Breaking the Rules, the Reckoning Begins

Wizard Yis ultimately reined in his emotions. His expression returned to stillness, like an ancient well untouched by waves, though the excitement in his eyes remained impossible to hide.

That rather special little fellow might have surprised him somewhat, but what had happened over these past days was the true source of his uncontrollable ecstasy.

After five years, the festering tumor rooted in Ancient Forest Wizard City could finally be cut away.

He would also be able to carry this achievement back to The Umbral Expanse and obtain greater resource support.

It had not merely been five years, but ten. The rules of Ancient Forest Mountain had been set long ago. Two Wizards from Supernatural Schools had arrived here first to investigate and gather intelligence. Once they understood the situation, they formulated the plans that followed.

This was an opportunity for advancement in his record. Correspondingly, those two Wizards of the Supernatural Schools would also receive generous rewards.

Turning around, Wizard Yis seemed to step into the void, leaving no trace of his existence in reality.

When he appeared again, he was already at the highest and most central point of Ancient Forest Tower—his office as the manager of Ancient Forest. Wizard Yis's robes rippled slightly as he spread them out and sat down in his chair.

Before him stood two figures in Wizard Robes, as though they had been waiting for a long time.

Upon seeing his return, one of them, dressed in a Black Wizard Robe with Golden Curly Hair and half his face covered by a mask, smiled. Wizard Fengxing said, "It seems Wizard Yis has obtained what he wanted."

"I must thank you both for your help. Without the intelligence you gathered over ten years, it would not have been so easy to catch hold of these people's tails." Wizard Yis smiled as well.

Wizard Lando was rather thin and wore a Black Wizard Robe. His eyes had the dull look of dead fish, and he always appeared lazy and listless. He said leisurely, "As Wizards of the same Supernatural Faction, the Wizard Families of Ancient Forest Wizard City have gone far too far. Do they truly think the lords of The Umbral Expanse are fools? Even without us, they would sooner or later suffer the harshest blow."

Wizard Fengxing nodded in agreement. "Some Wizard Families on the continent have grown powerful enough that their tails are too large to wag, and perhaps they are difficult to deal with. But these Wizard Families in a mere remote port town are dabbling in crooked schemes. They must be struck down."

"Still, it all depends on you, Wizard Yis. We are merely assistants."

A trace of reminiscence flashed through Wizard Yis's eyes. It was from when he had been dispatched to Ancient Forest Mountain to become a Management Wizard.

His teacher, White Bone, had personally told him that an unprecedented upheaval was coming. Problems had quietly emerged within The Umbral Expanse. They were not limited to the lower levels; even the higher levels had begun to show problems.

The root of those problems lay with these Wizard Families.

When Wizards from Wizard Families entered The Umbral Expanse, it was manageable enough if they did not occupy high positions. But once they did, the rules that had long remained fixed would be deliberately undermined.

The rules had been tacitly established from the very founding of The Umbral Expanse. Undeniably, they were also a means of maintaining balance, but they could bring fairness and allow The Umbral Expanse to continue developing upward.

Wizards from Wizard Families were different. They were more inclined toward their own families, secretly refusing to abide by the rules and thus causing a chain of problems.

Now, the conflicts that had arisen, along with the situation within The Umbral Expanse, were intensifying by the day, gradually forming two opposing factions.

Wizard Yis did not know what would happen in the future or how things would unfold. But what he could do was seize the opportunity before him and uphold the rules The Umbral Expanse had followed since ancient times.

Once, he too had been a Freshman found to possess Wizard Aptitude in a mortal nation on the Wizard Continent. He struggled all the way, diligently studying Supernatural Knowledge and putting in tremendous effort to enter The Umbral Expanse. Yet he saw Wizard Family Freshmen, who should originally have been eliminated, appear among the advancement slots. Meanwhile, the Commoner Freshman who had held the final slot never appeared again.

At the time, he did not understand. What had happened to this world? Why was it like this? Why did that Freshman, who had entered The Umbral Expanse through hard work, disappear in the end?

Someone unqualified had taken that slot! He had been furious. The rules were clearly written that way, so why were they being violated? It was strange. The vanished Freshman had no connection to him whatsoever, yet the fury in his heart had nearly burned his body to ash.

Many more years passed. After experiencing countless things and joining the White Bone School, he finally came to understand everything.

But the seed of flame from back then had not gone out. Instead, it had only blazed more fiercely. Why the hell should they get to do this?!

A surging, savage intent surfaced in Wizard Yis's eyes. His aura erupted violently, and the entire office seemed to tremble faintly. The expressions of the two Wizards before him changed drastically. Just as they were about to react, that aura vanished without a trace, as gentle as a spring breeze.

As though it had only been an illusion.

"My apologies, you two," Wizard Yis said expressionlessly.

Wizard Fengxing came from the Withered Wood School within The Umbral Expanse and was on relatively good terms with the Wizards of the White Bone School. He immediately took the initiative to say, "Senior Brother Yis, at a time like this, it would be best to keep your emotions steady."

Wizard Lando's dead-fish eyes had widened in fright. He was secretly horrified. So this is the strength of a Core Member from the White Bone School. It really is outrageously terrifying. He could be almost certain that Wizard Yis was a Limit Wizard Apprentice. Even if he was not, he was only one step away.

Combined with the White Bone School's many advanced Supernatural Knowledge, his strength would surely be terrifying even among Limit Wizard Apprentices.

Wizard Lando also felt somewhat bitter. Why were all the Wizards in the Water Marsh School he had joined the sort who never handled anything? There was no resource support, and the Supernatural Knowledge was simply placed there for him to read and study himself. Otherwise, how could he have been reduced to taking Quota Missions operated by the White Bone Faction?

Sometimes, bending one's back for two thousand dou of rice was something one had no choice but to do!

Wizard Yis silently nodded at Wizard Fengxing, then continued, "With everything that has happened on Ancient Forest Mountain these past few days, along with all the evidence gathered from every source, even if those Wizard Families in The Umbral Expanse have objections, they can only swallow them. As for what we do next..."

A grim smile appeared at the corner of Wizard Yis's lips. "Naturally, we proceed according to the rules!"

"I have said this before: if anyone breaks the rules, no matter who they are, as long as they have even the slightest connection to it, then they die!"

"The rules shall not be broken, by anyone!" His tone was utterly resolute.

Wizard Lando coughed. "Um, Senior Brother Yis, then I'll be responsible for protecting the Freshmen's safety on Ancient Forest Mountain. You know me, I'm not very good at fighting."

Wizard Yis stared at him expressionlessly.

Wizard Fengxing also looked over at him oddly.

Wizard Lando immediately said viciously, "The Purple Gold Flower Family and the Bailin Family all deserve to die. Anyone connected to them should be killed, whether Wizards, mortals, or Freshmen. It is the unshirkable duty of our generation to uphold the rules!"

"This is the list of targets I gathered over the past few days. Senior Brother Yis, please look it over."

As he spoke, he took out a stack of papers from his sleeve.

There were quite a few Freshman slots marked with red lines on them. At the top of the list were Moxi Bailin, Cardi "The Purple Gold Flower," Anna Karina, and other Wizard Freshmen connected to the recent events.