Following the inspiration gained from his contact with the black wizard, Locke found those subspecies with potential for layered permanent defensive fields from his research group and began a new round of cultivation work.

With the talented breeder Montgomery as his assistant, and having found the right direction, research progress became very fast.

At the same time, after the dormitory smashing incident, Barnaby Cooper was stripped of his family inheritance rights for five years by the Cooper family. Even if he still obtained inheritance rights after five years, he would drop from first place in the succession order to last place among dozens.

The resources he could obtain plummeted greatly. He received corresponding punishment.

His several participants were all punished by the Plutarch family, stripped of certain resources, restricted in laboratory access time, reduced library permissions, and so on. All these things were necessary for a wizard's career.

Even their mentor Wizard Sphendis, due to lax supervision, had half his research funding cut because of this.

After this incident, all the overt and covert exclusion targeting their research group immediately decreased.

The painful examples of Wizard Sphendis and Barnaby Cooper deterred all wizards, preventing those wizards harboring dissatisfaction from continuing to secretly exclude students in Locke's research group.

At the same time, the Cloud Marsh Cup small group, after that intense discussion about the black wizard incident, temporarily fell into a quiet state. Every contestant was busy doing experiments.

Ten months passed quickly.

Inside the White Dragon Tower's special-grade laboratory, Locke and Montgomery and others were cultivating a mimetic Chain Vine with nine heads beneath the Dragon Crystal Ecological Dome. Each head was a crocodile head mimicked by vine leaves.

The overall color was black iron, with a rusty surface that looked blood-stained. That was actually the result of Rust Bead Flowers parasitizing on it.

Inside the entire special-grade laboratory, in the ecological garden, all the subspecies of Chain Magic Vines lit up with specific plant factors. Those were magic probes Locke had previously inserted. At this moment, under the effect of the magic magnetic field in Locke's hands, all plant factors combined with magic probes were cut down by the invisible magnetic field and concentrated in Locke's hands.

Under the expectant gazes of Montgomery and other wizards, Locke looked at the plant essence composed of numerous plant factors gathered in his right hand, hesitated for a moment, then decisively injected it into this nine-headed Chain Magic Vine before him.

The next moment, the surface of this Chain Magic Vine was covered with blood-red cracks. A powerful magical fluctuation burst out from its surface, surging in all directions.

The nine crocodile heads formed by the stems and leaves of this nine-headed Chain Magic Vine all lit up with pairs of red eyes, releasing terrifying auras.

At the same time, Witch Barbara hurriedly carried a bucket of moss marrow and poured it into the soil near this magical plant's roots, providing energy to supply this magical plant's growth.

After six hours of growth, a mimetic parasitic magical plant with nine branches like rusty chains locking nine crocodile heads, the Chain Magic Vine, was completed.

Montgomery nervously swallowed. This was their research achievement from a total of eleven months.

Ten months ago, Locke brought new ideas. Under these new ideas, the project advanced rapidly. At the same time, over ten months, they accumulated massive amounts of data and finally completed this magical plant before them with that creative idea from the Star Domain Sea.

Could it complete the functions they had envisioned in advance?

At this moment, with only one month remaining until the competition deadline, the power possessed by the magical plant before them would determine the future of their four wizards and forty-five wizard apprentices!

Witch Barbara actively walked to the side of the Chain Magic Vine, reached out to grasp the tiny aerial roots on this magical plant's surface, actively letting the Chain Magic Vine coil around her left wrist, parasitizing through aerial roots on her permanent defensive field, while allowing this magical plant to absorb permanent defensive field energy from her body.

Witch Barbara said, "Someone has to try it after all. Everyone, who will come try this magical plant with me?"

After obtaining Witch Barbara's permanent defensive field power, immediately one of the Chain Magic Vine's mimetic crocodile heads lit up with red eyes. Actually, those eyes were just two unopened flower buds of the Chain Magic Vine.

They could change color because specific fluorescent pollen flowed out from within these flower buds.

After obtaining Witch Barbara's permanent defensive field, Dryad Skin, each small leaf of the Chain Magic Vine became slightly larger.

Wizard Tacitus hesitated before walking over. His permanent defensive field was the botany magic Poison Spore Purple Mist. At this time, the Chain Magic Vine also absorbed his permanent defensive field, and half of the small leaves turned purple. At the same time, magical pressure was stored in the Rust Bead Flowers, and the second mimetic crocodile head's 'eyes' turned red, secreting red fluorescent pollen.

The critical moment arrived.

Under the expectant, nervous, and waiting gazes of Locke, Montgomery, Witch Barbara and Wizard Tacitus, and all the wizard apprentices collectively, two mutually stacked permanent defensive fields immediately appeared simultaneously on Witch Barbara and Wizard Tacitus.

The innermost layer was Witch Barbara's Dryad Skin. Not only did her own skin transform into rough tree bark, but the skin of Wizard Tacitus, who should have been a botany wizard, also underwent changes, becoming rough and hard, possessing the high magic-resistant Dryad Skin.

At the same time, both Witch Barbara and Wizard Tacitus were enveloped by a circle of deep purple Poison Spore Purple Mist.

The entire laboratory, in an extremely short time, experienced a pause in sounds, as if it became completely quiet without any sound appearing.

But immediately after came the collective cheers, applause, and celebration sounds from the wizard apprentices. Even Leopold wept with joy, showing how much mental pressure everyone had originally been bearing.

And Witch Barbara and Wizard Tacitus also smiled.

Montgomery looked at this scene, murmuring to himself, "Success, it actually succeeded. Such a fantastical idea actually succeeded."

"This is the first time I've seen a magical plant that can stack different wizards' permanent defensive fields on one wizard."

"This is truly incredible. Our names will be written into botany textbooks alongside Locke Augustine."

Locke saw this scene, his eyes moving slightly.

Over ten months of countless fund investments had nearly exhausted the four million magic stones investment. Moreover, he himself had worked nonstop synthesizing, testing special formulas, plus the joint efforts of so many wizards, only then creating a miracle.

At the First Circle stage, an 8th-grade synthesized item that could unify permanent defensive fields, a super First Circle magical plant!

This magical plant work would indeed be recorded in textbooks and materials by participating in the Cloud Marsh Cup competition.

This was an achievement difficult for Locke alone to accomplish within several years. It relied on the research group, massive investment, certain luck, his own efforts and ideas, plus his golden finger to achieve an incredible accomplishment.

Witch Barbara suddenly thought of something, raised her left hand, gathered all her mana, and used Blood Flame to attack Wizard Tacitus beside her.

Immediately, her Blood Flame dissipated, completely unable to harm Wizard Tacitus in the slightest.

Witch Barbara smiled bitterly and shook her head. "I can't think of any attack method I have that could harm Mr. Tacitus protected by two layers of permanent defensive fields."

"Truly despairing dual permanent defensive fields."

Montgomery walked over, grabbed the Chain Magic Vine in one go, allowing it to parasitize on himself, lighting up the eyes on the third crocodile head, and a Life Force Field enveloped them.

"To be precise, according to Boss Locke's previous plan, this magical plant should be called Hydra. Hydra can stack up to nine permanent defensive fields. This is our design. Currently, we can only prove it can successfully stack three wizards' permanent defensive fields. Boss, quickly come over and grasp the magical plant."

"We need to stack a fourth wizard's permanent defensive field, but where do we find the remaining five wizards?"

Locke thought for a moment and took out the letter token Alicia had given him. "I'll call Alicia over and have her bring four absolutely reliable First Circle wizards who definitely won't leak secrets."

"We must test it. Otherwise, we won't know where Hydra's limits are, how many advantages and how many disadvantages it has."

"Montgomery, prepare several confidentiality contracts made by contract masters."

Montgomery said cheerfully, "Alright, already prepared."