682: Charging the Fourth Round Heavenly Ladder!
Witch Camilla glanced at Locke, then took the ten Cancer natal witch porcelain items out of her astral ring and placed them on the table.
Locke immediately took out two hundred magic crystal cards.
Locke inspected the ten Cancer natal witch porcelain items, confirmed they were fine, and then said, "Thank you. Camilla, would you like to stay as a guest at Golden Crown Mountain for a few days? I can arrange accommodation for you."
Camilla pursed her lips, then decisively grabbed her sister's hand and said, "Forget it. I don't want my sister to fall into some inexplicable danger again just because we are staying as guests here."
Camilla's sister was still a bit confused, completely unaware of her current strange state.
Locke looked at the witch with regret; if Witch Camilla had agreed to stay at Golden Crown Mountain for a few days, he could have taken the opportunity to study her.
After the part of her spirituality that served as 'humanity' was stolen, he had used Full Moon Growth to fuse the spirituality of the Moon Essence into it.
Therefore, in a sense, this witch could no longer be considered a pureblood human.
If it were the Pureblood Era, this witch would likely have been treated as a heretic and eliminated.
Witch Camilla held her sister's hand and left in a hurry. After walking out of the Feathered Serpent Ancient Pavilion, she immediately hired a magic carriage and left the place.
Locke stood on the second floor of the Feathered Serpent Ancient Pavilion, watching them leave in the magic carriage on the street. "Thanks to the research from Magic Hub City, I only need to use the current Spell Model of Full Moon Growth, create Porcelain Moon Growth, and then synthesize them."
Locke took out the Moon Witch Stone. "This witch stone contains the spirituality from the deepest part of the Moon Plane. Ordinary wizards cannot connect different types of spirituality, but by using Full Moon Growth, I can overlay different spiritualities onto another. As long as they do not conflict, they can slowly fuse, or at least overlap."
Overlaying, fusing, mounting, and conflicting are actually four different states. They are different reactions between substances on the spiritual level.
The blank spirituality of the zero potion has the special effect of being mounted onto different organisms; it can be mounted, and it can also be removed.
Full Moon Growth generally just overlays different spiritualities, while that special spirituality fuses with the plant, producing more wondrous effects, accelerating the plant's evolution, and as long as sufficient energy is input, it can produce [New Moon Patterns].
At this moment, Locke summoned a Full Moon Growth, then combined the spell moon with the witch porcelain, transforming it into Porcelain Moon Growth.
In a short while, three Porcelain Moon Growths were successfully created.
Locke drank a bottle of Holy Spring Nectar Potion and continued to create the Porcelain Moon. Since creating the Porcelain Moon Growth required consuming a large amount of magic pressure, he didn't need to drink any weakening potions today to consume his excess mana.
In the Dune Plane, at the Group 2 Research Institute, inside the public office on the thirtieth underground floor, Wizard Zalan Bailey's eyes were already filled with impatience, and immense magic pressure enveloped Witch Mason.
Witch Mason immediately felt as if a great mountain were pressing down on her heart; she seemed to have no path of escape, neither in the heavens nor on earth.
Witch Mason's face flushed red. "I did indeed inform Group Leader Locke. It's just that the group leader has many things to handle and is quite busy, which is why he hasn't come to see you."
Wizard Zalan Bailey's expression was ugly. "Really?"
The next moment, the terrifying magic pressure on Witch Mason vanished without a trace. Witch Mason sat on a stool, and Wizard Barrett and Witch Freya immediately trotted over, hurriedly asking in low voices how she was doing.
In the public office, some researchers who saw this scene chose to protect themselves and turned away, while others hesitated to speak but decided against saying anything after giving it some thought.
After all, Zalan Bailey was a Second Ring Wizard in Group 2 and was riding high, and in reality, he hadn't done anything excessive at the moment.
Wizard Zalan Bailey stood with his hands behind his back and said, "I have invited Locke to meet me several times, yet he has ignored me."
"It seems he has quite a big opinion of me."
Wizard Zalan Bailey revealed a look of self-assured understanding and sneered, "I know he has been quite dissatisfied with me snatching research resources from his group recently. But I am a Second Ring Wizard, and he is a One-Ring Wizard."
"This can't be blamed on me. I originally thought we could become friends and cooperate, but it seems he has politely declined my goodwill."
Wizard Zalan Bailey snorted coldly and turned to leave.
Seeing him leave, Witch Mason let out a sigh of relief.
Witch Freya supported Witch Mason and whispered, "This is just too much. We are all in the same Research Institute; how dare he treat you like that."
Witch Mason's face was pale. Just now, Wizard Zalan Bailey had suddenly pressed all his magic pressure onto her; if it had been an ordinary life form, their soul would have already shattered.
A One-Ring Wizard's soul is protected by an Eternal Defense Field, which is why there was no structural damage to her soul, but even so, her soul had received quite a shock.
If she didn't use means like Potionology to intervene, it would take over a year of normal recuperation to recover.
Second Ring Wizard—for a One-Ring Wizard, the gap is just that large.
Witch Freya said, "When the group leader returns, I will tell him about the grievances you have suffered."
Witch Mason hurriedly said, "Don't. The group leader is about to participate in the Grand Magic Modeling Competition. That is no ordinary competition; I hear all participants have been preparing for many years."
"Only the most outstanding One-Ring Wizards from the largest top-tier academy in the Cloud Marsh can participate."
"I don't want the group leader to be distracted because of my affairs," Witch Mason whispered.
Witch Freya said, "But..."
Wizard Barrett handed her a bottle of potion. "Drink this to recover your soul."
Witch Mason nodded and then said, "This afternoon, we can use the large metal telescope again. We are just one step away from fully analyzing the energy-locking structure of the glandular root sac."
"Let's complete the structural analysis of the glandular root sac as soon as possible. I hope this can help Locke."
Meanwhile, Wizard Zalan Bailey returned to his private studio on the thirtieth underground floor.
He saw Wizard Tucker. Wizard Tucker seemed a bit anxious. "Zalan, something is not right. You previously said that your Second Ring Wizard friend could bring in the industry chain of the Shop Alliance that does environmental protection for you at a low price."
"Then why, when I was casually checking the wastewater recently, did I find that the huan element heavy particles in the wastewater were severely exceeding the limit just from a simple test?"
Zalan Bailey's expression shifted slightly, and he looked at Wizard Tucker suspiciously. "Tucker, you need to speak rigorously."
"In order to purify the pollution, I have invested five hundred thousand magic stones in total."
"The entire plan cannot have any problems."
Wizard Tucker was startled by Zalan Bailey's growing indifference; he also knew that Zalan Bailey was now a Second Ring Wizard.
The relationship between the two of them could no longer return to what it once was, but thinking of Zalan Bailey's kind and favored attitude toward him in the past, Wizard Tucker felt a chill in his heart.
Wizard Tucker took an inspection report and a wastewater sample out of his astral ring. "Look, this is my inspection report, and this is the sample. Bailey, if you don't believe it, you can test it yourself with test paper."
Wizard Zalan Bailey looked at the report with an ugly expression, scanning the data on it, but chose not to take it, saying instead, "The detection accuracy of test paper made by Alchemists will not be very high."
"This requires professional personnel using professional tools to test. Give the sample to me, and I will find someone to test it."
A flash of doubt crossed Wizard Zalan Bailey's eyes. "That shouldn't be. That was the Shop Alliance specializing in environmental protection recommended by my friend. Since I have already paid five hundred thousand magic stones, they should be doing professional treatment."
"Could it be that they are discharging wastewater and waste gas directly?"
Wizard Zalan Bailey was startled. He walked out of his office, stood in the atrium, and gazed at the gray sky.
According to his design, he was using the side effects of pollution to resist the sunlight from the Sun Plane and lower the surface temperature of the entire Dune Plane.
The ideal situation was to lower the surface temperature of the Dune Plane to forty degrees Celsius.
In this way, there would be no need to wait for over ten years, and he could directly attempt to terraform the entire Dune Plane.
Although Zalan Bailey had more suitable and safer methods, he was about to graduate and really could not wait another ten years.
He didn't have that kind of time.
"The rate of temperature drop is indeed problematic," Wizard Zalan Bailey muttered to himself. At this moment, he no longer had the capacity to think about the issue of Locke refusing to meet him several times.
He was burning with anxiety. He especially wanted to know what the inspection report for this wastewater sample in his hand would actually be like.
Wizard Zalan Bailey looked at Wizard Tucker and said, "Tucker, help me keep an eye on Locke Augustine. If he appears in the Research Institute recently, tell me immediately."
"This person has deliberately avoided meeting me several times, which makes me very angry. I want to see, when I meet him in person, what kind of attitude and reaction this person—who Group Leader Siss highly praises and whom several Third Ring Wizards believe will definitely become a Second Ring Wizard—has toward me."
Wizard Tucker hurriedly said, "Of course."
"However, Bailey, you had better find someone to check this wastewater as soon as possible. I always feel that the Shop Alliance you found... simply didn't build any wastewater treatment lines at all."
"I thought the speed at which they built those treatment factories was too fast before. Moreover, five hundred thousand magic stones... this fee is just too cheap."
Wizard Zalan Bailey's face turned pale.
At the time, he thought that the other party was giving him face, so they gave him a special discounted price; he couldn't believe they would treat the wastewater of an entire Plane for less than one million magic stones.
At the time, he even thought he had made a profit.
Inside the Feathered Serpent Ancient Pavilion, Locke had already created ten Porcelain Moons. At this moment, he placed two Porcelain Moon Growths and that stalk of Moon Fern sea gold sand directly into it to begin synthesis.
"I hope for a good result," Locke thought. "This way, I can once again elevate the essence of my Great Magic."
"The so-called potential in the Second Ring stage largely refers to the height of the essence of one's Great Magic."
Locke walked down from the Feathered Serpent Ancient Pavilion. There was one more thing: the Fourth Round Heavenly Ladder that he hadn't had time to deal with before.
At this moment, the Green Dragon Half-Dragon Shopkeeper asked Locke, "Respected guest, do you wish to challenge the Fourth Round Heavenly Ladder now?"
Locke said, "Yes."
The Green Dragon Half-Dragon Shopkeeper said, "Very well. By the way, respected guest, that Necromancer from the Southern Wizard Capital in the Fourth Round Heavenly Ladder died two months ago."
Locke calculated the time and realized it might have been when he had just emerged from the Abyssal Ruins.
In that case, no matter how he rushed, it would have been too late.
And before he entered the Abyssal Ruins and came into contact with the Reverse Refining Method, he hadn't had any ideas for passing the Fourth Round Heavenly Ladder.
Locke asked, "Then what should I do?"
The Green Dragon Half-Dragon Shopkeeper smiled and said, "That is not a big problem. Before he died, he sold his body data to our Feathered Serpent Ancient Pavilion."
"Please come with me."
Locke followed the Green Dragon Half-Dragon through the corridor and entered a room. In that room, he saw an oval-shaped magic mirror as tall as a person.
The reflections of the Green Dragon Half-Dragon and Locke appeared in the magic mirror.
The edges of the magic mirror were lined with gold foil.
The Green Dragon Half-Dragon recited an incantation. Suddenly, Locke and his reflection disappeared from the magic mirror, and in their place appeared a wooden puppet.
That wooden puppet walked out of the magic mirror.
The Green Dragon Half-Dragon said, "This is the [Heavenly Light God Mirror]."
"This is a Third Ring Magic item. It can copy a set of identity data and use true illusion to replicate a corresponding body. It is a high-level, large-scale piece of equipment for Potion Masters."
"Of course, this is just one of its functions."
Locke looked at the Heavenly Light God Mirror and asked, "I don't need to pay for this, do I?"
The Green Dragon Half-Dragon Shopkeeper immediately bowed and said, "Of course not. Among the fifty-three Wizard Lands in the Eastern Border Region, any Potion Master who can reach the Fourth Round Heavenly Ladder is already considered a dragon among men."
"One in a million."
"You are all outstanding Potion Masters. The cost of the Third Ring Magic item used in this test is entirely covered by the Feathered Serpent Ancient Pavilion."
Locke muttered, "I now feel like your Feathered Serpent Ancient Pavilion is a charitable organization."
The Green Dragon Half-Dragon showed a stiff smile. "Potion Masters often say that. But the Feathered Serpent Ancient Pavilion always has its own purpose."
"I don't even know what this purpose is; I am just doing as instructed by those above."
Locke nodded and looked at the wooden puppet that possessed the body data of the Necromancer.
The Green Dragon Half-Dragon Shopkeeper said, "Please."
He exited the room. As the room's door closed, Locke walked forward and began to prepare, aiming to solve the problem of the conflict between the Necromancy magic and the transformation energy within this body.
The Green Dragon Half-Dragon Shopkeeper retreated to the counter and used the Light Transmitter to send a message to the higher-ups in the Star Domain Sea. 'The Potion Master you previously specifically ordered me to keep an eye on has come to challenge the Fourth Round Heavenly Ladder this time. I will inform you of the specific results later.'
Soon, the Light Transmitter sent a reply. 'Very good. If he can pass the Fourth Round Heavenly Ladder, I will let you be promoted immediately and leave this store. If he cannot pass the Fourth Round Heavenly Ladder, you can rest easy being the manager of a small store here.'