In Erik's office, Erik and Julian looked with surprise at the results of Locke's research group passing the Cloud Marsh Cup preliminary round.

Erik fell into a state of confusion. "Is the Cloud Marsh Cup not as difficult as I thought, or is this just fake news? When wizards from our Land of Six Towers participate in competitions outside, they're generally just background for others."

"No, the Cloud Marsh Cup competition is indeed very difficult." Julian said, "According to the difficulty level of the Cloud Marsh Cup in previous years, breeders who can pass the third round of the Cloud Marsh Cup are all outstanding individuals among First Circle breeders in the Eastern Zone."

Julian quickly flipped through the materials in his hands, then showed them to Erik. "Look, I've investigated the breeders who participated in the second round of competition in previous years, entering the main competition, and their fates within twenty years after participating. In the end, even their worst results were becoming First Circle crystallization stage wizards."

"And they held senior teaching positions in various major wizard lands. As for wizards who passed the third round of the Cloud Marsh Cup, based on past experience, one-third of them have already become Second Circle wizards."

"And the Cloud Marsh Cup champions will definitely become Second Circle wizards. There's no doubt about this. It's only a matter of time. Only in extremely rare accidents where geniuses fall would they possibly lose the opportunity to become Second Circle wizards."

Julian said, "Of course, right now Locke Augustine has only just passed the third round of competition, which is the first round of the main competition, and in this competition he only ranked sixth."

"But it also shows that he is indeed an exceptionally talented wizard. I believe even our grandfather would try to win him over."

Erik muttered to himself. "Possibility of becoming a Second Circle wizard? Exceptionally talented? Wait, isn't he supposed to be a tool and enforcer Alicia uses to collect money? Could it be that he's seriously competing?"

Julian looked at Erik with surprise. "Wait, are you saying, Erik, that all this time you thought Locke Augustine's participation in the Cloud Marsh Cup was really just to collect money?"

Erik nodded very seriously. "Yes, so I also wanted to participate in the Golden Cup. If they can collect money, why can't I?"

"But I never expected that they actually wanted to seriously compete."

Erik's expression became strange. "No wonder Alicia has such a good relationship with that kid. Having the potential to become a Second Circle wizard? That's catching a golden son-in-law under the examination list."

"Damn it, my elder sister must have instigated this."

Erik's expression suddenly became odd. "Then he's one of our own, right? No wonder that guy can run wild in the Plutarch family all day long."

Erik became somewhat anxious. "Why do all the good things belong to my elder sister and never come to me?"

Julian reminded him, "But Erik, you don't have a daughter. You only have three sons. And all three of your sons married witches from the Basil family, even your wife is a witch from the Basil family. Your family has never had any precedent of combining with civilian wizards or wizards from outside."

"On the contrary, my cousin Lisa, her husband is also an ordinary son-in-law who came from an external wizard land. Before coming to our wizard land, he was just an ordinary formal wizard. Now he's also a First Circle crystallization wizard."

Erik's expression changed.

Julian said in a low voice, "If they really achieve results in the Cloud Marsh Cup, your position in this family will be precarious."

Erik snorted coldly. "I still have some sense of propriety in my actions. The Plutarch family has rules, absolutely no internal family conflicts."

"As long as the Plutarch family still exists, at worst I'm still a direct descendant of the ruling family here. If the family doesn't exist, I'm just an ordinary First Circle wizard at the ordinary stage."

"So, since that kid really wants to participate in the Cloud Marsh Cup, I can't go sabotage it. His participation in the Cloud Marsh Cup has already become our family's collective investment. If I sabotage it, I'll only attract universal anger."

Erik thought about it.

Julian said, "That's not what I mean. What I mean is, since this is a project created by one of our own, why should outsiders benefit? Augustine can lead a bunch of ordinary civilian wizards to participate in the fourth round of competition, so why can't he lead our family wizards?"

"Rather than benefiting outsiders, why not have him bring the next generation of young, excellent wizards from our Plutarch family to participate in the Cloud Marsh Cup? Wouldn't that be better? Moreover, the funding for his participation in the Cloud Marsh Cup is all sponsored by our Plutarch family."

"As the financial backers, it's quite normal for us to ask him to bring a few people, isn't it? This is how it is everywhere. The financial backer who pays simply makes some requests."

Erik's eyes lit up. "You mean have my son and your son replace two useless civilian wizard apprentices, enter their research group, and get some credentials?"

Julian nodded repeatedly. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean. At most, we'll also pay Augustine to buy those two civilian wizard apprentice positions. We're not touching the main structure of his research group at all. I think for money's sake, he'll definitely agree."

"Otherwise, their research group is entirely made up of civilian wizards. If they win victory in the Cloud Marsh Cup, where will we family wizards put our faces?"

Erik's eyes brightened. "This can work."

"I won't participate in the Golden Cup. Inserting one wizard apprentice into Locke's research group should be fine, right? I'll be saving that yellow-haired little girl two million magic stones."

Erik's eyes gleamed as he began calculating.

...

White Dragon Tower, one level at 20 kilometers, Lisa's home.

First Circle liquefaction Witch Lisa looked dotingly at her three adult sons beside her. The eldest son was already an ordinary First Circle wizard, while the other two sons were both in their thirties and still first-tier wizard apprentices.

For families like theirs, as long as they wanted to become formal wizards, they could definitely use Tidal Pearl Orbs to semi-elementalize their bodies and become formal wizards.

It was just that these two had the possibility of becoming formal wizards through their own abilities, so if they could avoid using Tidal Pearl Orbs, they wouldn't use them.

Once they used Tidal Pearl Orbs and combined them with True Blood to become semi-elementalized bloodline wizards, they would be locked at the First Circle wizard stage for the rest of their lives.

Moreover, they couldn't leave the Land of Six Towers. Because Tidal Pearl Orbs needed the cooperation of the six Signal Towers to work. As long as they left the Land of Six Towers, their bodies would perish.

Sitting beside Lisa was a First Circle crystallization stage wizard, none other than Alicia's father, Gregory Nick.

Lisa looked at the two sons before her and curved her lips. "Alicia is still the most useful. Not only has she gained Grandfather's trust and affection, but she recently sponsored a good project. That project actually made it to the fourth round finals of the Cloud Marsh Cup."

"Really quite something."

Gregory, who was dressed relatively simply by Plutarch family standards, smiled affectionately. "That's your and my daughter. She's very much like you when you were young."

Lisa questioned, "Are you saying I'm no longer young?"

Gregory became somewhat flustered. "No, that's not what I meant. You always like to misunderstand me. Are you even jealous of your own daughter?"

Lisa pretended to huff angrily, then said to her two sons, "You should learn well from your sister. Don't just spend all day seeking pleasure and changing women faster than changing clothes."

"Even if you're hopeless, at least learn from your cousin George. At least he recently married a witch from the Basil family. Unlike you two, who've victimized so many witches in the Land of Six Towers that those wizard families with similar backgrounds to ours absolutely won't marry their daughters to us."

"Second son, I heard you're getting divorced again recently? How many times is this? Eight times, right? I think you shouldn't get married anymore. Keeping mistresses is so much better!"

Gregory, one of only five First Circle crystallization wizards in the Plutarch family, showed anger on his face. He looked at his son and said, "I don't object to you keeping mistresses, but the problem is, don't get divorced so many times. You're really making me a laughingstock."

"Yesterday when I went out, a wizard from the Basil family asked me about magic problems and chatted with me about your seven divorces. Now you're adding another one. You're already getting old, and you have several children."

Lisa's two sons became submissive, afraid of simultaneously angering their two major backers.

Lisa turned to Gregory Nick and stated her real purpose. "You go talk to Alicia and see if our eldest son Andrew can also join that wizard Locke Augustine's research group. I heard Alicia has an excellent relationship with Locke, and we're the financial backers..."

Gregory had just taken a sip of water and almost coughed it out. He frowned and firmly refused this troublesome matter. "Then you talk to her yourself."

"Besides, I think the chances aren't good. Think about it yourself. When I first came to your family, I also encountered people trying to insert people into my project group. You and I were both very angry at that time."

"We were too weak then and couldn't refuse, but now Alicia is the acting family head. Even I have to follow her orders in principle and can't casually interfere with family affairs. Have you forgotten the contract I signed with the family?"

"I enjoy the family's support, so I must get used to staying aloof and can't interfere with the family's internal operations."

"Your family has quite a few precautions against me."

Lisa thought for a moment and could only give up. "I have no objection to Alicia managing the family. I even support it. I also really like my little daughter. It's just pitiful for our eldest son Andrew, who is still only an ordinary First Circle wizard."

Lisa smiled bitterly. "It's not that I'm playing favorites. It's really that I also need to arrange futures for my children. I can't arrange Alicia's future anymore, so at least I need to arrange our eldest son's future well."

Gregory stood up and found a random excuse to distance himself from trouble. "Mm, that's good."

"My laboratory still has matters to attend to. I'll be going first, Lisa."