Wizard Class Advancement

That afternoon, Chen Chuan left the research room and headed for the magic book exchange.

The elderly attendant from last time was reading. When he saw Chen Chuan arrive, he glanced up briefly, then lowered his head and continued reading without any other reaction.

Chen Chuan walked quietly to one side at the very back. He wanted to find some books on offensive and defensive magic

to improve his chances of survival and his combat ability.

The rustle of pages as the elderly attendant turned them sounded especially clear in the quiet exchange.

Chen Chuan stood before the innermost bookshelf, running his fingertips over books with magic symbols printed on their covers.

Basics of Flame Arrow, Arcane Shield Explained, Introduction to Elemental Magic—these titles made him pause.

"Do you need all of those?" a deep voice asked from behind him.

Chen Chuan turned to see Arwen standing behind him. He had appeared at some point, holding a thick book with a dark green cover.

Arwen's lenses reflected the faint light between the shelves, and the hint of a smile lingered at the corner of his mouth.

"As a researcher, you should study more systematically instead of collecting basic books at random."

Intricate runic arrays were engraved on the cover of the dark green book in his hand, with Magic Power faintly flowing through them.

Chen Chuan noticed that the edges of the book were badly worn. It had clearly been read often.

"This covers most of the practical elementary and intermediate magic from the Third-Class Wizard Apprentice rank through the First-Class rank."

Arwen handed Chen Chuan the book. "Lord Alex specifically instructed me to give you this."

Chen Chuan took the book, feeling its weight in his palm—An Introduction to Wizard Combat Systems.

Chen opened it and saw that the table of contents listed the names of spells with all kinds of effects.

Their grades were not particularly high, but there was a wide variety.

Chen Chuan flipped to a random page.

It described an elementary offensive spell called the Thorn Spell. Its description was simple but practical: by condensing Magic Power, the caster could grow thorny vines from their fingertips to entangle enemies or pierce them directly.

Chen Chuan gently brushed his fingers over the magic array diagram on the page and felt a strange resonance.

"The Thorn Spell doesn't require much control over Magic Power, but it does require a precise casting angle."

Arwen's voice came from beside him. "Lord Alex said you're very talented in that regard."

Chen Chuan looked up and found Arwen standing beside him, his gaze thoughtful behind his lenses.

The elderly attendant had put down his book at some point and was watching them with interest.

"Being a researcher means certain privileges as well as research assignments."

Arwen pointed toward the back of the shelves. "You can borrow the books marked 'For researchers only' whenever you like."

Chen Chuan followed his gaze. Sure enough, on the bottom shelf were several hefty tomes with pitch-black covers and no markings, giving off a faint aura of danger.

"Remember, knowledge is power, but certain powers require a matching degree of wisdom."

Arwen patted Chen Chuan on the shoulder, then turned and left.

Chen Chuan carried the book to a corner of a reading room, opened An Introduction to Wizard Combat Systems, and began to read it carefully.

As the foundational class in the wizard line, a Wizard Apprentice needed to establish a combat system during their apprenticeship.

That would make their first class advancement easier when they became a Formal Wizard.

Chen Chuan saw that the mainstream paths for a Formal Wizard's class advancement fell into three major advanced classes.

First, elemental wizards used knowledge as their core to harness elemental power. They constructed microcirculation systems within their bodies to allow multiple elements to circulate, becoming masters of the elements themselves. At later stages, they could even open an elemental domain and turn the battlefield into their own realm, where they were undying and indestructible.

This was the orthodox advancement path for wizards and the choice of most white Wizard Apprentices. The Wizard World possessed vast amounts of corresponding knowledge and resources, allowing it to produce a steady stream of elemental wizards.

Second, bloodline wizards. Bloodline wizards gained corresponding innate talents and abilities by devouring the bloodlines of powerful species. This advancement path was the most dangerous, with an extremely low success rate, but success brought astounding combat power. Bloodline wizards often had unique ways of fighting. Some could transform into magical beasts, while others could resonate with their bloodlines and summon contracted creatures. Few apprentices at the academy chose this path; after all, every bloodline fusion was a brush with death.

Third, spellblade wizards inscribed Magic Power into their flesh, bones, and bonded weapons, completing a ritual that fused flesh, Magic Power, and weapon into one. Combining powerful bodies with masterful weapon skills, they were the strongest kings of planar wars. A spellblade wizard's fighting style varied according to their bonded weapon. Early spellblade wizards mainly relied on weapons such as sabers, swords, daggers, and bows. After the planar wars, they had evolved to use more weapons, including guns, cannons, pulse cannons, and laser cannons. There were even spellblade wizards who incorporated technology such as aircraft, giving them limitless potential.

Chen Chuan's gaze lingered on the introduction to bloodline wizards, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the page.

Did the Academy of Life's Tree of Life Meditation Method count as a type of bloodline wizard?

Chen Chuan also thought of the Heart of Plants Lili had mentioned before. One of the requirements for becoming a bloodline wizard was to devour the bloodline of a powerful species. If he could obtain and devour the Mother Tree of Life's Heart of Plants, could he acquire her bloodline?

The thought set Chen Chuan's heart ablaze. Then he could use the Mother Tree of Life's bloodline as a foundation to nurture a Seed of Life and forcibly transform himself into an elemental creature. Not only would his lifespan increase dramatically, but he would also gain inherited talents and magic. He would not need to save up resources to exchange for magic books at all; he would only need to keep increasing his spiritual power and class rank.

It would even benefit my secondary class as a potion maker. After all, my ultimate goal is eternal life. And I've heard that the Mother Tree of Life originated from the Tree of Myriad Worlds, a ninth-rank eternal life-form.

Chen Chuan recalled the Tree of Life's summons in his earlier dreams. Because of Lili's puzzling behavior, he had essentially used the meditation method in place of sleep ever since learning the Tree of Life Meditation Method.

He had never entered the dream again.

It seemed he still needed to enter the dream and look for clues.

Chen Chuan closed the book and looked out the window.

Dusk had fallen, turning the sky deep purple, and a few stars had begun to twinkle in the night sky.

He stood up and decided to return to his dormitory to rest first, then try entering the dream that night.

Back at the dormitory, Chen Chuan took off his black wizard's robe and changed into comfortable clothes.

He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes, his consciousness gradually sinking into darkness.

In the darkness, a gigantic Tree of Life slowly emerged. Its crown reached into the clouds, and green light flowed among its branches and leaves.

Chen Chuan found himself standing beneath the tree. He looked up at it, an inexplicable sense of familiarity welling up in his heart.

"Welcome back, child." A gentle voice sounded in Chen Chuan's mind.