Wizard: Starting With Synthesized Gems - Chapter 1033

Chapter 1022 The Locke Threat! An Opponent to All! Karl’s Mutual Respect!

Along the Tianjiang River, in the Wizarding Land, in an unknown corner, on the floor of a basement, there was a special necromancy-style magic circle. Hundreds of death mage apprentices were constantly chanting incantations to maintain the circle. The dragon lich in charge of the circle suddenly took a half step back, then clutched his chest. A phantom golden sword appeared on his chest.

“Pain~ This pain doesn’t come from now, but from the pain felt by the host of the lich god who was killed dozens of times by the Black Sun Tower in the [Dragon War].”

The dragon lich took a half step back.

“Someone must have killed that idiot, the withered vine ancestor.”

“I know who you are. Locke Augustine.”

The dragon lich’s eyes blazed with fury. The Six Realms of the Underworld appeared behind him, along with 1,200 crystal skulls. These crystal skull symbols were symbols of his power system.

“I never expected that the wizard from Golden Crown Mountain would be connected to the Tower of the Black Sun. Could he be one of the chosen ones for the grand ritual of the Tower of the Black Sun?”

“If I had known this, I should have killed him when we met last time. It’s not too late now—”

The dragon lich turned to look at the immense magic behind him.

“And it seems someone has interfered.” “

The immense magic at the Star Ring stage is still too rudimentary. If only I could reach the Moon Ring stage, but as part of the Lich God’s form, I am destined to be unable to complete the pseudo-forging, absolutely impossible. That’s why I need to rely on the geniuses along the Tianjiang River.”

At this moment, the basement door was pushed open, and a beam of light shone in. The light shone on a necromancer apprentice, who immediately screamed. The moment the light hit him, his undead soul could no longer remain on his body. He screamed back, and illusory souls kept rushing out of his throat.

This necromancer apprentice turned into a pile of bones.

The Dragon Lich looked up at the newcomer and saw a masked witch enter the chamber. She appeared to have used the [Incarnation] spell, a spell typically reserved for third-ring wizards. She was slender, human, and had a scorpion tattoo on the back of her hand.

“Dragon Lich, is the Withered Vine Ancestor dead?”

The Dragon Lich paused, then the witch took a parchment scroll from her astral ring and tossed it to him.

The witch said, “This is the position the Death God Selection Council gave me. From today onwards, I am your superior. That being said, I don’t have time to deal with your little business along the Tianjiang River, so you can decide for yourself. But ultimately, you still need to report your progress to me.”

The dragon lich hesitated, but still knelt on one knee before the living high-ringed wizard.

“Respected elder of the Death God Selection Council, I will obey your orders. Please rest assured, although the Withered Vine Ancestor is dead, fortunately I made preparations in advance. I had long anticipated that he was useless, so I cannot let his death affect our great cause.”

The dragon lich took out a jar of nutrient solution from his astral ring, in which a section of withered vine floated.

“This is a part of his form that I preserved using advanced necromancy. I will arrange for our people along the Tianjiang River to use this form in the laboratory to re-incubate a new Withered Vine Ancestor that obeys us.”

“Boring.”

The witch glanced at the thing.

“When I first came in, I heard you mention a wizard named Locke Augustine.”

“I know him.”

The dragon lich looked at the elder of the Death God Selection Council with suspicion. The Death God Selection Council was a secretive organization spanning multiple wizarding academies, with diverse members who might not even know each other’s identities, and thus their purposes varied. However, the elders held high positions and, according to custom, were responsible for the main selection council affairs of at least one wizarding region.

This mysterious organization had been passed down for thousands of years and was now deeply entrenched.

Why would this elder of the selection council know Locke Augustine?

The witch elder said, “You don’t need to specifically deal with him. I believe that for your plan to succeed, you must first deal with those wizarding geniuses with a magic pressure exceeding 25,000 who have entered the Tianjiang River region. Those are your greatest opponents. Making enemies everywhere without understanding your enemy won’t demonstrate your strength; it will only make people think you’re incompetent.”

The soul fire in the dragon lich’s pupils flickered.

“But that wizard killed the Withered Vine Ancestor and is suspected of having a connection to the Tower of the Black Sun—Elder, you—”

The elder of the Death God Selection Council said, “Are you going to disobey my orders? You’re not the only high-ranking undead along the Tianjiang River who can become the host of the Lich God. Remember, Dragon Lich. As an elder of the Death God Selection Council, and the Death God Selection Council is your financial backer, the Death God Selection Council and the Pale Pilgrimage are the biggest investors in this project. Therefore, we have the right to demand a replacement. If we demand the Lich God to replace you, then the Lich God will replace you. Do you understand?”

The dragon lich gritted his teeth, kneeling again in frustration to appease the avatar of the high-ring witch.

“It was my mistake. Thinking about it carefully, you’re right. Focusing on a Star Ring wizard with less than 21,000 magic pressure is just a waste of time.” “The

[Dragon Transformation War] hasn’t officially begun yet, and the holders of the Twelve Crystal Flowers show no intention of entering the Tianjiang Riverbank, nor have they all appeared. They are all waiting for the Lich God to successfully descend.”

“Focusing on these wizards is indeed a waste of time. I will devise a plan to focus on the highest-level funds in the Tianjiang Riverbank region.”

The witch glanced at him and said, “Good that you understand.”

“Don’t disappoint the Death God Elective.”

“Also, here’s a list of magical resources. Collect these resources and give them to me.”

With a flick of her wrist, a list was tossed out.

The Dragon Lich picked up the list and glanced at it. “Elder, the materials on this list are all of very high quality. I won’t be able to get them for you in a short time.” “

But if you want them, I will find them for you.”

“But Elder, how should I address you from now on?”

the witch asked. “You can call me [Sun and Moon Shell].”

The Dragon Lich replied, “Yes, Elder Sun and Moon Shell.”

Along the banks of the Tianjiang River, Locke, the witch Rose, and the clones of Catherine and the Rose Witch ascended the special mithril-forged staircase of the March Palace. This palace, suspended above the Tianhan River, seemed to be shrouded in a layer of moonlight.

The witch Rose was somewhat flattered by the Rose Witch’s arrival.

“Great-Grandma, you actually came in person,”

the Rose Witch whispered. “This time, I have to come personally to help you.” “

The competition along the Tianjiang River is disadvantageous for wizards like you who are new to the Star Ring. I must stall for time, giving you time to develop. Time is on the side of the true geniuses. Therefore, if the wizards of the March Council are smart enough, they should know that the outcome of the competition shouldn’t be rushed,”

Rose Witch said. “I’ll follow your arrangements.”

Meanwhile, Locke and Ekaterina walked side-by-side.

“Teacher, I have an idea. I think I should try to delay this competition as much as possible. The more rushed the outcome, the greater my chance of losing. I think my current probability of winning is less than 5%,”

Ekaterina Witch said casually, controlling the water hyacinth magic plant in her hand.

Locke looked at the short-haired, slender, and sharp-tempered witch with surprise. His teacher, Catherine, was always radiant and seemingly unfathomable in front of others; this was the first time he had seen a witch with such a chivalrous air. Catherine

glanced at Locke.

“Are you afraid of me?”

Locke asked, surprised. “Teacher, why should I be afraid of you?”

the witch smiled. “I am not your teacher. Standing before you is the Red Dragon Grand Duke of Hell, the master of the Red Dragon Legion of the Dragon Mountains, and one of the two tower masters of the Black Iron Tower. My main area of activity is the Southern Witch Capital, and I made an agreement with your teacher: she would operate in the area north of the Cloud Marsh Wetlands, and I would operate in the area south of the Southern Witch Capital. But your teacher was ambitious and didn’t keep the agreement. She still devoured me and used special methods to suppress me.”

“I hate her. I wish she were dead immediately.”

Locke looked at the witch with some fear. Suddenly, the witch reached out and patted Locke’s shoulder.

“Even Augustine has moments of fear? You don’t need to be afraid of me.”

“I am indeed still your teacher. I have already unraveled the mystery of the Three Rings’ clones. The Dragon Soul is me, and so is humanity.”

“I am still me, only this manifestation is somewhat different. This is merely a manifestation of the Sun Ring, suppressed to the Star Ring state in order to enter the Tianjiang Coast. Furthermore, I cannot break this seal, because once broken, I would be forced to leave the Tianjiang Coast.”

“This time, I voluntarily left the Southern Witch Capital to help you escape this quagmire. Although I have many students in the Southern Witch Capital, none of my peers seem as outstanding as you. I know everything about you, but if you had joined my Black Iron Tower instead of Golden Crown Mountain, I would have made your life much more comfortable.”

“I’ll introduce you to your fellow disciples in the Southern Wizarding Capital later; they’re no less impressive than those in the Cloud Marsh Wetlands.”

Locke tentatively asked, “Teacher, you don’t have any connections with the Black Wizarding Alliance, do you?”

The red-haired witch Catherine raised an eyebrow. “Nonsense. How could a white wizard like me be associated with black wizards? However, whether any of my students in the Southern Wizarding Capital are black wizards, I don’t know. According to modern wizarding law, every formal wizard is an independent adult. Since they are adults, not children, I naturally cannot interfere with their actions.”

Locke had a vague suspicion.

Catherine the Red-Haired Witch said, “Locke, I was already planning to buy you time. It seems we’re on the same page.”

“I’ve long felt you’re better suited for the Black Iron Tower. If you ever get tired of Golden Crown Mountain, you can come to the Black Iron Tower. I can offer you a position as a deputy tower master.”

“Only my direct disciples can become deputy tower masters of the Black Iron Tower. Although the Black Iron Tower isn’t the top academy in the Southern Witch Capital, it’s entirely our own property, so the rules aren’t as strict.”

Meanwhile, Rose Witch’s clone also heard Catherine the Red-Haired Witch’s words.

She immediately sneered.

“You’re not as steady as your true self, so fond of nepotism. Rose, as the tower master of the Black Iron Tower, I can also invite you to the Southern Witch Capital, and I can also make you a deputy tower master.”

Rose Witch laughed awkwardly. She didn’t think her great-grandmother’s words carried much weight in this banter.

“Grandma, I still prefer to stay in the Cloud Marsh Wetlands.”

On the other side, Ekaterina the Red-Haired said to Locke, “The Anna witch you met, she’s just a benevolent version of the real Rose Witch, a kinder version of Anna.”

“Her activities also take place in the Southern Witch Capital. She shares the same Black Iron Tower with me.”

Locke asked curiously the question he had always wanted to ask.

“But teacher, the Rose Throne is a witch from the Tacitus family. Shouldn’t she be studying at the Rose Council?

How did she end up going to the Black Iron Tower with you?”

Ekaterina the Red-Haired said, “You’re mistaken. Anna and I both studied in the Fairy Realm of the Wizarding Lands in the Azure Wilderness. As for why she went there, well, she’s your elder after all, and the past is the past. I need to keep some secrets for her.”

“The Tacitus family has committed numerous crimes in this matter.”

“Locke, I ask you, what’s your plan to prevent the competition results from being decided immediately?”

Locke wisely didn’t dwell too long on the dark history of the Throne Wizards from a thousand years ago.

Locke honestly replied, “I don’t know much about the March Conference, let alone the details of these opponents, so my original plan was to deal with things as they came. Teacher, what’s your plan?”

At this moment, a wizard suddenly ran down the steps of the March Palace. This wizard was none other than Baiber, the Summoner of the Mamluk Rift. His eyes were full of vigilance when he looked at Locke, even a hint of fear and apprehension.

“Mr. Augustine, you’ve come too. I was truly rude before, so rude. I didn’t expect you to be such a hidden talent.”

He seemed to have received some information, so he spoke to Locke with some lack of confidence.

“With Mr. Augustine’s magical strength, one would think he would be the best among them. I didn’t expect you to be so powerful, yet you deliberately held back when facing those necromancers—”

The witch Rose looked at Locke with suspicion and uncertainty.

What’s going on?

The summoner’s magical pressure in front of them is quite high, seemingly several hundred points higher than Locke’s. Yet, when this wizard speaks with Locke, it can only be described as “terrifying.”

Rose, the witch, glanced at Locke with suspicion, even beginning to wonder if he was truly hiding his abilities.

Could it be that their previous conflict was all just a minor skirmish, and he was putting on an act?

Standing beside her, Rose, the witch, seemed to have realized something, revealing a speechless expression.

However, as a high-ring wizard, she had no intention of explaining to these juniors.

Because the three contestants lingered on the steps of the March Palace, they quickly attracted a fourth contestant. This contestant wore the badge of the Ancient Vine Village and thick, round glasses. Seeing so many people gathered there, she, who was about to walk up, was also drawn in and stopped in her tracks.

“Gentlemen, what are you talking about? Have you heard? There are many geniuses among the wizards who made it to the shortlist this time. The wizard from the Black Earth Wizarding Land is said to be the best of his generation in their Wizarding Land in a thousand years, possessing talent comparable to the founder wizard of the White Wizarding Association.”

The witches, Ekaterina and Rose, looked at her in surprise.

Rose rolled her eyes speechlessly.

“Talent comparable to the founder wizard of the White Wizarding Association? Who said that?”

The witch was startled; she didn’t know much about Rose.

Wizard Baiber said, “It seems that this saying originated from the Black Earth itself.”

Rose almost couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s normal then. It’s just people helping each other out, don’t take it seriously. The wizards of the Black Earth are ignorant, but are the wizards of Ancient Vine Village and the Mamluk Rift Valley also ignorant? Don’t go around saying this, or people will suspect you of having intellectual disabilities.”

The young witch adjusted her round glasses and changed the subject, “But I heard that besides that wizard from the Black Earth, there are other powerful participants this time. Have you heard of Locke Augustine?”

“According to what I’ve received, his spiritual science has reached an abnormal level. He seems to have three ring characteristics, possibly a reincarnation of a three-ring wizard.”

Locke looked embarrassed.

What was this all about?

He had never met this witch, never interacted with her, how could she draw such conclusions? So who was spreading these rumors?

Me, a reincarnation of a three-ring wizard?

If he had such a powerful identity, wouldn’t he be even more arrogant?

The young witch said, “According to my inside information, Locke Augustine—even killed a necromancer at the peak of the Star Ring realm, supposedly with just one spell.”

Wizard Byber gasped, looking at Locke with apprehension.

This was terrifying.

The young witch continued, “Currently, the gap between our level and this wizard’s is vast. I think we absolutely must stall for time. Deciding a winner now would benefit Locke Augustine.”

“We geniuses need time and resources to grow.”

“My magic pressure is only a mere 25,000 so far. Among so many contestants, I’m probably only at an average level, which is truly discouraging. You all seem to be contestants; I think we should help each other out and form partners. This way, we can exchange information.”

“By the way, I’m Natalia Rurik from the [Cangjie Teng Academy] in Ancient Vine Village.”

She extended her hand to Locke. “Let’s help each other. And you are?”

Locke raised his hand to shake hers.

“I am Locke Augustine. Hello, Natalia.”

The witch Natalia paused for a moment, then instinctively and quickly moved her hand away, revealing an awkward smile.

“You are the wizard Locke Augustine? This—really—you are so unassuming. I didn’t expect you to have hidden your magical pressure, reducing it to such a low level. It’s astonishing how unassuming you are and how powerful your magical pressure suppression technique is.”

“Is it a magical ring that compresses magical pressure? Hmm? I don’t seem to wear rings much, so that must be—some kind of secret technique I don’t know about.”

Locke told her bluntly.

“Perhaps my magic pressure really isn’t over 21,000?”

Natalia paused, as if her brain had overloaded for a moment, but she quickly recovered and laughed, “You must be joking. Are you trying to get us to rush to a conclusion this year? I, the Witch Rurik, won’t fall for that.”

“If anyone thinks you only have that much magic pressure, they must be blind. You are the strongest among us contestants, the ace chosen by the renowned academic committee of Mount Golden Crown, and you even defeated that reincarnation of the third-ring wizard, Antoine Fisher. Facing a super genius like you, we all have to go all out.”

The witch Natalia forced a smile, revealing her canine teeth, then nodded slightly, somewhat guilty, but more so wary. She then walked to the wizard Biber beside her and said, “Mr. Biber, we’ve met before. It seems we ordinary people who have stumbled into the circle of super geniuses need to band together, otherwise, where will we find a place?”

The wizard Biber waved his hands repeatedly.

“No, I’m just an ordinary wizard, and you’re a super genius. I’ve read your articles in the Second Ring District 1 journal ‘The Crossroads.’ A breeder as talented as you has developed no fewer than ten magical plants with mystical connotations, not to mention the Tulip Wine Glass Plant.”

“That’s too famous. I heard the Tulip Wine Glass Plant solved a major problem plaguing Ancient Vine Village.”

Locke paused, “What’s that?”

However, at this moment, as someone considered an expert by these two, it was clearly inappropriate to ask such a question, not out of fear of losing face,

but because some scoundrel had exaggerated his abilities to such an extent. Under these circumstances, asking them any questions would likely make them think he was trying to gather information and had ulterior motives.

Locke directly used the Lingzhi Magic Plant search to find relevant information, and soon he found it was a special technology of Ancient Vine Village. It was originally invented by the botanical wizards of Ancient Vine Village, who created a magic circle woven from vines called the [Vine Array Diagram]. Later, Ancient Vine Village developed this further, eventually creating vine plant armor that could combine the vine array diagram with a wizard’s permanent defensive force field.

This magic only existed in Ancient Vine Village.

Firstly, it was a unique inheritance of the Ancient Vine Village Wizarding Land.

Secondly, vine plant armor was time-consuming and laborious, requiring learning from a young age. Theoretically, each wizard’s plant armor needed to be individually designed and adjusted, so many wizards considered it a path with both advantages and disadvantages.

Only extremely skilled botanical wizards could design the relevant vine plant armor.

This involved a vast amount of knowledge about spell models.

Only now did Locke truly broaden his horizons; a competition in the Wizarding Lands along the Tianjiang River had brought him so many geniuses.

However, the witch Natalia Rurik still harbored apprehension and wariness towards him.

Clearly, in her mind, Locke was likely her greatest enemy this time.

Therefore, Natalia and the wizard Baiber left together.

The witch Rose laughed, “Locke, I never thought you’d end up like this. You’re isolated.”

“What are your skills? Why is everyone so wary of you? Or do you really have some trump card?”

Locke glanced helplessly at the witch Rose. This question, the one beside you, the Rose Throne, would know best.

Just as they were about to set off, a third contestant passed by Locke. His wizard robes bore the distinctive insignia of the Black Earth Wizarding Land. Locke sensed that the other’s magical pressure seemed to be approaching the limit of a Star Ring Wizard. As this wizard passed Locke, he glanced at him and then sneered, “I thought I was the strongest in this competition, but Ramses tells me there’s someone stronger than me. Locke Augustine, I heard everything you said to that person.” “

You don’t need to care. The strong are always lonely. The weak cannot understand the strong. Talking to the weak is painful every moment. Locke, you feel the same way as me, don’t you?”

“I’m fortunate to have met such a respectable opponent as you in this competition.”

He extended his hand to Locke.

“Let’s ignore the cries of the weak. Let’s work together to decide the winner this year.

Why give the weak a chance? Our current strength, our proximity to the Star Ring limit, is the result of years of accumulation, hard work, and our talent. Why should we be modest?”

Locke pursed his lips. What? I’m a wizard with the Star Ring limit magic pressure? Are

those people spreading rumors about my extra magic pressure going to pay me back?

Locke didn’t hesitate and directly shook hands with this genius, a once-in-a-millennium talent from the Black Earth.

“Hello, I am Locke Augustine.”

“I am Karl Maniacus.”

Wizard Karl shook hands with Locke, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit.

“We’ve made a pact: this year, we’ll settle this score.

Let this competition be our stage.”

Locke withdrew his hand, not answering directly, but instead asking, “Mr. Ramses, what exactly did he say to you?”

Karl Maniacus replied, “A reincarnation of a third-ring wizard, possessing powerful spiritual energy and incredible breeding magic. The most powerful breeder along the Tianjiang River.”

“But I’m no less formidable.”

“I previously defeated an entire academy by taking on them single-handedly, competing against them for academic achievements and winning every single one, forcing that academy to disband.”

Karl Maniacus sneered, “The weak should be trampled upon.”

“I’m leaving now.”

Locke raised an eyebrow, looking displeased at the wizard’s retreating figure, because the wizard’s words contained a lot of information.

First, he was indeed very powerful, to an exaggerated degree.

Second, he acted without restraint; the wizarding academy he forced to disband was probably a small wizarding academy, possibly a small-to-medium-sized one. Regardless, in the eyes of many wizards from the top local wizarding academies, such aggressive behavior was beneath their dignity.

And Karl, in particular, was utterly lacking in tact.

Yet, this very lack of tact possessed such extraordinary talent.

Locke’s expression was complex. “This is a troublesome opponent.”

He wondered how the other party would react to him and Ramses if they discovered the truth.

Meanwhile, Rose, the witch on the other side, looked at Locke suspiciously.

“If I didn’t know you fairly well, I’m afraid I’d actually be just as afraid of you as they are of you. Locke, although I don’t know exactly how you did it, you’re quite good at marketing yourself.”

“Those wizards must have been bewitched by you, mistakenly believing that you possess magical pressure close to the limit of the Star Ring, and they even seem to consider you their greatest rival. This—”

Rose’s expression was complicated, “If they knew the truth, wouldn’t they tear you and that Ramses apart? Is that Ramses your little fanboy?

“Or did you pay him?”

The Rose Witch beside her covered her mouth and chuckled softly, but she still had no intention of explaining. Letting the misunderstanding continue seemed quite interesting.

Locke looked at the Ekaterina Witch, preparing to observe his teacher’s reaction.

Catherine the Witch said, “Let’s go. You said you had no plan, but your plan is quite good. They’re all afraid of you now. Most of the contestants think that entering the finals at this time is advantageous for you and Wizard Karl, but disadvantageous for them. Karl mistakenly believes you’re naturally on his side because you’re both people they fear. But he probably doesn’t expect you to want to stall for time.”

Locke smiled wryly.

“Teacher, don’t make fun of me.”

“When I see that Wizard Ramses, I’ll definitely settle the score with him. That guy, why is he spreading information everywhere?”

He and Catherine entered the March Palace first.

After Locke left, Rose the Witch nervously asked Rose the Witch,

“Grandma, what exactly happened when that kid Locke was in the same carriage as you?”

Rose the Witch said, “Go ask him. Let’s go.”

“Rose, you must defeat the Red Dragon’s student. My struggle with the Red Dragon has reached its most intense moment.”

“Do you understand?”

said the witch Rose. “Grandma, I will definitely win.”

The interior of the March Palace was extremely magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters, luxurious magical artifacts and decorations everywhere, as well as many rare magical plant bonsai decorations. In the center of the March Palace, there was even a pool, the bottom of which contained cold spiritual energy. The pool transformed into a magical fountain, and in the clear water, there were several cold fish and a few lotus flowers.

On the three Moon Thrones sat three Moon Ring Wizards, who were like giants. Around the three Moon Thrones floated some slightly smaller seats, but they were still extremely large. As

soon as these Star Ring Wizards stepped into the March Palace, in the blink of an eye, they found themselves lifted off the ground and seated on the Star Ring Thrones.

Sitting on the Star Ring Thrones, their bodies also grew larger, transforming into giants.

Thus, this was the meeting of the Second Ring Wizards.   Master Chikun looked towards Locke and Rose, then said, “So, most people have arrived. There are only eleven people in total, meaning only eleven chances to enter the second round. Four spots have already been secured: Locke Augustine of Golden Crown Mountain, Rose Tacitus, whom I’ve chosen, and two other wizards designated by the Moon Ring Wizards: one from Silver City, Appian, and one from the Wizard Edgar David.”

At   this moment, Edgar David sat on the Star Seat, draped in a cloak made of bark. His attire, seemingly influenced by his extensive travels in the colonial world, differed somewhat from the aesthetics of the wizarding world. Edgar David waved to the crowd, saying, “You don’t need to look at me. The spots will be filled by the capable.”   Edgar David and Locke’s eyes met.   Locke knew this was his third time participating in the competition with Edgar.   He saw a strong sense of challenge in Edgar’s eyes—a desire to challenge the reigning champion.   Edgar David looked at the calm Locke, his own desire to challenge surging.   ”This is the number one among the current participants.” ”   I didn’t expect you to have grown to this level. But I won’t lose.”   At this moment, Master Chikunyue continued, “But the remaining seven positions are not yet determined. Although there was a first round of competition, some wizards took advantage of the fact that the rules were not yet clear and decided the winners in advance. There are also signs of outsiders participating in some of the school fund competitions.”   Wizard Karl snorted coldly and said in a low voice, “Needless to say, I also feel that my victory in the previous fund application was somewhat inexplicable.”   Wizard Apian glared at him.   At this moment, Wizard Apian looked at Locke and thought, “I didn’t realize that this person is also a person who hides his strength. Like me, he has hidden his strength. No wonder I couldn’t see through him before.”   Wizard Chikunyue said, “Therefore, apart from the above four, I propose that the first round of the fund be restarted.   ”   Now everyone’s eyes were filled with surprise.   Moreover, some people had initially voiced their objections. Suddenly, the witch Fla, as the head of the White Wizards’ Association, spoke up: “Master Chikunmoon, our White Wizards’ Association respects the opinions of the March Council, but ultimately, the March Council isn’t a legitimate decision-making body for the White Wizards’ Association, is it?”   Wizard Chikunmoon frowned.   The Moon Ring Witch beside him asked, “What did you say?”   ”Fla?”   Head of Association Fla said, “This is Mr. Didius Julianus, the Star Ring Wizard of Black Iron Mountain.” ”   He has already obtained the Two Rivers Coast Fund. These are the documents I prepared, certified by five departments and approved by headquarters. All procedures are legal and compliant.”   Head of Association Fla paused, as if she herself couldn’t continue.   However, she continued expressionlessly, “Therefore, I think we should award him this year’s Two Rivers Coast Fund and then withdraw him from this year’s competition. The truly important fund, the Two Rivers Coast Fund for the following year that will be closely watched by the Star Domain Sea, will be left for our contestants to compete for.”   The wizard Didius was a large, fat wizard who looked relatively young, adorned with a pile of luxurious magical artifacts, even sporting a pair of magical wings on his back.   He turned to the president of the Fura Association and said, “This isn’t what we agreed on. I spent so much money!”   The president of the White Wizard Association and the various ministers present kept their eyes down, seemingly oblivious to his words.   The wizard Chikunyue showed a thoughtful expression. It was the wizards of the Julianus family, the wealthiest wizarding family in the Black Iron Wilderness Wizarding Lands, richer than a nation. This was because they had previously invested in several colony worlds, and their investments were correct, resulting in them controlling several great worlds.   These great worlds continuously fed back into their family’s magical enterprise, a story still told with admiration.   Although their descendants were unfilial and had sold off several great worlds,   the reputation of the great adventurer and wizard Julianus still resounded throughout many worlds in the endless void.   No wonder the White Wizard Association could use various rules, loopholes, and coincidences to push this wizard to the highest regional grant.   However, the association was still careful and planned to only give him the title of highest regional grant in name only.   Without the certification of the Starfield Sea, it would be meaningless.   At this moment, Wizard Karl crossed his arms and said, “No.”   Everyone looked at him,   especially the contestants, because he was just an outsider wizard from the Black Earth, yet the local White Wizard Association and the March Council were negotiating, but he still interrupted.   Wizard Karl said, “We can’t give him the highest grant. Otherwise, it will lower the level of our competition. If you dare to do that, I will report you to headquarters.”   Many wizards present nodded, because Wizard Karl had spoken their minds.   Although they weren’t as assertive or confident as him, they generally shared the same thought.   Wizard Chikunyue scanned the crowd, then nodded and said, “More and more wizards and wizarding lands are joining the competition now; even Ancient Vine Township has come. We really need to clarify the rules before the first round, otherwise no one will be satisfied. Our organization along the Tianjiang River is rather rudimentary, so in the first round, we didn’t ensure fairness or establish clear principles, leading to many unexpected incidents.”   ”Secondly, Association President Fula, you really need to stop this farce, otherwise you’ll embarrass yourself throughout the entire Eastern Region. Currently, more than twelve top-tier academies from wizarding lands have entered our region, Association President Fula. This already exceeds one-fifth of the total number in the Eastern Region. If we remove those superior wizarding lands, the proportion of these lands in the Eastern Region will be even greater. Don’t let the competition become a complete mess just to get a little funding for the association.”

The Moon Witch spoke up, “President Fura, this is the most glorious moment for our Tianjiang coast in a thousand years. We hope to get rid of those old bad habits along the Tianjiang coast. This is a unanimous decision made by our March Council, don’t be confused.”

President Fura frowned, because the association was really short of money, so short of money that she had to stretch every penny.

Was it easy for her?

She finally found a sucker, and even if this sucker occupied a meaningless title, it didn’t seem like a big deal.

President Fura continued to insist, “But the process has already been completed. Are we supposed to tell headquarters that we were wrong?”

The Moon Witch said, “You can ask the big shots in the Starry Sea to stop it. Anyway, according to the procedure, our local association needs to send the submitted materials to the Starry Sea, and then the Starry Sea will send them to Mystic Heaven.” President Fura sighed. She could

see

that the March Council had made a decision and was unwilling to change it.

Thus, her plan to earn extra money was completely ruined.

Wizard Chikunyue looked at everyone and said, “Now there’s another problem—how should we proceed with this second round?

The original organizational structure of the regional highest fund was rudimentary. If we continue with that old format, with you all submitting your project applications to the March Council in a rush—first, it’s too chaotic. Second, it’s difficult to distinguish your true abilities.

Third, you might be dissatisfied.”

“We need a better system. And nothing

solves the problem better than directly asking the participants for their thoughts—” “

Master Chikunyue said, “Based on my experience, you, the ones who have experienced it firsthand, can best tell us how to organize the competition.

“