Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 569 Slaughtering the Rankings! A Hundred Boats Racing! The Prestige of the Yunze Cup!
At that moment, in the main office of a first-ring wizard at the Rose Council's Breeders' Academy, several other first-ring crystallization wizards looked over, and one wizard even asked the inventor of the [Pink Lover], "Raphael, what's making you so angry?"

"Isn't today the day your Pink Lover Magic Bouquet is launched? Even the dean praised your floral art for its recent great improvement."

Raphael picked up his own Ganoderma lucidum plant, and instantly, his collaborator's backend interface appeared in the air in front of him.

On the total sales chart for True Love Festival on September 1st, the tenth place was not "Pink Lover" or any kind of magical bouquet, but a defensive magical plant called Five-Headed Serpent Magic Plant.

Inside the office, many first-ring wizards were stunned by what they saw.

Many first-ring wizards of the Rose Council chose to bring out their own Ganoderma lucidum magical plants to observe the rankings.

Raphael's face darkened. "See? The magical plant this breeder released pushed my Pink Lover's Bouquet off the leaderboard in the True Love Festival, which our Rose Council Academy spent a lot of money to establish."

As they were talking, the Five-Headed Serpent Demon Plant rose another place on the total sales chart, ranking eighth.

Immediately, Raphael turned his head to look at the leaderboard in disbelief, frowning.

Inside the office, a wizard at the first crystallization stage, who was originally the author of the ninth-ranked [Blue Love] Magic Bouquet, stood up in the large office, frowning. "Who is this five-headed serpent? How dare it slaughter our rankings during the very days our Rose Council promoted it?"

"Generally speaking, don't the breeders from other academies in Yunze Wetland try to avoid selling magical plant creations other than magical bouquets on True Love Day, September 1st?"

"Even if they want to destroy our rankings, they should at least bring out a magical bouquet on this day and use our floristry skills to compete with our Rose Council."

"We are the ones who define the rules for Love Day."

Inside the office, the first-ring wizards of the Rose Council were buzzing with discussion.

Even some of the second-ring wizard leaders in the office put down their work, frowned, opened the Ganoderma lucidum plant, and looked at Arthas's rankings.

Meanwhile, amidst their discussion, Locke's Five-Headed Serpent rose another place, currently ranking sixth on the overall sales chart.

Raphael suddenly realized something, quickly consulted the information, and asked his friends in the General Scholars Academy of the Rose Council to investigate the name Locke Augustine. "I remember now, Golden Crown Mountain, Advanced Academy of Truth, Locke Augustine, the one who posted this five-headed serpent must be a wizard from outside the Cloud Marsh Wetlands, someone who just entered the Cloud Marsh Wetlands this year!"

"He is the champion of the 10th Yunze Cup!"

Immediately, the other first-ring wizards in the office also remembered Locke's identity.

After all, many of them had subscribed to the 10th Yunze Cup match videos and live broadcasts.

"Oh right, I remember now, isn't this the champion of the 10th Yunze Cup?"

"As expected of our Yunze Cup champions, their skill level is truly impressive. I heard that this year's Yunze Cup is extremely prestigious!"

"The Five-Headed Serpent Demon Plant... This Five-Headed Serpent Demon Plant can stack five permanent defensive force fields on its body. Adding to the one it already has, that means that by using this tactical-level demon plant, one can stack six permanent defensive force fields on their body! It's just that the magic power required is too much. Even if a person can barely use it, after a great battle, they probably won't even have the ability to continue moving."

Inside the office, a wizard from the Rose Council was looking at the product description, his mind racing. "But such a huge cost in casting spells also signifies the power of the five-headed hydra plant. My permanent defensive field is the [Twin Shield], which allows me to summon both an ice flower shield and a fire flower shield, switching between them at any time to deal with different crises."

"Originally, I could only switch between two shields, which was very limiting. But with the Five-Headed Serpent Demon Plant, can't I use two shields at the same time? When in danger, I can also cooperate with my friend to stack my own permanent defensive force field shield!"

At this moment, his mind was also in turmoil. He coughed, glanced at everyone in the office, and then secretly contacted his student to go to Arthas's shop in the Golden Crown Mountain region to buy the five-headed serpent plant.

He wasn't the only wizard present with such thoughts.

At that time, many first-ring wizards in the Rose Council were also restless.

Some first-ring wizards who possess a special, permanent defensive force field inheritance are currently in need of purchasing the five-headed serpent demonic plant.

The only drawback is that the five-headed serpent plant consumes too much magic power. They had read the product description and estimated that unless one had magic pressure close to the first stage of crystallization, which is around 9000 magic pressure, there was no need to buy the five-headed serpent plant, because individual wizards could not use this kind of plant at all.

At this moment, in a store in the Golden Crown Mountain region, a wizard dressed in black robes stiffly walked into the store amidst the strange gazes of other wizards.

His face was covered by a black cloth strip, completely obscuring his features.

At that moment, he saw inside the shop a magical vine displayed on a sycamore wood stand.

He said in a low, aged voice, "A five-headed serpent?"

"Can you stack six permanent defensive force fields around your body? Douglas, you can buy this magical plant. You need it. I never imagined that wizards of later generations would have such abilities. It's truly amazing."

"It seems that no matter the era, there will always be a shortage of geniuses."

The man then spoke in a youthful voice, saying softly, "But King Lagmamon, I am just an ordinary first-ring wizard. I cannot use that magical plant."

"Besides, I'm not a botanical wizard."

Lagmamon the Witch-King chuckled coldly and whispered, “With me here, you can use it. The special permanent defensive force field I’m giving you, [Five Elements Reversal], is a masterpiece from the [Lightning Gate] school of Evocation. It’s a cross-disciplinary creation that combines Evocation magic such as lightning, fire, and ice. It’s a powerful ancient magic that should have been lost in your time.”

"It is possible to use five permanent defensive force fields at the same time, but originally it required the assistance of the Five Elements Witch Stones to do so. However, we cannot find the Five Elements Witch Stones for the time being. I originally thought that it would be difficult for you to fully exert the power of [Five Elements Reversal] in a short period of time."

"But I never expected that in this era, there would be breeders who could cultivate special magical plants that could stack a permanent defensive force field. That's great. With such magical plants, you won't need to search for world wonders like the Five Elements Witch Stone."

King Lagma said in a low voice, "Then our original plan to infiltrate Mount Golden Crown can be cancelled. With this magical plant, there is no need to go to Mount Golden Crown or Mount Holy Spring to search for the Five Elements Witch Stones."

When Douglas heard that he could fully unleash the power of [Five Elements Reversal] through the Five-Headed Serpent Demon Plant, his eyes immediately lit up with intense interest.

"100,000 magic stones... but I only have 80,000 magic stones in savings. It seems I have no choice but to take out a loan... but my current status doesn't allow me to get a loan from the five major banks."

"I can only get loans from small banks. That will cause me trouble."

King Lagmamon let out a low laugh. "That's nothing. The most interesting thing about wizards in this era is how strictly they follow the rules. Maybe I've been sleeping too long and haven't kept up with the times."

"In the Age of Stars that followed the collapse of the Magic Empire and the passing of the Imperial Age, there's no reason to return money that's in my hands. But Douglas, as our contract states, I helped you become a second-circle wizard, and you have to pay a price in return."

"You must help me evade the pursuit of the Tower of the Black Sun!"

Douglas nodded. "Of course. But why haven't I found any information about the Lagmamon Witch-Kings after searching the Tower of the Black Sun for so long?"

"Logically speaking, now that I've become a formal wizard, it's impossible that I wouldn't be able to find any information about the Tower of the Black Sun if I wanted to investigate."

Lagmamon the Witch-King said in a low voice, "I don't know. In my time, who didn't know the name of the Tower of the Black Sun?"

"The Tower of the Black Sun was the mastermind behind the Age of Stars, and the one who directly caused the complete collapse of the magical empire that unified the wizarding world. The sun has set, the dark sun shines in the sky, the heavens are now without a master, and wizards are granted eternal freedom. This is the Tower of the Black Sun's declaration to the world."

"The Tower of the Black Sun is extremely powerful and has extraordinary ambitions. They personally ended the era of wizarding empires. But your era... I need to observe it further. Those beings that I was once very familiar with are now gone or have been completely transformed."

"For example, in my time, the so-called Three Swamps were considered the edge of the wilderness in the wizarding world. The so-called Starfield Sea didn't exist at all; it was just a small, uninhabited wasteland. But in your time, the Three Swamps, the Starfield Sea, the Land of Dragonfall, and the Siming Waters are the center of this era..."

"Everything is so different. So I don't know what the Black Sun Tower looks like now. I don't know who's in charge in this era! The Supreme Council of Truth? What is that..."

Douglas began to think carefully. The Witch King Lagmamon was a powerful wizard in the past, and Douglas didn't even know how many rings of wizard he had been.

It is said that he was the wizard king of a magical kingdom in the Age of Stars—a world composed of numerous magical kingdoms formed by many wizard lords.

However, Douglas knew that the Witch King's soul was currently parasitizing his own, becoming one with him.

And this Witch King can help him grow from an ordinary wizard apprentice in the Land of Three Swamps into a full-fledged wizard, which will definitely help him go further.

This Witch King was the key to his becoming a second-circle wizard.

Douglas whispered, "Of course, Witch King, I will protect you from the Black Sun Tower's pursuit. I've always remembered our agreement." Witch King Lagmamon whispered, "However, you'd better be prepared to buy a lot of this wizard's magical plant creations. The energy of the Five Elements Reversal is extremely powerful, and since you're not a botanical wizard, I can only use special methods to force you to use these magical plants..."

"Therefore, I estimate that the attrition rate of this magical plant will be extremely high, and in order to obtain resources, especially those special magical treasures that I sealed away before my death, you will have to face countless dangers."

"Therefore, you will be unable to leave this magical plant for a long time to come. Moreover, it would be good if you could become friends with this wizard, so that you could buy even better magical plants as soon as they come out."

"Douglas, you might try to become friends with him."

Douglas gave a low, bitter laugh. "My lord, I'm just an ordinary first-ring wizard, without any teaching position. Do I deserve to be friends with a genius from such a prestigious academy of truth...?"

Lagmamon the Wizard King chuckled softly. “Don’t underestimate yourself. Let me tell you something to boost your confidence. Based on my observations of you since my resurrection, I’ve determined that I’m equivalent to a third-circle wizard in this era, or even more than an ordinary third-circle wizard.”

"The kingdom domain of the magical kingdom I possess is likely similar to the crown magic possessed by the third-ring wizards of this era."

"However, I need to adapt to the magical tides of this era, and I am already dead and have no physical body, so I can only temporarily use your body to allow you to exert the combat power of an ordinary second ring."

"But with my help... your future will be incredibly bright! As long as you can help me escape the Black Sun Tower's pursuit..."

Douglas's pupils constricted.

He knew that the title of a third-ring wizard in this land referred to a true mid-to-high-ring wizard.

The Wizard King of the Magic Kingdom in the Age of Stars actually possesses power equivalent to a third-ring wizard of this era!
With the full support of the Third Ring Wizard, his achievements will be...

Meanwhile, at the entrances of various shops on Golden Crown Mountain, different wizards were placing orders for hydras and pentathae.

On the outskirts of the Golden Crown Mountain region, a first-ring crystallization stage wizard, dressed in the distinctive golden robes of Quinnjoll University, entered a shop and said to the Arthas franchisee, "Shopkeeper, give me a five-headed hydra and a nine-headed hydra."

The shop owner, a wizard at the first stage of the Qi Transformation realm, chuckled, "Excellent. These two items have been a huge success since their first launch. The wizard who released them is an excellent breeder; he's the champion of the Cloud Swamp Cup, and a member of the Golden Crown Mountain..."

The young wizard in the Quinnjoll University wizard's robes smiled confidently. "I know."

“Boss, I know everything about Locke Augustine, that breeder.”

“The strong will always be strong, and we will meet again, Locke,” Edgar said confidently. “Your Hydra Plant is very interesting. I’ve wanted it for a while, so I’ll buy it and try it out today.”

"It might play a huge role for me when I colonize planes."

The shop owner was stunned. "You two know each other?"

The wizard Edgar said confidently, "Just try to get as many of that breeder's creations as possible. You won't be able to get them again later, or at such a low price. Because he will become a legend."

"The main reason he will become a legend is that I will definitely become a legendary breeder. As the breeder who once beat me in the Yunze Cup, his name will spread along with mine."

The shop owner was getting a headache. The wizard's confidence was like the sun, so dazzling that he could hardly bear it.

At that moment, the shop owner seemed to remember something. "You are Edgar David!"

"That one-ring breeder who cultivated the Ancient Tree of Life and the Ancient Tree of War!"

……

11:50 p.m.

At this moment, the day's rankings have already been finalized.

At that moment, in the office of a first-ring wizard in the Rose Council, Raphael looked at the overall sales rankings and suddenly felt as if the world had gone mad. On the best-selling list for the True Love Festival, the fifth place was actually the five-headed hydra plant.

Although the five-headed serpent didn't take first place or even make it into the top three, it's already quite an achievement that it managed to sell a magical plant that has absolutely nothing to do with the theme of true love to fifth place on the sales chart during the True Love Festival.

This is something that is rarely seen in Yunze Wetland.

Surprisingly, the sixth best-selling item wasn't the Magic Bouquet, but a type of tree spirit—the Large-leaved Lazy Tree Spirit, scientifically known as the Talmud Tree Spirit.

A tree spirit that can care for other tree spirits and possesses powerful Talmud energy, which can slightly amplify all nearby magical plants.

For breeders, it is an invaluable treasure.

Its developer's name is Edgar David, who graduated from the Advanced Institute of Truth at Quinjol University, located at the foot of Holy Spring Mountain and on the Nine-Ming River!
Meanwhile, the tenth best-selling item is Osmanthus Fragrance Leaf, which can amplify natural magic.

The developer is Diana the Witch, from the Advanced Institute of Truth at Boniface University.

Another person on the sales chart, ranked eighth, is a breeder at the first crystallization stage from a medium-sized wizarding academy. She comes from Little Sleep Mountain and is named Timos the Witch.

Her regenerated willow design is very interesting. It can absorb highly polluted heavy metals and even oxalic acid from the soil. If the effect were not not perfect, this work could probably have directly topped the list.

Inside the Rose Council, in the first-ring wizard's office of the Breeders' Academy, all was quiet.

Because today, the Rose Council's long-standing monopoly on Love Day, September 1st, has been suddenly disrupted.

Four breeders, leveraging the superior performance of their products and the True Love Festival platform created by their Rose Council, broke with tradition and directly entered the day's total sales rankings, securing a place in the top ten.

Wizard Raphael stared blankly at the overall sales chart, lost in thought. "On the sales chart for September 1st, there were actually four items that weren't magical bouquets."

"This is simply a violation of the unspoken rules established by our Rose Council."

"Oh no. The boss is definitely going to hold a ton of meetings about this again."

"Where did these four freaks come from?!"

Someone whispered, "Three of the breeders seem to be the top three in this year's Yunze Cup competition. The creator of the Regenerating Willow Tree also came from the Wizarding Lands outside, apparently through the Wetland Cup Constructor Competition."

Raphael felt that things were very chaotic.

What does this have to do with the Wetland Cup and the architect's competition?
So, did a disheveled architect dominate the Rose Council's Flower Language Master rankings this year, this month, and today?
Raphael said, "These wizards from outside are far too unconventional. They actually use our Rose Council's True Love Festival as a springboard for themselves, showing no respect whatsoever for our Rose Council."

Another first-ring wizard whispered, "I feel this has nothing to do with the outside world. That Diana witch is still a native witch of our Yunze Wetlands. Didn't she also break the unspoken rules on True Love Festival and openly slaughter our Flower Language Masters' list on that day?"

The office was filled with groans, because the fact that four non-flower language masters were on the list meant that four of their Rose Council's breeders' works had to be removed from the list.

Moreover, many flower language experts will feel unbalanced after seeing this, thinking that in the flower language experts' home turf, their works did not make it onto the total sales list, but the works of four ordinary breeders did.

The most troublesome are the leaders of the various colleges of the Rose Council.

Given such an incident, how can the Rose Council University, the ancestral home of many flower language masters, maintain its reputation?
At that moment, a Star Ring Wizard at the second-level Void Forging stage hurriedly entered the office. After pushing open the office door, he shouted to all the wizards inside, "The branch dean told us to call you to a meeting."

"His Majesty is furious about this incident. Fortunately, the four breeders involved came from different academies, otherwise we might have even thought it was a malicious attack against our Rose Council."

"Our Rose Council is a sacred place in the hearts of all flower language masters in the Land of Three Swamps. How can we allow such a thing to exist!"

"Damn it, could it be that Quinnjoll University, Golden Crown Mountain, Boniface University, and Little Sleep Mountain have all joined forces to deliberately target our Rose Council?!"

This second-ring wizard was also wondering to himself, even harboring conspiracy theories that things weren't so simple.

(End of this chapter)