Chapter 756: The Star Domain Sea Grand Examination and a Reunion with Old Acquaintances
Locke murmured quietly, "The Grand Examination?"
The Second Circle wizard on the Star Domain Sea's side laughed softly. "Indeed. Now that you are also a Second Circle wizard, you will naturally be interested in understanding this, and once you do, it will be relevant to you."
"It is difficult to believe. A young wizard who was once so small, and today you have also become a Second Circle wizard. You and Witch Sophia are alike in that your growth has both been extraordinary."
The other party seemed not at all surprised.
"The high-circle wizards here in the Star Domain Sea have performed divination and used powerful magic to stimulate the fortune of the entire Eastern Border Region accumulated over a thousand years. Within the next hundred years, leaders capable of guiding the next generation will be born, and so talented people will be beyond counting."
"This is itself part of the Demon Elevation Plan."
"The Star Domain Sea acts in ways that are subtle and far-reaching and are never reconsidered once made. And so the Demon Elevation Plan did not begin now. It is only now that conditions have emerged that can no longer be concealed."
"You are already a Second Circle wizard, and so this information is no longer forbidden to you. I hope you will cast a vote in the Cloud Marsh Council to oppose the abolition of the First Circle wizard tax exemption."
Locke knew he currently held voting rights.
And once one had voting rights, one had the most basic value of being courted.
Locke showed a thoughtful expression. So that was it. At least a portion of wizards in the Star Domain Sea, or more specifically the scholarly city, needed to maintain the First Circle wizard tax exemption.
The reason behind this was not difficult to guess.
Because the vast majority of wizard lands in the Eastern Border Region had an extremely small number of Second Circle wizards, but a considerable number of First Circle wizards. Giving First Circle wizards voting rights would elevate the status of ordinary wizard lands in the Eastern Border Region's parliament while reducing the Star Domain Sea's relative influence.
Locke dimly sensed that this proposal was not ordinary.
Behind it, something like a storm of struggle seemed to be hidden. But at his current circle level, he still could not see it clearly.
The Second Circle wizard on the Star Domain Sea's side said, "Witch Sophia came to our scholarly city under a contract-based arrangement. In essence, she does not belong to the scholarly city. She is just a laboratory assistant personally recruited by my teacher."
"Her position was originally very low, nothing more than someone handling miscellaneous tasks."
"To be honest, the normal trajectory for Sophia developing here was not going to lead anywhere good."
Witch Sophia's Second Circle senior fellow paused before continuing, "In the Star Domain Sea, wizards who enter this way have certainly taken a shortcut. They have a job, a place to live, some of the scholarly city's benefits. But once they lose their usefulness, they very easily lose their livelihood in the Star Domain Sea..."
"The outcome is often tragic."
"When Witch Sophia first arrived, she was only at the First Circle crystallization stage, right? In the Star Domain Sea, every ordinary wizard, with a bit of effort, can reach that level. So when she first arrived, her magical level was not remarkable. It was only because my teacher had a special need..."
"Her situation was actually quite dangerous..."
"Everyone in the laboratory could see it clearly, but no one said a word to warn her. Even though we all got along well with her, we would not speak up to warn her. Not because we lacked compassion, but because we respect the choices of fate."
"We have seen far too many... ordinary wizards who came to the Star Domain Sea chasing their dreams and what became of them..."
"Those with no hope in the wizard lands of the outside world will have even less hope in the Star Domain Sea. It is just that they never work this out."
Hearing the voice of Witch Sophia's senior fellow on the other side, Locke, now as a Second Circle wizard, was better able to appreciate the weight of these words.
So in the Star Domain Sea, the difficulty of becoming a First Circle crystallization wizard would be greatly reduced?
That was very likely.
Because in the Cloud Marsh Wetlands, the difficulty of becoming a Second Circle wizard was far lower than in the southeastern quadrant.
Far lower, by at least a hundredfold.
In the Cloud Marsh Wetlands, he had access to a complete body of knowledge and an advancement pathway for becoming a Second Circle wizard. But in the southeastern quadrant, Second Circle wizards were like legendary figures, and ordinary wizards did not even have the standing to interact with them.
Evidently, in the Star Domain Sea, the difficulty of becoming a Second Circle wizard was reduced even further.
And in the Star Domain Sea, the difficulty of becoming a First Circle wizard had been lowered to the point where it could no longer differentiate between an ordinary wizard and a genius.
Witch Sophia's Second Circle senior fellow spoke, "But Witch Sophia is different. She is extraordinarily talented, and has shown us far too many surprises. In this regard, perhaps you possess talent comparable to hers, because Witch Sophia once told me directly that she believed you possessed talent no less than her own."
This senior fellow clearly had a very high initial impression of Locke, perhaps thanks to Witch Sophia's influence, and also because Locke had once used a project of hers that she had not completed to participate in the Cloud Marsh Cup.
"Witch Sophia proved her talent. After obtaining this position, she earned the qualification to take the Grand Examination."
"The so-called Grand Examination is a new policy the Star Domain Sea has developed over the past hundred years."
"In the past, wizards from the Star Domain Sea itself, wizards from outside wizard lands, wizards from colonial worlds, and foreign wizards from non-colonial worlds who wanted to enter the Star Domain Sea had to go through layer upon layer of gatekeeping, submitting applications to obtain a coveted teaching position."
"And because the number of wizards trying to enter the Star Domain Sea was so vast, and outstanding talent was beyond counting, this inefficient method wasted enormous resources. And so, on the premise of meeting requirements such as recommendation letters, the number of journal publications, and the number of projects, a Second Circle wizard can go to take the Grand Examination."
"Through the rankings and scores of the Grand Examination, they are more easily noticed by the various academies of the Star Domain Sea."
"The greatest significance of the Grand Examination's existence is to break through the information barrier between individual wizards and wizard academies, and to quantify the scope of the examination as much as possible."
Locke immediately perceived the key issue. "So, just by passing the Grand Examination, one obtains the opportunity to be noticed by the various academies?"
Witch Sophia's Second Circle senior fellow let out a laugh. "Yes, that is right."
"But that is already enough."
"After all, the ordinary academies of the Star Domain Sea do not even get a chance to select formal wizards from something like the Grand Examination. In the Star Domain Sea Grand Examination, many of the Star Domain Sea's top-tier and super-tier wizard academies pay close attention to the participants. These super academies will naturally have their own judgment, observing the resumes of outstanding wizards from the same score bracket to find the formal wizards who best meet their requirements."
Formal wizard was an official term passed down from the White Wizard Association. In essence, even Third Circle and Fourth Circle wizards fell under the designation of formal wizards.
Formal wizard was an exceedingly broad category.
Witch Sophia's senior fellow said, "Oh, by the way, the Star Domain Sea Grand Examination has a cooperation agreement with the Southern Border Region. So with a bit of luck, there is a chance that a super wizard university from the Southern Border Region might also take notice of formal wizards who perform well in this examination."
Locke asked, "The Star Domain Sea seems to have a closer relationship with Mystic Heaven. Is the Grand Examination actually a joint examination with the Southern Border Region?"
On the other side of the clover ring, the senior fellow seemed to fall silent for a moment, then said, "Mystic Heaven is the location of the White Wizard Association's headquarters. But Mystic Heaven does not represent the White Wizard Association's headquarters. It only represents the Northern Border Region's leading wizard land."
"The Star Domain Sea and it are only allies, and both happen to be leading wizard lands under the White Wizard Association's headquarters. Nothing more."
"The Star Domain Sea cooperating with other leading wizard lands in other domains is entirely normal. Already having to share magic stones with Mystic Heaven is irritating enough."
The senior fellow suddenly changed the subject. "Sophia has gone to take the Grand Examination, so she temporarily cannot contact you. She sensed earlier that you were only one step away from becoming a Second Circle wizard, and so asked me to congratulate you on her behalf on becoming a Second Circle wizard."
"If she can pass the Grand Examination, she should be able to become an officially salaried lecturing mage at the scholarly city."
"In the Star Domain Sea, almost all teaching positions, if obtained through normal means, require a waiting queue. No matter what, one has to wait at least a hundred years. Of course, small wizard academies are the exception."
"Locke Augustine, you should also be interested in the Grand Examination. Only it is too late for this year. The Grand Examination opens once every five years."
"To take the Grand Examination, you need to obtain an examination certificate."
Locke said, "Thank you for the reminder, senior. How does one obtain such a certificate?"
A quiet laugh came from the other side. "I knew you would want to participate too. To obtain the certificate, several conditions are required. The first condition is that you must be at least a Second Circle wizard and be under one hundred years old."
"The second condition is that you must have a corresponding number of Second Circle journals and projects. The third condition is a letter of recommendation from at least one Third Circle Throne wizard of the Star Domain Sea or above."
"The fourth condition is to have worked in the Star Domain Sea for at least one year. Of course, there are other ways as well. For instance, if you have worked on projects related to the Star Domain Sea, that can also be considered as working in the Star Domain Sea."
Locke calculated these participation requirements. These four conditions were evidently a preliminary screening threshold.
The Grand Examination was from the start designed for the most gifted among wizards.
He already satisfied the first condition.
The third condition seemed strange on the surface, but in reality he was a wizard skilled at pulling in projects. That one would not be difficult to resolve.
As long as one was truly a genius who met the requirements, it should in principle be possible to find someone.
Locke asked, "Senior, what is the specific required number for the second condition? And the fourth condition of projects related to the Star Domain Sea..."
The other side seemed somewhat surprised.
"You need to ask me about the fourth condition? Do you not know that Golden Crown Mountain won the championship of the Three Kings Tournament this year and obtained the rights to develop projects along the Celestial River..."
"That stretch of wizard land along the Celestial River was created by the Star Domain Sea's main waterway. Being responsible for that wizard land is in itself equivalent to working for the Star Domain Sea."
"As for the second condition... you will need to look into that yourself. Because honestly, I do not know either."
Locke's expression showed surprise in his dormitory.
The Second Circle wizard on the other side of the lucky clover ring said quietly, "To begin with, I am only an ordinary researcher in a laboratory at the scholarly city. Although I am not a contract worker, I also do not hold any teaching position."
"My situation differs from yours and Witch Sophia's. I am a native wizard of the Star Domain Sea. My family has held one inherited researcher position in this laboratory for generations, so I will not starve. In the Star Domain Sea, as long as you stop working or lack the ability to work, you will starve."
A strong undercurrent of helplessness ran through the other party's words.
"The Grand Examination is far too difficult for ordinary Second Circle wizards, and even just obtaining the examination certificate is very difficult. You need to meet the required number of project and journal publications, and you also need a letter of recommendation from a Third Circle Throne wizard..."
"All of these are things I can barely meet. Witch Sophia obtained the attention of higher-circle wizards through several competitions. Even so, it was actually too soon for her to be challenging it at the ordinary Second Circle stage. It was truly too risky."
"I advised her before to wait until she was at least a moon ring wizard, or even a sun ring wizard, before attempting it. But she wanted to try first. Ah, she publishes articles and takes on projects so quickly, and she has received the favor of many high-circle wizards. So obtaining the examination certificate was not all that difficult for her..."
"If it were me, each opportunity for an examination certificate would be so incredibly precious."
Locke could tell that the other party had only casually mentioned the Grand Examination in passing, so even the most important metrics of projects and journal publication numbers were not something he knew clearly.
Of course, this indicated that the standards of the Grand Examination were themselves concealed to a certain degree.
"Right. The Grand Examination is in essence an accelerated track within the teaching position system of the Star Domain Sea. Therefore, information about it is restricted. Only truly outstanding wizards will have the ability to learn about this track."
Locke thought to himself, "So to participate in something like this Grand Examination and take this accelerated track, I will need to gather information myself. Of course, perhaps I can use the final communication opportunity to contact Witch Sophia who has passed the Grand Examination, and obtain the specific requirements from her."
Locke thought, "Although this senior fellow of Teacher Sophia does not seem optimistic about Teacher."
"I do not know whether Teacher will be able to pass the Grand Examination and achieve a decent score and ranking."
The other side clearly had no intention of immediately ending the connection, and after hesitating for a moment, spoke up. "Wizard Locke, I have a shelved project here that perhaps I could pass on to you. I was wondering whether you might be interested?"
A flash of interest appeared in Locke's eyes.
Because the Nine-Headed Snake proposal that the other party and Sophia had previously given him had allowed him to win the Cloud Marsh Cup.
All one could say was that even a shelved proposal from a key laboratory of the Star Domain Sea was impressively formidable.
Locke said, "Please go ahead, senior."
Witch Sophia's Second Circle senior fellow said, "I feel the communication time is almost up, so let me be brief. This is a project that Sophia and I worked on previously, which was later abandoned. Due to cost issues and some technical difficulties, mainly that neither Sophia nor I had gone deeply enough into evolution studies. Witch Sophia subscribed to the Silent Chalice competition playback, and I also took the opportunity to watch it. Your Grand Magic, the Moon of Evolution, seems especially suited to this project..."
"Perhaps this partially completed project, in your hands, can be finished. I am packaging the partial materials and sending them to you. All right, Wizard Locke, goodbye."
"I hope to hear much more of your renown in the future."
In the next instant, the second spell model on the lucky clover ring suddenly shattered. The emerald green spell model broke into fragments, floating upward and dissolving like melting snow.
At the same time, a large amount of compressed information appeared in Locke's mind. This information had only been transmitted to his sea of consciousness, and to interpret it he would need to read through it again.
He closed his eyes, entered a meditative state, and began reading at an accelerated pace.
"So that is how it is. No wonder the senior thinks this project might be completed in my hands. This project would itself be of great benefit to my Moon of Evolution."
"This is a project related to evolution studies."
Locke said, "The symbol magical plant of the twilight boundary that once possessed great power, Golden Spike Wheat, has already gone extinct. But Teacher Sophia found the Second Circle magical plant Golden Foxtail Grass and the First Circle magical plant Green Foxtail Grass, which were naturally hybridized in the wild from Golden Spike Wheat and transformed over a long stretch of time."
"They wanted to use these two plants to reverse-evolve them, using an extract from a magical plant called Yellow-Coated Mushroom, in an attempt to cause the Golden Foxtail Grass and Green Foxtail Grass to revert back to Golden Spike Wheat."
Locke took a sharp breath. "What this means is that Teacher Sophia was attempting atavistic evolution?"
"Though it failed..."
Locke looked through the related materials. The overall research appeared to still be at the foundational research stage, essentially still exploring principles, and had not yet entered the translational research stage.
But within this project was a large amount of evolution studies experimental data produced using the Star Domain Sea's advanced equipment, which broadened Locke's horizons.
After reading through a portion of the materials, Locke sat in his dormitory and thought for a moment.
"This project seems somewhat fantastical. Whether the Yellow-Coated Mushroom's extract can truly achieve atavistic evolution is difficult to say. The project used not only the Yellow-Coated Mushroom but also several other magical plants."
"Honestly, even I find this research a little far-fetched."
This was perhaps why Teacher Sophia and the others had eventually given it up.
Locke noticed that approximately ten million magic stones had been invested in this experiment, but it appeared to have been urgently halted at some point.
And fundamentally, this was entirely Teacher Sophia's project. The senior fellow appeared to have been little more than an accessory to it.
"Ten million... it seems this was a portion of some Second Circle grant funding."
Locke smiled bitterly. "So Teacher spent the vast majority of a Second Circle grant's funding and produced no meaningful results, and was thus forced to give it up?"
"Worthy of the Star Domain Sea."
"To approve a project this staggering in scope. The Star Domain Sea's ambitions are truly vast."
Locke sighed in admiration.
"This is why the Star Domain Sea stands at the very forefront of wizard civilization, exploring this world."
"With my accumulated knowledge in evolution studies, I could not immediately think of how to complete this project."
"But this project is filled with Teacher's way of thinking at every turn. Simply reading these materials has been enormously beneficial, giving me a sense of the vitality of a genius's mind."
"This project is not urgent. I can set it aside for now, and work on it when I have more spare time and surplus funds."
Locke read through the project materials within his sea of consciousness. "Although these are all failed data, I have gained a great deal of insight from them. Many advanced instruments were used here, which will allow me to grasp a number of high-level analytical techniques from Star Domain Sea experiments."
Locke thought, "After becoming a Second Circle wizard, I have actually come into contact with quite a few projects. Of course, these are only project ideas rather than funded grants."
"Whether it is the atavistic Golden Foxtail Grass project, producing the first Second Circle potion through conventional brewing methods, or the two major tasks Teacher Yekaterina has assigned me, conducting the test ring experiment and designing three mainstream pure magical plant wizard shoes for the Cloud Marsh Wetlands, all of these are money-consuming endeavors."
"Only the Black Swan Bromeliad variety improvement work from Bonifacius University is a real, properly funded project I have secured for myself."
Locke's true body stroked his chin and thought, "As long as I keep publishing more articles and working on more projects, it should overall be beneficial toward eventually obtaining a Grand Examination certificate in the future."
"Though I am not yet clear on whether I want to seek a top teaching position through the Grand Examination route. There are many ways to find a teaching position, and I cannot limit myself."
At its core, Golden Crown Mountain's advanced Origin Academy was already the finest Origin Academy there was.
Because the top-tier and super-tier wizard universities of the Star Domain Sea did not in principle establish Institutes of Truth. This involved resource allocation issues.
At a larger level, outstanding formal wizards and outstanding wizard apprentices were both a form of resource, and the top-tier wizard universities of the Star Domain Sea already had far too much of this resource. And so the White Wizard Association generally did not establish Institutes of Truth there.
And so Golden Crown Mountain's Origin Academy already counted as the most top-tier Origin Academy available.
At this moment, Locke's Ancient Tree Fruit Avatar had already gone directly to the wizard airship docking area at Golden Crown Mountain, paid ten thousand magic stones, and purchased a ticket bound for the southeastern quadrant.
While Locke's true body spent an entire day in his room digesting the half-project materials he had obtained from the Second Circle senior fellow in the Star Domain Sea, his Ancient Tree Fruit Avatar had already boarded the wizard airship heading toward the southeastern quadrant.
On the wizard airship, Locke's Ancient Tree Fruit Avatar sat down in the free library area, ordered a cup of wizard coffee, and found that the formal wizards passing by all stopped to bow in greeting.
After all, Second Circle wizards rarely appeared on wizard airships heading to the southeastern quadrant. Even First Circle crystallization wizards counted as formidable figures there.
And so Locke's avatar arriving on this ship was like dropping a boulder into a fishpond.
At this moment, Locke sat smiling at the coffee table, holding an alchemy spell book and beginning to read through it.
At the same time, some wizards on the ship were whispering in a corner.
Two black wizards who had infiltrated the vessel were speaking quietly.
"This is bad. A Second Circle wizard has appeared on this ship. His name was not on the passenger list before we boarded. Did he buy a ticket at the last minute?"
"Zoe's leader is telling us to cancel all operations. The exile magic of the High Heaven Plain's Purple Exile Path is powerful, but it is absolutely impossible to exile a Second Circle wizard, not even for half a minute."
"We have no choice but to accept that."
Locke looked up, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. At this moment, neither of the two black wizards had noticed that within their shadows, a fist-sized Shade Eye Grass had appeared.
"I never expected to run into an old acquaintance on this ship."
"What a coincidence."
After boarding the ship, he had used the powerful insight granted by his Three-Eyed bloodline to detect abnormalities in certain wizards, and had then planted Eye Grass in their shadows.
The result had yielded something.
"Zoe." Locke smiled and narrowed his eyes. "You are the first black wizard to have successfully deceived me."