Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

Even after the Rift Crisis, the Leap's voyage was far from peaceful.

On the seventh day, we traversed the outer perimeter of the "Storm Corridor".

The gray-black cloud wall reached thousands of meters high, with lightning inside rolling like giant snakes, and the ship's protective shield screeched as it rubbed against the storm.

On the deck, six level-two guardian wizards stood in their positions and simultaneously formed hand seals.

A pale blue six-pointed star array lit up the bottom of the ship, stubbornly withstanding the tearing of the hurricane.

Ian stood behind the porthole, watching quietly.

A glimmer of light flickers at the fingertip—a sign that the [Gravity Collapse Sphere] is poised to unleash its power.

In the end, however, he did not intervene, and the storm was stopped by the Giant Sail Alliance's guards.

On the thirteenth day, we flew over "Bone Eagle Gorge".

The entire sky was obscured by dense shadows.

Tens of thousands of skeletal eagles with wingspans exceeding five meters circled, their eye sockets burning with eerie green soul fire.

They are gregarious undead birds, extremely sensitive to the scent of living things.

"Prepare the dispelling potion!"

Derek's voice rang out over the loudspeaker, and on the deck, fifty liquefaction wizards simultaneously tossed out pale yellow powder.

The powder exploded in the air, turning into a pungent sulfurous fumes.

The flock of bone eagles let out sharp cries and scattered.

However, three Tier 2 Bone Eagle Kings still broke through the smoke and pounced on the ship.

The three level-two guards attacked simultaneously, unleashing a pillar of fire, a lightning spear, and an ice storm.

In three seconds, the Bone Eagle King was blown to pieces.

Ian remained meditating in the cabin, his little head tilted to one side as he watched the battle outside the window.

"Ian, are we really not going to need any help?"

"It's not time for us to make a move yet."

Ian closed his eyes, and the pale golden crystal in his mind slowly rotated.

The energy from the star core fragments is seeping into the crystal bit by bit, and the process of transforming spiritual energy into elements is steadily progressing.

1%...1.5%...2%...

Time passed amidst the voyages and occasional attacks.

A month and a half has passed, and the journey is more than halfway over.

At the end of the endless sea, the outline of land can be vaguely seen.

The gray-black mountains, like the spine of a giant beast, stretch across the horizon.

The eastern border of the central continent is already faintly visible.

Ian awoke from deep meditation.

Opening his eyes, he saw that the silver starlight deep within his pupils was even brighter than it had been a month ago.

He raised his hand, palm up.

With a surge of spiritual energy, a pale golden crystalline phantom condensed in his palm.

The surface of the crystal is covered with a thin layer of silver star trail patterns.

Like cracks spreading across ice, it represents the assimilation of rules and the beginning of qualitative change.

"6%..." Ian muttered to himself.

It was almost twice as fast as expected; the effects of the star core fragments far exceeded expectations.

The squeaky bird emerged from the shadows and landed on the edge of the table.

The little paws were pawing at the thick roll of parchment.

"Ian, you've been looking at this for three days now. Is this... really that important?"

"Yes, it's very important."

Ian picked up the parchment, his fingertips tracing the dark gold threads.

As the paper roll unfolds, dense text and charts come into view.

This is not just simple information.

It is precious information that Adele collected, organized, and analyzed bit by bit.

It is a complete map of the Just family succession struggle.

Ian's gaze fell on the first page.

The Juster family, rulers of seventeen cities and three territories in the East.

The strongest: Allist Just, a level four Morning Star Wizard.

He has been missing for nearly a century, and no one knows where he went.

Perhaps he is traversing the outer void, seeking a breakthrough.

The current patriarch, Titus Just (Edal's father), is suspected of being afflicted by a bloodline curse and is in a deep coma.

The Council of Elders: Nine Level 3 Archmages who hold the reins of the family.

Successors: There are currently ten heirs in line, and Adele Just is now seventh in line.

Third from last.

Ian tapped his fingers lightly on the table, a Level 4 Morning Star...

He sensed the lingering aura of a Level 4 being within the Protoss ruins.

The giant hand that crushed the Protoss altar felt... to be at least a level five wizard.

However, a level four wizard is already a terrifying existence capable of establishing a power and having a lifespan of up to five thousand years.

"This family... their foundation is truly terrifying; they've produced more than one Morning Star Wizard!"

Gaga came closer, its little eyes scanning the words.

"Isn't Adele in a bad position? She's ranked seventh."

"It really is terrible." Ian turned to the next page.

Family culture: Emphasis on contracts, heritage, and achievements; ruthless internal struggles, but maintaining a respectable facade.

In particular... they take pride in the 'ancestral bloodline'.

He paused, then looked at Gaga.

"When a Morning Star Wizard advances to the next level, their bloodline will be restored, strengthening their immediate family members within two generations."

"This means... that the heirs of the Just family have a huge advantage from the start."

Gaga tilted her head, "Does Adele have one too?"

Ian closed his eyes slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "There should be."

It is highly likely that Adel, through her bloodline talent, saw through Ian's disguise.

They even... discovered Ian's actual age.

Ian continued reading; this was the most important content, marked with a red line by Adele.

Election evaluation has four dimensions.

First, strength and foundation, weighted at 30%.

Below the text are detailed annotations, not just a simple "who is better at fighting".

It is a comprehensive assessment of realm, actual combat, contractors, resource reserves, etc.

Level 2 wizard is the threshold.

A level three wizard... wins with a perfect score.

Ian's gaze fell on the "Adele" column.

Level: Mid-stage of Level 2, acceptable, but without any advantage.

Practical assessment: Clan Colosseum, a gauntlet battle against three-headed, late-stage Tier 2 monsters.

Objective: To test combat skills, tactical wisdom, and mindset in dire situations.

Bonus points: If the invited "guest advisors/allies" fight together and perform amazingly, it will be counted towards the heir's "recognizing people/winning them over" ability.

Ian's eyes narrowed slightly. The Colosseum...

Three-headed, late-stage Tier 2 monsters, a gauntlet battle, is a life-or-death test for mid-stage Tier 2 monsters.

But if he could fight alongside us...

Ian immediately shook his head. It was too dangerous; he decided to wait and see.

In addition to the candidates' own abilities, there is also the assessment of the contractors.

The Just family values ​​contractual partners, believing them to be a litmus test of an heir's ability to "manage the strong."

Evaluation criteria: Contractor rank, bloodline potential, and rapport with the heir.

Ian's lips curved slightly.

This, he and Gaga... might become Adele's trump card.

He is not a contractor, but as a "deep collaborator" he fights, the effect is the same.

Furthermore, Gaga's [Shadow Messenger] bloodline will be regarded as a 'rare potential stock' by the elders.

Gaga puffed out its little chest, its feathers slightly ruffled.

"Of course! I am the messenger of shadows!"

Ian rubbed its little head and turned to the next page: Resource Acquisition and Networking, weight 30%.

Guest/ally quality.

Each heir may invite up to six 'non-family members' as allies to attend the election.

Evaluation criteria: personal strength, affiliated faction, and depth of connection with the heir.

Ian's gaze was deep; he was currently at the early stage of level two, and his apparent strength was slightly weaker.

But his true strength... once his mental energy elementalization reaches 10%, he should be comparable to a late-stage level two expert.

Moreover... with Gaga's help, the outcome is still uncertain.

Adeline had always wanted to win him over, not only because she valued his abilities.

Competitors need to prove their ability to introduce "new resource channels" to the family.

He never revealed his identity as a potion master on the spaceship.

"Adeline doesn't know about my abilities in this area. Perhaps... this is a breakthrough."

Ian was confident that if given any new potion recipe, he would definitely give Adele a surprise.

He tapped the parchment lightly with his fingers.

Adele herself knew very well that she was weak in this area.

To this day, she has yet to recruit a single second-tier resource-producing wizard.

But perhaps... he can make up for some of it.

Ian's gaze was focused as he looked at the last page.

Two years later, the candidates will face off in the final battle, which will have a weight of 40%.

The election took place in a family-owned, undeveloped historical site.

All competitors enter the ruins for a final life-or-death battle (or a points-based system).

This is also a clash of the full strength of the candidates.

Ian's eyes darkened slightly.

The ruins... a life-or-death struggle... two years.

He can participate directly as an ally, or he can choose not to, depending on Adel's early performance and the strength of the team at the time.

As for the election process, he only glanced at it and remembered a few key dates.

Within seven days of returning to her family, Adele must submit a list of allies, proof of resources, and materials demonstrating her strength.

The elders' initial assessment is that Ian needs to undergo a "background check" in front of the family elders.

Next came the initial practical assessment, which took place a month after Edel returned to her family.

After completing the initial qualification test, you will be granted two years of development time.

Two years later, the final battle for the ruins begins.

Edel needs to gather all her "allies" within two years to enter the ruins. Finally, the elders will combine the scores from the three rounds to select the top two to enter the final showdown.

Ian closed the parchment and pondered for a long time.

Gaga tilted her head and asked, "Ian, are we going to fight so many people for Adele?"

"uncertain."

Ian stood up and walked to the porthole.

Outside the window, the outline of the central continent became increasingly clear.

The mountains are like knives, cutting through the sky.

"First, pass the qualification review, then the practical assessment. As for the legacy two years later..."

He turned around and looked at Gaga.

"Back then, if I hadn't been so lucky... I should have already reached the late stage of level two."

"You... have already reached level two."

Gaga's eyes lit up. "Eternal Shadow Remnants!"

"Even if there's no wreckage, I'll find another way."

Ian's eyes gleamed; two years was enough time to break the limits of the Bloodline Purification Technique at least once.

At that time, with countless high-quality blood essences, it will be able to push Gaga to the second tier.

"So, whether or not to get involved in this mess... depends on our strength two years from now."

He unfolded the parchment again and turned to the last few pages.

There, you'll find information about several of Adele's main competitors.

The eldest brother, Edmund Just (first in line), is at the mid-level of level two. His familiar is unknown. He is skilled in time magic and has the deepest development of his ancestral bloodline.

She is a deep and unpredictable person, never showing her emotions, and possesses strong maternal influence.

Ian's eyes narrowed slightly.

Time magic...

This kind of witchcraft, which initially involves rules, is extremely rare and extremely dangerous.

Second brother Edwin Just (second in line), mid-level Tier 2, specializes in lightning magic.

He appears gentle and refined on the surface, but is actually extremely cruel.

He once turned a disobedient servant into a lightning puppet, which still wailes in the family dungeon to this day.

He raised a late-stage Tier 2 Thunderhawk and secretly allied with his third brother, Adrian.

Ian tapped his fingers lightly.

Lightning-type... has strong attack power and fast speed. When combined with a late-stage second-tier lightning eagle, it is indeed difficult to deal with.

The third son, Adrian Just (third in line).

At the early stage of level two, he raises wind and thunder-type familiars. He is greedy, short-sighted, and bullies the weak while fearing the strong. On the surface, he is attached to Edwin and acts as his henchman.

Ian quickly glanced over him; this kind of person posed little threat.

Fifth sister Ashia Just (fourth in line).

Level 2, early stage, part-time potion maker, low-key and neutral, with no obsession with the position of clan leader, only wanting to preserve his own lineage.

Ian's gaze paused. A potion master...

Perhaps, it's worth trying.

But Adele added a note next to the document.

"Fifth Sister appears to be neutral, but she actually has an old grudge against Eldest Brother. She can be used, but she cannot be completely trusted."

Ian took a deep breath, closed the parchment, and stored it in his dimensional ring.

"My current timidity and hesitation are actually... all due to a lack of strength."

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the pale golden crystal slowly rotated, its surface shimmering with star trails and flowing silver light.

The 6% elementalization of mental energy is sufficient to cope with the challenges of the mid-stage of level two.

But... that's far from enough.

It nuzzled against his shoulder and rubbed against his cheek.

"Ian, are we really going to move into that big family's place?"

"Um."

"Will there be many rules?"

"Probably."

"So... will we be able to get enough to eat?"

Ian's lips curved slightly.

"able."

"Not only can you eat your fill..."

He looked out the window, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"You also need to eat well."

Seven Degrees of Sunset Red's masterpiece, "Wizard: My Skills Can Break Through Infinitely," click to read now!