Chapter 245: Chapter 216: Return and Mishap

Time, for a wizard immersed in research and work, always flies by swiftly.

Unknowingly, fifty years have passed in the blink of an eye.

After experiencing a grand plane war and the subsequent tedious and intricate development and organization, the preliminary development of the Ice and Flame Plane has finally come to an end.

And Jeming is also preparing to return.

Jeming stood in the now bustling temporary spaceport of the Ice and Flame Plane, gazing at the plane’s core bound in countless rune chains yet still exuding a heart-palpitating aura, feeling somewhat dazed.

He didn’t expect that a task, which was initially just an ordinary plane conquest mission, would lead to such a long stay in an other plane.

All of this mainly stemmed from the trouble caused by the Living Ice and Flame Plane.

Its unique life form and the fragmented continent left behind after being shattered brought enormous difficulties to the later statistical work and resource organization, costing wizards countless hours and manpower.

Due to being so busy with work, over the past fifty years, Jeming was either conducting ecological surveys on the shattered floating islands or analyzing and organizing data in a temporary laboratory.

He hardly felt the passage of “fifty years,” as if this long period just slipped by in a haze.

However, the reason he chose to return at this time is of utmost importance to him—he’s preparing to advance to a Second Level Wizard!

Over the years, Jeming, apart from completing heavy work, never ceased his meditation and cultivation.

His spiritual power had long filled the “Ring of Truth,” reaching the standard for advancement!

As long as he wishes, he can perform the advancement ritual at any time.

Meanwhile, Augustine, using the Living Plane as a huge “magnet,” attracted more and more wizards from various planes, including high-level wizards accompanied by students and assistants.

The Ice and Flame Plane became bustling for a time, and Jeming thus collected a considerable amount of “Red Dust Qi.”

However, in recent decades, as the development of the Ice and Flame Plane gradually got on track, the plane conquest was essentially coming to an end.

Many wizards gradually transitioned from a state of “war” back to “normal.”

And for this anomalous wizard civilization, it meant they returned from “normal society” to “abnormal.”

Therefore, the Red Dust Qi Jeming could collect was getting less and less.

However, decades of accumulation were enough for him to produce enough “Red Dust Potions” to pay off all his remaining debts.

This also resolved a concern of his.

Before leaving, Jeming specifically went to the temporary research center led by Professor Clark, located in the core area of the Ice and Flame Plane.

He planned to bid farewell to his mentor and Senior Sister Viola before leaving.

Inside the temporary research center, various strange rune instruments were buzzing, and the air was filled with a unique chilly and scorching scent that lingered after the collapse of the surface material of the Ice and Flame Plane.

When Jeming found Professor Clark, he was recording data on a wriggling piece of dark red flesh.

His robe was stained with unknown marks, maintaining that classic look of making a “wizard” seem like a “vagrant.”

“Professor,” Jeming called out.

Professor Clark looked up and, upon seeing it was Jeming, a gleam appeared in his cloudy eyes: “Oh, it’s Jeming. Leaving?”

“Yes, the battles here are over. I’m preparing to return to Elorcia to rest for a while,” Jeming replied respectfully.

At this moment, a feeble voice came from the side: “Take care, Junior Brother… Remember to send me some potions when you return to the academy, preferably those that refresh and combat fatigue. I feel like this damned data is going to drain me dry…”

Jeming turned his head to see Senior Sister Viola almost embedded in a massive light screen, with obvious dark circles under her eyes, looking utterly exhausted.

Even bearing the illustrious title of a Sixth Level Wizard, she still exuded a strong “beast of burden” vibe at this moment.

“Alright, Senior Sister, I’ll definitely do it next time,” Jeming replied, holding back his laughter.

Professor Clark glanced disdainfully at Viola: “Pathetic! Complaining about this amount of work?! Also, your speed is too slow; don’t even think about resting until you finish these data today!”

“You might as well say I won’t be resting this whole week!” Viola retorted weakly.

Clark ignored her salty-fish-like demeanor and turned back to Jeming with a much softer tone, even patting Jeming on the shoulder: “Alright, go back, have a good rest. You’re almost ready for your advancement, and I look forward to seeing you become a Second Level Wizard when I return.”

He paused as if casually mentioning, “As for me, I’ll probably be stuck here for dozens to hundreds of years. The mysteries of this Living Plane are enough for me to ponder for a long time, and I won’t be returning to the academy anytime soon.”

“So,” he glanced at Jeming, “you don’t need to rush with the debt you owe me. Take your time, as the construction of that large Seventh Level Elemental Pool won’t finish anytime soon. Pay it back with interest all at once when I finish my research and return to the academy. For now, focus on improving yourself, as anything else is just illusionary.”

Jeming felt a warm sensation in his heart.

How could he not understand the implied meaning behind his mentor’s words?

Professor Clark was clearly worried that due to unexpected occurrences in this plane war, Jeming wouldn’t gather enough “raw materials” to refine that “Red Dust Potion”. Unable to say it directly, he found an indirect reason to give Jeming an exceptionally lenient buffer period.

This means, if his harvest this time was insufficient, he could entirely use this precious time to explore other planes, gather enough resources, and return to “repay the debt”.

This considerate care, Jeming silently remembered in his heart.

Without pretentiousness, he didn’t point it out but simply gathered all his expressions and solemnly, deeply bowed to Professor Clark.

“I’m leaving, please you and senior sister take care as well.”

“Alright, alright, hurry up and get out, don’t delay my research!” Professor Clark impatiently waved his hand and turned again to fiddle with that piece of wriggling meat.

Jeming straightened up and said towards Viola, who was still “struggling” in the light screen, “Senior sister, I’m leaving.”

“Mmm… safe travels… remember my potion…” came a fuzzy response from the light screen.

Jeming smiled, hesitated no more, and turned to step onto the road toward the teleportation array, leaving this Ice and Flame Plane which had carried fifty years of his life.

With flickering lights, Jeming first used the cross-plane spatial teleportation array already set up on the Ice and Flame Plane to return to the Nolun Workshop and another two wizard influences’ strategic location set in the void—a boundary point.

He did not linger, directly finding the management hall at the boundary point.

There, he sold off in one go all the various materials he collected over fifty years on the Ice and Flame Plane—such as high-purity ice attribute and fire attribute energy crystal stones, various peculiar biological materials, and even the entire body materials of the Fourth Level Magma Giant he “picked up”, except for the core—exchanging them for the common currency among wizard influences, military merits.

In the end, Jeming calculated that if he didn’t add the Fourth Level Magma Giant’s corpse, the various resources he painstakingly collected over the fifty years only sold for over a hundred thousand military merits.

Including the income from completing various tasks over these fifty years, it added up to just over two hundred thousand military merits.

This figure, although already quite good for a First Level Wizard, could even be called “sudden wealth”!

Yet, Jeming thought, this figure wasn’t as much as he earned back then by sneaking into the yeti’s city to “snatch goods” when the High Tier Yeti was not around.

Jeming once more confirmed a truth in his heart—in the Wizard Civilization, information and knowledge were indeed the most valuable things.

Pure manual labor, even if risking life, yielded limited profits.

Only by mastering information asymmetry and core technology can one achieve a leap in wealth.

Having handled all trivial matters, Jeming, feeling refreshed, boarded the teleportation array leading to the Elorcia Plane from the boundary point.

The dazzling light engulfed him, space began to distort, and the familiar weightlessness set in.

In his mind, Jeming silently planned the tasks he needed to handle immediately upon returning to his laboratory.

First, organizing all the materials and knowledge required for advancing to a Second Level Wizard.

Second, beginning the refinement of the “Red Dust Potion” using the collected Red Dust Qi.

Lastly, sorting through all the gains from this journey to the Ice and Flame Plane, transforming those valuable pieces of knowledge into his underlying strength…

However, as he was submerged in plans for the future, he suddenly realized the teleportation light surrounding him began to exhibit intense instability!

The once stable and glorious light now flickered madly like a poorly connected light bulb.

The spatial coordinates’ positioning instantly descended into chaos!

“What’s going on?!” Jeming was startled, and a sense of crisis surged in his heart.

Before he could react, an immensely powerful, irresistible repulsive force surged from the chaotic spatial turbulence!

Immediately, Jeming, like a stone shot out by a slingshot, was forcefully “launched” out of the teleportation channel!

The surrounding turned pitch black, and the feeling of weightlessness and tearing came simultaneously, Jeming almost lost consciousness.

After being “launched” out by the chaotic and volatile spatial power, he tumbled clumsily several times in mid-air, managing to stabilize his position with his robust body and exquisite control over energy.

He floated mid-air, surrounded by unfamiliar mountains and forests, with the air filled with the unique, faintly pleasant element scent of the Elorcia Plane.

“Damn it! How could such a level of failure occur with the main teleportation array at the boundary point?” Jeming frowned, a hint of displeasure rising in his heart.

An incident of this level was enough to be recorded as a Third Level safety event.

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