Chapter 971

Chapter 965 Entering the Key Laboratory

After the chaotic energy subsided slightly, Locke saw that the dark creature—the Star Ring-level demon—was dead. However, this thing left no usable spirituality after its death; everything was swallowed by darkness at the moment of its demise, returning to darkness.

Locke looked at the mountain range where he had blasted a large hole. Within this mountain range, a shadow was gradually disappearing—the power of the demon vanishing into the darkness.

In the depths of darkness, some beings seemed to be watching, emitting faint laughter, as if appreciating the momentary pleasure brought by what they had just witnessed.

‘In the deepest part of the Dark World, is there something else?’

Locke couldn’t help but wonder.

His intuition told him that the deepest part of the Dark World seemed to hide some more terrifying secret. According to the information he knew, the spectators of the Dark World should be dark creatures, those demon legions.

But what if not?

At least there was a certain possibility that it wasn’t entirely them.

Because of the darkness, the faces of those watching were blurred, making it difficult to discern their true nature.

Perhaps something had infiltrated the audience, rendering even the lords of the Dark World undetectable?

Locke shook his head slightly, wondering what he was thinking.

These were all just guesses.

Besides, the Dark World had absolutely nothing to do with his current research.

Locke looked at the pool of unidentified gray liquid left behind by the Star Ring Eye Demon in the corner of the mountain range. His earlier corn cannon attack had completely transformed it into a churned, gray, unidentified liquid.

Locke took out a bronze cauldron and gently tapped it. The cauldron immediately enlarged, its opening widening, and began absorbing the liquid.

Eye Demons were typically used to create high-grade potions and magical artifacts. Although they were now somewhat unrecognizable, he wasn’t an alchemist, so that didn’t matter. These materials were enough to develop new Abyss-type magical potions,

which would be perfect for strengthening and perfecting his Abyss Dragon bloodline.

After Locke finished collecting all the unidentified gray liquid, he shrunk the bronze cauldron, found a spot to stand, put Douglas down, and said to Douglas, “This should be the shore of the Heavenly River. It seems we can only return to Golden Crown Mountain by wizard airship. Douglas…”

Douglas fell into thought. “The current ticket price is about 15,000 each, so that means we’ll have to waste another 30,000 magic stones.”

He slapped his forehead, dejected.

Locke looked at him strangely. “Douglas, you…”

“Don’t you think this is the easiest time for you to escape Golden Crown Mountain?”

Douglas turned to look at Locke, his eyes showing surprise. He suddenly remembered that he wasn’t a proper wizard instructor or researcher on Golden Crown Mountain, but a prisoner of a Red Dragon Witch. Logically speaking, he had finally escaped Golden Crown Mountain, and this was indeed a good opportunity for him to flee.

Douglas immediately followed Locke.

“Lord Locke, you can’t abandon me. I’ve made up my mind to join Mount Golden Crown.”

The Laughing King of Lagmamon rang in his ears.

Locke gave him a complicated look. “Douglas, Mount Golden Crown isn’t the best choice for you. You’re a wizard of the Evocation School,”

Douglas said. “I can stay with you and the Red Dragon Throne.”

“Besides, if I disappear, won’t you be punished by the Throne?”

Locke shook his head slightly.

“I was just suggesting it. In fact, even if you wanted to run away, you couldn’t.”

Douglas was speechless. Why was that Augustine wizard saying this?

The Laughing King of Lagmamon’s voice appeared in his ears.

“No, considering you have my guidance, I think Mount Golden Crown is perfect for you. The Evocation School wizards on Mount Golden Crown are weak, but that’s precisely your opportunity. Moreover, Mount Golden Crown has abundant Magic Peaches and other high-value agriculture. They have a very comprehensive reward system; whether it’s Water Cloud Peaches, White Dew Peaches, or Tourmaline King Peaches, they can all help you advance quickly.”

“According to the plan I’ve devised for you, having retrieved the Lightning Gate’s inheritance, you can then showcase your talents on Mount Golden Crown. Normally, joining Mount Golden Crown would be extremely difficult, but since you’ve entered as a prisoner, just stay. Although your status is a bit awkward, it’s still an opportunity. If you seize this opportunity, you can acquire a large amount of resources along the way, just like Locke Augustine.”

Locke glanced at Douglas, who was caught up in excitement.

It seems that whether it’s the wizard Droma, the wizard Daniel, or Antoine, they all need to apply for special funding as soon as possible. Otherwise, if they wait a few more years, with the help of the Wizard King Lagmamon, this very special ‘transfer student’ Douglas might catch up later, and then they’ll be in trouble.

Locke was about to leave with Douglas when a witch’s voice appeared behind him.

“Witch, please wait.”

Locke turned around and immediately saw Rose, whose expression was very displeased, followed by a little girl witch with pink hair.

Rose glared at Locke unhappily.

“Locke, we meet again.”

“You finally have time to come here. When did you advance to the Star Ring?”

Locke said, “Not long ago.”

Rose asked, “Did the Red Dragon Witch help you?”

Locke looked at her strangely, not understanding what she meant. “Advancement can only be achieved through one’s own efforts,”

Rose the witch frowned. She still needed time to recover from the side effects of rapid advancement, but Locke’s recent battle had shown that his advancement seemed perfectly executed.

This cast a shadow over Rose, who had originally intended to overshadow Locke by becoming a Star Ring Wizard first.

Rose deliberately provocatively asked, “By the way, Locke, I’ve recently poached dozens of people from your side. You shouldn’t have any objections, right?”

Locke replied curtly, “No.”

Rose frowned. She didn’t know if Locke was deliberately misleading her or genuinely indifferent.

But Silver Peach Garden was almost emptied out by him.

What other tricks did Locke Augustine have up his sleeve?

Rose’s heart sank slightly. She recalled that Silver Peach Garden was a long-established and well-known alliance of magical plant shops. Did he still have some incredible project in hand?

Or perhaps there was some special asset she hadn’t noticed?

Could it be because of those dozens of dilapidated shops?

Rose the Witch clenched her fists in unease, her teeth clenched slightly. No, her next step was to acquire those shops en masse, to completely dismantle Silver Peach Garden—from its people to its physical assets, to every aspect of it. Not just defeat it, but drain it dry, like an animal being sucked dry, until it vanished completely.

Her final blow was the Peach Dart Branch.

That was a fatal blow.

This was also her style: to replace the original owner in every way, compete in every field, completely defeat the opponent, and absorb their power.

Rose the Witch scrutinized Locke, pondering what he was planning.

At the same time, the witch Fula beside her sensed the tension between the two. A peacemaker’s smile immediately appeared on her face, and she spoke to Locke, saying, “This must be Wizard Locke Augustine. I am the head of the White Wizards’ Association along the Tianjiang River.”

“Fula Aura.”

“I have served as the head of the association here for a hundred years. It is my honor to meet you, a disciple of His Majesty the Red Dragon Throne.”

Fula bowed to Locke.

Locke returned the bow, acknowledging her presence.

Although she appeared to be an old Star Ring Wizard with limited potential, seemingly destined never to become a Moon Ring Wizard, her century-long tenure as head of the White Wizards’ Association along the Tianjiang River implied her identity was far from simple.

She was not an ordinary Star Ring Wizard; with this added prestige, she could essentially be considered a powerful Moon Ring Wizard, or even a relatively weak Sun Ring Wizard.

Moreover, the other party has served as the president of the White Wizard Association for so many years, so it’s clear that their social connections, interpersonal relationships, and ties to the White Wizard Association are far from simple.

After all, the channels to become the president of the White Wizard Association are very limited, and even the specific steps are unclear to most; the waters run deep.

The witch Flame spoke to Locke, “Witch Augustine, what was that magical plant you used just now called? Don’t misunderstand, I’m just very interested in it. I think if that weapon could be sold here, it would sell very well, and our association would be very interested.”

The image of killing two Star Ring creatures and the projection of a Third Ring creature with a single shot had left a very strong impression on her.

Locke shook his head slightly, “That’s the Great Spring Cannon Corn, indeed my creation. But I’m not planning to sell it to the public yet.”

The main reason is that the cost is too high.

The Great Spring Cannon Corn is a product he created using a World Wonder.

It took decades and consumed a tremendous amount of energy, time, and resources; it’s the highest level he can achieve with his current evolutionary level.

Even if she wanted to sell this, it would be virtually impossible unless she devoted all her time to it, and even then, it would be inefficient.

President Fula looked regretful.

“I see. That’s truly a pity. Our wizarding land is currently severely lacking in excellent magical weapons. I’ve already informed Wizard Terence about inviting Silver Peach Garden to participate in the open bidding.”

President Fula, holding a magic umbrella, feigned ease, saying, “I’ve never had the chance to meet or befriend you before, but I never expected to meet you now. I wonder why you’re being hunted by both abyssal and dark creatures.”

Locke nodded. “Because of an exploration, I inadvertently provoked these two worlds.”

President Fula paused, because even by wizarding standards, Locke was far too troublesome.

Just an exploration had attracted the combined pursuit of creatures from two terrifying worlds in the endless void. However, she was very mindful of boundaries, knowing she had no right to comment.

As a Star Ring Wizard deeply trusted by the Mysterious Heaven and the local six top academies and three top shop alliances, she knew what she could and couldn’t say.

President Fula smiled and said, “I see. I can prepare a banquet for you at the White Wizard Association. Of course, if you have other arrangements, I can also entertain you properly. You and Witch Rose are both distinguished guests of our Tianjiang River. I will arrange for a Witcher from the Demon Hunter Division to handle things here.”

Locke nodded slightly. It just so happened that he and Douglas needed to find a place to stay and settle in, and he could also visit the headquarters of Silver Peach Garden.

After all, once he had completely sorted out his power system after advancing to the Star Ring Wizard level, fully digested the power boost brought by this advancement, entered the key laboratory, and started completing the sub-projects of the special funding and key individual projects, and everything was on track, he could focus his attention on Silver Peach Garden.

First, it was for the task assigned to him by his teacher, which he had to complete well.

Second, it was to obtain more magic stones.

Only with a large number of magic stones could he go faster, higher, and further, and only then could he have the confidence to quickly complete the sub-projects of the special funding and key individual projects, and move towards becoming a Moon Ring Wizard.

The wizard shoe market has reached its current limit, making further growth difficult. Therefore, he’s currently focusing his economic growth efforts on Silver Peach Garden and Aladdin, hoping his idea can indeed become a way out for them.

Locke glanced at Rose the Witch.

If that were the case, he wouldn’t need to continue his tumultuous struggle with Rose in the magical plant weapon sales market.

In a sense, according to the information he obtained from Wizard Terence, the colonial war waged by the Tianjiang Coast Wizarding Lands against Hell is advantageous to him.

Furthermore, according to the information Terence provided, the geographical features and distribution of wizarding power in the Tianjiang Coast Wizarding Lands are very suitable for realizing his idea here.

A formally appointed wizard of the White Wizarding Association walked onto the hole blasted into the mountain by the Big Spring Cannon Corn. As soon as he reached this spot, his feet were entangled in many tender green vines, making it difficult for him to move.

He looked up at Witch Fura with difficulty.

“Association Master…this…”

Witch Fura looked at Locke.

Locke, however, remained calm and said, “That was just the destruction caused by a sudden burst of life energy. Therefore, the damaged mountains will retain abundant life energy due to the expansion caused by the burst. As a result, forests and grasslands will be lush and green in that location. Not only will the total biomass not decrease, but it will actually increase.”

“No special treatment is needed.”

“Just don’t let mortals approach this area recently, otherwise their hair and nails will grow wildly.”

The formal wizard at the Qi Transformation stage marveled inwardly. The methods of the Star Ring Wizard were powerful and unbelievable. It was clearly a single spell that pierced through an entire mountain range along the Tianjiang River, yet it created a forest in the gap in the mountain range.

Such methods are truly unbelievable.

The official wizard said, “Besides, our witch-hunting force also found a comatose crystallized wizard here. He should be a wizard from the Tide Grand Wizarding Tower. He must have made a deal with the Dark World, summoning creatures from the Dark World. This is a serious violation of wizarding law.”

“Association Master, sir, how should we deal with him?”

Witch Fura glanced at Locke, but still spoke in a businesslike tone, “Collect evidence at the scene, take him to the wizarding prison, and then inform the Tide Grand Wizarding Tower. That’s it. Wizards who seriously violate wizarding law will only be thrown into wizarding prisons and made to work for the White Wizarding Association. This is a rule set by headquarters.”

Locke understood; this was a form of taxation.

By driving these wizarding criminals, a large amount of production work could be completed for the White Wizarding Association.

It seemed that even if the Tide Grand Wizarding Tower wanted to bail him out, they wouldn’t be able to, because this was a form of taxation.

Not to mention, the Tide Grand Wizarding Tower probably had no such incentive.

‘Boom!’

As a single raindrop fell from the sky, countless raindrops the size of soybeans followed, and all the wizards felt a chill.

Locke and Rose both felt it; as the rain fell on them, an inescapable chill seeped into their bodies through their skin, lingering in the crevices of their bones.

Fula slightly turned the umbrella resting on her shoulder, and instantly it spun, countless raindrops dancing on its surface.

“Gentlemen, this is a special magical rain along the Tianjiang River—the Cold and Damp Rain.”

“Due to the influence of the Tianhan River, the humidity along its banks is usually 100%, and this moisture is mixed with a large number of ice element particles. Therefore, mortals living here will suffer from severe rheumatism; it’s only a matter of time. In addition, because of the magic of the Tianhan River, the stronger one’s magic, the more they will attract its power, thus causing us wizards to suffer from [Damp Bone Disease].”

“This moisture will seep in through my permanent defensive field, accumulating in the gaps between our bones. One or two days is insignificant, but after fifty or a hundred years, it will leave indelible ice shards in the gaps between the bones in our arms.”

The witch Fura handed one magic umbrella to each of Locke and the witch Rose.

“Just living here, the moisture in the air could give us ‘Wet Bone Disease,’ let alone getting directly rained on. That’s why the umbrella industry here is so thriving; Sunburst Umbrella Garden and White Ice Tower both started by selling umbrellas.”

“The aquatic magical plants in Joseph’s Reed House and Dalton Woods have the effect of reducing the dampness and coldness in the air, as well as dispersing the magic of the Frost River.”

“Wave Crocodile Bay and Tide Great Wizard Tower have conducted in-depth research into this phenomenon, gaining unparalleled mastery of water magic in the process, and using this water magic to try and solve these problems. To be precise, they both started by making ‘water pipes.’ Every household along the Frost River, whether mortal or wizard, must have ‘water pipes.’ These pipes absorb moisture and the magic of the Frost River, making the home dry.”

Witch Rose suddenly understood.

“I see. Some things you only learn after spending time in the world. So the origins of all the top wizarding academies along the Tianjiang River are related to this Damp Bone Disease; they were all established to solve it.”

Witch Fura smiled at Witch Rose. “Our civilization can only survive and progress by overcoming the unfavorable factors in our natural environment. Here, we overcame the unfavorable environment, and as a result, we made great progress in water magic and formed our own unique style.”

“Cold and bone-chilling, penetrating everywhere—that’s the water magic along the Tianjiang River.”

Witch Fura stretched out her hand, and instantly a ball of water carrying a chilling aura appeared in her palm.

“The Throne Wizards from our Wizarding Lands even brought this water magic called Moisture Science to the Starfield Sea and the Southern Wizarding Capital, where they established academic lineages.”

“The Truth Wizard of the Wizard Emperor’s Tower in the Southern Wizarding Capital is a wizard from our region.”

“To be precise, he was a student of the Tide Grand Wizard Tower before leaving this Wizarding Lands to study in the Starfield Sea. After becoming a Truth Wizard, he went to the Southern Wizarding Capital and established the Wizard Emperor’s Tower, one of the five top academies in the Southern Wizarding Capital.”

Witch Rose and Locke nodded slightly.

The Wizard Emperor’s Tower and Golden Crown Mountain are wizarding forces of the same caliber, and perhaps even larger in scale.

This is because Cloud Marsh Wetlands and the Southern Wizarding Capital are roughly at the same level, but Cloud Marsh Wetlands has seven top academies, while the Southern Wizarding Capital only has five.

Neither of them expected that the Tianjiang Coast, a wizarding land without a Sun Ring Wizard, only having one Moon Ring Wizard on the surface, and whose White Wizard Association President is merely a Star Ring Wizard, could have its academic lineage connected to the Wizard Emperor’s Tower.

These wizarding lands are indeed not simple at all.

Locke remembered that the president of the White Wizarding Association should possess special defensive magic arrays.

These could only be used during external invasions, as they could only be used against enemies from different civilizations outside the void. Therefore, even if black wizards attacked, or if affiliated civilizations launched an attack, the White Wizarding Association’s defensive magic arrays could not be activated.

But the witch Fula should have considerable power and means. Her current deliberate humility and adeptness were simply a reflection of her personality.

Logically speaking, her status was higher than his and the witch Rose’s.

With a flick of her hand, the water ball in Fula’s hand flew out and landed on a piece of wood. The wood, attacked by the moisture magic, quickly developed mold. Moisture magic can rot wood and destroy stone; it is ubiquitous and difficult to defend against.

The witch Fula explained, “This is a model of our first-circle spell, the [Dampness Spell].

I just wanted to use this spell model to explain to you two visiting wizards the severity of the dampness along the Tianjiang River. This level of dampness is merely a simulation of the dampness of the Tianhan River. It’s not even particularly sophisticated. If you stay here for an extended period, you’ll need to purchase specific potions and carry a magic umbrella when you go out, otherwise you’ll soon find your back aches, and your fingers, elbows, and knees inexplicably ache.”

“That’s because countless water elemental particles are eroding your bodies.”

Locke asked doubtfully, “President Fula, if it’s so powerful, what about the mortals living here?”

The witch Fula smiled and turned to Locke, saying, “Wizard Augustine, you have a truly admirable character, considering mortals so seriously. A wizard like you must be a good person; I’d like to be your friend.” “

However, the magic of the Tianhan River mainly accumulates in wizards with high magic pressure. That’s why this isn’t a death zone.”

“The lifespan of mortals here has indeed been severely affected, which is beneficial to the advancement of modern magical technology. The appearance of water-pipe magical items such as the Tide Wizard Tower and the Wave Crocodile Bay can significantly increase the life expectancy of these mortals.”

Locke nodded, and they boarded the magical carriage prepared by the association, beginning their journey to the White Wizard Association’s location.

But Locke quickly realized the trouble.

He had almost forgotten that the terrain along the Tianjiang River was different from other wizarding lands; it was rectangular. This meant that using magical carriages or other means of transportation in this wizarding land would be more time-consuming than in other wizarding lands.

The reason why the witches Fula and Rose were able to arrive so quickly was because they were in the local White Wizard Association building, nearby.

But the problem was that the facility Fula wanted to accommodate them was located at the other end of this wizarding land.

Locke had observed Fula several times and realized that she had indeed lived along the Tianjiang River for too long, so she was completely unaware that this behavior was wasteful of time, simply thinking that spending several days traveling along the Tianjiang River was normal.

As for the witch Rose, she had obviously been here for some time, and therefore also took it for granted.

Seven days later, they finally arrived at their destination.

As they disembarked, the witch Rose took the opportunity to approach Locke and whispered to him and Douglas, “I’m truly impressed, Locke. You’re willing to spend so much to advertise yourself. How much does it cost to hire a Star Ring Demon and a Star Ring Dark Creature? You’re willing to spend that much. In the end, Silver Peach Garden isn’t really your shop alliance.”

Locke’s eyes showed doubt as he looked at the witch Rose and asked, “What do you mean by that?”

The witch Rose raised an eyebrow and said, “You went to great lengths to suppress two Star Ring Creatures in front of the witch Fura, demonstrating the power of your magical plants. Isn’t that your goal? I originally thought you had abandoned Silver Peach Garden, but now it seems we still have a fight to fight.”

“You win this round, Locke. The Witch Flah is clearly impressed with you.”

The Witch Rose was clearly still resentful, because she had only received special treatment from Flah after telling her the path to advancing to the Moon Ring realm. Locke, with just one trick, had managed to get this four-hundred-year-old witch to host a banquet for him.

It was obvious to everyone that Locke’s weapon was very impressive and had already piqued Flah’s interest and attention.

In the Witch Rose’s eyes, Locke’s behavior was a form of business competition.

Locke smirked.

“Rose, I think you’ve misjudged the situation. I was indeed being hunted by both dark creatures and abyssal lifeforms simultaneously.”

“That wasn’t my intention. Haven’t you been very successful in the field of magical plant weapons lately? You’ve launched quite a few magical plant products,

haven’t you?” The witch Rose crossed her arms, then chuckled, “Indeed, very successful. I’ve won every award, project, and collaboration I could get along the Tianjiang River, and I’ve recruited almost all the excellent breeders and wizards here. This isn’t a competition between you and me, but a battle between Olayer and Silver Peach Garden. Your perspective on this issue is flawed, which is why Olayer will succeed in challenging Silver Peach Garden. Just like what you’ve done before.”

“Olayer is a younger, more dynamic shop alliance. Our team generates new ideas every day and gets our creations onto the sales channels.”

Rose the Witch said, “Locke, I’ve emptied your ranks of talent, leaving only incompetent fools in your Silver Peach Garden.”

“Let’s see how you fight me, how you maintain the Silver Peach Garden’s original status.”

Rose the Witch took a rose from her astral ring. “This is a Rose Dart we made. You know what it’s for, right? Guess which one has a higher magical plant trait index compared to the Peach Dart weave?” Fula the Witch

turned to Locke and Rose.

“Both of you are my honored guests. Please come to my banquet.” “

I’ve invited many high-ring wizards from the Tianjiang River to welcome you both.”

Fula the Witch watched this scene with great pleasure. In fact, the conflict between Rose and Locke was a good thing for her, not a bad thing.

It was also a great thing for the Tianjiang River.

Because the Tianjiang River needed excellent magical plant weapons, and only when these two seriously faced off could they bring this kind of creation to the wizards.

For the witch Fula, the fact that the war between the Red Dragon Throne and the Rose Throne had reached this place presented an opportunity for the Tianjiang River region.

Of course, due to the Three Emperors’ Tournament, the distribution of most of the resources along the Tianjiang River was currently controlled by Golden Crown Mountain, but this was a complicated matter, and she didn’t need to delve into discussions with the two juniors from Golden Crown Mountain and the Rose Council.

Locke nodded slightly to the witch Fula, then looked at the rose dart branch in the witch Rose’s hand. “I understand. Good luck.”

“I hope you get what you want.”

The witch Rose raised an eyebrow, having gleaned no useful information from Locke. She snorted, put away the magical plant, and turned to leave.

Locke, however, fell into deep thought. The magical plant in Rose’s hand was, on the surface, intended to replace the super-product from Silver Peach Garden.

In reality, she aimed to develop a magical plant in her youth that was superior to the one developed by Catherine the Witch in her youth, possessing the same price, functional positioning, and ecological niche.

While the era played a role, such as the rapid improvement in the overall level of the Eastern Boundary due to the Ascension Project, this also demonstrated Rose the Witch’s talent in the field of breeding.

The wizards of the Rose Council were indeed multi-disciplinary wizards, excelling in both breeding and textile science.

Fula the Witch approached and invited Locke into the White Wizard Association headquarters.

“Rose the Witch seems difficult to get along with, but she’s actually quite approachable. Wizard Augustine, I see you two seem to have a good relationship.”

Locke looked at her questioningly.

“President Fula, where did you get that idea? Didn’t you see how she wanted to devour me and the Silver Peach Garden?”

Wizard Douglas suddenly shuddered.

Rose the Witch’s fierce appearance had left a very deep impression on him.

Fula the Witch chuckled, “I noticed she was talking a lot with Mr. Augustine. She’s not usually such a talkative person. When she first arrived, some local wizards tried to suppress Olaye to maintain their own position, and the shop alliance went bankrupt in less than a week. Rose is a decisive wizard, and her methods sometimes seem excessive to me.”

“But she was quite talkative in front of you today,”

Locke said. “She probably just wanted to know my thought process. After all, communication allows you to probe each other’s thinking.”

Fula the Witch continued, “Let’s not talk about her. We might hold a few more meetings soon and gradually open up some small magical weapon development projects. I sincerely invite you and Silver Peach Garden to participate…”

Locke nodded absentmindedly, as his recent focus was definitely on the key laboratory, the cooperation with Aladdin, and the sales of Augustus Wizard Shoes in the recent Five Great Wars.

He didn’t even want to compete with Rose the Witch in the traditional magical plant weapon retail industry.

Fula the Witch frowned slightly; she could tell Locke wasn’t interested, and she found it very strange.

‘Strange, isn’t gaining my support a priority for Silver Peach Garden? The thoughts of these young geniuses from the upper-level wizarding lands are indeed hard to fathom. Locke Augustine, Rose Tasitou.’ ‘

But this is also an opportunity for us lower-level wizarding lands. I’ll go and warn the native wizards here not to have any improper thoughts about making things difficult for these two.’

…

At Golden Crown Mountain, Locke and Trajan entered the floating garden on Golden Crown Mountain.

At this time, this aerial garden was gradually being built and was beginning to take shape. When it floated above Cloud Lake, it would be the moment when it was completely completed and put into use.

This aerial garden was planted with many magical plants of various kinds, and the whole thing adopted the crystallization of magical industry—the construction method of Sky City. In other words, the underlying construction technology of this garden was the same as the construction technology of Sky City on the border between the Dark and the Light. It’s

just that this Sky City has been transformed into a garden nursery.

There’s a key laboratory in the Supernatural Purgatory, so it’s not surprising that this Hanging Gardens will also have one. Or rather, since the Academic Committee has decided to build the Hanging Gardens, they’ll definitely move the key laboratory here.

After all, a Hanging Gardens is a product created by pooling the resources of all schools of thought, so it’s only natural that it should be used to its fullest potential.

Locke noticed that some areas of the Hanging Gardens showed signs of construction stopping halfway through. He asked, “Senior brother, what’s that over there?”

The wizard Trajan coughed and whispered, “The Academic Committee doesn’t want us to say much, and I’m not entirely sure either, but as far as I know, Mount Golden Crown is short of funds, so some parts were stopped halfway through construction. Building a Hanging Gardens is basically the same as building a Sky City. Do you know what a Sky City is? Before the Great Void Exploration Era, a Sky City represented the highest combat power unit of a wizarding civilization.”

“Deploying a Sky City was enough to conquer an entire region of the world.”

“Even now, building it requires a lot of money, so some areas are built on and off, and construction resumes when the money comes in. Don’t tell anyone.” “

I’m just repeating what I’ve heard. Don’t let those architect wizards know; if they do, they might go on strike. Cough cough cough… It’s alright, even if there’s a temporary shortage of funds, it’ll be completed in two or three hundred years, right?”

Locke pursed his lips, hoping the Hanging Gardens would eventually be finished.

The wizard Trajan said, “The key laboratory has been moved to the Hanging Gardens, which can further concentrate the magical tides. Look, it’s this garden.”

Locke saw that the direction Trajan was pointing to was a square, and in the square was a flower that released magical light and emitted a faint glow.

Trajan the Wizard said, “It’s inside that flower.”

“Let’s go, there’s a shrinking spell in the flower. You’ll soon know what a key laboratory is.”

Locke and Trajan the Wizard walked to the flower, and then continued towards it. The next moment, their figures shrank smaller and smaller until they were sucked into the flower.

Then, Locke and Trajan the Wizard entered a huge greenhouse.

Locke watched as his permanent defensive force field shell degenerated into a permanent defensive force field. He looked at Trajan the Wizard and said, “Not shrinking, but dimensional reduction?” Trajan

the Wizard said, “That’s right, your perception is indeed very strong. That flower is the entrance to the key laboratory, and we have now been dimensionally reduced and entered the interior of that flower.”

Locke looked up and saw that it was a room with a greenhouse theme, but the walls were probably made of flower stamens.

In other words, the key laboratory for agricultural science at Golden Crown Mountain was a flower.

“Follow me,” said the wizard Trajan. “The laboratory is enormous. Even if we walked here for a hundred years, we still wouldn’t be able to traverse the entire facility.”

“Although it mainly involves dimensional reduction, we have indeed shrunk.”

“This greenhouse is just one room among many others.”

“But before you can truly enter, you’ll first need to undergo a safety test to assess the power composition. I’ll take you to the core of this laboratory—the Flower Fairy.”

Locke followed Trajan. It was the first time he had ever seen such a vast and stable dimensional-reduced area.

However, he quickly realized why the key laboratory had reduced the dimensions of all equipment, objects, plants, and even wizards. Research on many powerful magical plants was difficult or extremely challenging due to limited resources and varying magical pressure.

For example, the magical pressure of a powerful second-ring magical plant was almost comparable to a small world.

But what if the dimensions of this plant could be reduced, shrinking its magical pressure while maintaining the same world level?

That would mean that research on this high-ring magical plant, now in a reduced dimension, could be easily conducted within the same world region.

This was a method of conducting research using dimensional reduction.

What concerned Locke was that the Dark Great Evil King’s dimensional reduction merely lowered himself into a special dark space; essentially, the lower dimension referred to that special world and that special region.

But this dimensional reduction, while maintaining the world’s dimensions, permanently reduced wizards and all sorts of objects to a lower dimension.

Both were dimensional reduction,

but they were fundamentally two completely different operations.

The Dark Great Evil King simply absorbed people and objects into that lower-dimensional dark region, but this dimensional reduction involved modifying the very principles of the world and redesigning its rules.

Locke couldn’t even imagine how this was done!

No wonder so many wizards were desperate to enter such a place!

(End of Chapter)