628: Battle of the Final Four! Four School Teams!
Chapter 628: Battle of the Final Four! Four School Teams!
In the courtyard of the Glazed Garden Castle within the Senate, Antoine said to his grandfather, Wizard Fischer, "Grandfather, I want to go to the [Fighting Purgatory] managed by the Senate."
"There is still half a year until the Plane Conquest Competition. Going to the Fighting Purgatory should be enough to raise my strength to the optimal state for that competition."
Wizard Fischer was stunned for a moment. "Antoine, you are willing? You are my most beloved grandson. Among my hundreds of grandsons, you are the only one I truly like."
"This world was born for you. As long as you are willing, even if the Dean himself comes forward, I will not let you participate in the Plane Conquest Competition and become a foil for Locke Augustine."
Wizard Fischer said calmly, "I have recently sent people to investigate that wizard's past. I refuse to believe he is a wizard who grew up normally. His teacher, his past classmates, his entire history—we will uncover everything. None of his secrets will remain hidden."
"Rest assured, Grandfather will handle everything for you."
Antoine glanced at Wizard Fischer but did not stop him. He was merely the reincarnation of a Third Ring Wizard beginning his cultivation anew, not a current Third Ring Wizard.
Therefore, he could not defy the will of the Third Ring Wizard before him.
The Crown Magic of a Third Ring Wizard possessed the quality of resisting the erosion of time; even after ten reincarnations, it would not be completely obliterated.
Though that Crown Magic had weathered the vicissitudes of time and was now in tatters, once a Third Ring Wizard, always a Third Ring Wizard.
Perhaps he would have to go through ten more cycles of reincarnation before he completely lost the special spirituality granted to him by the Crown Magic.
On a relatively short time scale (a thousand years), the spirituality of Crown Magic would never truly perish; it would only decline to its absolute limit.
There were only a few ways to completely kill a Third Ring Wizard.
And his luck was very good; in his previous life, he had not encountered the kind of enemy who insisted on making him disappear entirely.
Thus, to completely eliminate a Third Ring Wizard, there were conventionally only three methods.
First, one could continuously kill his reincarnations more than ten times in a row, ensuring he never reached the Second Ring stage each time. This was because becoming a Second Ring Wizard allowed one to replenish some of the missing spirituality of the Crown Magic, and reaching the Sun Ring would almost completely restore what was lost.
At the very least, there would be no loss in that lifetime. Even if he died again in that life, no special spirituality would be consumed, and the death count would need to be recalculated.
Furthermore, if he were fortunate enough to become a Third Ring Wizard in that life, everything would have to start over from the beginning.
The second method was to use several specific means to kill the Third Ring Wizard once and for all. Of course, most of those special methods had been hidden away, and those that weren't were extremely difficult to obtain.
The third method, and also the simplest, was to pretend not to know about it.
For general grievances, killing a Third Ring Wizard once was usually the end of it. As long as that Third Ring Wizard changed his name and identity, everyone would treat him as dead.
After all, having reincarnated to cultivate anew, he would lack his past memories and would have to acquire them later; he merely still possessed the special spirituality of his previous life's Crown Magic.
Therefore, many wizards generally chose the third method.
Unless there was a deep-seated hatred between the two that required the other's absolute destruction.
Antoine looked at Wizard Fischer and said, "Grandfather, if you want to investigate [Loki], then do as you please. However, I still want to participate in the Plane Conquest Competition."
Wizard Fischer thought for a moment and realized that Antoine had given Locke a nickname; "Loki" was the pronunciation of "Locke" transliterated from the Common Tongue into an Ancient Magic Language that Antoine frequently used.
It was also a homophone, likely meaning that the opponent was a very clever wizard.
Wizard Fischer glanced at Antoine. "It's rare to see you like a wizard so much, especially one who... just took the championship from your hands while you were unwell."
"Antoine... since you didn't secure the right to participate in the Plane Conquest Competition, going now would just make you a foil for others. You would expose your trump cards and your background but gain nothing. This does not align with the philosophy of life we have always followed..."
"Hiding one's brilliance!"
Antoine looked at Wizard Fischer and said, "Grandfather, but during this battle with Loki, I was happy. The pressure of losing caused me extraordinary pain, yet it also felt very novel. This long-awaited competition allowed me to perform at my absolute limit."
"I want to feel that competition once more. Perhaps I don't need to hide my brilliance after all. This world is very, very large. Even if I am the reincarnation of a Third Ring Wizard, if I start over from the beginning and walk the path of the faculty again, I might not necessarily be a match for those youngsters."
Antoine became serious. "Therefore, I want to change my mindset, truly start from scratch, and view myself as a newcomer."
"I hope to gain your approval, Grandfather."
A flash of coldness appeared in Wizard Fischer's eyes. For a moment, he was truly angry that Antoine dared to defy him.
Wizard Fischer was a Third Ring Wizard and held an important position in the Senate, controlling vast scientific research resources and administrative power. Let alone a mere Second Ring Wizard, even a Sun Ring Wizard would have to lower their head before him.
But Wizard Fischer thought of something and spoke a few words. "If this is your wish, Antoine, then go ahead. Grandfather supports you. Just be mindful of your safety; you are Grandfather's most cherished grandson."
"If there were a risk of death, I would not let you go to the Fighting Purgatory."
Antoine bowed to him and then walked toward the entrance of an underground suspended staircase hidden by a magical barrier in a corner of the Glazed Garden courtyard.
Indeed, the entrance to the artificial Supernatural Purgatory—a special prison created using ancient specialized techniques—was located right within the garden of the Glazed Garden campus of the Senate.
The Fighting Purgatory was a region where countless criminals and many evil magical creatures were imprisoned. There, battles occurred every single moment.
Some wizards of the Senate would enter the Fighting Purgatory in hopes of gaining insights through cross-disciplinary experience, whether to quickly break through their limits in a short time, to find better combat techniques, to research combat specializations, or because they had lacked research inspiration for a long time.
However, that place could also be very dangerous.
Antoine was an important asset of the Fischer Family, so Wizard Fischer originally had no intention of letting him enter the Fighting Purgatory.
One must know that it was not unheard of for wizards to completely lose themselves within the Fighting Purgatory.
Of course, the Fighting Purgatory was considered relatively safe; as an important asset of the Senate, it couldn't truly be called dangerous.
It was just that Wizard Fischer previously felt it was unnecessary, and Antoine also believed that with his abilities, there was no need to take a trip through the Fighting Purgatory.
Antoine stepped onto the rotating suspended staircase leading into the Fighting Purgatory, his figure gradually vanishing into the terrifying supernatural hell below.
'Locke... Loki... You said that if a wizard plays a dog for too long, they'll forget how to be a wolf. Loki, then I'll try to find that feeling of being a wolf again.'
Wizard Fischer watched Antoine enter the Fighting Purgatory with a grim expression. A Moon Ring Wizard student beside him whispered, "Lord Fischer, I will find an opportunity to enter the Fighting Purgatory to persuade Antoine to give up such a dangerous course of action."
"I will also persuade him to give up on participating in the Plane Conquest Competition six months from now."
The top three contestants from the True Knowledge Institute in the Spell Fighting Competition would enter the Plane Conquest Competition together, with the second and third place serving as assistants to the first place.
This has always been the tradition of the Silent Grail.
However, one could decline; if they did, they would be replaced by the next researcher in line from the True Knowledge Institute.
In any case, for a competition of this level, there would never be a shortage of people wanting to participate.
Wizard Fischer raised his right hand and waved. "No need. When have you ever seen Antoine become this serious? He even went to the Fighting Purgatory to improve himself again. I haven't seen such a serious Antoine in a long time. Perhaps he is right; he truly does need competition."
"Locke Augustine, you have made my grandson more vibrant. I should thank you for awakening a... savage beast that has been slumbering."
...
At Quinn Joel University, the Quinn Joel University Sports Festival had also come to a successful conclusion.
Quinn Joel's total gold medal count remained far in the lead, representing the comprehensive strength of this academy, which could crush all wizard academies in the Quinn Joel region.
But the number of gold medals for Xiao Xi Mountain had gradually increased, from less than one-third of Quinn Joel's in the past to nearly two-thirds of Quinn Joel's total now.
This gap in gold medal counts caused many high-level members of Quinn Joel Academy to fall into deep thought and develop a deeper wariness toward Xiao Xi Mountain.
At this moment, on the Quinn Joel University awards platform, Wizard Edgar David stood on the podium, receiving the badge representing the champion as well as the badge for the Silent Grail's Plane Conquest Competition.
Edgar glanced at the badge pattern of four hands clasped together, and the corners of his mouth curled into an incredibly confident smile.
When it was his turn to give an acceptance speech, Edgar spoke into the amplification device held by the hosting wizard: "You want to ask me how I became number one? Ask for my experience? Want to learn from me? I simply regret to tell everyone that the strong remain strong; if one is strong in one life, they are strong for ten thousand lives."
"The strong remain strong. Before entering Quinn Joel, I was the most powerful genius on the Sun Shadow Peninsula, and at Quinn Joel, I used half a year to finally become an outstanding One-Ring Wizard here."
"In my life, I have only had three failures, and from now on, I will not let myself fail a fourth time. Therefore, I have no experience in how a weakling becomes strong, but I will tell you that my existence represents the magical standard of Quinn Joel!"
A Third Ring Wizard beside Edgar appreciated him greatly and clapped continuously.
It could only be said that as the runner-up of the Cloud Marsh Cup, Edgar had the right to make his own choices, and because he was sufficiently outstanding, he did not encounter a wizard whose personality clashed with his. Instead, he met a Third Ring Wizard who was relatively introverted and low-key.
Looking at the radiant Edgar David on the stage, this witch not only felt no resistance to his arrogance but instead felt that such a young One-Ring Wizard was very spirited, possessing a surging vitality that she had lacked in her own youth.
Within the entire Golden Bridge competition grounds, many wizards were discussing in low voices.
Wizards from outside Quinn Joel whispered, "Is this the most powerful wizard of Quinn Joel's current younger generation?"
"I heard he holds open classes at Quinn Joel about Treant Magic Plant Cultivation. The quality is extremely high, and students love his lectures; every time a class starts, it's packed with students."
"He came from the outside Wizard Land, right? It seems he came from the Sun Shadow Peninsula. Since when did the Sun Shadow Peninsula become so impressive?"
"This is quite normal. If we relied solely on our local geniuses from the Yunze Wetland, how could we sustain these industries of ours! It is precisely because the Yunze Wetland can absorb most of the talent from the Eastern Border Region that it can be so prosperous. The number of wizards is the key; the more wizards there are, the number of top-tier geniuses in a Wizard Land will rise accordingly, and the quality of those top-tier geniuses will also increase."
"True. He probably won't return to the Sun Shadow Peninsula now. He'll likely stay in the Yunze Wetland to develop, so he can be considered a wizard of our Yunze Wetland."
Meanwhile, the High-Ring Wizards of Quinn Joel University were also discussing.
Several Sun Ring Wizards were looking toward the awards platform, talking in low voices.
"That Wizard Edgar David was quite unremarkable when he first enrolled, wasn't he? Although excellent, he was only a genius of average level. I didn't expect him to achieve such great accomplishments in just half a year."
AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-lite
"Hmm... His growth rate is indeed very abnormal. Others are linear, but he is advancing in leaps and bounds. I heard the Dean has already sent people to investigate his past, wanting to confirm some things, but nothing unusual was found."
"If there's nothing wrong with him, then our Quinn Joel University can be said to have picked up a treasure this time!"
"It's just that I really don't like his personality. Didn't his cooperative mentor temper his temperament? With a temperament like that, he's bound to suffer a huge loss sooner or later."
"I remember his mentor is Lady Candice. Lady Candice is humble, the most modest Third Ring Wizard in the academy, with a nickname called Lady Silver Thread. Who knew the student she cultivated would turn out like this."
At this moment, on the awards podium, Edgar hugged the championship badge and laughed out loud, extremely smug.
The second-place winner was a witch. At this moment, she looked helpless, using her fingers to plug both her ears to alleviate Edgar's piercing laughter.
This Constructor witch glanced at Edgar. 'Did this guy modify his bloodline with the vocal cords of a Siren Witch? Why is his laughter so piercing? It's unbearable, to think such a person became the champion. My Quinn Joel wizards have been famous for their humility for a thousand years...'
'If he represents us in the Plane Conquest Competition and becomes the leader of our school team...'
The Constructor witch felt speechless just thinking about that scenario.
The style of the Quinn Joel University school team participating in the Silent Grail this year is likely to be corrupted by Edgar.
Edgar put his hands on his hips and laughed out loud. "Hahahaha..."
The Constructor witch looked desperate.
...
At Bonifacius University, on the awards podium, everyone looked at the silent champion of the Spell Fighting Competition standing on the podium, a witch wearing a wooden mask, and whispered to each other.
"This person must be the most powerful Magic Weaver witch in our Bonifacius University in the last five hundred years."
"Pretty much. It's the first time I've seen such a formidable Magic Weaver witch... I heard that this year's Plane Conquest Competition will be the most important step for that Dean of the True Knowledge Institute to revive the Magic Weaver Academy. The future research funding direction of the entire Bonifacius University will undergo certain changes."
"Oh my god, doesn't that make the Silent Grail Competition a very important tournament?"
"That's just nonsense. Even those students know that the Silent Grail Competition is the most prestigious commercial tournament in our Yunze Wetland. Just wait and watch; the Silent Grail Competition is different from all the previous fake-looking matches. In that competition... people are allowed to die."
"I heard that the Silent Witch of the Star Domain Sea will pay attention to this competition, and the Silent Witch will invite High-Ring Wizards from the Star Domain Sea, Mysterious Heaven, and the Green Steel Capital to visit this competition together. The scale is unimaginable."
A Moon Ring Wizard walked in and whispered: "To be precise, it is actually a Great Magic simulation competition. Forget it, colleagues who have just arrived at our Bonifacius University from the outside world for less than ten years, I can assure you that the Silent Grail Competition is a competition with a very high standard."
"Watching this competition is a huge benefit in itself."
This Moon Ring Wizard wore a badge representing an expert-level Magic Weaver. The Chair Mages who were whispering in the dark earlier now looked guilty, while this Moon Ring Wizard looked at the witch with the wooden mask and ethereal eyes with great expectations. "Witch Georgina, if it's you, you can definitely do it."
"The power of those with dreams is infinitely strong. Witch Georgina, you should understand this point."
"Use this competition to become a Second Ring Wizard."
"There will be no enemies in front of you that can stop you. Your achievements will become the achievements of us Magic Weavers, no... of our Bonifacius University."
On the awards podium, Witch Georgina's ethereal eyes moved slightly. Looking at the wizards cheering for her, she thought: 'My parents were wanted because they defected to the Black Wizards. My mother was imprisoned in the Wizard Prison, and my father died during the pursuit. My life turned into a joke, but at this moment, these people are cheering for me.'
'My life cannot be limited by the identity of my parents. My dreams must also bloom brilliantly on this barren land. The Plane Conquest Competition is where I will become a Second Ring Wizard, be reborn, and regain the land of honor. Twin Demon Realm... I am irreconcilable with you; I will kill you all with my own hands!'
...
On the easternmost side of the Yunze Wetland, near the Leize Lowlands, next to the branch academy of the Root Crown Court, there was an academy called [Storm Tower], which stood in the sky and was composed of six rings.
The center was pierced by a columnar thunderstorm to ensure that the six rings rotated in mid-air. At the same time, the Storm Tower was the opposite of an ordinary Wizard Tower.
Ordinary Wizard Towers stand on the ground, while the foundation of the Storm Tower is located in the sky, with the top of the tower actually being the closest to the ground.
It was like a tower hanging down from beyond the sky.
There were a large number of buildings within the six rings, and the surface of the six rings itself was a large ecological space.
Below the Storm Tower was a huge lava pool, which was the Iron Melting Mountain, one of the famous Seven Mountains of the Yunze Wetland.
Abbreviated as Iron Mountain!
Inside, there was a large amount of liquid magic metal flowing scaldingly, and there were also clusters of fire lotuses, forming a unique ecosystem.
In this region that forever maintained thunderstorms, this Sports Festival had also come to an end. The Storm Masters of the Storm Tower won with an absolute advantage, suppressing the various Wizard Academies in the Storm Tower region so much that they could hardly compete with them.
Unlike other regions, the Storm Tower region had the fewest independent Wizard Academies. Most Wizard Academies existed in the form of cooperation with the Storm Tower, directly reduced to subordinate units that provided resources and various other services to the Storm Tower.
Using the power o