming into a black dot before vanishing completely.
As he watched this scene, a flicker of emotion crossed Su Nan's face.
The Black Forest had crumbled into nothingness, the Tower of Stars dismantled into materials, and two of the legendary Three Great Wizard Heritages had been forever destroyed by his own hands.
Now, only the last remnant, Falling Star City, remained.
"I just don’t know where Falling Star City is," Su Nan mused inwardly.
He had searched the entire Underworld but found no trace of the city.
The clue to this last Wizard inheritance most likely lay in the surface world, and perhaps in the Northwest Region. After all, he had already scoured every inch of the Southeast Region.
"Once the Prosperous Star Empire conquers the Northwest Region, I’ll have Ke Yi help with the search," Su Nan thought.
Coming back to his senses, Su Nan left the cave.
However, this task took far more time and effort than Su Nan had anticipated.
The divine energy contained within the Dark Demon Tree's body was not particularly abundant; it amounted to less than three hundred standard units. But due to the sheer size of the tree body, extracting it was a time-consuming process.
After spending more than two months extracting and absorbing the energy, Su Nan finally drained the tree body of all its divine energy.
As a result, his spiritual condensation grew by nearly 20%, skyrocketing to 60.37%!
Since all the essence had been condensed into Thousand Tree Essence and all the divine energy had been extracted, the Dark Demon Tree's body had become just a pile of ordinary wood—wood that radiated negative energy particles, offering more harm than good. So, Su Nan simply burned it.
Afterward, he divided the Thousand Tree Essence into several pieces, synthesized them, and purified the spider venom inside before finally beginning the absorption process.
"Perhaps because it was formed from the condensed essence of the Dark Demon Tree, this Thousand Tree Essence contained far more energy than Su Nan had anticipated, ultimately causing his Spiritual Condensation to soar by more than 14%.
At this point, Su Nan's Spiritual Condensation had surpassed the 70% mark.
Su Nan Arnett, Male Human
Vaporization: 74.82%
"I'm only about 15% away from breaking through to the First Order Liquefaction realm."
Su Nan felt a surge of delight.
He had initially thought it would take three or four hundred years of cultivation to reach the First Order Liquefaction, but he never expected that in just ten years since advancing to the Wizard stage, his Spiritual Condensation had already exceeded 70%.
Upon reflection, he realized that a significant reason for his rapid increase in Spiritual Condensation was the Spider Goddess. Almost all the divine energy he had absorbed over the past decade had come from her.
Had the Spider Goddess not been so relentless in sending him numerous gift packages, he wouldn't have broken through the 70% threshold so quickly.
With this in mind, Su Nan suddenly felt regret about the Spider Goddess not being able to interfere in the Starlight Continent anymore. Should he have dealt with the Dark Demon Tree so hastily?
"Forget it, that woman was far too cunning. Keeping her around might lead to further complications. It's better to have dealt with her swiftly."
After a moment's thought, he shook his head.
The risk of retaining the Dark Demon Tree was too great; there was no need to keep a ticking time bomb nearby merely for the sake of some divine energy.
"With only about 15% left in my Spiritual Condensation, I estimate I can break through to the First Order Liquefaction in about eighty years of steady cultivation."
"And I have other options as well."
A spark of determination lit up in Su Nan's eyes.
While searching for Thunder Stones in the Lightning Elemental Plane, he had considered hunting the Elemental Giant to extract divine energy.
He had temporarily shelved that idea, worried about his strength at the time.
Now that his Spiritual Condensation had nearly doubled and his strength had significantly increased, perhaps it was finally time to give it a try.
If successful, he would secure a consistent method to acquire divine energy in the future.
However, he needed to prepare first."
The Lightning Elemental Plane was the home turf of the Lightning Elemental Giant, and the only methods that could effectively be employed against it there were non-elemental spells, non-lightning Inscribed Gems, and Liquid Metal.
Other methods were either too weak, constrained by the environment, or ineffective against the Lightning Elemental Giant—none of which were part of Su Nan's considerations.
"Prepare more Inscribed Gems," he commanded.
"If all else fails, we can bury it under a mountain of Inscribed Gems."
With his plan in mind, Su Nan no longer lingered. He cast a Levitation Spell, lifting off the ground and flying toward the nearest City State.
Calculating the time, he realized he had been away for almost three months.
However, with the war now over, there shouldn’t be much for him to worry about regarding the Star Alliance.
At most, he'd listen to reports occasionally and oversee the broader situation.
As soon as he returned to Dragon Bone Tower, Carolina and Red Widow sought him out immediately.
"Master, the marble and metal you requested have been collected, but the White Jade Stone will still take some time."
In the study, Carolina handed over a list detailing all the collected materials, including marble, obsidian, and refined steel, among others.
These were the basic building materials needed to construct the Wizard Tower.
However, collection was only the first step. These ordinary materials could not yet be used for construction; they needed to be enchanted to enhance their hardness and magical conductivity.
The quality of the enchantments applied to these basic materials would largely determine the upper limit of a Wizard Tower.
In short, the sheer quantity of materials meant that the enchanting process would be both time-consuming and labor-intensive.
With a wave of his hand, Su Nan divided the enchanting tasks among the students of Starlight Academy.
This kind of fundamental work could be handled by any First Level Wizard Apprentice with a solid foundation in enchantment.
"The collection of White Jade Stone can proceed at a leisurely pace, but ensure the quality is prioritized," Su Nan instructed.
White marble, known for its fine grain and superior hardness, was excellent both for building and carving.
"It inherently possesses slight magical conductivity, and after being enchanted, its performance is significantly enhanced. It can be used to strengthen the arrangements of Elemental Magic Arrays, making it highly suitable for constructing the Elemental Pool and Meditation Area.
Additionally, after being reinforced by spells, White Jade Stone becomes extremely sturdy, capable of withstanding impacts from spells below the Third Ring, which also makes it suitable for constructing a Spell Cultivation Room.
The only drawback is that it is relatively expensive.
"What about the other materials?" Su Nan inquired, setting down the list.
Carolina respectfully replied, "We have already collected the Magic Steel Ingot and high-grade Gemstone. However, we are still short of three-fifths of the required Arcane Crystal, Mystic Dust, and Astral Sand. I have dispatched more people to search everywhere."
"Furthermore, I am currently requesting the Prosperous Star Empire to assist the Star Alliance in acquiring the Silver Mine from the surface world and to classify it as a strategic material under our control. This will significantly boost Mithril production."
Su Nan nodded slightly.
The Wizard Tower has many large facilities, including but not limited to the Elemental Pool, Elemental Furnace, Mystic Lock Defense Energy Field, Levitation Ring, and Ultra Long Range Strike Device.
These facilities require a substantial amount of rare materials, including Mithril.
Unfortunately, the Starlight Continent lacks trade channels with other planes. All resources must rely on internal production. Collecting these materials is, therefore, a slow process, primarily dependent on gradual accumulation over time.
Moreover, there are certain materials that the Starlight Continent simply does not possess, and Su Nan must find ways to research alternative materials herself.
It can be said that without the Synthesis Cube, attempting to build a Wizard Tower on the Starlight Continent would be a fool's dream.
Carolina's ability to procure a considerable amount of rare materials in such a short time demonstrates her exceptional capacity to manage affairs.
Su Nan, understanding the challenges, did not wish to be overly demanding.
"You’ve done well."
Upon receiving praise from her master, Carolina's face lit up with uncontrollable joy.
Red Widow, watching from the sidelines, secretly scowled.
What’s there to be so proud of?
Just as she was internally complaining, Su Nan suddenly turned to her.
"What has been happening on the surface lately?"
Carolina is mainly responsible for the affairs of the Underworld, while Red Widow is primarily in charge of surface world matters."
Hearing Su Nan's question, Red Widow immediately perked up and replied respectfully, “Master, a month ago, the Prosperous Star Empire officially launched an attack on the Northwest Region.”
Su Nan's eyebrows twitched, though he felt no real surprise. It had been nearly seven years since the unification of the Southeast Region, during which the Prosperous Star Empire had successfully digested their previous conquests and stabilized the situation there. Therefore, it was no shock that they were now advancing into the Northwest Region. However, if that were all, Red Widow wouldn’t have brought the matter to his attention, so Su Nan remained silent, signaling her to continue.
“Ke Yi Your Majesty sent a letter five days ago, requesting that we send high-level combat forces to assist.”
A hint of surprise finally crossed Su Nan's face. “What’s the reason?”
With the Prosperous Star Empire's current military strength, they should have been able to steamroll through the Northwest Region; it was puzzling that they needed assistance from the Star Alliance.
Red Widow replied, her expression peculiar, “All the countries in the Northwest Region have united to form an alliance against the Prosperous Star Empire. Furthermore, under the mediation of the Russell Family, nearly all the Level Three Wizard Apprentices in the Northwest Region have joined forces, assassinating the commanders of the Empire’s various armies during the conflict. Because of these actions, the Empire has been thrown into chaos lately, and their front lines have stagnated, prompting them to seek our help.”
“Russell Family?” Su Nan's interest was piqued. “What’s the story behind this family?”
Most Level Three Wizard Apprentices are reclusive, scattered, or arrogant, making it incredibly difficult to gather them together. The capacity of the Russell Family to accomplish such a feat was truly remarkable.
Red Widow handed a document to Su Nan and added, “The Russell Family is a Wizard Family with a thousand-year legacy and deep roots. It is said their ancestor was a Wizard from a millennium ago. They hold great prestige in the Northwest Region. Although they are not the royal family of any single nation, they are respected by all countries.”
“Additionally, the Russell Family has a stellar reputation within the Wizard Apprentice community. Many apprentices have interacted with them and received their assistance, which has earned them considerable respect in numerous matters.”
"The reason the Northwest Region and the Level Three Wizard Apprentices were able to set aside their differences and join forces this time is largely due to Facardo Russell, the current clan leader of the Russell Family, who took the initiative to lobby on behalf of their alliance."
Su Nan opened the file detailing the information about the Russell Family, which included its members.
Facardo Russell, the current clan leader, is one hundred and fifty-six years old and a Level Three Wizard Apprentice, his strength placing him firmly among the top three in the entire Northwest Region.
Under his leadership, the Russell Family boasts a total of sixteen Wizard Apprentices.
This includes three Level Three Wizard Apprentices, five Level Two Wizard Apprentices, and eight Level One Wizard Apprentices.
Such a scale is comparable to that of some established Wizard Apprentice organizations.
It’s clear that the Russell Family possesses the foundation and power to command respect from all nations and Wizard Apprentices.
"A thousand-year-old Wizard Family, huh?" Su Nan mused thoughtfully.
This reminded him of the Kessler Family.
The ancestors of the Kessler Family were also Wizards, their lineage spanning over a thousand years.
However, the Kessler Family has fallen on hard times, lacking even a single Wizard Apprentice.
The only Third Circle Legendary Knight they had is now deceased.
The last remaining family member is missing; who knows if they are even alive in this world?
"The ancestors of the Kessler Family left them clues to the Tower of Stars. As a thousand-year-old Wizard Family, could the ancestors of the Russell Family have left behind clues to their own Wizard Inheritance?"
The term "Falling Star City" suddenly flashed in Su Nan's mind.
Perhaps the clues to the last Three Great Wizard Heritages lie with this Russell Family.
"Send Puppet 1 and Puppet 2," Su Nan instructed, closing the file. "Capture the members of the Russell Family alive whenever possible, especially Facardo Russell. I want to inquire about some information from him."
"Yes, master," Red Widow replied respectfully.
With a wave of his hand, Su Nan dismissed the two women as they tactfully exited.
As he stepped out of the study, Carolina suddenly asked, "Are you going to personally lead the team to the Northwest Region?"
"Of course," Red Widow said, glancing at her with a charming smile, "The Master clearly values the capture of the Russell Family members, so I will personally oversee it."
Carolina gave her a penetrating look and said meaningfully, "I hope you won't disappoint the Master."
Red Widow's smile remained unchanged as she giggled, "With two Secret Puppets here, I don’t foresee any difficulties in this operation."
The strength of a Secret Puppet was well-known to high-ranking members like them.
Two Secret Puppets, with combat power comparable to a Wizard, facing a group of Level Three Wizard Apprentices? It was like a strongman bullying children.
It was akin to fully armed knights confronting unarmed toddlers!
There wouldn't be any surprises in the outcome.
After a thousand years of history, the members of the Russell Family probably no longer grasped the true power of a Wizard.
Otherwise, they would never make the foolish decision to unite a group of Level Three Wizard Apprentices against a Wizard.
Only those who had witnessed the might of a Wizard understood that such a move was no more effective than a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
The Master didn’t even need to show his face; two Secret Puppets could easily subdue those clowns.
Carolina understood this as well. She pursed her lips, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
As she watched Carolina depart, Red Widow's smile slowly faded, and she scoffed coldly.
No matter how long they had worked together, she could never endure that pretentious woman.
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