Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

The dramatic turn of events on the field struck everyone like a heavy blow.

Not only were the wizards who had retreated to the sidelines dumbfounded, but even Dago himself raised his eyebrows almost imperceptibly.

His turbulent mental energy field had not yet completely subsided, and he was originally prepared for a head-on confrontation.

If this old tree bark doesn't know what's good for it, we can simply cut off its roots and replace the gatekeeper to force our way through.

Who would have thought that the ancient tree, who was so arrogant just a moment ago, would kneel down on one knee before him and even give up the title of "the only one to pass the test".

"So, your greedy and arrogant attitude just now was all an act?"

A hint of mockery flashed in Dago's eyes as he slowly closed his fingers and asked in a cold voice.

The gatekeeper treant, Tataka, maintained his humble posture, a fawning smile squeezing out from his huge, rough wooden face, shaking his head repeatedly: "It's not all a pretense, esteemed sir."

"The little trinkets they offered did indeed please me, but all I could offer in return was a very basic entry-level spot."

"Anyway... under the glorious light of the 'Three Towers,' fools like them who try to take shortcuts will be ruthlessly eliminated in the next round sooner or later."

"The Three Towers?"

Dargo keenly caught the unfamiliar term, his gaze darkening slightly. Dargo wasn't indifferent; he maintained an instinctive alertness to the unknown structure of high-level wizarding power, gathering pieces of the puzzle for his later exploration of the secret realm.

However, the gatekeeper tree seemed to have touched on some taboo and refused to reveal another word.

It silently stretched out its thorny vines, tearing the dark blue vortex entrance on its chest even larger, the thick wood fibers snapping with a muffled "crackling" sound.

"You should go in now, sir."

Tataka pressed his head close to the soil, urging respectfully, "Once you truly step into the Spirit Mirror Lake, you will naturally find all the answers you seek."

Dago didn't waste any more words. With a slight thought, he suppressed the violent mental energy field around him, comparable to that of a fourth-ring miracle wizard, back into his body.

Immediately, he stepped out of his boots and without hesitation into the rapidly spinning blue vortex in the tree-man's chest.

The moment his body completely disappeared into the space, the spatial entrance behind him snapped shut like the jaws of a giant beast.

In the final instant the passage closed, Dago faintly heard the gatekeeper treant Tataka's expression change instantly, unleashing a furious roar at the group of trial participants outside: "Enough! You useless idiots! The game is over. Spirit Mirror Lake is destined to be out of your reach. Get out of here before I use you as fertilizer!"

The experience of passing through a spatial portal is like pushing open a heavy wooden door and suddenly stepping from a stuffy, murky, enclosed cellar into an open, unshielded wilderness.

A strong sense of weightlessness, accompanied by blinding cold light flooding the retina, brings a strange tearing sensation.

After a brief period of dizziness, Dago regained his balance in mid-air.

He found that he had successfully arrived at "Mirror Lake".

To be more precise, this is a secret space called Spirit Mirror Lake, completely independent of the material world.

"Look at this scale. This is the foundation a super-large wizarding power should have. Dago, this place is quite suitable for you."

Arajan's rare, somewhat relaxed, sigh echoed in my mind.

Dagger ignored the old wizard's idle chatter. He hovered in mid-air, his gaze sweeping across the surrounding environment with lightning speed.

He is currently in an extremely bright high altitude.

There were no clouds overhead, nor any trace of celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, or stars.

The cold white light that illuminated the entire vast secret realm seemed to defy common sense, seeping directly from every crevice of the void.

The air inhaled into the lungs was exceptionally fresh, even carrying a slightly cool, minty aroma. What was even more striking was that the air was evenly and densely distributed with free energy particles of various systems at extremely high concentrations.

Above the cold white sky, countless blue spatial rifts, resembling single eyes, appeared to have been cut open by some sharp blade.

Thousands of trial wizards, just like he had just done, were randomly spat out from those gaps after passing the tests of various gatekeepers outside.

Some people hovered steadily using wind magic or flying devices, while others, who were slightly weaker, fell straight down amidst gasps of alarm.

The figures were densely packed, like swarms of flying ants returning to their nests before winter, filling this desolate space.

Directly below, as everyone looks down, lies an enormous, tranquil, azure lake, as smooth as a perfect glass mirror.

The reason it is barely defined as a "lake" is because when Dago looks into the distance, he can clearly see its distant physical boundaries.

There stand countless majestic, undulating mountains, their peaks closely connected, like a giant stone bowl, perfectly enclosing this vast expanse of clear water in its center.

Tranquil, profound, and vibrant.

It was a profound sense of tranquility that reached the depths of the soul, and it was also Dago's first impression of Lingjing Lake.

The vast lake surface, smooth as a mirror of the sky, was not disturbed by even the slightest ripple.

In the very center of the lake, three enormous logos, radiating brilliant light, floated.

They are rotating at a constant, slow speed, tracing a perfect circular path above the lake surface.

Dago squinted and examined them closely. They were three totems formed from pure energy: a blazing, burning sun flame, a crystal-clear drop of deep blue water, and a crescent moon as black as ink.

According to the information Jason provided earlier, these three totems correspond to the three major pillar schools within Spirit Mirror Lake, which are also the absolute core of the entire force.

"Flame represents the explosion of magic, symbolizing inevitable destruction and battle. This is the most radical warlike school of thought in Spirit Mirror Lake."

"The water droplet represents profound knowledge and symbolizes wisdom as vast as the boundless ocean. They advocate the endless acquisition of knowledge and are a school of scholars focused purely on the study of truth."

"The Black Moon represents the mystery of the soul. This school of thought is secretive and low-key, focusing on spiritual power and specializing in deep meditation in order to explore the ultimate mysteries of the soul dimension."

Dago looked down at the three totems from his high vantage point, his mind racing.

His own foundation has always followed the extreme violence route of ancient war magic wizards.

If given the freedom to choose, based on instinctive compatibility, his first instinct would naturally be to join the Fire School, which is in charge of killing and warfare.

But reason told him that he had only obtained an admission ticket and had not even passed the real entry selection. It was too far in the future to consider faction affiliation.