Albert proactively stepped aside. Andrew and Axi, whom Locke hadn't seen in over two years, appeared before him through the video conversation.

Although they hadn't met in over two years, both looked the same, as if they had only parted yesterday. Time had left no traces on any of them.

In fact, for first-class wizard apprentices, those who had generated magic pressure structures had a normal lifespan of two hundred years. Using some special potions to delay for another dozen years or so was no problem.

As for formal wizards, their normal lifespan was five hundred years, but formal wizards had too many means to transform themselves, so living a few more decades was no problem.

This resulted in just over two years being indeed too brief in their eyes.

For Andrew and Axi, Locke going out was like those senior wizards in Lilith's Cottage going out to do academy missions or conducting very long-cycle experiments.

Only upon meeting again, Locke was a First Circle crystallization wizard while the two were still first-class wizard apprentices with over five hundred magic power. For a moment, the two felt both sighs and awe in their hearts.

Locke glanced at the two and smiled, "Andrew, Axi, long time no see. Your magic power growth speed is quite good. You've both increased your magic pressure by several dozen points."

"Especially Andrew, your magic power is about to reach six hundred. This way, you have a chance to compete for apprentice-level honors at Lilith's Cottage."

Andrew and Axi's mouths twitched. Their progress speed was indeed quite good within their circle.

But compared to Locke, it was like staying in place without making any progress.

Andrew bowed slightly to Locke, then said, "Locke, long time no see. Not seeing you these past two years, I've missed you somewhat. Axi and I both quite miss those days working with you at the clinic."

"Only later you and Teacher Sophia both left, and that annoying Anglon was also imprisoned. Only Axi and I remained at the clinic living as before, but every time I use Minor Viridian Potion and Bear Spirit Jade Bile Potion, I think of you."

Axi thanked Locke, "We also need to thank you for helping us publish quite a few C-grade articles in the past two years, laying a good foundation for us. And you have a cooperative relationship with Lady Irene."

"Therefore, Lady Irene gave us special care, so Andrew and I could progress this quickly. We even began to feel we had hope to make a push before age forty to see if we could become formal wizards."

Locke nodded.

Andrew said, "Teacher Halen told us you were helping Senior Albert advance to formal wizard, so we had more contact with Senior Albert at Lilith's Cottage."

"Back and forth, we became friends with senior."

Albert seemed to have become much more cheerful because he had two friends. He smiled at Locke, "Locke, thank you. Not only did you diagnose my condition clearly, but because of you, you also brought me two more friends."

Locke nodded and said, "It's good to see you can pull yourself together."

Locke said, "Oh right, I have two other friends at Lilith's Cottage. One is Lorne, one is Pierre. How are they now? Did Lorne become a second-class wizard apprentice?"

On the other end of the video conversation, all three looked at each other awkwardly.

The three knew almost nothing about the two friends Locke made during his third-class wizard apprentice stage, so they hadn't paid attention before. At this time, they didn't even know whether they were alive or dead.

Albert suddenly said, "I don't know much about that Lorne, but I know Pierre. He's a second-class wizard apprentice with very ordinary talent, but has a special magic-immune constitution, so he still has some reputation in the academy."

"He should still be alive. If Locke needs, we can invite them to join us during our next video conversation."

Locke said, "Well... whatever, I'm just asking casually."

"They're my former friends. Albert, after you advance to formal wizard, you can look after them a bit. Of course, you don't need to be too serious about it."

Hearing Locke's tone seeming very certain he would advance to formal wizard, Albert immediately said happily, "If I can advance to formal wizard, I still won't be able to leave Lilith's Cottage. I'll definitely look after those two friends of yours."

"However, I've already failed three times."

Locke nodded slightly.

"Then, let's officially begin. You inviting Andrew and Axi over actually saved me some trouble."

"Albert, did the academy charge my gray stone tablet with gold membership?"

Albert said, "Yes."

Gold membership required paying ten thousand magic stones every month. Originally Locke was reluctant to charge it, but the Myst's Power project gave him a million magic stone budget from Lilith's Cottage.

Then he didn't need to shortchange himself and directly had Albert charge him gold membership.

At this time, Locke pointed at the illusory video conversation image in midair. His image appeared among Andrew, Axi and Albert.

Albert and the others looked with surprise at the illusory Locke standing among them.

Locke explained, "The gray stone tablet's gold membership has a privilege, which is being able to send my spiritual avatar over through the astrology system. The spiritual avatar can directly touch objects and has certain attack power, but is relatively weak."

"About only 200 magic pressure level, basically can't be used to do anything."

Andrew and Axi's mouths twitched slightly.

Two hundred magic pressure already equaled a first-class wizard apprentice. Although just a newly advanced first-class wizard apprentice, 200 magic pressure was already considered quite high in these wizard apprentices' eyes.

They discovered Locke's perspective had become completely different from theirs.

At this time, Locke suddenly chanted an incantation and used Connected Branches. At the same time, his main body connected his aura with the [Spiritual Projection] created by his astrology system.

A magic pressure belonging to formal wizard level gradually descended in this small space.

That mountain-like magic pressure seemed to pour in like an ocean.

The next moment, Locke's spiritual avatar shattered and disappeared into nothingness.

Albert, Andrew and Axi continuously broke out in cold sweat, their hearts pounding. Then they collapsed on the ground, continuously gasping for breath.

At this moment, with Locke's spiritual projection gone, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But soon, Locke's magic pressure appeared in this small room for a second time. Only this time he quickly restrained the magic pressure.

"Even using Connected Branches to exploit a loophole, this avatar condensed from spiritual projection can at most only withstand 999 magic pressure?"

Moreover, during this power transmission process, only one tenth remained. The waste was great. And if not for his recent rapid progress in plant studies magic, otherwise he couldn't possibly successfully use Connected Branches on his spiritual projection.

Locke quickly realized that a soul limit was restricting him from further increasing this avatar's magic pressure beyond formal wizard level magic pressure.

After all, this spiritual avatar had no soul protected by a permanent defensive field and couldn't withstand magic pressure exceeding 1000. There was a racial soul limit.

'Back then, Edgar's Nature Avatar succeeded because he used the Ancient Life Tree's special ability, and the avatar even used the Ancient Life Tree!' Locke immediately reacted.

It seemed that for a formal wizard, wanting to create an avatar with magic pressure exceeding 1000 wasn't simple either.

To create this 999 magic pressure spiritual avatar, his main body had already used full power.

Albert and the others looked at Locke in great shock. They hadn't expected Locke could use the gray stone tablet to teleport over such a great distance.

A flash of desire crossed Albert's eyes. "Is this the power of a formal wizard?"

Locke responded, "Just borrowing the clever power of the southeastern quadrant's White Wizard Association's astrology system, so I can achieve this level. After all, ten thousand magic stones per month isn't spent for nothing. As long as you close the gray stone tablet, this avatar of mine will immediately disappear."

Conversely, not all First Circle wizards could achieve this level either.

As a First Circle crystallization wizard, Locke had made many preparations in advance, only through the plant studies magic Connected Branches combined with the gold membership's built-in First Circle magic [Spiritual Projection], achieving this level.

Locke said, "Also therefore, for you first-class wizard apprentices, using the gray stone tablet itself means certain risks. So the association didn't open it to you apprentices."

"Imagine if Blood Curse Court packaged curse magic into data packages, then sent them to you through the gray stone tablet, or even sent them to groups in the gray stone tablet. What would happen then?"

The three wizard apprentices imagined that scene and were all startled.

Andrew said, "That's too terrifying."

Locke said calmly, "Let's begin. Andrew and Axi, you two help a bit on the side. There might be some small trouble later."

"Albert, you must keep the gray stone tablet open at all times, otherwise this avatar of mine will be forced to collapse."

"If your soul reaches First Circle level, then the disc being [Gromdal's] control over you will become very weak, even nonexistent."

"It won't sit idly by and let this happen."

Locke looked at Albert calmly. In fact, formal wizards' souls possessed permanent defensive fields. Once the permanent defensive field appeared, many of Gromdal's methods that had crushing effects on wizard apprentices would completely lose effectiveness.

Formal wizard was definitely a dividing point.

The appearance of permanent defensive fields brought wizards to a completely new height, bringing soul strength to an incredible level.

The four passed through the corridor and came to the constant temperature breeding room. In this constant temperature room within the Myst's Power research center, three Scorched Earth Holly had already been planted, along with some shrubs and herbaceous plants.

Because it gathered Lilith's Cottage's strength, this Forest Sanctuary even looked more complete than Locke's initial forest.

Moreover, it looked very exquisite, like a small garden.

At this time, Albert drank a bottle of Spirit Spring Soul Surge Potion and one set of Star Soul Spirit Liquid (three bottles) according to Locke's requirements.

Star Soul Spirit Liquid could effectively reduce the side effects of advancement potions. Spirit Spring Soul Surge Potion could restore his condition to peak.

Locke himself had also used Star Soul Spirit Liquid back then, purchased at Lilith's Cottage's potion auction for fifteen thousand magic stones.

Although the resources he used for advancement at that time were even more. But Albert's situation was different from his. His accumulation was already sufficient.

He should have become a formal wizard long ago.

But he was parasitized by a disc being, causing soul foreign object syndrome, unable to break through to become a formal wizard.

So, the advancement approach Locke designed for him was to use Star Soul Spirit Liquid and Spirit Spring Soul Surge Potion to minimize the side effects of the advancement potion he would drink next.

Because this was his fourth time drinking an advancement potion.

If not for his decent talent, he would have been unable to drink any more advancement potions long ago.

But drinking this advancement potion still carried great risk for him. Once the breakthrough failed, he would very likely directly burn up his lifespan and die.

Midway through the breakthrough, if his own potential wasn't enough, he could only burn lifespan. That was equally dangerous.

Locke said to Albert, "The mirror I had you find on Blood Curse Court's territory, did you find it?"

Albert looked at Locke with complexity. "Mm, I found it. It took great effort. Fortunately our academy is at war with Blood Curse Court. I took advantage of the war to follow the wizard legion to Blood Raven Wasteland and successfully found the mirror you had me find."

Albert took out a broken mirror from his star ring. The mirror looked ordinary.

But Locke could recognize this mirror. It was precisely the mirror from Rashid Tariel's curse technique research institute back then, also the location of the mirror blood curse, and even more Rashid Tariel's echo location.

After many years, Locke could still sense Rashid Tariel's residual magic pressure from this mirror.

Then he couldn't help but sigh. So the Rashid Tariel who seemed so powerful in his eyes back then... was so weak.

If he appeared before him now, Locke could kill him with one hand.

In the end, just a small vaporization stage wizard.

Albert said to Locke, "I just don't know, Locke, what your purpose was in having me bear such great risk to retrieve it..."

"Andy died because he went in there. Inside are only my painful memories."

Locke directly reached out. Immediately the mirror surface rippled, and waves of completely chaotic curse energy leaked from inside the mirror, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet dozens of degrees.

In an instant, the ground condensed a layer of frost.

Locke snapped his left hand fingers. Immediately the dropping temperature completely recovered.

At this time, the echo produced after a formal wizard's death that was once extremely dangerous to Locke was so insignificant to his current self.

"What's the characteristic of advancement potions? What burns isn't your lifespan but your potential. Only when your potential is exhausted will it start burning lifespan dry. That's when your lifespan loss is greatest."

"Albert, your lifespan can't afford more losses. Potions and special resources consumed also count as your potential. So there's one more method to minimize the side effects of sacrificial potions as much as possible."

"Back then in this echo, I left at least one third of the Tartarus Cave Worm Spinal Fluid. At that time, we couldn't completely take it away, so we could only seal it inside. But today everything has changed."

Locke's spiritual avatar directly entered it. Even with only 999 magic pressure, his understanding of First Circle magic remained unchanged, his strength far beyond first-class wizard apprentice level.

Locke directly killed into the echo, used a nature magic to temporarily stabilize the space, quickly entered that curse technique research institute so familiar to him, found the large warehouse inside, and unlocked the magic seal he had personally set.

Locke waved his hand. Immediately the plant magic seal formed by Wiregrass Bull Sinew was lifted. Large amounts of Wiregrass Bull Sinew all began to degenerate, transforming back into seeds again.

"Everything hasn't changed." Locke waved his hand. The Wiregrass Bull Sinew sealing the entrance to the Tartarus Spinal Fluid also rapidly degenerated into seeds. "As expected, these special resources are preserved relatively intact. Back then, I truly had foresight."

Locke retrieved that Tartarus Spinal Fluid.

At the same time, just as he turned to leave, an unexpected figure appeared before him. It was the former Rashid Tariel appearing behind him, with only one eye on his forehead, but inside that eye were many pupils.

A vicious pupil squeezed out from Rashid Tariel's eye. "You are... that wizard apprentice who entered my territory with Witch Sophia back then. Where is Witch Sophia! I want to take revenge on her!"

"I've already figured out how to defeat her. As long as we do it again, I can definitely defeat her. Watch my Fear Blood..."

The next moment, under Locke's gaze, Rashid Tariel's figure shattered.

Locke had just converted his magic pressure into dragon's might.

Dragon's might had the greatest suppressive force on mental domain things like those in echoes.

Rashid Tariel was already dead. This was just an illusion of the past formed by memory fragments in his echo.

Locke didn't even want to say this thing was that wizard from the past. That would be an insult to a wizard.

Locke walked out of the blood mirror space, then casually pointed to seal this mirror again, then threw large numbers of containers holding Tartarus Spinal Fluid on the ground.

"Drink down these resources. This way, your chances of advancing to formal wizard... greatly increase." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Cave worms are treasures throughout. I remember they're the main product of the Black Wheat Underground Domain in the Far West realm."

For him, Tartarus cave worms were very useful.

Not to mention, when making nutrient soil, various types of nutrient soil could all potentially use materials from various body parts of Tartarus cave worms.

The Black Wheat Underground Domain was also where the Summoning School's insect creature magic sub-direction, the Evocation School's insect controllers, and the Necromancy School's insect curse magic sub-direction, these three magic categories, developed best.

The Black Wheat Underground Domain had a developed industry chain for breeding insect magical creatures.

And it had always been famous for providing biomass materials for breeding studies, livestock feed needed by Summoning School wizards, and clean bio-based new energy needed by alchemists and enchanters.