Wizard: Starting With Synthesized Gems

Four days later, the magical carriage convoy finally returned to the foot of Golden Crown Mountain.

Although Golden Crown Mountain itself showed no dramatic changes at this moment, all of the wizards were clearly immersed in an atmosphere of joy, something that was evident even from the small makeshift wizard markets and wizard towns at the mountain's base.

Even at Golden Crown Mountain, accustomed as it was to constant busyness, the pace seemed finally to have slowed a little, with celebratory decorations hung at the doors of various establishments in the wizard towns.

The magical carriages came to a stop at the foot of Golden Crown Mountain. Locke had barely stepped out before he sensed a familiar magic pressure. He descended from the carriage and saw Witch Williams, whose magic pressure had reached 1,100, alongside Gregor, whose magic pressure had already reached 800.

The two of them appeared to have been waiting at the mountain's base for some time. Someone had apparently informed them that Locke and the Golden Crown Mountain school team would be returning today.

When Williams saw Locke stepping out of the carriage, a look of mild delight crossed her face. "Teacher..."

She was about to speak, but suddenly stopped, standing frozen in place.

Locke looked toward Williams, gave a slight nod, and said with full approval, "Williams, you have become a formal wizard. Congratulations."

"On the long road of pursuing truth, you have finally taken your first step."

Becoming a formal wizard was only the starting point of the long road of exploring truth.

Wizard apprentices, by comparison, were always still in the stage of learning and applying. It amounted to nothing much.

Locke praised her. "Your rate of progress is remarkable. In less than a year of coming to me, you have already become a formal wizard."

"You truly are a genius."

Locke meant this genuinely.

Williams was worthy of being called a Child of Elements at Golden Crown Mountain. Her talent, comprehension, diligence, and way of thinking were all excellent and outstanding. Obstacles that ordinary people could not cross she could overcome with relative ease.

Gregor also looked at Williams with admiration.

Williams smiled with a touch of helplessness and took half a step forward, then stopped, asking Locke tentatively, "Teacher, have you become a Second Circle wizard?"

Gregor was immediately struck with shock and looked toward Locke.

But Locke simply nodded calmly.

"Yes. I am a Second Circle wizard now."

A storm of astonishment erupted in both of their hearts.

As native wizards of the Cloud Marsh Wetlands, both of them naturally understood what being a Second Circle wizard meant.

Even within the Cloud Marsh Wetlands, a Second Circle wizard signified enormous honor, formidable power, and profound wisdom.

It was said that only the most exceptional among formal wizards could take that decisive step once more, becoming Second Circle wizards and standing at the apex of all formal wizards, those who had made the plural crossing, who had twice broken through the soul limit of their species.

Such a person, even within the Cloud Marsh Wetlands, was more than worthy of being called a great wizard.

Williams smiled with a touch of self-deprecation and said to Locke, "Teacher, how could I dare call myself a genius in your presence? Compared to you, I am nothing more than an ordinary witch."

Williams brushed aside the hair on her forehead and said, "You went away on a journey, participated in a competition, and came back as an honored Second Circle wizard."

"This is a gift I have for you."

Locke opened a magic box and found inside a wizard staff worth ten thousand magic stones.

Williams's cheeks flushed faintly. "Teacher, this is perhaps something you already have no use for."

Locke's eyes curved with a smile. In truth, even if he were not a Second Circle wizard, a ten-thousand-magic-stone wizard staff would still be of no use to him.

For a First Circle crystallization-stage wizard, a staff like this was actually somewhat worse than having nothing at all.

Because it would limit a First Circle crystallization wizard's peak spellcasting output capability.

It was like dancing in chains.

But as the heartfelt gesture of his first student to become a formal wizard, that was an entirely different matter.

This was essentially a teacher's gift in return.

Williams was quite a thoughtful student.

Locke gave a slight nod. "No, I like it very much. This design has an artistic quality to it."

"I will treasure it carefully. It will become a precious memory for me, Williams."

Witch Williams's eyes lit up softly, looking at Locke with gratitude.

Locke thought for a moment and said, "Since you are my first student to become a formal wizard, there is no way we can hold a proper sect celebration banquet to mark your becoming a formal wizard."

Locke spoke as he walked, exchanging nods of greeting with the various wizards in the convoy traveling alongside him. The looks those wizards gave Locke had already changed.

The champion of the Silent Chalice, who had turned the tables on the ambushing Crimson Deep Court madmen, and who had killed two Second Circle wizards immediately upon becoming a Second Circle wizard himself, one of them bearing the title of War Butcher.

The name of the Eye Demon Wizard was gradually spreading throughout the Golden Crown Mountain district.

And Locke walked with Williams and Gregor, gradually making their way up the mountain path toward the midpoint of the mountain.

Locke thought about it and presented Williams with one of his Water Jade Peaches.

He had a total of eight Water Jade Peaches, which he had originally intended to use when breaking through. However, because of the soul's declining period, he had been unable to use the Water Jade Peaches at that time.

And now that he had overcome the soul's declining period and become a Second Circle wizard, these peaches were no longer of use to him.

Though they were a rare resource, whether auctioned off or given away, they would be extremely valuable.

Williams inhaled the refreshing fragrance of the Water Jade Peach and immediately swallowed, looking at Locke in stunned surprise. "Teacher, is this Golden Crown Mountain's Twelve Peach White Dew Peach?"

Locke said, "No, it is not."

Williams nodded. "Oh, I see."

Locke said, "It is an Water Jade Peach."

Williams's face flushed red and she began to cough.

Because even a White Dew Peach was a precious resource for a First Circle crystallization wizard at Golden Crown Mountain, let alone an Water Jade Peach.

Only the most outstanding among First Circle crystallization wizards could receive an Water Jade Peach.

Both types of magical peach could enhance a wizard's magical power, each with different focuses. The Water Jade Peach in was extraordinarily effective at restoring a wizard's fundamental vitality, and could even repair hidden injuries that a wizard had accumulated in the past.

Locke's spiritual force had previously carried a latent issue from his apprentice stage, where too many ether elements had become mixed in, and that issue had been resolved by consuming one Water Jade Peach.

Of course, at the time his magical power was continuously rising, so the latent issue had already been relatively minor.

The Water Jade Peach, however, had not helped him resolve the problem of abyss energy.

Williams's face was deep red. "Teacher, this is far too precious."

"I am only an ordinary First Circle wizard. Becoming a First Circle crystallization wizard, I do not know how many years that will take. Things like this should not be used on me."

Locke made a sound of acknowledgment.

"I have far too many of these. There are probably six or seven more. You happened to have just become a formal wizard, so I am giving you one as a gift from me to you."

Williams let out a small sound of astonishment.

Other wizard instructors who had one Water Jade Peach would hurriedly use it on themselves, yet Locke had not just one but seven or eight.

For the first time after becoming a formal wizard, Witch Williams experienced firsthand Locke's generosity.

The wizard instructors of her friends were nowhere near this generous.

This kind of special reward was something he gave away without a second thought.

Williams was once again grateful that the academy had assigned her to Locke as his student.

This truly had been her fortune.

Locke looked toward Williams and said, "By the way, Williams, where do you plan to go in the future?"

Williams paused, then said quietly, "I originally intended to stay at the academy. I applied to Golden Crown Mountain. But I did not pass the retention assessment, at least not enough to stay at the main campus."

Every position at Golden Crown Mountain had many formal wizards competing for it. Coming from Golden Crown Mountain could be said to provide a certain advantage, but it would not be a decisive advantage.

It was clear that Williams had not reached the level required to stay at the main campus.

That was also perfectly understandable.

To be retained at Golden Crown Mountain, one needed at minimum to be at the gasification stage of the First Circle, to be extremely outstanding, to be of a younger age, and to benefit from certain favorable policy considerations.

Williams said quietly, "However, Teacher, I have received an invitation for a teaching position at a lower-level advanced academy affiliated with Golden Crown Mountain."

"It is called Tongmo Peach Garden Academy."

Locke listened quietly from beside her.

The Eastern Border Region had a three-tier educational system, preliminary academy, mid-level academy, and advanced academy.

The first two tiers were essentially branch academies established in ordinary nations, while advanced academies were generally not something that just any wizard organization had the standing to establish, because advanced academies referred specifically to wizard universities.

A wizard university of Golden Crown Mountain's scale had a large number of advanced academies, meaning affiliated wizard universities.

Many wizards who graduated from Golden Crown Mountain's main campus but had not met the criteria for retention would first go to Golden Crown Mountain's affiliated wizard universities, gain some experience there over a period of time, and then find a way to compete for a teaching position back at the main campus.

This was also a viable path.

Locke had never heard of Tongmo Peach Garden, but he still said, "That is quite good, Williams. I trust in your capabilities."

"Williams, you should have received the water hyacinth system by now."

Williams gave a nod. "Yes, Teacher. I never expected that the world of formal wizards would be like this. It is so interesting."

"So everyone can communicate across time and space at any moment. I had thought... cough, cough... the apprentice world was nothing this convenient. The cost of communication for everyone was very high."

Locke said, "Let us add each other as contacts in the water hyacinth system. That will make it easier to stay in touch. Williams, when will you be leaving the academy?"

Because Williams was going to one of Golden Crown Mountain's lower-tier academies, she did not need to work for the academy to repay Golden Crown Mountain for its cultivation of her before she could leave.

After all, she would still be a member of the broader Golden Crown Mountain system.

If she did not go to one of Golden Crown Mountain's lower-tier academies, she could also go to one of Golden Crown Mountain's academies in colonial worlds, or to one of Golden Crown Mountain's relatively larger shop alliance enterprises.

And if she took a teaching position at another institution, she would first need to serve Golden Crown Mountain for a period of time before she could leave.

Of course, this period was generally five to ten years.

It would not be too long.

After all, within the Golden Crown Mountain system, there were actually very few formal wizards who would proactively sever ties.

Regardless of the level of formal wizard, in theory every one of them could find an appropriate position within the system.

And for those wizards who truly wanted to leave, given Golden Crown Mountain's wealth and extensive holdings, it was not too bothered. Things generally ended on good terms. As long as the departing wizard provided a reasonable return, they could leave carrying the formal wizard credentials earned at Golden Crown Mountain and pursue a better future.

As for Locke, because he was a researcher in the Origin Academy, he was not even required to make any return to Golden Crown Mountain.

At its core, it was the White Wizard Association's headquarters using Golden Crown Mountain as an intermediary to cultivate him.

Who he owed gratitude to was the White Wizard Association's headquarters.

Williams thought for a moment. "In about one week."

Gregor looked at her in surprise, though he did not dare to interject the way he once had.

He had not expected that Williams would be leaving Golden Crown Mountain so soon.

Locke said, "That quickly?"

Williams smiled with some exasperation. "Tongmo Peach Garden's side is pressing urgently, saying they need me there right away to get to work. There are heavy teaching and research duties on that side, along with a lengthy probationary period."

"The temple is small but the demons' winds blow strong."

"Their demands are not few at all. They are plenty."

Williams said to Locke, "But Teacher, I now count as someone with a backer at Golden Crown Mountain's main campus. With you, a Second Circle wizard, as my backer, I count as someone who belongs to a faction."

Locke smiled. "A Second Circle wizard cannot yet establish a faction."

That was the privilege of Third Circle wizards.

Besides, building something like that was still far too early for him, and ran contrary to what he should be pursuing at this stage.

...

At the Rose Council, the Rose Witch's flyer arrived in the airspace above the Rose Council. On the flyer, the Rose Witch stood with her back to Esther's body and suddenly spoke. "Esther, get up."

Esther rose from the floor, her body gradually transforming from a little girl back into a woman, eventually restoring the appearance of a woman in her mid-thirties.

She lay face down, coughing repeatedly, her pupils contracting slightly.

Witch Lana draped a pink wizard robe over her shoulders.

Esther said, "Thank you, Throne Anna."

"If not for you, I would truly have died."

The Rose Witch clasped her hands behind her back and turned around, her twin tails swinging behind her.

"Katya's Third Circle botanical spell, Revisit Springtime, is indeed formidable. It enhanced your life essence and reverted you to an ordinary human, returning you to your most potential-filled state."

"In truth, this is actually a good thing for you. It is only because you sun ring wizards have limited perspective that you thought it was something terrible, an attack spell that would certainly kill you."

"However, Katya is too confident in her own power. She was not making a serious effort to kill you. She believed that your condition at the time was already insufficient to evade her magic."

"She did not anticipate that before you joined Golden Crown Mountain, I had already separated one-third of your life into my hands. After you became a sun ring wizard, you used this one-third of your life to create a treant avatar."

"Though your true body's power was stripped away by her Revisit Springtime, by merging your treant avatar into your true body, the vast majority of your power can be revived."

"And furthermore, because of this avatar, you had not technically died completely. Only, whether from being revived from death after enduring all of this, or from being subject to Revisit Springtime, some of your power has been worn away."

The Rose Witch laughed in her characteristically wicked way. "But you need not worry about that. As I said, Katya's Revisit Springtime is not an attack spell at all. It is a botanical healing spell. I could see it perfectly clearly. Because my Return to Youth is also not an attack spell, but a healing spell."

"Starting over in part will only make you better."

The Rose Witch looked toward the fifth person on the flyer, a person other than Witch Lana, Witch Nina, Esther, and herself.

An ordinary Second Circle witch.

She had an appearance somewhat similar to the Rose Witch, only that witch appeared as a mature young woman.

The Rose Witch said, "Granddaughter, having now encountered Witch Yekaterina, my current greatest academic rival, what are your thoughts?"

"I recently have a task I want to hand to you, one related to wizard shoes."

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