The afternoon sunlight streamed through the crystal skylight at the top of the silver-white tower, gently casting a warm, golden hue over Ronan and Kirstie. Kirstie, sitting amidst a sea of books, appeared as beautiful and divine as the mythical goddess representing wisdom and beauty. She gently raised her hand, enveloping the room in a serene silence, a powerful mental force field emanating from her third-level wizardry encasing them.
Kirstie gazed at Ronan with warmth, speaking softly:
"It's still related to the recent exploration of the Mirror Court."
"The benefits gained from this exploration of the Mirror Court's core far exceeded everyone's expectations. But precisely because of this, dividing these resources has become a challenge."
"No matter what compensation distribution scheme is proposed, it cannot satisfy every faction."
Kirstie's tone paused, speaking quietly, "After much deliberation, it was decided that a competition would determine the allocation of all resources. The six major wizarding forces—Thunder Council, Crimson Tower, Thorn Palace, Molten Lake, Black Swamp, and our Silver Ring—will each send ten members, all under a hundred years old in soul age, to compete in pairs. The final resource distribution will be based on the total rankings of each faction's members."
"Ten people? Competition rankings?!" Ronan frowned slightly but was not entirely surprised. The wizarding world revered strength above all, where the strong were entitled to everything, while the weak were exploited and oppressed. It was much like how Hoddam Academy and the Whispering Woods were destroyed under the Crimson Tower's might over the Nepha Key.
This was the rule of the wizarding world and, relatively speaking, the fairest system.
The top-tier strong of the six forces were likely fourth-level dawn wizards. Such powerful beings rarely engaged directly in contests unless their very lives were at stake. Thus, testing the young talents of each faction became the best approach.
"...If it weren't for your performance in the second battlefield, I might not have considered sending you. After all, there's still a significant gap between you and those top figures in terms of accumulated experience. However, your bloodline potential has further developed, largely bridging some of those gaps, granting you the qualification to participate in this competition. At the same time, this competition offers you an excellent training opportunity to accelerate your growth."
Kirstie continued softly, "After discussions, it was decided that this competition will take place on the Goblin Plains, in two months. If you achieve a ranking, there will be rewards. From what I know, one of the rewards is the space-mirror spell legacy unearthed from the Mirror Court."
Hearing Kirstie mention "space-mirror spell legacy" again stirred something in Ronan. He now had a compelling reason to compete.
"Reputation, experience, honing... and"
Kirstie paused halfway through her sentence, then continued, "The qualification to step onto a higher stage, a ticket to a seat, and a contention for a certain position. If you grow fast enough, perhaps you can catch up."
"What ticket, what seat?" Ronan, intrigued by Kirstie's words, couldn't help but ask.
But Kirstie merely shook her head, unwilling to elaborate, "It's too early to tell you. If you can catch up, that's best. If not... it's better not to know."
She changed the subject, saying, "Your soul aptitude lags behind those top geniuses, so emulating the ancient battle wizard path is the right approach. Now is a great time for refinement. What are your thoughts?"
Kirstie looked into Ronan's eyes.
Ronan had already made up his mind, nodding decisively, "I don't want to miss this opportunity."
Kirstie's face showed a faint expression of satisfaction, nodding, "Then prepare as best as you can... You have a little time. Damien, I look forward to the day you shine brightly. Perhaps not this time... but it will come eventually."
Ronan bowed to Kirstie and took his leave.
He descended the gray-white spiral stone steps, eventually exiting the tower.
At the tower's entrance, a shaft of sunlight fell on Ronan's face.
He looked up, squinting at the sun's outline nestled between several towers, his eyes glinting slightly.
After a moment, he departed calmly.
"A competition among the top geniuses of the six major wizarding forces?"
In a microcosm of a secret space, Bennigo, with a pipe in his mouth, busied himself before a vast alchemical furnace.
Upon hearing Ronan's casual mention of the topic, Bennigo stopped his work, casting an odd look at Ronan, slowly exhaling a smoke ring, and said with some emotion, "It's hard to imagine that the once green, wandering wizard boy who knocked on my door has unknowingly earned the qualification to step onto such a stage... Tsk tsk."
Faced with Bennigo's sudden sentimentality, Ronan only felt a chill on the back of his hand, choosing to ignore him. He reached out to gently touch the leaves of the Holy Blood Tree.
After helping Ronan purify the ice crystal serpent bloodline, the Holy Blood Tree, which had suffered significantly, just recently began to recover. That purification experience seemed to be a form of training for the Holy Blood Tree, which had rebounded stronger than before. This legendary tree, steeped in elven lore, was gradually revealing its extraordinary nature.
Towering over three meters, its trunk was entirely shrouded in a mysterious pale red light, its extensive roots deeply embedded in the specially prepared soil of the secret space, surpassing even some decades-old ancient trees.
The most distinctive feature was its sentience, seemingly able to comprehend Ronan's every thought, linked to his bloodline, sharing a profound connection. This aspect made Bennigo, who hunted magical beasts daily to feed the Holy Blood Tree, envious.
The Holy Blood Tree, which Bennigo still referred to as a "sapling," was already showing its potential as a "resource black hole."
Excluding the resources Ronan and Bennigo gained from hunting, just the resources Ronan drew monthly with his Sixth Ring status had been poured into it in unknown amounts.
A rough estimate suggested tens of thousands of high-grade magic stones, not counting Ronan's periodic contributions of his own blood.
However, Ronan was not stingy about this investment. Every investment in the Holy Blood Tree was for when he would next need it to "shine."
Further purification of the ancient Frost Hydra bloodline still relied on the Holy Blood Tree.
After spending some time with the Holy Blood Tree, Ronan left the microcosm, stepping out of the stone wall, out of the waterfall, and found a spot in the serene valley to sit.
The Mirror Court secret exploration had yielded Ronan a wealth of resources; aside from the necessary contributions, the remainder was substantial.
These resources had been converted into potions to enhance mental power and materials for the Holy Blood Tree's growth.
In truth, Ronan was not short on resources now; what he lacked was time.
"The top geniuses of the six major wizarding forces..."
Ronan habitually fiddled with the ring on his finger, quietly contemplating.
The upcoming joint competition would not be divided into first, second, or third battlefields; everyone would be on the same stage.
If luck was unfavorable, he could be eliminated in the first round.
"The top figures of the other five wizarding forces are likely at Orion's level, the 'Four-Colored Metal' tier."
That is, third-level wizards.
Ronan was only early second-level, a full rank behind.
To date, he had never faced a third-level wizard in combat.
A second-level wizard advancing to third-level experiences little change in mental power form, merely breaking through from three to four or more mental power crystals.
The quantity and quality of mental power would significantly increase.
Most notably, the soul runes.
Third-level wizards could refine a fourth soul rune, even a fifth or sixth.
Third-level was also when many core spell legacies began to truly show their power.
This meant Ronan had to confront "a mental power disparity of tens of times," "a gap of one, two, or even three soul runes," and "the difference between second and third-level spell legacies"... These harsh conditions, against geniuses whose talent and aptitude rivaled or even surpassed his own.
Unprecedented hell-level difficulty!
A challenge far more daunting than when he first entered the Silver Ring and made enemies of Travis and Lanny.
"Afraid?"
Ronan asked himself, gently placing his right hand over his left chest.
There lay his beating heart, and the ancient Frost Hydra bloodline crystal embedded within, quivering slightly.
"No."
Ronan shook his head, his blue eyes reflecting the light outside the valley, growing ever more radiant.
"It's excitement and anticipation..."
Ronan spoke softly, then concealed the light in his eyes, his expression settling into calm as he began to chant a spell lowly, drawing a large number of ice-element free energy particles toward him. Soon, a vast ice vortex formed before him.
Ronan dispersed the spell with a wave, then resumed his practice.
His mental power was on the verge of advancing to mid-second-level, but he awaited the [Mirror Light] rune's full transformation under the space energy seed's nurture, becoming [Multiple Mirror Light], before advancing, as he intended to solidify [Multiple Mirror Light] as his second soul rune.
Meanwhile, Ronan focused on practicing his primary combat spells, as each increment in proficiency increased his odds in the upcoming battles.
Thanks to the bloodline crystal in his heart, with every heartbeat, a thread of bloodline power silently integrated into Ronan's body.
The subtle fusion of bloodline brought ancient gifts, continuously spawning insights and understanding of ice spells in Ronan's mind.
Pain intertwined with inspiration.
Suffering mingled with joy.
Ronan immersed himself in this indescribable state.
With the [Clear Mind State — Lake of No Thoughts] enhancing him, his mental power seemed inexhaustible, enabling uninterrupted spell practice.
Unseen on his character panel, the proficiency of various skills and spells steadily and consistently climbed.
Even though Ronan extinguished each spell's power immediately upon casting, the lingering chill unconsciously affected the entire valley's environment.
Centered on the meditative wizard youth sitting on a boulder, vast expanses of frost spread outward.
Unnoticed, the sound of the waterfall in the valley ceased, all signs of life gradually disappearing... The entire valley was enveloped in a pure, white snowy landscape.
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