Chapter 257: Advancement Level 3 Wizard
Gloom Moon Plane, Darkest City.
This enormous city, suspended high in the sky, was constructed entirely from black and white materials.
Its base was an inverted cone-shaped mountain made up of countless pale white skeletons, while the structures above it were uniformly jet black.
Yet, in the darkness, these buildings did not blend into the gloom. Instead, they radiated a faint, eerie blue glow, setting them strikingly apart from their dark surroundings.
This gave the entire city an atmosphere of chilling, sinister dread.
At the very center of the city stood a black tower, piercing the sky like a spear, seemingly dividing it in two and drawing attention from all around.
Youxi had just walked out of the tower when someone called out to him.
Looking back, he saw Tulaman, one of his few colleagues in Gloomy Throne with whom he could still converse and had collaborated with a few times.
He wasn't a friend, as "friendship" held no place in Gloomy Throne.
"I heard you requested permission from Lord Wood to take charge of the Starlight Continent matter?" Tulaman asked.
Youxi nodded, his face expressionless, and replied, "What of it?"
Tulaman's eyes flickered as he smiled. "It's nothing. I'm just a bit curious. Lord Wood has sent several groups into the Starlight Continent before, but without exception, they all vanished without a trace—trapped inside. It was only recently that intelligence surfaced, indicating a powerful Wizard Faction has emerged in the Starlight Continent. Why would you want to wade into these murky waters?"
Youxi glanced sideways at him and replied indifferently, "Don't compare me to those failures. I will not repeat their mistakes."
Unfazed by the sharp retort, Tulaman smiled and said, "You are indeed more capable than those failures, but even you must recognize that to gnaw at the hard bone that is Starlight Continent, you'll have to pay a significant price. At the very least, the Wolf Tide Plane you control will suffer severe losses. What exactly did Lord Wood promise you that would lead you to accept this task, knowing the cost would be so high?"
"That's what you really wanted to know, isn't it?" Youxi said, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.
"Just indulge my curiosity."
Youxi paused for a moment before continuing, "Telling you wouldn't hurt. Lord Wood promised that as long as I can seize the Starlight Continent and offer it up, he would propose to the Three Thrones that I be promoted to King Robe Wizard."
"So that's how it is."
Tulaman took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of jealousy in his heart. Becoming a King Robe Wizard was the goal of almost every low-level wizard within the Gloomy Throne. By reaching this first-order level, they could shed their exploited status and rise into the ranks of the exploiters. They had endured years of oppression, waiting for the chance to join the ranks of those who exploited others.
He hadn't expected Youxi to receive such an opportunity so quickly.
"It seems the battles between the Gloomy Throne, Crescent Moon Plane, and the Realm of Truth are not going too smoothly, tying up too much power. Otherwise, Lord Wood wouldn't have made such an enticing promise, allowing you to conquer the Starlight Continent."
Youxi scoffed inwardly at Tulaman's words, which dripped with jealousy, but kept his expression impassive as he replied, "It's precisely because of that fact that those of us have a chance, isn't it?"
"I advise you to seize a Plane if you get the opportunity. Controlling at least one Plane is the minimum standard to become a King Robe Wizard. If you don't meet that standard, even if an opportunity presents itself, you won't be able to grasp it."
Tulaman's cheeks twitched slightly, and his hands clenched involuntarily within his sleeves. Despite being annoyed by Youxi's subtle taunt, he had to admit that the other man was right. In any wizard faction, those who could independently control a Plane held greater status and prestige. Even within the Gloomy Throne, where the law of the jungle prevailed, it was the same. Without controlling a Plane, even a Level 3 Wizard would find it impossible to attain the status and position of a King Robe Wizard.
"...You should still be careful. A wizard faction that could thrive in the environment of the Starlight Continent is definitely not that simple!"
"Perhaps, but that faction called the Star Alliance only took advantage of the Plane blockade’s edge. Once they lose that advantage, dealing with them will be as easy as flipping my hand."
Seeing Tulaman remain silent, Youxi sneered inwardly, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
With less than a year left before the blockade on Starlight Continent was lifted, time was pressing; he needed to return quickly to make preparations. This expedition would determine whether he could become a King Robe Wizard—success was the only option! He had to conquer Starlight Continent!
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the year 2000 of the Starlight Calendar Era.
On the top floor of the Starlight Wizard Tower, Su Nan sat cross-legged beside the Elemental Pool, focused on his cultivation.
Within his Sea of Consciousness, the third Talent Crystal shone with a beautiful light. As the last trace of Spiritual Power merged into the Talent Crystal Model, filling the final gap, an incredibly brilliant light suddenly burst forth from the surface of the crystal.
The third Talent Crystal had been successfully constructed!
A familiar feeling of sublimation surged from the depths of his being, as if emanating from the Soul Plane. Su Nan opened his eyes, and divine light gleamed within his pupils.
In an instant, the void behind him darkened, transforming into a boundless starry sky where dazzling star streaks sped by like comets, trailing tails of light! The entire void seemed to tremble, and countless tiny cracks instantly appeared.
These tiny cracks lasted only three or four seconds before quickly returning to normal; the illusory starry sky vanished, and the hall returned to its usual state. Feeling the powerful Energy Particle Fluctuation lingering in the surrounding void, Su Nan's face broke into a sincere smile of joy.
The third Talent Crystal, Falling Star Rain, had been fully constructed. This also meant that from this moment on, he had advanced to Level 3 Wizard! His life essence had evolved once again!
At this very moment, less than six hundred years had passed since he advanced to Second Level Wizard. To break through from the second to the third level in just over five hundred seventy years was an advancement speed comparable to that of True Spirit Descendants!
"It’s all thanks to the Spirit Pearl; otherwise, I would have needed at least another seven or eight hundred years to take this step!"
Filled with joy, Su Nan felt even more confident in confronting the Gloomy Throne.
After a considerable time, Su Nan finally recovered from the ecstasy of his breakthrough and immediately checked the state of his Sea of Consciousness.
Three Talent Crystals were lined up in a row, resembling the most magnificent gemstones in the world.
Two of them were surrounded by countless crystals, while the third was shrouded in a hazy mist, sometimes visible, sometimes obscured.
The abundance of Spiritual Power within the Sea of Consciousness intoxicated Su Nan.
"Next, I must continue to condense my Mental Power."
A Level 3 Wizard had to pass through the three stages of Vaporization, Liquefaction, and Crystallization. However, after breaking through to Crystallization, there was no need to construct more Talent Crystals. Instead, one had to condense their True Spirit, connect to the Laws of the Multiverse, and begin to grasp the Power of the Law.
Once successful, one could advance to True Spirit Wizard!
That was the realm countless Wizards dreamt of!
“True Spirit Wizard, huh…”
Su Nan let out a long breath.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that Level 3 Wizard and True Spirit Wizard were merely one realm apart. This single realm had halted the progress of countless Wizards.
In the Multiverse, True Spirit Wizards were powerful enough to be considered top-tier combatants—great beings capable of slaying gods!
Countless Wizards had walked the path to seek the Truth, but in the end, only one in ten thousand could become a True Spirit Wizard.
Shaking his head, Su Nan collected his thoughts.
Before he could condense his True Spirit, he still had to overcome the two major hurdles of Liquefaction and Crystallization. If one cultivated step by step, reaching that level would be impossible in less than a thousand years.
True Spirit Wizard was still a distant goal for him. He needed to first navigate the crisis at hand.
"The Starlight Wizard Tower has been upgraded, and all necessary preparations are complete."
Over the past year, alongside his cultivation, Su Nan had not neglected the upgrades and modifications of the Starlight Wizard Tower, soon completing the final touches on the upgrade.
This included the enhancement of Tower Spirit Number 3, the completion of the Wizard Level Puppet, and the upgrade of the Mystic Lock Defense Energy Field.
Now, the Starlight Wizard Tower was a genuine Medium Wizard Tower, and an enhanced version at that.
The improvements were primarily evident in the super-large Elemental Pool and Mystic Lock Defense Energy Field.
Su Nan felt that if they could further enhance the long-range strike capabilities and overall strength of the Puppet Legion, facing off against the Large Wizard Tower would be a manageable task.
"After resolving the situation with Gloomy Throne, we must obtain the design blueprints for the Plasma Cannon and Pulse Cannon as soon as possible."
Snapping back to reality, Su Nan left the control center and made his way to the study.
Lize was deeply engrossed in reviewing documents when she suddenly sensed something. She looked up and met Su Nan’s gaze, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes.
Just as she was about to speak, an unexpected feeling washed over her. She studied Su Nan intently, and a look of shock gradually spread across her face.
"You've advanced to Level 3 Wizard?"
Su Nan smiled and nodded, "I just advanced."
Lize pursed her lips, taking a deep breath to suppress the overwhelming shock rising within her.
Although she had often been surprised by Su Nan’s achievements, she was still taken aback at this moment.
It should be noted that Su Nan had only broken through to Second Level Crystallization seventeen years prior. In such a short time, he had successfully constructed his third Talent Crystal and advanced to Level 3 Wizard! This progress was nothing short of astonishing!
Even with the aid of absorbing fifty Spirit Pearls, this was still an incredible feat!
"...I sometimes really wonder if you're a True Spirit Descendant!"
After a long pause, Lize spoke these words with a sigh.
Su Nan sat down across from her, smiling as he replied, "If I were a True Spirit Descendant, I wouldn't need to worry about Gloomy Throne's attack here. I could simply call upon my support."
"That's true." Lize's lips curled into a smile, her mood evidently lifted.
The impending threat of Gloomy Throne had been like a massive weight pressing on her mind, causing her great stress. Su Nan’s breakthrough at this moment had undoubtedly alleviated some of that burden, instantly brightening her spirits.
"You've come at the right time. Take a look at these documents."
Lize waved her hand, causing the documents on the table to float up and settle in front of Su Nan.
Su Nan quickly scanned through them and grasped the contents.
They detailed the expansion of Star Alliance's military forces over the past year, and nearly all of the goals he and Lize had discussed had been achieved.
The final document was a summary of the current combat power of the Star Alliance.
"Besides the Golem Legion, Magic Knight Order, and Flying Fleet, there were also the Sub-Dragon and Dragon of the Wizard, the Witch Hunter Legion, Starlight Academy, Imperial Army, and Long Lin.
As of now, the Star Alliance had already gathered eighty-three Wizards, including five First Order Liquefactions.
However, there were not a single First Grade Crystallization among them.
Truthfully, this number of Wizards ranked among the lowest in all the Wizard Factions.
There was little that could be done about it. The Star Alliance had not been established for long, and the environmental restrictions of the Starlight Continent had imposed various debuffs.
The fact that they were able to produce more than eighty Wizards was largely due to Su Nan providing a significant amount of resources.
Fortunately, there was also the Witch Hunter Legion.
With the Star Alliance’s focused investment, the size of the Witch Hunter Legion had now expanded to seven hundred and thirty members.
This included six hundred and fifty Tentacle Puppets and eighty Secret Puppets.
Considering the Witch Hunter Legion, Star Alliance's Wizard-level combat power would at least avoid being at the bottom.
"What about having the Wizard Apprentices from Starlight Academy join the war?" Lize asked. "Even if the Second Level Wizard Apprentices aren't capable, the Third Level Wizard Apprentices possess considerable combat power and would be enough to participate."
Su Nan thought for a moment and then shook his head. "Let's leave them to handle logistics."
The Star Alliance lacked many Wizard-level combatants, so the Wizards had to engage in battle.
However, the Wizard Apprentices were an exception.
Su Nan always saw the Wizard Apprentices as practical laborers rather than combatants.
Especially the Third Level Wizard Apprentices; each one had the potential to become future Wizards and were vital assets for the Star Alliance. He couldn't bring himself to use them as cannon fodder, as that would be far too wasteful.
If Golems were destroyed, they could be refined again, but if too many Third Level Wizard Apprentices were killed or injured, it would undoubtedly undermine the foundations of the Star Alliance.
"The Imperial Army can participate in the war. As for Long Lin, let’s not send the Sub-Dragons, but we can deploy the Dragons to the battlefield."
There were not many Sub-Dragons from Long Lin. Even if they were taken to the battlefield, they wouldn’t significantly enhance the Star Alliance's combat power, and controlling them would require a lot of Mental Rune Seals; it simply wasn’t worth it."
"Moreover, if there are heavy casualties, it will inevitably affect future plans to expand the Wyvern Knights and nurture the Dragon forces. Su Nan would never engage in such a counterproductive course of action.
"Is the manipulation of the Dragons under control?"
"No problem," Lize replied with a slight smile. "The Mental Rune Seal you improved works exceptionally well. All seventeen Flame Tyrannosaurus have shown no signs of resistance and are highly suitable to be used as weapons of war."
Su Nan nodded with satisfaction. Dragons are inherently favored on the battlefield; in terms of both their Might and Breath, they can play a significant role. When it comes to killing power, two or three Wizards of similar strength cannot compare to a single Dragon.
"Thank you for your hard work," Su Nan said, nodding to Lize.
Lize shook her head, choosing not to speak.
As long as they can repel the next attack from the Gloomy Throne, the Star Alliance can join the Wisdom Codex and become its subordinate organization. With Wisdom Codex as their backing, it will be much easier to gather materials for reshaping the body. Before long, she will be able to regain her human form.
Su Nan stood up, her deep gaze seeming to pierce the walls as she looked toward the distant horizon. All preparations have been completed; now they just have to wait for the Plane blockade to be lifted. Judging by the time, it should be just about ready.
"
Comments