Translator: AnubisTL
Time flowed swiftly, like a white horse galloping past a crack in a wall. In the blink of an eye, Jieming had been at Noren Academy for nine years.
For the apprentices of Noren Academy, these nine years were a period of accumulating strength, a journey from youthful inexperience to mature competence.
Jieming, in particular, had reaped immense rewards.
Within this realm of "stability," he remained hidden like a dragon coiled in the abyss, concealing his true potential.
All his energy was focused on consolidating his foundation establishment cultivation, refining his rune-imbued magical artifacts, mastering the Five Aggregates Rainbow Transformation Mirror, and delving deep into the arts of magic potions and pill refining.
When the summons for the Noren Workshop's grand assessment reached the various academies, the sharpness he had kept sheathed for nine years finally found its moment to be drawn.
Jieming's academy was officially known as Noren Academy No. 13.
As one of the top-tier academies among the hundred-plus Noren institutions, it had sent its elite apprentices—including Jieming, who had ranked in the top 10% during the previous trial—to participate in the grand assessment.
At dawn, the academy's central plaza was packed with apprentices.
Apart from the apprentice aptitude tests held every five years, this was the first time the plaza had been so lively.
It wasn't just the apprentices about to take the Noren Workshop's final test who had come to see them off; even those who hadn't qualified couldn't resist coming to bid farewell.
A new cohort of apprentices, fresh from joining Noren Academy, watched the crowd gathered in the central plaza with shining eyes, many with ambition burning in their gaze.
It was now almost certain that the Noren Workshop's testing day would become a regular event.
Similarly, the plane trials within Noren Academy No. 13, designed to select apprentices for the test, would also become a permanent fixture.
As the new apprentices watched the senior apprentices representing the academy at the Noren Workshop's test, many felt a surge of eagerness to prove themselves.
In the midst of the crowd, a blinding flash of lightning suddenly erupted, then coalesced into a slender yet powerful figure—Berta Vera Augusta.
She wore a dark wizard's robe, tailored to fit her perfectly, accentuating her lithe frame.
A faint, almost imperceptible aura of thunder element energy swirled around her, like a natural emanation of her inner power.
Nine years had passed since her days of youthful naivety. Now, she exuded a composed yet sharp aura, her deep eyes seeming to hold the potential for a thunderous eruption at any moment.
Her arrival immediately drew the attention of everyone around, but she seemed utterly unfazed.
Augusta's keen eyes swept across the dense crowd, her gaze bypassing the renowned top apprentices and piercing through the layers of people to precisely lock onto Jieming, who remained discreetly hidden in a corner, his presence as unassuming as ever.
An invisible current surged through her body, fueled by an intense competitive spirit.
Five years ago, her defeat in the academy's trial, along with Jieming's terrifyingly efficient combat style during the trial, had left an indelible mark on her mind.
That pressure, like an invisible whip, had relentlessly driven her, preventing her from ever relaxing her efforts.
She had cultivated diligently, pushed her limits, and immersed herself in research, honing her Lightning Magic to perfection. Now, she had successfully constructed her own Lightning Magic spell through her own knowledge.
Augusta believed that in her current state, she could face even a true first-tier wizard in battle without being at a disadvantage.
Her rapid progress had already surpassed that of most of her peers.
Yet, whenever she believed she had grown strong enough to surpass Jieming, a lingering unease persisted in her heart.
She yearned to clash with Jieming again, to prove herself and uncover the secrets hidden by that enigmatic figure.
Deep within her eyes burned an unquenchable thirst for battle.
Nearby, a tall, imposing figure with a steady aura materialized on the teleportation plaza.
It was Horn, Augusta's former rival.
Now a leading wizard apprentice himself, Horn possessed extraordinary power.
During Augusta's years of intensive research, he had rallied support and emerged as the leader of Noren Academy's team.
Surrounded by several equally formidable apprentices, he had clearly established his own core group.
His gaze swept past Jieming's direction, pausing only briefly, his eyes lacking the fierce competitive fire that burned in Augusta's.
To him, Jieming was already a "former opponent," a surpassed entity.
He merely glanced at him dismissively before turning his attention back to Augusta, his gaze radiating the arrogance and confidence of a true powerhouse.
Jieming sensed Augusta and Horn's gazes. He calmly returned their glances before withdrawing his gaze.
His face remained expressionless, but inwardly, he felt a flicker of admiration for Augusta's progress—it seemed she had indeed worked tirelessly these past years.
As for Horn... he looked considerably older.
Before long, it was time to depart.
Led by Clark, several academy mentors strode forward. They glanced at the assembled crowd in the square but said little, simply beckoning the apprentices who had passed the trials.
"Let's go."
There was no grand declaration of war, no rousing speeches.
Wizards were intelligent beings, yet also cold-blooded fanatics.
Given sufficient incentive, they would never hesitate to unleash their full power.
The teleportation formation in the square blazed with light. Jieming, along with over five hundred apprentices and several academy mentors, stepped into the shimmering portal.
The familiar dizziness washed over him, but this time the journey felt longer than any previous teleportation, the spatial distortions far more intense.
As the light faded, Jieming landed steadily. The sight before him, even for his composed nature, made his eyes flash with awe.
This was the headquarters of the Noren Workshop, a colossal marvel crafted from an entire plane.
Gone were the familiar landscapes and skies. Instead, countless massive floating platforms, intricate energy conduits, and rune-etched spires towering over a kilometer high stretched as far as the eye could see.
In the distant void, miniature laboratories and training spaces shimmered like distant stars.
The entire city resembled a futuristic space metropolis from a science fiction novel. A mountain-stable energy circulation sustained its operations, while unknown metals intertwined with glowing energy pathways, creating a fusion of industrial aesthetics and transcendent magical aura.
They stood in the grandest teleportation plaza, teeming with elite apprentices from over a hundred Noren Academies, converging like a surging tide.
The bustling plaza echoed with the chatter of tens of thousands of apprentices, their voices rising and falling like a boiling cauldron.
The air crackled with excitement, tension, and barely suppressed surges of power, like a volcano about to erupt.
(End of the Chapter)
⚡ 𝟏𝟒 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 | 𝟖.𝟓𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 | 𝟏𝟒.𝟑𝐌 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 [𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦]