Locke said to Schneider, "I understand. This isn't your fault. First submit the two rejected manuscripts to 'Environment and Plants' and see if they can pass."

"If they still can't pass, then slightly modify them according to their rejection opinion letters and submit again. If they still can't pass, then we'll talk about it later."

Publishing an article in a Tier 2 journal could earn 800 contribution points from the White Wizard Association in Cloud Marsh Wetland and its various libraries.

This was 300 points higher than publishing directly in an association-level library and receiving an association S-level article rating.

So generally speaking, even if not for honor and qualifications, wizards would prioritize publishing articles with journal potential in journals rather than placing them in libraries.

However, starting from Tier 3, the contribution points one could obtain were the same as publishing directly in a library and receiving an association S-level rating, both being 500 contribution points.

Tier 4 could only obtain the contribution points of an association A-level article, which was 200 points.

Of course, even Tier 4 journals required at least academy library S-level quality to be published.

And this was also the minimum standard for articles published by official wizards.

Therefore, Tier 4 journals were basically not valued by anyone. Tier 3 journals were even more superfluous. For Locke's current situation, only Tier 2 and Tier 1 journals could help him. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Tier 2 journals were just for padding qualifications. If serving as first author, it wasn't very good either. At most, he'd take corresponding authorship.

Schneider bowed to Locke. "My lord, I understand. I will do as you request."

Locke nodded. In any case, having helped him publish two Tier 2 articles, he had obtained 1,600 contribution points.

Supposedly, contribution points in Cloud Marsh Wetland could not only be exchanged for wizard secret realm entry opportunities, but could even be exchanged for colonization opportunities of medium-scale planes.

So it was still very necessary for him to accumulate contribution points.

Although progress was currently a bit slow, it was still normal.

As long as the framework was established, the efficiency of successfully publishing articles would improve later.

Locke gave a few instructions, left the dormitory, then headed to Dragon Blood Market Castle. At that time, Locke discovered once again that Witch Lena's ambition hadn't died. She was trying to add him as a contact. He had already blocked her once before.

She had actually created a new account and indicated that he had misunderstood her. She had already explained the misunderstanding clearly with Wizard Daniel.

She just wanted to help him make money. He only needed to provide three million magic stones, and she was confident she could help him increase those three million magic stones to ten million magic stones within half a year.

If he didn't believe it, he could first give her five hundred thousand magic stones to manage, guaranteeing that within one month, it could multiply several times!

Witch Lena seemed to be treating friend requests as messages to send him. Those friend requests came one after another.

Witch Lena wrote, 'Locke, if you don't trust me, don't you trust Daniel? If you're worried, you can sign a contract with me. I can sign a contract with you guaranteeing that if we lose money on venture capital investments, I'll return your principal to you completely intact.'

She sent another message, which turned out to be content she was prepared to write in a contract stating that even if there were losses, she would return his principal to him.

Locke decisively blocked her new account again.

At the same time, he opened the gray stone tablet and found Hussein, showing him the contract terms Witch Lena had sent him. Hussein was currently a contract master, so he understood this aspect.

Soon Hussein replied with information. "Encountered a scammer?"

"Made money recently?"

"I heard you also came to Cloud Marsh Wetland recently. I'm at the Cloud Marsh Market on the Quinn Jol University side. However, my location seems quite far from yours."

Hussein sent him a message saying, 'Don't believe this.'

'This is a common scam routine. First, regardless of whether this law would be recognized by the sacred law officials of the White Wizard Association.'

'Let me just say one thing. In the Three Marsh Lands, bankruptcy law has priority over contract law! If the other party applies for personal bankruptcy to the White Wizard Association, then all your economic rights stipulated in all economy-related contracts you signed with her will become invalid!'

Locke sent Hussein a thank you message and briefly explained his current situation.

It had to be said, contract masters were professional. He could see at a glance the trick that Witch Lena was playing.

No wonder she wouldn't be so kind as to sign a contract with him that completely exempted him from risk liability in venture capital investments.

Locke sighed. He could only hope Daniel could take care of himself. He had already done everything he could.

He passed through Dragon Blood Market Castle and quickly walked into the Feathered Serpent Pavilion.

At that time, the green half-dragon shopkeeper actively walked out. "Esteemed guest, welcome again. What are your needs? Do you need to exchange potion formulas, or have you made breakthrough progress in the fourth round of Ladder Mountain?"

Locke shook his head. "I have other needs. Two things. First, I need to borrow the Queen's Chessboard."

A rare trace of surprise flashed through the green half-dragon shopkeeper's reptilian pupils.

His expression became serious.

Matters involving the Queen's Chessboard would never be trivial.

Sure enough, Locke asked his second question. "Second matter, does the Feathered Serpent Pavilion provide services for renting colonization opportunities for medium-scale planes?"

Although the possibility wasn't high, he still asked to try.

To see if he could find other opportunities to obtain medium-scale planes outside the teaching position system.

The green half-dragon shopkeeper of the Feathered Serpent Pavilion looked deeply at Locke and bowed. "Esteemed guest, it seems you're already looking toward the Second Circle."

"The Feathered Serpent Pavilion in Cloud Marsh Wetland indeed controls some medium-scale planes, but these planes are all production bases of the Feathered Serpent Pavilion. Therefore, we don't provide colonization opportunities and World Stone resources to outsiders."

"When creating Grand Magic, using World Stones is required, which causes a plane to become unstable."

The green half-dragon said, "Any change requires a price to be paid. But those planes are our production bases, so whether it's good change or bad change, we hope to minimize their occurrence as much as possible."

Locke nodded slightly. There were multiple ways to construct Grand Magic in a world, but regardless of which method was used, it was actually beneficial to that plane.

Wizards' Grand Magic was essentially a kind of gift to a plane, and the plane would also give gifts to the wizards in exchange.

Originally it was like this.

However, things seemed different on the black wizard side. Black wizards wanted to use the minimum gift to obtain the maximum things, so it turned into terrible plunder and slaughter.

More than half of the Nightmare Legion's reputation in the wizard world was earned through slaughter by that group of black wizards in the endless void.

This caused quite a few civilizations in life planes throughout the endless void to seriously misunderstand wizard civilization. They turned pale at the mention of wizard civilization, describing it as an existence comparable to abyssal demons!

"Basically, it's very difficult for you to purchase the opportunity to enter a medium-scale plane with money. Because there will always be First Circle wizards in this world who reach the threshold to become Second Circle wizards. These people are endless, while conquering a medium-scale plane requires considerable time. Therefore, this portion of resources is very difficult to obtain through market transactions."

The green half-dragon shopkeeper said, "Even if it could be obtained through market transactions... it might cost tens of millions of magic stones to purchase that opportunity, and you'd still need an introducer."

Locke nodded slightly.

The problem lay right here. The Origin Academy's cultivation system didn't include helping him become a Second Circle wizard.

That is to say, he couldn't obtain opportunities to enter medium-scale planes through the Origin Academy's resource channels.

This was related to the Origin Academy's overall positioning as young First Circle wizard researchers.

But now, the Special Funding Project was truly too competitive, so competitive that the prerequisite for obtaining it was actually becoming a Second Circle wizard.

This was the reason why even wizards like Griffin could feel despair.

The green half-dragon suddenly said, "You might be able to pay attention to Golden Crown Mountain related competitions. Your status is as a researcher of Golden Crown Mountain. You possess this platform of Golden Crown Mountain. This point alone surpasses many wizards, including myself."

"Your status is something ordinary wizards can only envy without being able to obtain. I've heard that within Golden Crown Mountain, some competitions or sports events have champion rewards that may very likely involve plundering opportunities for medium-scale planes."

"For example, rewarding you with a preliminarily explored plane coordinate or something like that."

"You could completely pay attention to Golden Crown Mountain's competitions and top-tier sports leagues."

Locke was awakened as if from a dream and nodded repeatedly.

The green half-dragon shopkeeper said, "Besides that, you can also participate in plane exploration."

"Even if you can't participate in plane exploration through teaching positions, you can also obtain plane exploration qualifications through shop alliances via trade. It's just that our Feathered Serpent Pavilion doesn't involve this portion of business."

"I truly feel apologetic for being unable to help you."

The green half-dragon respectfully glanced at the hidden Immortal Dragon Scale on Locke's left hand, feeling genuinely apologetic about being unable to help.

The green half-dragon shopkeeper said, "It's just that before you engage in plane exploration, perhaps you could first complete the fourth round of Ladder."

"Although the magic box rewards obtained each time from Ladder are full of randomness, our Feathered Serpent Pavilion provides some privileges for members of B-level and above."

"Namely, designated range rewards."

"And since you're our distinguished guest, you can also enjoy this privilege in advance. As long as you designate potion-related equipment and resources for plane exploration, you can obtain some things very useful for your plane exploration."

Locke nodded slightly. The Obelisk Stone Golem he had drawn last time had already grown from a small stone to basketball-sized under the daily watering of potion waste he produced while configuring potions. Recently, it seemed to increasingly possess the aura of life.

Obelisk Stone Golems were very useful for plane exploration.

Many potions couldn't be configured in worlds with different world principles. One needed to use special magical pets like Obelisk Stone Golems to help create stable wizard world environments.

Locke said briefly, "I understand."

As for whether he could pass, that didn't depend on him but on his progress.

He could only do his best.

The half-dragon shopkeeper said, "As for the Queen's Chessboard, this equipment is indeed truly available in our shop. And it's beneath our feet."

"Equipment that the potion master in our shop uses."

Locke looked at this half-dragon shopkeeper with surprise. Second Circle was expert level, Third Circle was master level.

Since the other party was a professional potion shop and had used the term "potion master," it meant this Feathered Serpent Pavilion had one or more Third Circle potion masters.

As for why he hadn't encountered them before, that was simple. Wizards of this level were too far removed from his world.

The Feathered Serpent Pavilion itself wasn't a shop serving First Circle wizards either.

Clearly, the portions of the Feathered Serpent Pavilion serving Second Circle and Third Circle wizards were still hidden from him. The Feathered Serpent Pavilion he had seen was just the tip of the iceberg.

The green half-dragon shopkeeper hesitated. "You're a distinguished guest of our shop. If you request it, you can indeed use our shop's Queen's Chessboard. And you'd only need to pay one million magic stones."

"But... I advise you to consider carefully. The Queen's Chessboard is very dangerous. Using the Queen's Chessboard involves the Force level, which is beyond the domain of First Circle wizards."

Locke nodded. "I've already reviewed the information. Naturally, I know the dangers involved."

But as long as operations were proper, there wouldn't be any problems.

It could even have some benefits for him, increasing his knowledge.

He could recognize in advance what the world looked like in the eyes of high-circle wizards!

The green half-dragon hesitated and spoke again. "Do you really want to pay one million magic stones to use the Queen's Chessboard? You can reconsider."

"One million magic stones isn't a small amount after all."

Locke said with absolute certainty, "Yes. Before coming, I already reviewed the information for a long time. So I'm very sure."

The green half-dragon shopkeeper made an inviting gesture to Locke. "Then please follow me. The Queen's Chessboard is underground."

Locke followed her to the depths of the shop, walking to the end of a corridor where a landscape magic painting hung. Locke and she walked directly into this magic painting.

Only then did he realize that it was actually a corridor passageway. The so-called magic painting was just camouflage by a skilled Second Circle speed painter.

In fact, it was just a corridor.

It was just that First Circle potion masters walking here each time would think this was the end.

Locke followed the green half-dragon shopkeeper into a spiral staircase and continuously descended underground.

On the walls of this spiral staircase, there were some doors.

The green half-dragon shopkeeper said, "Out of respect for you, you can pay the magic stones after use."

"This is the room where the Queen's Chessboard is located."

"Please be careful."