Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

At number 12 Golden Oak Street, only one crystal wall lamp is lit in the underground laboratory.

The light focused on one corner of the lab bench, like a small, isolated island in the deep sea.

When Adele pushed open the door, she felt relaxed all over as soon as she entered.

She took off her dark purple wizard robe and casually draped it over the back of the chair, her movements somewhat weary.

"The elders' mediation... has temporarily stabilized the situation."

She walked to the opposite side of the lab bench and sat down, her fingers unconsciously tracing the surface.

Ian opened his eyes from his meditation, and Gaa on his shoulder tilted its head, its silver-gray pupils shimmering slightly in the shadows.

"What are your plans for the next two years?"

This concerns his future spiritual practice plans, so it's best not to take up too much of his time.

Edel took a deep breath, took a roll of parchment from her dimensional ring, and spread it out on the table.

The paper was filled with dozens of names, each followed by a description of their abilities, position, and... the resources they could mobilize.

"I need more power, so... I'll continue expanding."

She tapped a few names with her fingertips, a light touch that carried a certain decisive force.

"With the current manpower, we can't handle the situation. I need more eyes, more ears, and more... people who can step up at critical moments."

Ian glanced at the list, his gaze landing on the labels "Level One Wizard" and "Advanced Apprentice".

"So you plan to..."

"I need your help to continue refining first-tier potions."

Adele looked up, her deep blue eyes filled with hope, reflecting a dark golden glow under the lamplight.

"【Starlight Potion】, 【Rock Bear Potion】... and the 【Dream Potion】 you mentioned before."

She paused, "These three first-tier potions are enough to drive advanced apprentices, or even first-tier wizards, mad."

We can use them to win over smaller families and cultivate our own power base.

Ian paused for a moment, then walked to the temperature control cabinet in the corner of the laboratory and opened the door.

Cool air mixed with the fragrance of herbs wafted out, and on the left side of the cabinet, fifty bottles of starry blue [Starlight Potion] were neatly stacked.

On the right are twenty dark amber-colored [Rock Bear Potions].

There was an empty row of seats in the middle.

"This is all the stock I have left, but I can't keep making potions for long."

This will take too much time; he still has many things to do.

He closed the cabinet door and turned to look at Idyl.

"You need to understand... Tier 1 potions can only cultivate the lower levels; what can truly change the course of a battle is Tier 2 combat power."

Adele pursed her lips; of course she knew.

The terrifying power displayed by Karl and Crollind in last night's battle has already said it all.

No matter how many first-tier wizards there are, they are just cannon fodder in front of second-tier body-refining wizards.

"【Earth Tyrant Potion】..."

Her voice lowered, carrying a hint of barely perceptible disappointment.

"What's needed to concoct the potion?"

"The auxiliary materials are easy to obtain, but the main thing is the essence blood of second-tier extraordinary magical beasts, the more the better."

Ian walked back to the lab bench and tapped his fingertips lightly on the surface.

The rhythm was steady, as if counting something.

"And most importantly... I don't have the neutralizing agent formula for the second-tier bloodline potion."

He raised his head, his gaze calm.

"Without a second-tier neutralizing agent, forcibly taking the potion is suicide. Even a second-level wizard cannot withstand the backlash from the bloodline conflict."

In fact, if the [Dream Potion] is upgraded beyond its limits, its effects will definitely be better than the second-tier neutralizing potions on the market.

But he couldn't tell Edel that the [Dream Potion] was far from breaking its limits; it was only at the beginner level.

You can use the resources here to level up your proficiency.

Adele clenched her fingers, her nails digging into her palms, causing a slight stinging sensation.

"It seems I underestimated things before."

She originally thought she could add more than ten second-level wizards within a year.

The previous three second-tier neutralizing potions were obtained through channels that Delia found, and she was not aware of the details.

She remembered that before her father fell into a coma, he had mentioned that the family's secret vault contained several ancient medicine recipes.

Perhaps Ian needs something inside, but those recipes...

"The keys to the secret vault are all controlled by the elders."

She said softly, her voice filled with helplessness, "I... can't get it now."

A brief silence fell over the laboratory.

The only sounds were the faint noise from the crystal wall lamp and the occasional rustling of a bird preening its feathers.

After a long while, Ian suddenly spoke up: "You can cooperate with Ashia."

Edel suddenly looked up. "That's right... Fifth Sister, Ashia!"

Her eyes shone brightly; how could she have forgotten about this ally?

"She has access to medicinal herb supplies and a wide network of contacts."

Ian walked to the window and looked out at the dark night sky.

In the distance, the crystal ball atop the Time-Traces Tower glowed with a pale golden light in the night.

"And...she seems genuinely interested in helping you."

Adele's eyes flickered as she recalled the image of Ashia sitting alone in the audience in the council chamber.

I recall the sense of relief and pride in my fifth sister's eyes during the previous assessment.

"...I will talk to her in detail."

She nodded emphatically, her heart filled with hope once again.

"If Fifth Sister is willing to help, the supply of the neutralizing agent... should be able to solve part of the problem."

Ian turned around, and moonlight streamed in through the window, cutting a line of light and shadow across his profile.

"As for the essence blood of second-tier magical beasts..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "The Central Continent is rich in magical beast resources. As long as you have magic stones, you can always buy them."

"It's just that the price might be very high."

Adele took a deep breath and stood up from her chair.

The deep purple wizard's robe swayed gently with the movement, its hem brushing against the edge of the lab table.

"I'll figure out a way to deal with the magic stone."

Since she dealt a heavy blow to the Edwin brothers, all her previous business partners have come knocking on her door.

Moreover, they were all very humble, and the prices were even 10% or 20% lower than before.

Many chambers of commerce and families that were previously unfamiliar with also came to us.

Delia received many visiting cards for her in one day.

All of this... is inextricably linked to the man in front of her.

Adele walked to the center of the laboratory and looked up at the ceiling.

There were simple star patterns engraved there, traces left by Ian when he practiced astrology.

"Two years..." she murmured to herself, as if speaking to herself.

"That's enough for us to do a lot of things."

……

Three days later, in the evening.

Ian walked alone on the streets of the West End of East City.

The setting sun cast his shadow long, leaving a slanted gray trail on the stone path.

He was wearing an ordinary gray robe, with the hood pulled low, revealing only the lower half of his face.

The quack on the shoulder curled up, its feathers becoming almost the same color as the gray robe.

You wouldn't even notice the bird perched there unless you looked closely.

"I need to contact the projected world again..."

Ian pondered in his mind that the flow of time was different in the projected worlds.

The last time we lost contact was five months ago; ten years must have passed over there.

Ten years ago, Li Xing was already at the peak of the Manifestation Realm. If he could take another step... he would reach the True Form Realm!

That's equivalent to a level three Grand Wizard in the wizarding world, and the true pinnacle of the Aran Continent.

But taking this step is extremely difficult.

"The True Form Realm... it's somewhat similar to the Elemental True Form of a Level 3 Wizard!"

He needed to know how things were progressing over there, and he also needed to acquire more knowledge about the stars and shadows.

However, to contact Aran, it is necessary to build the Abyss Altar.

"But the Central Continent's fear of the Abyss is almost ingrained in its very bones."

The great war in ancient times cost both civilizations dearly.

To this day, any trace related to the Abyss world will attract the most rigorous investigation and cleansing.

"We need to find a completely secluded place..."

He now meditates daily, but dares not freely exploit the Abyss World, for fear of making any noise and losing much of his wealth.

After advancing to the second level, he no longer valued the small amount of spiritual energy he gained from each panel purification.

The main purpose is to accumulate knowledge about the abyss world.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.

Not far ahead was a vast manor.

The dark blue stone wall stood tall, its top covered with thorny vines, and shimmering warning runes could be faintly seen among the vines.

The manor gates were tightly shut, with the Just family's time-marked emblem etched on the door panels.

"I remember this is... Edmund's private estate."

Ian squinted and carefully examined him.

He was just passing through and planned to visit the abandoned mines outside the city.

The terrain there is complex, making it suitable for building an altar.

But just now, at the very moment he approached within fifty meters of the manor wall...

Deep within my mind, the panel suddenly vibrated!

The vibration was very slight, yet it carried a kind of soul-stirring tremor.

At the edge of my field of vision, a line of dark red text appeared.

"Abyssal aura pollution source detected, pollution level: level three, current status: active period."

Ian's breath hitched. "Level 3 pollution!"

He kept walking forward without stopping, but his face under the hood suddenly darkened.

This aura... is exactly the same as the one he sensed within Chieftain Titus Just.

Completely homologous.

If it were someone else, they might not be able to tell, but he had been in contact with the Abyss for too long.

He possesses some obscure knowledge about the abyss that even some level-four wizards might not be able to match.

Even the slightest unusual aura cannot escape his mental perception.

His heart began to beat slightly faster, and his fingertips were ready to unleash witchcraft at any moment.

But his face was expressionless, and even his breathing rate remained unchanged.

They quickened their pace slightly and soon passed the perimeter of the manor walls.

He only let out a slow breath after turning into the next street and making sure no one was paying attention to him.

"Edmund..."

He murmured the name, his voice carrying a chilling coldness.

So that's how it is. The Abyss Seed within the clan leader's body came from here?

It seems that someone... planted it intentionally.

And this person is very likely the seemingly kind older brother.

Ian leaned against the shadows of the alley and closed his eyes.

His spiritual power, like the finest thread, slowly emerged from between his brows, sweeping across a radius of a hundred meters.

After confirming that he was safe, he reopened his eyes, and a flash of silver light disappeared deep in his pupils.

"Gaga," he called softly.

The little creature on my shoulder raised its head, its silver-gray pupils gleaming in the shadows.

"Ian? What do you need me to do?"

Gaga looked excited, having never revealed his true abilities since breaking through to the second level of the extraordinary realm.

The little creature on my shoulder raised its head, its silver-gray pupils gleaming in the shadows.

"Ian? What do you need me to do?"

Gaga looked excited, having never revealed his true abilities since breaking through to the second level of the extraordinary realm.

It's been so frustrating to keep it cooped up for so long.

"Take a look inside that manor for me."

Ian transmitted the aura fluctuations he had just sensed through the soul link.

"Pay special attention to... anything related to the Abyss."

Gaga tilted its head and gripped his collar with its little paws.

"Abyss... I'll remember that. I hate that aura."

"It could be dangerous."

Ian stroked its head; the feathers felt cool and smooth to the touch.

"If you sense something is wrong, come back immediately. Don't force your way in."

Gaa nodded vigorously and flapped its wings gently.

My body began to fade, like ink drops falling into water, slowly dissolving into the shadows in the corner of the wall.

One second later, it completely disappeared.

Ian found a secluded spot, closed his eyes, and focused his mental energy into the soul connection.

Connecting to the other end, I heard a cacophony of sounds...