Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

The night was deep, and the starlight was dim.

Ian stood by the window of his residence, holding a dark red bone talisman in his hand.

The surface of the talisman was engraved with twisted patterns, and a small, dark crystal was inlaid in the center.

This is a [Bloodline Communication Talisman] obtained through special channels from the black market on an outer island.

It can only be used once, and the transmitted information will be automatically destroyed after being read.

But it's discreet enough and safe enough.

He closed his eyes and probed the talisman with his spiritual power.

The image of her father, Latour, appeared in her mind.

He looks much younger than he did a few years ago, and his eyes are even sharper.

It exudes the majesty and ambition of a first-level bloodline sorcerer.

"Father……"

Ian muttered to himself as he began to inscribe information into the talisman.

The first section is a resource list.

"10 Refined Bloodline Essence Potions can help advanced apprentices break through bloodline bottlenecks and reach level one."

"One Level 1 Protective Wizard Array Core, combined with the family castle's ley lines, can withstand a full-force attack from a Level 1 peak wizard for three hours."

"5000 standard magic stones, for daily training and emergencies."

"One copy of the Bloodline Purification Manuscript, which records Ian's understanding of the essence of bloodlines and is of great help to the family's sorcerers."

The second paragraph is a warning.

"Resources have been exhausted; this is my last donation."

"Family expansion should proceed slowly; three kingdoms are sufficient. Do not be greedy."

"Turbulence is brewing in the wizarding world. In the future, I will no longer care about my family."

"In the event of an insurmountable crisis... one may abandon the castle, go into hiding, and prioritize the preservation of one's bloodline."

The third paragraph is the last sentence.

"The road has been paved; how far you can go is up to you."

"Take care of yourself."

Ian opened his eyes, a wisp of pale golden flame igniting at his fingertips, which he touched the edge of the talisman.

The surface of the talisman glowed with a dark red light, as if blood was flowing within it.

Three seconds later, the light went out.

The talisman turned into a handful of ashes and slipped through his fingers.

The ashes vanished completely in mid-air before they even hit the ground, leaving not a trace of energy fluctuation.

"It's been sent out?"

A squawking bird flew over from the windowsill and landed on Ian's shoulder.

The small eyes stared at the dissipating ashes, a hint of doubt flashing in the heterochromatic pupils.

"Um."

Ian turned around and sat down at the desk.

A thick notebook lay open on the table, containing all the insights gained over the years regarding potions, witchcraft, and cultivation.

He turned to the last page, picked up his pen, and wrote a few lines:

"The way of bloodline lies in purity."

After finishing writing, he closed his notebook and stored it in his dimensional ring.

From then on, family matters... had nothing to do with him anymore.

It wasn't that he was heartless; the path of a wizard is simply like this.

Loneliness, danger, determination, and a journey undertaken alone.

"Where to next, Gaga?" Gaga asked.

"Go see the tower master."

Ian stood up and straightened his dark blue robe.

"There are some things... that need to be explained."

The Shadow Moon Tower, with its top-floor observatory.

This is the private domain of Tower Master Morton; no one may set foot here without permission.

Ian stood at the entrance to the observatory, raising his hand to press against the cold stone door.

The stone gate was engraved with intricate star and moon runes, which were now emitting a faint silver light.

"Elder Ian Marcus requests an audience with the Tower Master."

The sound was calm, yet it clearly penetrated deep into the stone gate.

Three seconds later, the stone door slid open silently.

Inside was a vast starry sky.

It's not an illusion.

It is real, a starry sky projection forcibly fixed to the top of the tower by witchcraft.

The stars spun slowly overhead, and the Milky Way flowed like a ribbon, radiating a cold and eternal brilliance.

In the center of the observatory, there stood a person.

He wore a deep purple robe, his silver hair was loose, and his back was as straight as a pine tree.

With his back to Ian, he looked up at the starry sky, as if he had become one with the sea of ​​stars.

"Come in."

The voice was aged, yet it possessed a strange penetrating power, as if it could resonate directly in the depths of one's soul.

Ian stepped onto the observatory.

The stone gate slowly closed behind them.

The ground beneath your feet is transparent, allowing you to see the layered tower structure below, and the miniature continent of Anoria in the distance.

"sit."

Lord Morton did not turn around, but simply pointed to a stone chair next to him.

The stone chair is carved from a single piece of star marrow rock, and its surface shimmers with a faint silver sheen.

Ian sat down as instructed.

He shrank his neck and looked around warily with his small eyes.

It can sense...

Every star in this space is real.

Each ray of light contains terrifying elemental power.

A level three archmage, whose body is completely elementalized.

Apart from extremely special witchcraft and soul-annihilating curse attacks, it has no other fatal weaknesses.

"You've been promoted to level two."

The tower master of Morton suddenly spoke, his tone calm, as if stating a fact.

Ian felt a chill run down his spine, but his expression remained calm.

"Yes."

There is no denial, nor is there any need to deny it.

In the face of a level three archmage, no amount of disguise is of any use.

"The Protoss ruins... have given you many benefits."

Morton Tower Master finally turned around.

It was an old face, with deep, knife-cut wrinkles.

But those eyes...

Deep within the pupils, the entire swirling sea of ​​stars is reflected, as if it could suck one's soul in.

"Morton, the Eye of the Stars".

This title is truly well-deserved!

"Just lucky," Ian replied.

"Just lucky?"

A faint smile appeared on Morton Tower's lips.

"To survive the combined attack of Bazar and Silas, and ultimately turn the tables... that's no fluke."

"To survive the combined attack of Bazar and Silas, and ultimately turn the tables... that's no fluke."

He walked over to Ian and sat down on another stone chair.

The two were three meters apart, with a flowing, illusory galaxy between them.

"Just tell me straight, what do you want from me?"

Morton Tower's master got straight to the point.

"I want to redeem the fourth level of 'Starry Night Festival'."

Ian was equally direct.

"The fourth floor..."

Morton Tower Master narrowed his eyes slightly.

"That's theoretically possible... to reach the fourth level of Morning Star. With your current level, it's still a long way off."

"But I need it."

Ian raised his right hand and took out a dark silver metal token from his dimensional ring.

The token is palm-sized and bears the emblem of the Withered Council: a black tombstone.

On the back, a string of incomplete coordinates is engraved in the language of the Abyss.

"The Abyss Rift, the Seventh Spiral Arm, the Ash Wasteland..."

The last two-thirds of the text was deliberately erased.

"This is what I got from Silas."

Ian placed the token on the illusory image of the starry river between the two of them.

"The coordinates of a hidden resource point of the Withering Council are incomplete, but with the Tower Master's abilities... we should be able to deduce its approximate location."

Master Morton stared at the token, the speed at which the starry sea in his eyes seemed to flow faster.

Three seconds later, he slowly nodded.

"It's worth enough."

"But I need to confirm... the authenticity of the coordinates."

He raised his withered right hand, his five fingers making a grasping motion.

The token flew into his palm.

Morton Tower Master closed his eyes and probed the depths of the token with his spiritual power.

Silence fell over the observatory.

The only sounds were the faint hum of the stars spinning overhead and the barely audible wind blowing from the continent beneath my feet.

Gaga gripped Ian's shoulder tightly, its feathers ruffled slightly.

It can sense...

That vast, star-like spiritual power was analyzing every bit of information in the token at an alarming speed.

Ten minutes later.

Morton Tower Master opened his eyes.

The starry sea in my eyes calmed down, returning to a deep black.

"The coordinates are real."

He put away the token and looked at Ian.

"Although it's incomplete, it's enough for Shadowmoon to find that area."

"I can give you the fourth level of the Starry Night Festival."

"But there's a condition."

"Please speak," Ian said, his expression unchanged.

"Leave the East Coast."

The tower master's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

"You killed Bazar and Silas, but the Crimson Court and the Withering Council are still relatively safe."

"But... the Undying Heart is also investigating Gunnar's cause of death."

"A force with a level four Morning Star Wizard at its helm... Shadowmoon cannot protect you."

Even without the Morning Star Wizard's intervention, Morton would be unable to withstand the attack if only a few level-three Archmages were dispatched.

Ian remained silent.

He already knew these things.

But for the tower master to say it means...

The storm is really coming.

"I understand." He nodded.

"I will leave after I get the fourth floor."

"very good."

Lord Morton raised his hand and gently traced a line in the air with his five fingers.

A thin crack appeared in the space.

A thick, silvery-white book slowly flew out from the crack.

The cover of the book is engraved with four characters in star runes.

"Star Festival".

The pages of the book turned automatically.

Inside were densely packed, flowing silver text and diagrams.

Every stroke and line seems to be formed from starlight, radiating a heart-stirring, rhythmic energy.

"The fourth floor is here."

The Morton Tower points to the last part of the text.

"You can only watch it once. How much you can remember depends on your comprehension."

Ian took a deep breath, and his mental energy surged forth like a tide, probing into the ancient texts.

hum!

My consciousness was instantly pulled into a vast sea of ​​stars.

It is no longer a projection.

It is a real, boundless universe.

Stars swirl all around, galaxies collide in the distance, and black holes devour everything in the abyss...

And in the deepest part of the starry sea.

Four enormous stars are slowly moving along some mysterious trajectory.

The light they emitted illuminated the entire universe.

It also illuminated... the path to the fourth-order morning star.

"The stars resonate, and the rules manifest."

"Use the body as the guide, and the soul as the bridge."

"Gathering the morning star, illuminating all realms..."

A vast amount of information flooded into my consciousness.

Ian gritted his teeth, and the pale golden crystallized core in his mental sea spun wildly.

Forcibly imprint all information deep within the soul.

Once.

Twice.

Three times...

The classic texts were put together.

The silvery-white light dissipated and flew back into the spatial rift.

The crack closed.

The observatory has returned to silence.

Ian slowly opened his eyes.

Deep within his pupils, the pale golden starlight shone even brighter, and the more complex points of light slowly rotated.

"Did you remember?" Morton Tower Master asked.

"I've got it." Ian nodded.

Actually, he didn't remember it at all; the panel recorded it completely for him.

It was ten times more effective than his own.

The core cultivation methods and key rules have been imprinted into your soul by the panel.

That's enough for him to cultivate to the fourth level of Morning Star.

"Your talent...is truly exceptional!"

Morton Tower stood up, walked back to the edge of the observatory, and looked up at the starry sky.

"Since you're leaving the East Coast... how much do you know about the Central Continent?"

All I know is that it's the heart of wizarding civilization, more prosperous than Anoria, but also more dangerous.

Ian answered truthfully.

"Prosperity? Danger?"

Master Morton chuckled, his voice carrying a complex meaning.

He raised his hand and pointed to the brightest star overhead.

"The Central Continent, also known as the 'Ancestral Land of Wizards'."

"Its area... is more than ten million times that of Anoria, and its resources are so abundant that you can't even imagine."

"Level 4 Morning Star Wizards are just the backbone there."

"Level 5 Radiant Moon, Level 6 Bright Sun, and even the legendary Level 7 True Spirit... all exist."

Ian's eyes narrowed slightly.

Is Level 4 just the middle level?

That higher level...

"But correspondingly, the competition is also extremely fierce."

Morton Tower Master withdrew his hand and turned to look at Ian.

"There, killing for resources is commonplace, and power struggles are a daily occurrence."

"There are no unified laws, no order, only the survival of the fittest."

"These so-called major powers on the East Coast... are not even third-rate in the Central Continent."

He paused, his eyes sparkling like a sea of ​​stars.

"Going there could be an opportunity, or it could be a dead end."

"But I suggest you go."

"Why?" Ian asked.

"because……"

A faint, almost self-deprecating smile appeared on Morton Tower's lips.

"If you stay on the East Coast, you're destined to only reach level three."

"The resources, knowledge, rules... the limits here are limited."

"And your potential... goes far beyond this."

He looked at Ian with deep eyes.

"The ruins of Ascalon contain the legacy of the Protoss, and I presume you..."

"All of these factors ensure that you will never be mediocre."

"The Central Continent is where you should go."

Ian remained silent.

Did the tower master know that he had seized the greatest benefit from the ruins?

No, it should be that we only vaguely sensed something was wrong.

But enough.

"I see."

He stood up and bowed slightly to the Lord of Morton Tower.

"Thank you for your guidance, Tower Master."

"No need."

The master of Morton Tower waved his hand.

"It's just a transaction."

"You gave me the coordinates, I gave me the legacy."

"We're even."

He turned around and looked up at the starry sky again.

His silhouette appeared somewhat lonely under the starlight.

"Before you leave, remember to return the core elder authority of Shadowmoon."

"From the tower... I will announce to the public that you have gone on a trip to an outer island and your return date is uncertain."

"I will try my best to delay dealing with the Crimson Royal Court and the Withering Council."

"But how long can 'The Undying Heart' hold out... I'm not sure."

"clear."

Ian bowed again.

Then he turned and walked toward the stone gate.

As I reached the door, Morton Tower Master's voice came from behind me.

"Ian."

He stopped and turned around.

The silver-haired old man still had his back to him, gazing up at the starry sky.

But the sound came through clearly.

"To reach the Central Continent alive."

"And then...we went even further."

"Let me see what kind of reputation a wizard from Shadowmoon can make there."

Ian was silent, then slowly nodded.

"I definitely will."

The stone door slid open, and he stepped out of the observatory and into the long corridor.

The stone gate closed behind him, isolating him from that vast sea of ​​stars.

It also severed... the last link of cause and effect on the East Coast.

A soft, creaking sound came from his shoulder.

"Ian, are we going to the Central Continent?"

"Um."

"Is it... dangerous there?"

"It's very dangerous."

"Do we even make it there alive?"

Ian paused slightly.

Then, continue forward.

"able."

The voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness.

"We must be able to."

Because of the wizard's path...

It was only right that a path to heaven should be forged through blood and fire.