On the seventh floor of the Origin Academy castle, inside Yekaterina's office.

She looked up at the witch before her, saying, "Shirley Hormuzs, one of my collaborative wizard students at the Origin Academy has a special resource. Two months from now, you'll go with him to the Jade Splendor Enclave."

After listening to Witch Yekaterina's explanation, Shirley's eyes immediately flashed with interest. "Thank you for your consideration, Teacher."

"Historical research on the Nameless King is indeed very popular, and the Historia Archaeological Award is quite attractive to archaeological scholars. I didn't expect my junior's friend to be able to find the tomb of that Nameless King's wife. I don't know if it's real, but it's definitely worth exploring."

"Teacher, I will protect junior well."

Witch Yekaterina glanced at her.

Shirley wore Divine Master clothing. "Black wizards have evil hearts. I don't trust any black wizard. However, Teacher, with me there, I will definitely follow your wishes and protect Locke well."

"He's new blood for the Academic Committee, more important than me. I won't let him encounter any danger in black wizard lands."

Witch Yekaterina frowned. "Shirley, that's not what I meant. Regardless of status, you yourself are very important to me. You've followed me since you were a third-class wizard apprentice. All the way until now, you're already a First Circle crystallization stage wizard, a Golden Crown Mountain lecturer, and I've obtained the Crown title."

"You and I share many common experiences. These memories form the foundation of the relationship between you and me."

"But... I do indeed want you to protect Locke Augustine." Witch Yekaterina said, "Both of you are, to some extent, very important to me."

Emotion surged in Shirley's eyes. "Thank you, Teacher."

"I will ensure junior's safety and also ensure his thoughts won't be contaminated in any way."

A trace of helplessness flashed in Witch Yekaterina's eyes. "You're still the same, Shirley. After you return from exploring this ruin, I'll arrange for you to advance to Second Circle wizard. I've already applied for a Tourmaline King Peach for you."

Shirley looked at Witch Yekaterina in surprise, slightly stunned. "Even you should only be able to apply to the academy for a Tourmaline King Peach once every five years. The Tourmaline King Peach is the most special peach among Golden Crown Mountain's Twelve Peaches."

"It can increase the consumer's success rate in constructing Grand Magic. It's one of Golden Crown Mountain's most famous special magic peaches. Teacher, I thought you would save this kind of thing for junior to use."

"If you applied for me, then what about junior?"

"If I use this resource, it means that for a long time, junior won't be able to obtain this special resource."

Witch Yekaterina took a sip of Eagle Tooth Red Daze tea. "We'll talk about that later. Currently, I need to prioritize how to help you become a Second Circle wizard."

"Moreover... I haven't completely seen through his potential yet. Before that, thinking about how many resources to give him is just worrying unnecessarily."

Shirley bowed gratefully to Witch Yekaterina. "I understand, Teacher. Thank you again."

"I will protect junior well, while also protecting his thoughts from being tainted by the reactionary and backward thoughts of black wizards."

Witch Yekaterina suddenly asked, "Shirley, have you been teaching too many political ideology classes lately?"

Due to requirements from White Wizard Association headquarters, many top wizard academies had opened political ideology classes taught by Divine Masters.

Essentially, this was a form of political correctness.

Academies like Golden Crown Mountain could think such courses were useless, but absolutely couldn't fail to offer them.

They also had to ensure that a certain number of wizard apprentices took this course every year.

Shirley was stunned, looking at Witch Yekaterina in confusion. "I haven't been assigned to political ideology classes recently, Teacher. However, the academy leadership had me offer students a modern history course. I've been lecturing on some matters from the Age of Enlightenment recently."

"I was just discussing how, during the Age of Enlightenment, under the oppression of despotic wizard monarchs, the world's first White Wizard Association was established."

"That was a massive transformation of blood and fire. The sky was overturned, the earth shattered, and magic underwent enormous changes. In that historical event called the Truth Descent Event, great revolution was born that night."

"The Age of Enlightenment officially arrived."

"After that night, Crown magic, which symbolized the monarch's supreme power, was therefore permitted for all Third Circle wizards to learn. Crown magic, which had been used to establish individual wizards' supreme privileges, was no longer only learnable by despotic monarchs but was shared with all wizards. That was the victory of knowledge, the victory of truth, the victory of us Divine Masters." Shirley's body trembled as she spoke excitedly. "The wizards who participated in the Truth Descent Event included the creators of our Divine Master system..."

"That night was the starting point for all of us Divine Masters." Shirley said, "Those black wizards want to destroy the great social framework established by us Divine Masters. That is their stupidity and evil."

"Teacher, what's wrong?"

Witch Yekaterina said, "No, it's nothing. You spoke very well. Then continue going to teach your students."

After Shirley took her leave and departed.

Witch Yekaterina watched her departing figure and shook her head slightly. All Divine Masters were basically stubborn, just to different degrees and in different directions.

They were too obsessed with so-called values.

"Divine Masters... the Truth Descent Event..." Witch Yekaterina glanced at the Waterway Plan inquiry document in her hand. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

This was an opinion consultation letter from the Star Domain Sea's leadership to all Third Circle and above wizards in the eastern quadrant, meant to confirm whether the Waterway Plan could win people's hearts.

For the Star Domain Sea's leadership, these people's hearts were the opinions of Third Circle and above wizards in the eastern quadrant.

"What has been will be again. What has come will come again." Witch Yekaterina sighed. "The Truth Descent Event... it's beginning to appear again in the eastern quadrant. I just don't know if those earth-shattering events from back then will happen again this time."

Back then, the first generation of Divine Masters from the Divine School took the initiative to join forces with the first generation of Contract Masters, rallied wizard armies from various regions, and formed forces resisting despotic wizard monarchs, challenging the old order of the entire wizard world.

That slaughter swept from the wizard world's homeland to most of the wizard world's colony worlds in the endless void.

It was that night's occurrence that caused serious changes in the entire wizard civilization's development direction. The attitude toward colony worlds was no longer brutal plunder or simply economic harvesting, but became something more mutually beneficial.

Witch Yekaterina shook her head slightly and wrote "oppose" on the Waterway Plan opinion consultation form, presenting her objections.

The Star Domain Sea wanted to enhance magic levels, which required integrating the eastern quadrant, but doing so would involve too much and would seriously change the pattern of the eastern quadrant and even the entire wizard world.

In Witch Yekaterina's view, the Waterway Plan was not feasible.

...

At Dragon Blood Market Castle, after Locke temporarily parted with Warwick, Locke first returned to his dormitory.

He needed to immediately manufacture the Type 2 Tyrant Element combined cells he had designed in the Queen's Chessboard, and before the defense meeting a week later, complete his combined cell work and create a successfully tyrannized Sea Gold Sand.

To empirically prove the actual effects of Type 2 Tyrant Element and complete the last key piece of data related to his Type 2 Tyrant Element at the defense meeting.

At the defense meeting, many representative wizards from shop alliances would attend. His previous cooperation with Arthas had relied on the defense meeting platform.

Therefore, he needed to complete the last key piece of data before the defense.

Perhaps this could bring him some unique gains.

At the same time, since he was going to the dangerous Abyssal River to explore special abyssal ruins, he'd better use part of his remaining savings of over 3.5 million to exchange for some things that could immediately enhance his combat power.

Additionally, he needed to completely learn Peach Bow Thorn Arrow magic within two months and obtain advanced meditation methods from Witch Yekaterina.

Only then would he have maximum protection when exploring abyssal ruins.

If his strength was inadequate but he still went to explore dangerous abyssal ruins, that would truly be courting death.

In the simple laboratory, Locke received a Clear Sky Birch that cost ten thousand magic stones, purchased from the Golden Peach Garden.

At the same time, he also received all the tree-type magical plants previously purchased from the Golden Peach Garden, along with those gifted magical plants.

Locke had his two students spend half a day transplanting all these magical plant trees into his Forest Sanctuary.

Because of the Ancient Life Tree sapling's existence, the transplanting difficulty was greatly reduced. He only needed to transplant 105 Water Beech Mountain Beeches and 81 Gem Holly bushes into the Forest Sanctuary.

Then, all those apprentice-level magical plants were transplanted into the Forest Sanctuary.

Because this workload was truly too large, and Locke didn't have time to slowly work on it, after all, he still needed to complete the key experimental data for Type 2 Tyrant Element within a week.

So Locke could only call his two students over to help.

Fortunately, now for him, the Forest Sanctuary was no longer a secret. For those with intentions, this matter was still very easy to find out about.

Moreover, his Forest Sanctuary was now very powerful.

Even if someone wanted to target it, how to deal with an ancient forest composed of 303 First Circle magical plants and over ten thousand apprentice-level magical plants was something his enemies needed to think carefully about.

So Locke called his two students, who could also be considered his confidants, to help.

He also had the vampire Howard pitch in.

Half a day later, the work was complete.

All four were disheveled and covered in dirt.

Locke sent his two students back to contemplate the competition.

Then he stood before the Clear Sky Birch, feeling the power of the ancient forest composed of 303 First Circle magical plants.

Powerful natural energy descended into this forest space. Every inch of space was permeated with terrifying natural energy.

This Forest Sanctuary covering a thousand acres was lush and verdant, possessing an incredible total amount of magic pressure.

Whether in total biomass or total magic pressure, it had already exceeded the magic pressure limit possessed by a First Circle wizard.

This was phenomenal power surpassing a First Circle wizard.

And now, the power of such a large forest was all under his control, becoming the foundation for his future as a Second Circle wizard.

Locke used a syringe to inject the cell combination into this approximately 30-meter-tall Clear Sky Birch before him, which was entirely straight with white bark and golden leaves.

"Using the First Circle magic Rapid Growth can accelerate the Clear Sky Birch's transformation time. About six days should be enough."

Six days later, Locke calculated the time. The defense meeting was held at one in the afternoon, and it was currently morning.

So if he hurried, he should be able to complete the experiment and obtain the key data.

The prerequisite was that the cell combination he designed on the Queen's Chessboard was successful.

Locke used an ordinary grafting knife to cut open the Clear Sky Birch's bark. Immediately, white sap flowed out. Locke collected it and placed it into the layer column element separation equipment, using the device to separate out Type 2 Tyrant Element.

Locke glanced at the grafting knife that now had a notch.

The Clear Sky Birch's own magic pressure wasn't low, plus the Forest Sanctuary's enhancement of the Clear Sky Birch meant that when he used the grafting knife to cut open the Clear Sky Birch's bark, the grafting knife itself suffered backlash.

That cheap item costing a thousand magic stones per piece couldn't resist this kind of magic pressure at all. It was already half-ruined and unusable.

He really did need to buy a good grafting knife.

Locke walked toward the Sea Gold Sand tree fern he had cultivated in the Druid's Ring over this week, then through the syringe, injected the Type 2 Tyrant Element in his hand into it.

The instant it was injected, this Shining Sea Gold Sand immediately experienced violent magic pressure changes.

The Sea Gold Sand's radiance shone brilliantly, continuously flickering.

This Sea Gold Sand's stem, branches, and leaves appeared to enlarge and expand. It didn't grow much taller, just grew horizontally.

At the same time, black stripes spread across the Shining Sea Gold Sand's surface. An abnormal magic pressure emanated, forming a magic pressure radiation belt centered on the Shining Sea Gold Sand.

Flames appeared in midair one after another.

There were also lightning sparks, flickering.

Locke was delighted rather than alarmed.

Because when he saw the typical characteristic of tyrannization, tyrant patterns, he knew his cell combination design was acceptable. Even if it failed this time, it was very close to success.

Tyrant patterns were a typical characteristic of tyrannized plants.

But due to Tyrant Element's toxic properties, originally magical plants would self-destruct before tyrannization, but the appearance of tyrant patterns proved that Type 2 Tyrant Element's toxicity had been greatly reduced by him.

Locke expectantly watched the Sea Gold Sand's tyrannization.

He wondered what kind of changes the Sea Gold Sand would ultimately undergo.

This was the third Sea Gold Sand variant he had attempted to create.