piratefiction Chapter 23: Lava Octopus VS Ghost Ship - Fame Rises
Chapter 23: Lava Octopus VS Ghost Ship - Fame Rises
"Lord Labia, if I had advanced to the second level of wizard more than two hundred years ago, and still had not made any progress, I would rather end my life than linger on like a rotten fish slowly decaying in stagnant water."
Celsus spoke slowly, his brisk pace seemingly disregarding Rabia entirely.
"Oh?"
A burly wizard with a full beard stepped off the soul ship, exuding an aura of age and vicissitude.
"You've immersed yourself in potion-making for years, but do you know which step it takes to build a pillar of the soul and glimpse the mysteries of a second-level wizard?"
Labia's voice was unhurried, carrying a condescending scrutiny, yet the listener could still taste the sarcasm within it.
"Whether you can see it or not, you'll know once you try!"
Celsus stood tall, and the void rift behind him trembled as a deep, dark purple portal suddenly opened.
The enormous and deformed body of the Soul-Lava Octopus squeezed into the material plane, its tentacles covered with strange runes swinging erratically in the air.
When that enormous eye, capable of seeing through everything in the world, fully opened and locked onto the ghost ship in front of it, it seemed as if even the surrounding light was greedily swallowed up, leaving only a suffocating sense of oppression in the air.
At the same time, the souls of the two formal wizards confronted each other, stirring up a silent storm on the spiritual level. The wizards simultaneously felt a tremor in their spiritual seas as two completely different spiritual rules intertwined.
Just as the wizards present realized something was wrong and were about to leave, they suddenly discovered that a wave had surged in the meeting room, splashing salty seawater onto Herman's face, leaving her momentarily stunned.
"Celthus actually dragged the Sea of Chaos into the material plane. Isn't he afraid of attracting the corruption of the Chaos Gods?"
But the next second, Celsus's actions surprised Hermann even more.
"He has advanced to the second level of wizardry and completed the construction of his soul pillar!"
All the wizards present, including Labia, showed a hint of surprise on their faces.
The three pillars of flesh and blood, soul and destiny represent the progress of a formal wizard's research on the soul.
A first-level wizard constructs a physical pillar to achieve extraordinary evolution of their bloodline, sublimating the origin of life so that their body can withstand the consumption of spiritual power and the cost of advanced knowledge.
The Soul Pillar symbolizes that the wizard's spirit gains a trace of immortality, enabling him to travel between planes and traverse the void.
As for the pillar of destiny, only wizards who have studied astrology to an extremely high level are qualified to hope for it.
Level 2 wizard is the upper limit for most formal wizards.
To advance to the third-level wizard, choice is more important than effort.
"I'd like to see what kind of surprise you have in store for me!"
After the unexpected turn of events, Labia became even more convinced of her judgment.
If I act any later and Celsus gains mastery of second-circle sorcery, it will be even more difficult for me to suppress him.
Thinking this, Labia suppressed his anger, overjoyed: "Excellent! This is truly a double blessing! I'll accept this opportunity!"
If the confrontation and clash between the spirits and souls just now was merely a collision of the two formal wizards' respective grasp of truth and knowledge, then at this moment, with the surge of magic in the air, the nature of everything has changed.
As Suen was preparing to leave the Great Library and return to the Oak Crown, he suddenly noticed that the Potions Masters Association in the distance was shrouded in a semi-transparent light shield, like an inverted giant bowl, completely enveloping the entire association.
The surface of the light shield was covered with intricate three-dimensional patterns, nested layer upon layer, so that Suen could only glimpse the fluctuations of magical energy when he looked into the distance.
"What happened?"
"High-level anti-magic barrier! The Modo City Unrestricted Fighting Tournament has begun again!"
"It's a pity we didn't have the chance to witness a formal battle between wizards."
The conversation among passersby gave Su En a hunch that something was amiss.
Suddenly, the change in a straw doll inside the explorer's pouch at his waist caught his attention.
Before he could react, a dark purple tentacle wrapped around him and disappeared from the spot.
For Suen, this was an unprecedented experience.
He traversed the dimensional space and glimpsed a spiritual sea formed by the convergence of the emotions, thoughts, and souls of all intelligent life. His level of life continued to rise until he ascended to an extraordinary species, and everything in the material plane became increasingly insignificant to him.
"This is the spirit form of the wizard Celsus, and I'm playing the role of the Lava Octopus?"
A thought flashed through Su En's mind, and he instantly understood the whole story.
Celsus, a wizard, was promoted on the spot and forcefully suppressed the veteran second-level wizard Rabia.
"Starting with the task of analyzing the Concerto of Life, this was a scheme laid out by the wizard Labia, all to find out the situation in Celsus."
Thinking about this, Su En suddenly felt enlightened.
Previously, he had never understood the truth behind the wizard Celsus issuing public quests.
What he couldn't understand even more was why the supplier of the Azerite Roots would dare to deceive a formal wizard.
In retrospect, the failure of the Concerto of Life may have been a test by the wizard Rabia against Celsus.
Celsus decided to play along, stalling for time and making his opponent believe that he was trapped in the spirit world and unable to escape.
He took this opportunity to secretly complete his advancement in the spirit world.
However, the wizard Celsus did not address the issue of the Azer Roots, which aroused Rabia's suspicion. So Rabia used Sun to lure Celsus out.
In doing so, they also learned the truth about the previous report that had been fraudulently claimed—it turned out to be that female apprentice they didn't know.
"So I was used as bait, repeatedly used to lure the opponent!"
Celsus chose Suen because of his high level of spiritual activity and his talent in potion-making. In Labia's eyes, he was an excellent source of spiritual material.
For a moment, Suen didn't know how to characterize it.
"Alas... what merit do I possess to deserve the favor of these two wizards?"
The fact that a formal wizard manipulates his apprentices seems to reveal an inexplicable sense of both rationality and eeriness.
Just then, this state of mind, filled with countless thoughts and clear thinking, suddenly vanished, and a voice rang in my ears.
Su En's pupils contracted sharply, and he became fully awake. Looking around, he realized that he had actually appeared in the Alchemist Association.
Beside him, a group of formal wizards watched him with ambiguous smiles.
"Greetings, esteemed wizards!"
Without saying a word, Su En immediately patted his chest and bowed.
Get up.
Celsus raised his hand and chuckled, "If it weren't for you today, I'm afraid I would have had to go through much more trouble to escape. Now that we've succeeded, there are still some things I need you to do for me."
"I will obey your orders," Su En said respectfully.
"First, the Borek family is preventing me from escaping. Take that magical herb spirit with you and go demand an explanation."
Celsus paused deliberately after speaking, and seeing that Suen's expression remained unchanged, he nodded slightly and continued, "Secondly, the Root of Azer is supplied by the Toria Farm, and the family behind it once invested in me. If you deal with them, the Toria Farm will be given to you as a reward."
"Your orders are my duty."
Suen dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction, especially when facing a newly promoted second-level wizard.
Only after Celsus disappeared from the spot did Suen breathe a sigh of relief. But before he could relax for even a moment, another group of formal wizards gathered around.
Amidst the cacophony of voices, Su En finally realized that he had passed the evaluation and obtained the certification of a one-star potion master.
At the same time, the improved formula of the calming herbal ointment can bring him a considerable income simply by licensing it to a group of potion makers.
"However, before that, I need to go to the War Banner Tavern!"
Su En held the palm-sized scarecrow, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.
According to the wizard Celsus, this magical herb spirit is a type of witchcraft he created. The scarecrow, after being soaked in a special magical potion, possesses 30% of his power.
"The Borek family... without becoming formal wizards, they are ultimately just pawns."