Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

Horn bent low, his face beaming with smiles.

"Congratulations, Lord Lynn, on your advancement to the Saint Mark! I was so happy when I heard the news that I couldn't sleep for several days. You are a genius, and it was only a matter of time before you were promoted to the Saint Mark. I didn't expect it to happen so quickly."

Lynn looked at him, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

"So what if it's a Sacred Mark? It doesn't even give you the same comfortable life as me."

Horn broke out in a cold sweat, not understanding what Lynn meant. Was he feeling uneasy because he was living too comfortably?

He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and smiled apologetically.

"You jest, sir. These are all worldly and lowly pleasures. How can they compare to your pursuit of the noble path? I'm just drifting through life, taking it one day at a time."

Seeing that Horn's smile was becoming increasingly forced, Lynn stopped teasing him.

"Can the teleportation array reach the thick earth demiplane where the earth's pulsations are located?"

Horn nodded quickly. "It's possible, but not directly to the core. There's a teleportation node deep within the mountains at the easternmost edge of the Northern Territory that can take you directly to the outer edge of the Thick Earth Demiplane."

Lynn nodded.

Horn understood immediately: "I'll adjust it right away."

He turned and walked to the control panel, his fingers tracing the runes.

A moment later, the teleportation array lit up.

Horn stepped aside, head bowed. "My lord, the teleportation array is ready."

Lynn stepped onto the teleportation array and stood still. White light rose from beneath his feet, engulfing his figure.

He disappeared.

Horn slumped into his chair and let out a long sigh.

The woman massaging his legs and the woman fanning him came over; one poured him tea, and the other wiped his sweat.

Horn picked up his teacup, his hand still trembling.

He took a sip of tea, which burned his mouth and made him wince.

Tsk... You can't be so arrogant in the future, you should tone it down.

...

The outer edge of the Thick Earth Hemisphere is a gray-white stone gate, with the emblem of the earth's pulse engraved on the lintel.

A mountain peak, on which grows a towering tree.

A middle-aged wizard in a gray robe stood guard at the teleportation array in front of the stone gate; his strength was at the second ring.

This place is, after all, the gateway to the earth's pulse, representing its prestige, so the level of the wizards stationed here naturally cannot be low.

He wore a silver nameplate on his waist and a badge of the Earth Pulse on his chest.

At that moment, the teleportation array lit up, and a young man wearing a dark purple robe walked out from it.

The middle-aged wizard's pupils contracted slightly.

A dark purple wizard's robe, with a mark on the right chest.

This is... a Stigmata?

And it's a holy mark from the Bone Spire!

But this kid looks so unfamiliar, and he's too young!

Sensing the terrifying mental field around Lynn, the middle-aged wizard had no more doubts about the power of his Holy Mark and quickly stepped forward to bow deeply.

"Sir, welcome to Earth Pulse. Are you here for a visit or just for a stopover?"

Lynn glanced at him. "I'm a Stigmata Wizard from the Bone Spire, and I wish to enter the Earth's Pulse to visit my daughter."

The middle-aged wizard stiffened for a moment.

How come the daughter of the Holy Mark Wizard of the Bone Spire is studying in the Pulse of the Earth?

What? They can't teach you at the Bone Spire? Even your Stigmata-level father can't teach you?

He had never seen or heard of such a thing before.

The stigmata of the Black Wizard Academy, while her daughter studies at a proper wizarding academy?

He dared not ask any more questions, took out a communication crystal from his pocket, and infused it with his mental energy.

A moment later, the crystal lit up.

After hearing the information inside, the middle-aged wizard put away the crystal and bowed to Lynn again.

"Sir, the academy welcomes you. Please follow me."

He turned around and placed his hands on the stone door.

The stone door slowly opened, revealing a gray-white passage behind it.

The passage was very long and seemed to have no end.

The middle-aged wizard walked in front, with Lynn following behind.

The walls on both sides of the passage are inlaid with luminous crystals, casting a soft light on the gray stone slabs.

Lynn could sense that these lights also had a detection function, similar to the "Myriad Races Skull" detection channel in the Bone Spire.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, a light appeared at the end of the passage.

Stepping out of the passage, a wide-open plain came into view.

There are mountains, water, and trees on the plain, and the sky is pale blue with a few white clouds floating by.

As expected of the White Wizard's Academy, the scenery is beautiful and the air is fresh. The environment alone is far superior to the Bone Spire.

Lynn hadn't seen such vibrant colors in a long time.

The underworld is grayish-white, the eternal night graveyard is grayish-black, and the island of death is also grayish-black.

The middle-aged wizard led Lynn across the plains, over several stone bridges, and to a cluster of buildings.

The buildings are gray-white stone buildings connected by stone-paved paths, with low trees planted on both sides of the paths, and small white flowers blooming on the trees, making them look extremely elegant.

Wizards and apprentices from the academy walked past Lynn; some stopped, some glanced sideways, and some whispered among themselves.

They saw the middle-aged wizard, and they also saw Lynn.

The middle-aged wizard is a second-circle deacon of the Earth Pulse, responsible for peripheral reception. He will only personally guide important figures when they arrive.

He walked ahead, head bowed, his attitude respectful.

Lynn followed behind him, wearing a dark purple robe, her expression calm.

A young man in a gray apprentice robe tugged at the sleeve of his companion next to him.

"Who is that person? Why is the steward leading the way himself?"

Lynn's companion glanced at his robe, his pupils contracting slightly. "Don't look at him, keep your head down and walk."

The young man lowered his head and walked quickly past Lynn.

In a corner of the academy, Lin Shu was leaning against a low tree, holding a book in her hand.

Lin Shu is fourteen years old this year. She has long, dark brown hair, which is tied into a ponytail and hangs down behind her head.

Her eyes were dark brown, her skin was very fair, and her face had a youthful innocence.

She wore a greyish-white apprentice robe with ochre-colored embroidery.

A young man was standing opposite Lin Shu.

He was wearing a dark blue robe embroidered with gold patterns, which looked quite expensive.

His hair was neatly combed, and he had a smile on his face, but the smile was fake.

He is Wardfa, the son of Warren, the Third Ring Archmage, and a third-class apprentice in the Pulse of the Earth, stuck for many years.

"Lin Shu, come with me to the social gathering tonight." Ward's voice was loud enough for several apprentices passing by to hear.

Lin Shu lowered her head, looking at the book in her hands.

"Senior brother, I still need to cultivate tonight; I haven't finished the homework assigned by our mentor."

Ward waved his hand dismissively. "It's alright, I'll talk to Father. If he knows you're with me, he certainly won't blame me."

Lin Shu shook her head again. "Senior brother, you know I don't like these kinds of social events; they're meaningless."

Ward's smile faded slightly, and he took a step forward, getting closer to Lin Shu.

"Lin Shu, are you trying to embarrass me? My father allocates so many cultivation resources to you every month, and you won't even accompany me to a social gathering?"

Lin Shu's fingers clenched tightly on the spine of the book. "Senior brother, I really want to cultivate."

Wardfa leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Lin Shu, you are my father's student, you will be my woman in the future, you can't escape."

"If you disobey, I will have my father reduce your cultivation resources. Think it over carefully."

Lin Shu's lips were trembling.

She wanted to refuse again, but she didn't dare.

The cultivation resources of the Earth Pulse are strictly allocated. Without Warren's support, she would receive far less.

This significant reduction was enough to drastically slow down her progress towards becoming a full-fledged wizard.

Should I...give in?