Black Domain Wizards

As soon as Alex finished speaking, Chen Chuan felt the warmth radiating from the bottle of Advanced Life Potion. He carefully accepted it, his fingertips touching the cool glass, yet he could feel the life energy surging inside, pulsing like a miniature sun in the bottle. It was on an entirely different scale from the Elementary Life Potion.

"I'll be ready." Chen Chuan nodded solemnly and put the potion into his storage ring.

"Good." Alex nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Arwen.

"Continue sorting the fragmented pages. I'll prepare some new materials for you when the time comes."

Arwen immediately perked up. "Yes, sir."

"Chen Chuan, come with me," Alex instructed.

Chen Chuan followed Alex out of the project group's room. Glowing moss on both sides of the corridor cast a soft light over them, making it feel as though they were walking through a green tunnel.

"Before you leave tomorrow, remember to pick up a collection toolkit from the Potions Association."

As they walked, Alex continued, "It contains a dedicated record book and collection instruments."

"Understood, sir," Chen Chuan replied, though his steps involuntarily slowed.

He thought of the Magic Mushroom summoning ability he had just gained and wondered how it would perform in the planar ruins, and whether the mutated plants would affect his summons.

"Something on your mind?" Alex keenly noticed his hesitation. He stopped and turned around.

Chen Chuan hesitated for a moment, then decided to be honest. "Senior, I recently gained a summoning ability. I can summon some... special plant life."

Alex paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "What abilities? What type of anchor is it?"

"Mushrooms. So far, there are three kinds: healing, attack, and defense. I think it counts as a growth type," Chen Chuan said quietly, a trace of uncertainty in his voice.

"Mushrooms?" Alex frowned thoughtfully. "That's a rare summoning specialty."

"Have you heard of Mutated Seeds of Life, sir?" Chen Chuan took a deep breath and told Alex everything at once: that his Seed of Life was a growth-type anchor, and about Aketi.

Alex fell silent for a moment, his fingers unconsciously tapping the patterns on his robe.

"Mutated Seeds of Life are indeed rare," Alex finally said. "You probably don't know this, but at Life Academy, we use the Seed of Life as the cornerstone of our meditation method. As we advance in the Tree of Life Meditation Method, the Seed of Life evolves along with it. When we make our push to become Formal Wizards, the Seed of Life releases a tremendous amount of life energy, increasing our chance of advancement by ten percentage points. Information about these effects is only available once you obtain the Advanced Tree of Life Meditation Method."

Alex rubbed his brow. "More importantly, there was once a kind of magic that could strip others of their Seeds of Life. Wizards who practiced the Seed of Life Meditation Method could forcibly fuse with them and gain the special abilities of Mutated Seeds of Life. Although the death rate was high, the temptation was simply too great. A high-quality Mutated Seed of Life came with astonishing special effects that were far too tempting to wizards. This magic was once widely circulated, but later, we academy wizards classified it as a forbidden technique and strictly prohibited its study. The Black Domain Wizards of the Wizard World, however, regard it as essential magic to learn."

"Black Domain Wizards?" Chen Chuan asked warily, every muscle in his body tensing.

"That's right. The Black Domain is the dark side of the Wizard World, and the wizards who live there are Black Domain Wizards. They're the most dangerous group in the Wizard World. They follow no rules and pursue only power. Because of the Wizard World's guardians, they don't expand beyond their territory. The Black Tower is also in the Black Domain." Alex's tone was grave. "If you encounter a Black Domain Wizard out there, make sure you stay away. They're wizards who have fought through life-and-death battles."

"Thank you for the warning, sir." Chen Chuan inclined his head, becoming more wary of Black Domain Wizards.

Seeing Chen Chuan's serious expression, Alex smiled faintly. "But having a Mutated Seed of Life isn't entirely a bad thing. At least in a planar ruin full of unknowns, like the ancient herb plantation, you might have an advantage over other apprentices."

Something stirred in Chen Chuan's mind. "You mean my Mutated Seed of Life might have some sort of compatibility with the environment there?"

"Quite possibly." Alex nodded. "Mutated Seeds of Life are often highly adaptable and can survive in all kinds of extreme environments."

"As for Aketi, I'll handle him. You don't need to worry about him revealing your situation." There was no fluctuation in Alex's voice, but Chen Chuan could sense an icy killing intent spreading through it.

The two continued down the corridor and arrived at another spacious laboratory. All kinds of experimental equipment filled the room. Flasks, crucibles, and test tubes were neatly arranged on the workbenches, and several apprentices in white coats were busy at work. The air was filled with the complex mingled scents of herbs and potions.

"This is my other assistant, Lina," Alex said, pointing to a young woman who was preparing a potion.

Lina looked up, a little surprised when she saw Chen Chuan. "Is this the newly promoted elementary potion maker Chen Chuan that Lord Alex has been mentioning?"

"Yes. He'll be accompanying us as the academy's herb consultant on this mission to the herb plantation planar ruins," Alex explained.

A discerning look flashed in Lina's eyes before she offered a professional smile. "I hope your skill in potion making lives up to Lord Alex's assessment."

Chen Chuan sensed the subtle probing in her tone and replied calmly, "I'll do my best not to disappoint Lord Alex."

Lina picked up a small silver box from the workbench and handed it to Chen Chuan. "Keep this safe. It's a preservation device specifically for collecting Sunflowers of Holy Light. It can keep herbs viable for up to three months."

Chen Chuan brushed his fingertips over the surface of the silver box. A faint, warm pulse of life emanated from the cool metal, as though he were touching a sleeping creature.

He put the box into his storage ring and inclined his head to Lina. "I look forward to working with you."

A faint smile curved Lina's lips. "See you at the west gate's elevated flying platform at six tomorrow. Remember to apply for a collection toolkit at the Potions Association today." Her gaze swept over Chen Chuan's blue robe. "The environment in the planar ruins is complex. I suggest you prepare some protective potions."

Lina then took out a piece of parchment and handed it to Chen Chuan.

"This contains some information about the herb plantation planar ruins we're visiting tomorrow. Remember to memorize it tonight." The writing on the parchment was clear and recorded the basic details of the planar ruins and the precautions to take.