After parting ways with Wizard Kelt, Locke returned to his dormitory with his materials.

He looked at his materials again. First were the third-generation members from the Council of Elders, Academic Committee, and Patrol Group. This time, at least three people would be put forward to participate in the competition.

Each person was a descendant of Third Circle wizards, enjoying countless resources.

Possessing countless pieces of equipment on their bodies.

His only advantage compared to them was his 'talent.'

"Golden Crown Mountain's three major factions all want to grasp the qualification to participate in the Silent Grail Plane Conquest Competition in their own hands. For the three major factions, a mere plane coordinate probably doesn't matter much."

Locke thought, "There may be other interests involved internally. These are things I can't know about right now."

"Secondly, there are those true researchers within the academy who don't have much background." Locke looked at the two opponents that Wizard Kelt considered his greatest threats.

The first opponent was a wizard from the Evocation School named Emerson Nelson. He was forty-five years old this year. He tested into Golden Crown Mountain at age forty, right at the final age limit.

He had already stayed at Golden Crown Mountain for five years.

He had currently completed a Tier 1 project funding, but had never done special funding or key individual subtopics.

By rights, he should leave Golden Crown Mountain at the end of this year.

Clearly, this Emerson Nelson from the Evocation School wanted to take one more gamble before leaving Golden Crown Mountain this year.

If he could succeed, he could participate in the Plane Conquest Competition. Even if he failed, he would still benefit greatly.

At least his time at the academy had already reached its limit. He had to leave anyway.

This Emerson Nelson's magical pressure had already reached 9999. At the same time, he was a local wizard from Cloud Marsh Wetland, a native wizard from Golden Crown Mountain. His teachers at every stage were all outstanding wizards.

His basic stats and spell pool couldn't be compared to ordinary wizards from outside. It was said that even his permanent defensive field was very unique.

"Gravity Well?" Locke read about this Evocation School permanent defensive field. The opponent's permanent defensive field, combined with special wizard tower elemental fission pool equipment, could produce an effect where 1+1 was greater than 2.

It was the proud research achievement of a sun ring wizard he had followed during his wizard apprentice stage.

Although he couldn't use multiple permanent defensive fields, he could maximize the advantages of that original permanent defensive field. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

At the same time, Locke looked at his second formidable opponent in the materials, Witch Sera.

"From Southern Wizard Capital, a bloodline wizard, also a researcher at the senior academy, a bloodline modulator skilled in using spells to strengthen and improve phoenix-type bloodlines."

Locke frowned. "Reportedly born with Second Circle level Flame Sparrow bloodline. This is her fourth year of enrollment. She wants to become a Second Circle wizard and thereby obtain special funding. She's already stayed at the First Circle limit for at least three years. She's forty years old this year."

"Her permanent defensive field is the Flame Sparrow Domain entangled with phoenix bloodline."

"She once participated in demon hunter squads and personally hunted double-digit First Circle black wizards. This person is a practical combat expert."

The demon hunter teams of the Three Marsh Lands were something that could enhance one's credentials with political correctness and could slightly embellish one's resume.

It was actually quite useful.

Locke pondered, "Just looking at these two people's paper stats, they're actually not as high as the paper stats of those three third-generation members from the Council of Elders, Academic Committee, and Patrol Group. But actually, these two are also my formidable enemies because they're true geniuses."

"They should still have trump cards. And... like me, they can all continuously improve in battle."

"Besides this, the remaining contestants have all been stuck at the First Circle limit for many years without making progress. I just don't know what kind of contestants those small and medium wizard organizations in the Golden Crown Mountain area will send to compete."

"Although most of the time, these wizards from small and medium wizard organizations are just there to participate, in past sports festivals, there have been dark horses that suddenly emerged."

"Facing so many formidable enemies, I need even more powerful strength. Fortunately, I have money now."

After thinking for a moment, Locke took out two luxury magical plants and continued learning the Peach Bow Thorn Arrow magic.

After practicing for an hour, he began thinking about how to complete the fourth round of the ladder test at the Feathered Serpent Pavilion. At the same time, he poured the waste residue from potion formulation onto the Obelisk Stone Golem.

The basketball-sized stone rolled on the workbench, just like a small cat turning over.

...

On the seventh floor of the academy castle, Witch Yekaterina separately heard the results from Wizard Kelt and Group 2 leader Cis George.

She curved her lips, looking at the golden dragon Fafnir beside her. "How about it? It looks like our little dragon has already adapted to Cloud Marsh Wetland."

"Isn't this somewhat beyond your expectations?"

Golden dragon Fafnir sneezed. "I did underestimate him somewhat. Even super intuition can't explain his current achievements. He should inherently have very high breeding talent, and super intuition gives him even more power."

"But I've always distrusted wizards from outside. Forget it, he is indeed very excellent. Perhaps your initial choice of him while refusing that wizard from our own school was correct."

The golden dragon said, "He's done well recently."

Witch Yekaterina said, "Don't underestimate wizards from remote lands. Perhaps they indeed haven't received the best magical training, but their ability to reach here conversely proves their potential."

"Fafnir, I'm also not a native wizard of Cloud Marsh Wetland."

The golden dragon looked at Yekaterina with surprise. "This is the first time I'm hearing this. You've completely hidden your past besides your academics. Outsiders simply can't find out."

"So you're not a native-born wizard."

Yekaterina smiled. "Knowledge is power, power is knowledge. Letting others understand my past allows them to speculate about my thoughts, so my knowledge loses to them by a notch, and thus their power becomes greater than mine."

"Conversely, the more information I understand about them, the greater my power compared to theirs."

Golden dragon Fafnir looked deeply at Yekaterina. "It's hard to believe this sentence would be said by that witch who, during her First Circle period, would research a branch blooming seven colors of flowers because she loved beauty."

Witch Yekaterina curved her lips. "Then here's the question. Who did you hear that story from? Thomasson? Or other wizards? And who did those wizards hear it from? That's right, from me."

"So... was the story I told them true or false?"

Golden dragon Fafnir turned his head to look at Witch Yekaterina. He suddenly rose from the ground, like a golden mountain rising from the earth. Between surging and changing spirituality, terrifying dragon eyes stared at Yekaterina. "Indeed, that story's gap with your own temperament is really too great. You've never been an idealist, much less someone who likes superficial things. Having been with you for so long, if there's any illusory concept that can attract your attention, it must be because that concept can bring you more long-term benefits."

"Yekaterina, speaking of which, he's already passed the Tier 2 academy funding. When will your test for him begin? It should be about time, right?"

Golden dragon Fafnir said, "He's had peaceful days for far too long. According to your rhythm, now it's time to let him feel true coldness."

"The coldness that Griffin and Hoover once felt. Success without experiencing failure isn't worth mentioning."

Witch Yekaterina waved her hand, and the magic mirror before her was automatically covered by black cloth embroidered with a red dragon pattern. "There's no rush for this."

"You seem to be becoming somewhat optimistic about him."

Golden dragon Fafnir sneezed, "I recognized his talent from the beginning. I just didn't expect his talent could be this strong. I just felt he had trouble on him, that the cost-effectiveness wasn't high. But looking at it now, I may have been wrong about this."

"I only hope he can withstand your true test."

"By the way, that Daniel also seems to be undergoing a test. I have to say, you Golden Crown Mountain wizards are really too strange. This welcoming tradition is really too malicious." The golden dragon said, "It's not like there haven't been wizards who never got back up."

Witch Yekaterina smiled. "I think so too. It's really too malicious."

"But we have different expectations for researchers at the senior academy."

...

One month later, in the laboratory, Locke organized the eight articles from passing the Tier 2 funding project and sent them in sequence to Green Grass Cloud Marsh.

At the same time, in the simple laboratory, Locke entered a state of flow. Without any conscious thoughts, the spirituality in his body seemed to drift with the current. He extended his left hand. The Golden Palace Legacy Branch floating before him began to bend and deform, automatically transforming into a bow. The tree trunk was the bow body, and the undying bird spirituality of the Golden Palace Legacy Branch became the bowstring.

At the same time, Locke raised his right hand and recited an incantation. A fast-growing branch from the Little Diamond Jujube Pendant fell into his hand.

The ordinary Little Diamond Jujube Pendant branch quickly ignited with a certain kind of fierce flame.

That was the Fire of Civilization.

Immediately after, under the fierce flame, the jujube pendant branch transformed into an arrow. Locke nocked this spell arrow on the bow body of the Golden Palace Legacy Branch.

Instantly, the two forces combined, and a terrifying magical pressure combined with the Fire of Civilization descended. Locke held it without releasing, but the wall several feet in front of him had already begun to melt. Where his feet stood, flames ignited.

Magical pressure transformed into flames. The entire simple laboratory was like a high-temperature oven.

And Locke hadn't even fired this arrow yet.

Locke recited the incantation and released the magic. "Using Peach Bow Thorn Arrow, I can continuously fire fast-growing branches from the Little Diamond Jujube Pendant combined with the power of the Fire of Civilization."

"My normal output magical ability has directly increased by one or two levels."

"Now whoever becomes my enemy, I only need to draw the bow and nock an arrow to continuously shoot. Legend says Peach Bow Thorn Arrow can shoot down anything, even sunlight and moonlight."

The two luxury magical plants that came with Peach Bow Thorn Arrow themselves possessed Second Circle characteristics. This magic itself could also link with the spirituality of the Fire of Civilization, once again enhancing this magic and granting it the special ability to shoot down anything.

With this magic, Locke had the confidence to compete with the first generation of young First Circle wizards in the Golden Crown Mountain area.

Locke used his astral ring to put away the two luxury magical plants.

At the same time, he thought, "I wonder how my eight articles submitted to Green Grass Cloud Marsh and the 28 articles submitted to 'Life and Reproduction' are doing."

He had previously planned to prioritize submitting to the Tier 2 journal "Environment and Plants," after all, that was a top-tier Tier 2 journal.

Who knew that his two articles on the mechanism of action of the symbiotic relationship between bromeliad magical plants and magical creatures would be firmly rejected by "Environment and Plants."

Probably still because he was the corresponding author and lacked persuasiveness.

Therefore, Locke directly had Schneider write 26 articles over the past month, then submitted them all together to "Life and Reproduction" this month.

Wizard Hayes should be very happy.

...

In the editor-in-chief's office at Green Grass Cloud Marsh, a moon ring wizard who was the journal's editor-in-chief was currently looking at eight articles sent over by an associate editor.

That associate editor said, "Editor-in-chief, the quality of these eight articles is very high. Six of them are articles related to natural magical power structure components, one is an overall review of the ecological niche of bromeliad magical plants, and one is... an article on Type 2 Tyrant Element and Tyrant cultivation technology."

"Eight articles have all separately received peer recognition... but the problem is this quantity is too much. Should we publish eight articles from one wizard in a single issue?"

"Editor-in-chief, you make the call."

The Green Grass Cloud Marsh editor-in-chief tapped the table with his fingers. After careful consideration, he said, "Publish! All eight of these are common articles in our Green Grass Cloud Marsh journal. That wizard just... discovered a few more natural magical power structure components at once."

"But this doesn't affect the quality of these articles. If that's the case, what reason do we have to refuse!"

"Go write a thank you letter to that wizard. If possible, I hope he can submit more to our journal in the future."

...

In the "Life and Reproduction" journal office, wizard Hayes looked at the 28 articles his assistant sent over and was stunned. Then he looked at the First Circle liquefaction stage wizard junior assistant before him. "Junior, these are all... submissions from wizard Locke Augustine?"

That wizard nodded. "Senior, all these articles have received peer recognition. In fact, there's no question. They're all very excellent research. If not for the corresponding author issue, they could even get top-tier Tier 2 journals."

"Our journal happens to have relatively few articles. This way we can put together a relatively high-quality monthly issue. Teacher Barbatos will definitely be very happy."

"Senior, where did you find such a publishing god?"

Wizard Hayes was stunned, then felt somewhat speechless in his heart. "Little Locke, I just asked you to prioritize our journal. Who knew you'd submit 28 high-quality articles to us all at once."

"You really take your promises too seriously."

"Really... struck gold."

Wizard Hayes smiled. "That day I happened to pass by Golden Crown Mountain, so I visited a talented young person I had been optimistic about before. This is what you call good judgment."

Wizard Hayes was satisfied to see his junior looking at him with admiring eyes.