In the Star Domain Sea, the City of a Thousand Towers, Partinos, within the laboratory of a Fourth Circle Star Sea Scholar, Witch Sophia watched this competition through special equipment in the laboratory together with her Second Circle senior disciple.

The Second Circle wizard senior disciple couldn't help but nod. "Witch Sophia, I didn't expect your student could really complete our work outside the Star Domain Sea, and the completion level could be this high. Although it's not quite the same as the permanent defensive field fusion we originally thought of, actually from a practical significance perspective, stacking permanent defensive fields is indeed more realistic."

"After all, the resources, materials, and equipment needed to fuse First Circle permanent defensive fields are not something the Land of Six Towers where your student is located can provide."

The Second Circle wizard senior disciple watched this competition with interest. "However, this cross-wizard-land level competition hosted by Cloud Marsh Wetland is quite interesting, even more interesting than I thought. I didn't expect that outside the Star Domain Sea, there could still be competitions of this quality."

The Second Circle wizard senior disciple smiled. "Thanks to the White Wizard Association's development policy in the Eastern Zone, currently all wizard lands in the entire Eastern Zone are rapidly improving. Only when those lower-level wizard lands in the Eastern Zone develop can our Star Domain Sea obtain more talent."

Witch Sophia stared at the screen, not taking her eyes off it, watching the Hydra magical plant that Locke cultivated, also nodding slightly.

"Although I believed from the start he could create it, I actually didn't expect the completion level could be this high."

"Worthy of being my student." Witch Sophia regretfully turned off the equipment. At this time, her aura had become extremely unstable. Sometimes it seemed to distort the surrounding spacetime and interfere with surrounding physical laws, while other times it declined as if she had no mana at all.

Witch Sophia's magical pressure had already reached 9999 and was only one step away from breakthrough.

The Second Circle wizard senior disciple said, "Sophia, you should hurry to the world core of that medium-sized world our teacher just conquered and prepared for you, the World Hall. You've already completed that world's spell array and created an energy cycle, so 'polluting' the World Stone inside the World Hall will become effortless."

"Advancing to Second Circle wizard is more important than watching your student compete."

"I believe your student can understand you."

Witch Sophia nodded slightly. "You're right."

"Senior disciple, the laboratory will depend on you to operate until I successfully advance to Second Circle wizard."

Witch Sophia turned and left the laboratory. At the same time, she raised her right hand, her thumb pressing against her right palm, four fingers pointing upward, and declared to the Eye of Truth, "I, Sophia Seraphina, will abide by the White Wizard Association's declaration, always remembering our sacred mission, to reshape the ignorant world with truth and order."

"I voluntarily accept the oversight of the White Wizard Association's Ethics Review Committee."

A radiance of the Eye of Truth appeared behind Witch Sophia. A cold, emotionless voice appeared by Witch Sophia's ear. "In the name of the supreme truth, we declare, the contract is established."

Witch Sophia transformed into a magical light sphere and directly rushed into a planar gate inside the laboratory.

...

Cloud Marsh Wetland, on the battlefield between Kalimra Frontier Town and Cloud Lake, the Mekani people frantically poured firepower toward Sureyas Unit 3, but all of it couldn't break through the eight layers of permanent defensive fields.

This number was simply too exaggerated.

A single First Circle level permanent defensive field, aside from ritual magic that could bypass permanent defensive fields, was already very difficult for other attack magic to break through.

And now there were actually eight such permanent defensive fields.

The Mekani people in the sky even dispatched mechanical warships to drop large bombs on Sureyas Unit 3.

A large fiery mushroom cloud erupted over Sureyas Unit 3, but soon from that flame cloud emerged a mage enveloped in eight layers of permanent defensive fields.

Locke observed the situation. "Commander, two layers of your permanent defensive fields were destroyed in the explosion just now, but now all permanent defensive fields have been fully restored."

"The Mekani people's cluster Fire Demon's Wrath potion bombs, at their current tonnage, appear to have severely insufficient attack power."

"Continue advancing."

"Don't stop. They can't break through your defenses. Directly attack the steel fortress."

The water hyacinth communication system, the lingzhi magical plant in Locke's hand, transmitted the worshipful voice of a Sureyas commander. "Respected wizard lord, the magical plant you bestowed upon us is really too powerful."

"I have never felt war could be so convenient, so easy."

"We will follow your orders and continue advancing toward the steel fortress."

Locke didn't respond. He sat in his chair, still somewhat curious about where the Mekani people obtained so much Fire Demon's Wrath potion.

Even though First Circle level potions could be diluted with a certain proportion of clean water, the quantity scale couldn't possibly be this large.

Such a large quantity, even a Second Circle wizard alone couldn't manage it.

And configuring potions required mana, so those Mekani people themselves definitely couldn't brew them.

They didn't even have a way to obtain souls, let alone potion studies that required even keener soul power.

However, there were quite a few secrets hidden behind the Mekani people, and it was something that overthinking at his current stage would be fruitless, so Locke didn't dwell on it too long.

Instead, he observed the situations of the other nine legions.

First was tenth place, that wizard from Dragon Fall Land. He looked tragically indignant as his Sureyas legion was reduced to ashes under the attack of a cluster bomb dropped by a mechanical warship.

Wizard Marius Lawrence's project team had become fragmented because he himself was soft-eared and his team was full of connections. They barely managed to cobble together a large tactical-level magical plant, the Great Windmill Siege Grass.

That was an extremely cumbersome siege vehicle magical plant that required large numbers of golems to drag forward. It could launch heavy windmill darts forward. Although the power was astonishing, it was very slow, had almost no defense, and completely couldn't be used in actual battlefield combat. It was a half-finished product that could only stay in the laboratory.

So one could imagine that his forces going to battle with such a thing were almost completely annihilated in very little time.

In the viewing hall, Wizard Marius Lawrence stood up from his seat and harshly swept his gaze over the other contestant teams in the viewing hall, while saying in a low voice to his own team, "You people held me back."

"When I let you replace my original research team members to come in, it was because I valued your perfect credentials. As a result, each of you has abilities not even as good as my original research team members who had nothing."

"Breeders from Dragon Fall Land don't have it easy. Such a great situation was ruined by you all."

Dragon Fall Land's magic artifact technology was extremely advanced, but breeding studies developed very unevenly.

After Wizard Marius Lawrence finished speaking, without caring about the reactions of the wizards and students in his research team, he directly left the viewing hall dejectedly.

As a loser.

The other nine contestant team leaders, after seeing this scene from the corners of their eyes, immediately paid even more serious attention to all changes on the battlefield.

After tenth place was eliminated, the original fourth place, because their data had been stolen once, immediately changed research direction to meet the Cloud Marsh Cup's requirement of complete originality.

After temporarily changing research direction, the tactical-level magical plant his team created also had serious deficiencies.

That was a Sunlight Mycelium Cannon that could have five or more First Circle wizards use the plant magic Photosynthesis to condense sunlight and gather it into a cannon to attack enemies.

The power was incredibly strong.

It utilized the principle that plants could capture light energy, convert it to biological energy, then convert it to other energy, forming a tactical-level magical plant approach.

But because thinking time was insufficient, belonging to a temporary target switch, the result was that before they could finish weakness testing in the laboratory, they pulled it out for use. Then in the war, the machine spirit behind the Mekani people analyzed its weakness, which was that this magical plant feared... lack of sunlight.

Therefore, countless Mekani people flew in the sky, obscuring the sun, causing the Sunlight Mycelium Cannon to be unable to absorb sunlight energy. Soon, the fourth-place wizard from Thunder Marsh Lowlands also saw his Sunlight Mycelium Cannon blasted apart by Mekani people's long-range artillery, and all the Sureyas people in his legion were brutally slaughtered.

Fourth place stamped his foot and stood up. "Damn it."

He viciously placed his gaze on Yennefer. "Damn black wizard. If I find out who hired the black wizard, I'll make her pay the bloody price."

Yennefer was indifferent.

That wizard from Thunder Marsh Lowlands looked at Locke and the others with unwillingness and envy, but could only leave the viewing hall dejectedly.

As a loser.

As soon as he left, only eight contestants remained. Moreover, among the eight contestants, the ninth-place wizard's Sureyas legion equipped with Wind Speech Siege Flowers had also fallen into a precarious situation.

That legion's First Circle wizards died one after another.

Wind Speech Siege Flowers could fire pollen in a fixed direction, summoning fixed wind magic directions to form strong wind belts.

The strong wind belts could suppress all Mekani people and their artillery.

But the problem was that every ten minutes, they needed to pause for half a minute, and during this half minute was the Mekani people's opportunity to counterattack.

The original first place Edgar, second place Witch Diana, and third place Yennefer placed their attention on Locke.

In the viewing hall, Edgar spoke to someone other than Witch Diana for the first time. He seriously looked Locke up and down and said, "Really young. You're only in your early twenties, right?"

"I really didn't expect that there would be a wizard of this age who could turn the tables on me in a breeding studies competition."

"Ignoring you before was impolite of me." Wizard Edgar stood up and nodded to Locke with extreme respect. "In this competition, like Diana, you are both enormous threats to me."

Locke was somewhat speechless. Out of politeness, he could only stand up and nod slightly in response.

Edgar was undoubtedly a score-focused person, and only paid some attention to those at his score level.

Wizard Edgar said confidently, "But don't think you've won for sure. My life ancient tree person doesn't only have this much capability."

Wizard Edgar curled the corner of his mouth. "Fortunately, I prepared something in advance before the competition."

"I originally prepared it to deal with Diana, but I'll use it early now. My tree person, for your master... seize back all the True Sight Orbs' attention!"

Witch Diana and Locke immediately placed their gazes on Edgar.