The Star Language Tree was planted on the edge of the Alien Hunting Grounds in Asuka City.
Although it wasn't located in the core area, Su Lan arranged for a Grand Monarch-level alien girl to guard it.
The Flame Witch also serves as a guardian, protecting the Starry Sky Tree.
Outside the Starry Sky Tree, Serafina constructed a perception barrier magic.
Anyone who touches or forcibly enters the barrier without the permission of Serafina or the alien girl will be discovered immediately.
Even teleporting in instantly won't work.
Moreover, Serafina had left a backup plan on the Starry Sky Tree. If Su Lan and the others didn't have time to deal with the intruders who were damaging the Starry Sky Tree, the Starry Sky Tree's backup plan would teach them a lesson.
As for the meeting between the Flame Witch and her daughter Chen Ying, Su Lan did not stop them.
However, the Flame Witch Jiang Feng must meet her in a place far away from the Star Language Tree, and she cannot reveal anything about the Star Language Tree or the Flame Princess.
When Su Lan and her group returned to the villa in Shanghai, almost half a month had passed.
Mu Nujiao, Ai Tutu, and Bai Tingting stayed at Su Lan's house for a while before returning to their own homes to wash up and rest.
As for Lingling and Apas, they were playing with Little Flame Princess and were full of energy.
.....
A new day.
When Su Lan arrived at Mingzhu Academy, the national team selection for the World National Team Competition was in full swing.
Of course, it wasn't a formal selection competition, but a preliminary round.
The purpose of the preliminary rounds is to let all participating students know in advance who they will face in the formal selection.
This also serves as a form of training for students.
Having magical prowess but lacking combat awareness would likely result in being defeated by a mage weaker than oneself.
Being defeated is a bitter experience, and to prevent people from improving their cultivation level without enhancing their combat awareness, these preliminary rounds are essential.
Since the school held a preliminary competition, there would naturally be prizes.
The most famous feature of Mingzhu Academy is the Three-Step Tower.
The Three-Step Tower was built by a forbidden magician in the past and possesses very magical abilities.
First, there's the Spirit Gathering Effect. The Three-Step Tower can gather and concentrate the elemental energy of various systems within a radius of thousands of kilometers, forming an area with an elemental concentration far higher than the outside world, which can increase the cultivation speed of mages.
The practice of a monk involves absorbing the flowing elements between heaven and earth and incorporating them into the spiritual universe during meditation.
The higher the concentration, the more is absorbed at the same time, and the faster the increase.
Secondly, the elemental concentrations are different in each layer of the three-step tower.
With each level you ascend, the elemental concentration and cultivation rate increase significantly, but the gravity also increases exponentially, making it a place where benefits and dangers coexist.
Many people join Pearl Academy and work themselves to the bone to earn credits, just to exchange for a chance to cultivate in the Three-Step Tower.
Especially when making a major breakthrough, entering the Three-Step Tower training room is the most ideal.
The intermediate-level barriers that are usually difficult to overcome are as easy as drinking water inside the Three-Step Tower.
Of course, the Three-Step Tower is very effective, but it is not effective for mages at all stages.
The fastest improvement stage is from beginner level 3 to intermediate level 3.
The Three-Step Tower is not very useful for high-level mages.
This time, the internal preliminary competition of Mingzhu Academy stipulates that as long as you achieve a certain ranking, you can enter the Three-Step Tower for cultivation.
Furthermore, the higher the ranking, the more days of cultivation are required.
This thrilled all the students.
Normally, it's quite difficult to even enter the Three-Step Tower for cultivation once, but now that there's a new channel to obtain the opportunity, everyone is desperately striving for a higher ranking.
Su Lan watched the students coming and going, watched them fight in the arena, watched the magic clashes, and watched the cheers and shouts of the audience.
Su Lan didn't feel anything when she saw these things.
Because he has already been recommended to be the captain of the National Team.
Mu Nujiao originally planned to come here for special training, since there are many people her age here.
However, after challenging the top few, Mu Nujiao left amidst everyone's awe and shock.
Because Mu Nujiao completely defeated the top few in the preliminary rounds.
The people at the school could no longer put any more pressure on her.
Mu Nujiao's current training object is an alien girl.
With Ye Xinxia, a high-level healing mage, around, they were as ruthless as they could be.
Su Lan predicted that Mu Nujiao and her two related elements would soon be able to advance to the high-level.
He didn't stay at the school for long before heading to the Qingtian Hunting Grounds.
As Su Lan left, the nearby students began to whisper among themselves as they watched her departing figure.
There's a rumor circulating at school these days—
Su Lan doesn't need to participate in the preliminary rounds; he has already been selected as a member of the National Team.
The source of this information is unverifiable, but the students who heard it were not too surprised.
Because Su Lan's combat prowess is evident to all at the school.
Su Lan rarely attends classes, but she defends her position in the arena during the monthly or semi-annual academy competitions.
He will wait in the ring for all challenges until no one else comes up before leaving.
In the past two years, no one has been a match for Su Lan.
Even senior students who are about to graduate would only lose if they faced Su Lan.
Therefore, they felt it was reasonable for Su Lan to be able to obtain a direct entry spot.
On the contrary, if even Su Lan cannot get a direct pass, then there is something fishy going on!
Of course, while it's reasonable, many people still envy it.
After all, who wouldn't want to get a direct entry spot and eventually join the National Team to win glory for the country?
They would never mention that one of the key points is the generous rewards for winning the top three places in the World University Competition.
.....
While various schools and factions are making plans and warming up for the upcoming World National Games, little-known changes are taking place in a remote ancient capital.
As autumn and winter approached, a cold wind blew through the area where the ancient capital was located, and withered grass stretched for miles around the capital, with the sky a hazy gray.
This scene is not uncommon in ancient capitals, but its unique geographical environment and strategic position make it extraordinary.
The ancient capital is predominantly gray-brown and bronze in color, with few brightly colored areas visible within the city walls.
The highest magical institution in the ancient capital is called the Clock Tower Magic Association, which is located in the clock tower, a landmark building in the ancient capital.
The Hunter Alliance headquarters is located in the Drum Tower, less than a kilometer away from the Bell Tower.
Most of the Wei forces were stationed on the edge of the city walls, where they were responsible for important defensive and combat duties.
The ancient capital is a strategic city built within the undead empire. Like a nail, it is deeply rooted in the hundreds of millions of undead, playing a very important role in monitoring and eliminating the undead for humanity.
Beneath the soil outside the ancient capital lie countless skeletons.
These skeletons appear dead, but at night they rise from the earth and converge on and attack places where there is life.
The undead's extreme, unconscious killing urges leave people struggling to cope.
Fortunately, people have persevered.
However, at this moment, the Tomb of the Dead on the plain outside the ancient capital seems to be undergoing a terrifying change.