Translator: AnubisTL
A balding wizard spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of profound depth:
"I have also examined his fate... it is remarkably clean. Within the traceable timeline, I found no traces of connection to any unknown powerful entities."
Upon hearing this, the other wizards couldn't help but cast envious glances his way.
Both temporal and fate magic are exceptionally complex, requiring at least a Sixth-Tier Wizard to perform such thorough examinations. These methods delve deeper and are far more difficult to conceal than the previous two tests.
Even among these geniuses capable of reaching the fifth-tier, there were still disparities in innate talent.
It was clear that the balding wizard possessed the greatest aptitude among them.
"What about the dean's assessment?" a voice asked, posing the final critical question.
After the preceding rounds of audits, Jieming's situation should have been largely confirmed in theory. However, as a precaution, the highest level of verification was still required.
This ultimate confirmation often involved tapping into the very essence of the plane itself.
Only the dean, who actually controlled the entire plane, could accomplish this.
In the void, a message devoid of any emotional fluctuations, transmitted directly by powerful mental power, answered the question:
Plane's core data has been checked. No traces of invasion by foreign higher life forms or advanced energy signatures have been detected within the past century.
Upon hearing this top-level confirmation, the wizards present nodded in agreement.
The bald wizard immediately concluded, "Then we can be reasonably certain that this apprentice is neither a spy from another civilization nor a pawn remotely controlled by an unknown powerful entity. Unless the entity who contacted him is of a higher tier than a ninth-tier wizard..."
As he spoke, the bald wizard remained composed, but several other wizards couldn't help but chuckle.
Ninth-tier wizards were legendary beings, the speakers who ruled the entire wizard civilization, standing at the apex of power across countless planes.
For reasons unknown, the theoretical power of a ninth-tier wizard was considered limitless.
If a being of such immense power, far beyond human comprehension, were to deign to manipulate an apprentice, even if they discovered the slightest trace of this manipulation, they would have to pretend not to see it, perhaps even indulge the entity's twisted whims by playing along with its charade.
Unfortunately, according to current theories, it's virtually impossible for any being to surpass a ninth-tier wizard.
Therefore, it's reasonable to conclude that Jieming is neither a spy nor a traitor.
However, just as this relatively peaceful conclusion was forming, a voice shattered the calm.
"I heard this material has extraordinary properties. Even the wizards of the Crimson Court are clamoring for it, willing to spend vast resources to acquire it..."
Though unspoken, the speaker's barely suppressed greed betrayed their intentions.
The moment these words were uttered, the atmosphere in the secret chamber plummeted to freezing.
Mentor Clark—the wizard whose receding hairline was visible from behind—slowly turned around.
Though his face remained shrouded in shadow, his gaze pierced through the robes like two icy daggers, stabbing into the speaker.
His voice, no longer a low inquiry, now carried undisguised mockery:
"Forcibly seize the knowledge of a wizard who is neither a spy nor a traitor?"
He spoke slowly, each word falling like an ice shard: "Do you intend to openly violate the conventions established by the Star Orbit Tribunal? If you're not afraid of being targeted by the nine Lord Speakers' Dimensional Reduction Edict, then... proceed at your own risk."
The wizard who had made the proposal stiffened, as if doused in ice water, his fervor instantly extinguished.
The Star Orbit Tribunal was the supreme supervisory body, composed of nine ninth-tier wizards.
Legend held that they wielded terrifying authority capable of altering reality itself. Combined with the boundless power inherent in ninth-tier wizards, they were effectively the true rulers of the entire wizard civilization.
The tribunal's original purpose, beyond maintaining the balance of power among the various factions within the wizard civilization, was to safeguard wizards' right to possess and research their own knowledge.
Since the ninth-tier wizards of the tribunal viewed both eighth-tier wizards and wizard apprentices as ants they could crush with a single hand, they were uniquely positioned to exercise impartial oversight.
It was precisely the existence of the arbitration tribunal that prevented high-level wizards from arbitrarily seizing the research results of lower-level wizards or forcibly acquiring their core knowledge.
This fair oversight served as the cornerstone for the Wizard World's continuous emergence of new knowledge and maintained its vitality.
It was also the fundamental reason why the entire Wizard World could continuously advance, even to the point of conquering multiple planes.
Many wizards present had personally benefited from the protections afforded by the arbitration tribunal's conventions during their apprentice or lower-level stages, and they were acutely aware of the consequences of crossing this red line.
A voice, dripping with mockery, broke the silence: "Don't act like you've discovered some earth-shattering secret. The material is indeed somewhat special, but it's still only fifth-tier level, right? High corrosion resistance, but its physical and energy resistances are so poor."
His tone shifted, carrying a hint of pride that only fellow practitioners could truly understand: "Who among us wasn't considered a genius in our youth? Crafting fifth-tier materials is nothing special. Besides, doesn't Noren Academy have a super-genius who crafted sixth-tier materials during their apprenticeship?"
As soon as the words were spoken, all the wizards involuntarily turned their gazes toward Mentor Clark, whose receding hairline was visible from behind. Their eyes held a complex mix of reverence, curiosity, and a hint of hidden apprehension.
Mentor Clark remained remarkably composed under their scrutiny, his face, still shrouded in shadow, utterly expressionless.
He turned his gaze to the image of Jieming on the luminous screen, his tone returning to its original calm and objective detachment.
"Now that we've confirmed this apprentice's genius, and his ability to handle crises—demonstrating calm judgment, decisive action, and potential worthy of cultivation—"
He paused briefly. "I propose activating the second-tier cultivation protocol for this apprentice."
The second-tier cultivation protocol meant the academy would invest significantly more resources in Jieming, providing him with superior mentorship, an optimized cultivation environment, and prioritized access to resources to accelerate his growth.
The other wizards voiced no objections.
The threat had been eliminated, the benefits could not be forcibly seized, and what remained was a genius worth investing in.
From the beginning, their gathering here had never been about some mysterious material; it was solely to assess this individual's investment potential.
A silent vote passed among the wizards.
The results were swift and decisive: the proposal passed with an overwhelming majority. Even the wizard who had previously coveted Jieming's achievements voted in favor.
"The protocol is activated. Notify the relevant departments and mobilize resources," Mentor Clark announced finally.
The luminous screen dimmed slowly, plunging the secret chamber into darkness. The wizards' figures gradually faded away.
(End of the Chapter)
Translator's Corner
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