Am I a god-tier talent in all my professions?

Chapter 152 The White Tower Assessment
11 month 12 day.

Once life settles down, you can gradually feel that time is stretching out.

In the past, one could feel a leap in progress in just one or two days.

Now, several days have passed, and I feel like a sponge that can never be fully saturated. I've learned a lot, but the improvement I've experienced isn't very significant.

"Is this what they call the accumulation period?"

"Accumulate knowledge and experience before unleashing its full potential."

Regarding his own fighting style, the first move has already been created.

The first technique of almost every combat style in the world is a method of tempering the body, and Lu Cang is no exception, because it is the foundation.

Lu Cang's first move is: Tempering the Source of the Dharma Body.

In the process of enchanting one's body, one strengthens one's physical structure and enhances one's compatibility with magic.

This combat technique cannot be learned by others unless they possess the same source magic as themselves.

Moreover, it also requires the fighting spirit of "versatile tactics".

Of course, it can be simplified with some modifications, but the effect will be greatly reduced.

This is a combat technique that only I am truly suited to...

No wonder, even if a combat technique is learned, it is ultimately no match for the creator of that technique.

When a combat technique is created, it is necessarily tailor-made for the creator himself.

Moreover, the compatibility is even more outrageous than self-created magic.

As for the second move...

Lu Cang was still thinking.

Another advantage of having your own style of combat techniques is that they can be changed at any time.

If you feel that this second move is inappropriate, you can follow the original line of thought and evolve it into other combat techniques in the future.

However, if others learn it, they won't be able to easily modify it.

A single move can have far-reaching consequences, yet the founder's thought process remains unclear.

Loinz Magic Academy

There were no classes today, but rather a small gathering with only five people in total.

Izparut, Hunmu, Jiezhu, Lu Cang, Fize.

“Everyone’s here,” Iz said with a smile.

The coffee cups floated steadily and landed on everyone's tables.

"Ah."

Upon seeing Lu Cang again, Jie Zhu felt a complex mix of emotions.

His current status has become that of a Royal Grandmaster Mage.

Although he remains high above others, there is an insurmountable gap between him and the chief.

Lu Cang glanced at the pillar of calamity out of the corner of his eye.

What a small world! But since you were able to figure out the root cause, you're probably not a fool.

They should be able to understand the cause and effect, the pros and cons.

"I'm sure everyone knows why we're here today."

Jiezhu: "Hmm."

"It's rare to have Master Genyuan share his insights on Genyuan."

Originally, besides himself, the only other Root Mage in the capital was Hunmu.

"Are there only five people in total?" Lu Cang asked Izparut.

"Ah."

They were all people I knew.

Actually, along the way, Lu Cang felt that there were quite a few Root Mages. How come he kept encountering one as he walked?

Unexpectedly, that was all.

No wonder the Pillar of Calamity exists as Loren's chief mage.

Oh, right, there should be one more person.

That's Anzheng.

However, given An Zheng's physical condition... never mind, Lu Cang didn't understand and didn't intend to think about it.

Moreover, I feel quite intimidated if I sit next to a strange level 8 mage.

Iz said, "Let's start today's exchange with the youngest magician."

Lu Cang waved his hand, and several colorful pages appeared on the table.

These are all source notes borrowed from the Mage's Guild and Lloyd's Academy.

"I've been studying some manuscripts by predecessors lately, and I've gained some insights from them..."

The exchange meeting started off smoothly and harmoniously.

However, when other people's thinking aligns with or conflicts with one's own views, it inevitably leads to heated questions.

Even arguments.

As they talked, even Izparut joined the argument.

Iz: "Jackal Pillar, what do you mean by the Origin Theory of Source Matter? Are you saying my Root Magic is wrong?"

Jiezhu: "Hehe, the source matter you deciphered is not the true source matter at all. The true source matter cannot be disintegrated."

"Then your theory of common origin is also full of flaws! What if the magic I construct has its own characteristics, such as Root Magic, how can you prove that my spells and your spells are of the same origin!"

Communication gradually turned into arguing.

After the argument, they each suppressed their dissatisfaction and moved on to discussing the next root cause.

Once the root monks started exchanging ideas, they became somewhat carried away.

When everything is digested and inspiration runs dry.

I only realized then that four days had already passed.

Thinking back on it carefully, I didn't eat anything except that cup of coffee in those four days...

I haven't slept a wink.

After emerging from that state, Lu Cang felt physically exhausted and mentally drained, but his knowledge remained, and everything from the meeting was still vivid in his mind.

Swah——

Lu Cang casually stroked the table, and some meat and water appeared on it.

"Anyway... let's all eat something first."

……

The exchange meeting finally came to an end on November 16th.

Once I got home, I didn't even need to take a shower or get a massage.

He just collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

I sat up in bed in the early morning.

"No wonder... he told me he was going to take the rest of his leave."

However, this exchange did bring a lot of new ideas.

Lu Cang felt that he had finally pried open a crack in the second source magic portal.

"Then... we're going to the White Tower on the 20th to participate in the assessment."

"On the 25th, Iz and the others will set off for the Deep Fall Valley."

We should keep a close eye on the Church of Death's ceremony on December 1st.

Although they have been dealt a heavy blow, with many of their strongholds destroyed and many "sacrifices" rescued,

Their plan has likely failed.

However, we cannot relax in this regard, as it concerns the final sacrifice of the White Descent, and we cannot be too careful.

However, this is none of my business.

【The Palace of Azure - Basement】

Lu Cang modified the basement, covering it with perception restrictions.

No one but yourself can explore inside.

The basement was filled with ritualistic formations and piles of different corpses.

Lu Cang usually kills ants and extracts their souls in the basement.

At the same time, they also experimented with various special rituals learned from forbidden books.

Of course, Lu Cang wouldn't easily draw a ritual here that would bring about a major disaster.

"Uh-"

Several humanoid corpses rushed towards Lu Cang upon seeing him.

Lu Cang casually tossed out a few fireballs.

Blow them away.

"Sigh... So how did they come up with this method?"

After being promoted, the Death Priest gains a ritual to revive the soul of a corpse. By injecting a soul into the corpse, the corpse can be brought back to life and regain some of its former combat power.

However, it was not said that it was controllable.

After trying it out.

Then we discovered that it was indeed out of control.

Once it recovers, it will be unable to distinguish between friend and foe.

Thankfully, I didn't directly revive the corpse of the Sunken-class monster in Knoroa, otherwise I would have become a sinner for all time.

The rituals of the death priests are truly sinister.

If he had to pinpoint its use, Lu Cang could think of one: after activating the corpse of a Sunken Land-level demon, he could immediately make his escape.

Lu Cang could already picture the villain activating the Demon King, leaving behind a string of "hahaha" before disappearing.

In the end, only a few main characters who couldn't run away were left, foolishly fighting the BOSS.

Lu Cang sat down at the table.

Scrolls, potions, hidden weapons, portable ritual array diagrams...

Lu Cang did not entrust the task of preparing the medicine to a level 5 royal pharmacist.

Instead, he found another level 5 apothecary in Knoroa and asked him to concoct a poison using the poison sac and cursed eye of a level 6 sinking monster.

This poison has a strong effect even on 6th-tier monsters and 6th-level job changers.

The Curse of Distortion

A faint barrier appeared around Lu Cang's body, and qi circulated around his body.

Open the bottle cap.

"Mist Release (Tier 2)"

The potion inside the bottle instantly dispersed, turning into purple mist particles that permeated the entire space.

Lu Cang then casually controlled it.

These countless wisps of mist then condensed into a mass of liquid.

"Translucent Color Technique (Tier 2)"

The dark purple liquid turned colorless.

"Hmm... I wonder if I'll ever need it."

Lu Cang then looked at the weapons placed on the side of the table.

"Pennise of Protection", "Dagger of Demon Slayer", "Poisoned Knife"...

Lu Cang picked up a weapon at random and practiced the combat skills he had learned, familiarizing himself with the characteristics of each weapon.

Browsing through banned books, tinkering with forbidden knowledge...

February 20th arrived quickly.

This month passed by uneventfully for most of the time.

Today, Lu Cang finally climbed the White Pagoda.

The White Pagoda is completely off-limits to visitors without permission.

Only scholars recognized by the White Pagoda are qualified to enter.

As for where does this recognition come from?

That was the knowledge test that the White Tower held every six months.

The testing scope is extremely broad, covering monsters, geography, magic, mathematics, life, death, combat skills, creatures, puzzles, plants, the ocean, rituals, souls, stars, lunar phases...

Candidates can choose any area they believe they are good at to take the test.

Furthermore, the White Pagoda has no back door.

No matter who you are, you must pass an examination before you can enter the White Pagoda.

The White Pagoda will not grant special privileges to the ignorant.

However, if someone is highly learned, they wouldn't fail an exam.

The White Pagoda treats everyone equally.

In short... that's how it is, so Lu Cang must also participate in the White Tower's assessment with the vast number of scholars on November 20th.

A towering white tower.

Without a single blemish or stain, it symbolizes the flawless purity of knowledge.

The White Pagoda was originally called the Tower of Scholars, as it was initially only for scholars.

However, it was later decided at a meeting that non-scholarly professionals who switch careers also possess extensive knowledge, and their level of expertise may even far exceed that of ordinary scholars.

They are rightfully entitled to be a member of the White Tower.

Therefore, they began to recruit talents from outside the academic profession.

The Tower of Scholars was officially renamed the White Tower.

The existence of the White Pagoda has made a tremendous contribution to the theoretical progress of the entire world.

Lu Cang did not change his appearance; he entered the tower in his original form.

There's not much point in hiding it here.

Anyway, the truth will definitely be revealed eventually, otherwise, if the candidates and the people who receive the qualifications don't match up, wouldn't that be troublesome?

On the contrary, the flesh magic that alters appearance is something that people try to keep secret if possible.

The first floor of the white pagoda is surrounded by many doors.

Each door corresponds to an assessment of a specific subject.

Lu Cang scanned the area with his senses, intending to undergo a magical test.

But suddenly, their senses detected an incongruous figure.

Child?

Surprisingly, there was a little girl here who was about the same age as me, but half a head shorter.

At this age, could it be someone who has changed jobs?

However, I haven't heard Cumelloni mention recently changing jobs for other people.

The only one I remember is an assassin I've only ever heard of.

Was she the assassin?

No, I couldn't sense any assassin aura from her, and the direction she was heading wasn't related to assassins.

Rather, it's "oceanography".

hum-

As she entered the portal, she vanished. Lu Cang knew absolutely nothing about oceanography, so naturally he wouldn't go with her.

Lu Cang still entered the subject he was best at, magic.

Enter through the door.

It felt as if I had merged into a layer of water, and after passing through the water, I arrived at a space of bizarre colors and light.

"Oh I see."

I heard that the White Tower was a masterpiece built by a Level 7 architect when he passed through Knoroa, and now it seems that it is indeed extraordinary.

Although it wasn't a spectacle, it did feel almost like one.

Please provide a detailed analysis of the following spell based on your own understanding.

[Ice Cone, Fireball, Wind Blade]

These are all basic spells.

"It seems the test is about understanding the essence," Lu Cang thought to himself, and began to answer.

Please explain the basic structure of the spell.

The problem has become abstract...

The first question was about basic spells, while the second had risen to a theoretical level.

However, Lu Cang did have considerable experience in this area, so he continued to answer.

Based on the characteristics of fire magic, please devise a plan for creating water magic, and at least construct a basic form of the spell.

[Time Limit: 60 minutes]

That's so strict.

Creating water magic isn't difficult, but requiring it to be based on the characteristics of fire magic is somewhat limiting.

Moreover, there's a 60-minute time limit to create a basic spell?
Is this a question designed for polymaths?

It's worth noting that the only requirement for a level 3 mage to advance to level 4 is to create a spell.

If you can create a prototype of a spell, how far are you from creating your own spell?

This assessment is far too demanding.

No wonder the pass rate for the White Tower exam is extremely low, and even the pass rate for the Scholar profession itself is not high.

Lu Cang sighed inwardly for a moment, then began to construct the spell.

Coincidentally, the root cause exchange a few days ago gave Lu Cang some insights.

Especially since I've been researching the positive and negative aspects of magic lately, creating magic with opposite elements is a minor issue compared to the root of all evil.

It only took about a minute.

"Heat Wave (Tier 3)" was born from Lu Cang's hands.

Then comes the upgrade, the transcendence.

In the end, Lu Cang submitted "Scorching Heat (Tier 4) (LV: 301)" as his answer.

Please explain the root cause and essence.

Okay, we're not going to act anymore?
Lu Cang feels like... I'm taking the college entrance exam, and you want me to answer how to achieve controlled nuclear fusion?
If I could explain the root cause and essence, would I still be answering your test?

Lu Cang thought for a moment.

I will still use my own reflections on the root causes as my answer.

I'm not afraid for others to know about my thoughts on the root causes, nor am I afraid of them copying them...

Because even if you explain it, it's not something that can be learned.

Especially Root Magic, which cannot be learned by others.

Otherwise, why would those few Root Mage masters sit together and chat for so long?

Lu Cang didn't know the true nature of the root cause.

I can only explain it based on my own understanding.

After answering the last question, Lu Cang handed in his paper, and the assessment came to an end.

The surrounding light gradually faded, and as the light faded, Lu Cang saw a group of people standing around him with pained, anxious and tense expressions.

At first glance, I thought they had suffered some kind of mental torture.

It was only upon closer inspection that I realized he seemed to be struggling to find an answer, scratching his head and racking his brains.

Ah……

Come on.

If everyone's test questions are the same, Lu Cang estimates that most magicians would be doing very well if they could answer the second question.

Leave the examination room.

Lu Cang then saw his name appear on the pillar in the center of the tower.

[Current Score Ranking of the White Pagoda Assessment]

[Lu Cang: 100 points (magic)]

[Yuna: 100 points (Ocean)]

[Abein: 32 points (Monster)]

Yuna?

Lu Cang looked at the little girl who came out of the door from the ocean.

The little girl's first glance fell on the central ranking, and she looked towards the direction of the magic gate.

The moment their eyes met, they knew each other's identities.

Is there anyone who can compare to me?

However, after only glancing at Lu Cang, the little girl immediately walked towards the next door.

"Stars"

Upon seeing this, Lu Cang immediately scanned the area with his senses.

Having found the entrance to the puzzle, this was a subject I, as a puzzle-solving scholar, should excel at.

Please solve the following puzzle.

[Time Limit: 30 minutes]

The surrounding space had transformed into a maze of chaotic cubes, which could be moved, rotated, and translated by thought...

It didn't even specify the conditions for passing the level or what kind of ending the puzzle needed to achieve.

but……

With his high level of spirituality, Lu Cang could easily see the outcome.

Lu Cang quickly rotated and moved the blocks one by one, and solved the problem in less than two minutes.

The solution is now complete.

That's the next question.

Please solve the mystery within.

What appeared in my hands was a book.

"Hidden Secret: The Book of the Moon"

"Hidden Things: A More Detailed Account of the Moon"

"Solution: Master the Kino language, advanced cryptography, and the Star and Moon Decoding technique."

The interpretation of stars and moon is a method of interpretation that combines the stars and the phases of the moon.

Lu Cang looked up at the sky.

Sure enough, the view above turned into night, with stars and the moon hanging overhead.

Lu Cang began his interpretation.

Lu Cang didn't read much of the book's contents; he mainly extracted the key points and deciphered them directly.

After deciphering the code, Lu Cang quickly glanced at it, memorized the information, and then handed in the answer.

hum-

A loud roar followed.

A blank stone tablet appeared before him.

Please decipher the content that has appeared on the stone tablet before.

The stone tablet bears many engraving marks, as well as signs of deliberate vandalism.

There are also some incomplete inscriptions. If we consider the force with which they were carved, the age of the stone tablet, and the damaged patterns...

It might indeed be possible to decipher the content that was once written on it.

One of the principles of decryption scholars is...

Everything that is recorded leaves a trace.

Deciphering is the process of extracting information from these traces of the past.

However, that would be too troublesome.

Lu Cang placed his hand directly on the stone tablet.

"God-level Information Tracing"

Swah——

Every word of the information written on the stone tablet appeared in Lu Cang's mind.

【Ritual: Pure White Descends】

[A ritual to invoke the arrival of white, representing death and destruction.]

Grass……

Don't keep bombarding my mind with weird rituals.

They have already mastered various soul sacrifice rituals and nest descent rituals, and now they have learned the Pure White Descent.

Who exactly is the leader of the cult?
Lu Cang was very suspicious that if he continued to study like this, he might really become the big boss of a cult.

Sigh... this ceremony.

Lu Cang still handed in the ritual. If the decryption were to be graded, he probably already knew the standard answer.

Otherwise, if I just write something random and hand it in, do you expect it to give me full marks?

It's highly likely that the White Pagoda has already taken control of this ritual.

It's just that it hasn't been widely circulated.

Moreover, the requirements for the ritual are quite demanding, requiring the sacrifice of hundreds of billions of theoretically pure and noble souls in order to complete the ritual.

Thinking of this, Lu Cang couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

The soul I now control.

It has indeed already exceeded 80 billion...

Most of them were accumulated on the way to Knoroa, where large waves of monsters would gather from time to time.

Especially on the way to Knoroa, the monster hordes are often much denser in remote, sparsely populated areas.

The ant-infested mountain also became even more ferocious in its attacks.

Iz also wanted to test how large the monster tide could be, and so on...

They pulled off several big attacks along the way.

They finally stopped when they realized the mountain of ants was almost overloaded.

It took a whole day for the Thousand Army Ant Mountain to recover... During that day, the Thousand Army Ant Mountain didn't produce many ants.

This is truly the first time I've ever heard of a monster capable of destroying a nation by exhaustion.

Thanks to this, Lu Cang has accumulated a huge number of souls.

In other words, as long as one accumulates another 200 billion souls, one can initiate the Pure White Descent Ritual to summon the legendary White of Death and Destruction.
Ah……

I'd rather have the leader of the Church of Death do it for me.

The answer is complete.

The fourth mystery also appeared before Lu Cang.

Please select any secret of the world's origin and decipher it.

[Time Limit: 60 minutes]

"Answer nm."

Lu Cang turned and left.

Lu Cang realized that the fourth riddle was not intended to be answered at all.

Moreover, it is estimated that it will not be counted in the score.

I walked out of the examination room and took a look.

[Current Score Ranking of the White Pagoda Assessment]

[Lu Cang: 200 points (Magic, Puzzle)]

[Yuna: 200 points (Ocean, Stars)]

[Abein: 32 points (Monster)]

……

What the hell?
She also got 200 points?
The little girl over there looked at Lu Cang with a shocked expression.

How come he also got 200 points?
The two exchanged a glance, then immediately scanned the surrounding doors.

Lu Cang rushed into the gate of combat techniques.

The little girl, on the other hand, plunged headlong into the study of monsters.

About 20 minutes later.

The two emerged from the door again, looking at the scores on the leaderboard...

[Lu Cang: 300 points (Magic, Puzzle, Combat Skills)]

[Yuna: 300 points (Ocean, Stars, Monsters)]

Who is this guy?
Am I not number one yet?

However, Lu Cang noticed that the time spent solving the problem was also included in the ranking.

I solved the problem a little faster than her, so I came in first place.

but.

Which door should we choose next?

With my current knowledge, I don't seem to have a deep understanding of other portals, and I'm not very confident in my ability to grasp them.

If you have to say it.

My greatest strength is probably... the soul?
Although he was a death priest, he was not as skilled as a pure soul when it came to matters of death.

However, the Death Priests are divided into the Corpse Faction and the Soul Faction.

The difference lies in what is offered as a sacrifice.

Just like mages are divided into fire mages and ice mages, warriors are divided into battle cry warriors, qi gong warriors, and other more detailed styles.

Each has its own subdivisions.

Changing to a certain profession does not necessarily mean you have mastered all aspects of that profession.

Lu Cang gritted his teeth.

Let's talk about the soul.

Indeed, nothing is more suitable than the soul.

Moreover, judging from her expression, she seemed to be starting to hesitate, and probably wasn't as confident as before.

Lu Cang plunged headlong into the gates of the soul.

(End of this chapter)