I Arrived At Wizard World While Cultivating Immortality Chapter 679: News and Musings on the Future

Jie Ming nodded with satisfaction, then retrieved the magic network terminal from a nearby cabinet. He had, prior to commencing his seclusion, put away anything that might generate extraneous information to ensure his breakthrough wouldn't be disturbed. Because he hadn't anticipated the duration of his seclusion, he hadn't set up an auto-reply function. Three hundred years of isolation meant the terminal had amassed a considerable backlog of unread messages.

His fingertip grazed the surface of the terminal, activating a soft, pale blue light. Instantly, he was inundated with a deluge of messages. The list cascaded downwards on the projection like a waterfall. A majority consisted of routine notifications from the Star Ring Federation and informational updates from Noren Workshop. Jie Ming scanned through them rapidly. They primarily detailed the progress of Noren Workshop's development across several nascent planes and provided summary reports from ongoing conflicts within various long-term “elite trial ground” planes. These were not of paramount importance to him—serving merely as reference material to keep him informed of Noren Workshop's activities.

He filtered out the standard informational pushes, concentrating instead on the private communication logs. A slight pause came over his expression. Viola: Missed Calls (23). Clark: Missed Calls (3). “Good heavens!” Jie Ming’s eyes widened. Twenty-three missed calls from Senior Sister Viola were certainly numerous, but not entirely unexpected given her disposition. She was the sort to call once every few decades, her tone languid and elegant, to casually inquire about her junior's recent circumstances. However, the three missed calls from Mentor Clark sent a jolt through Jie Ming’s heart. He knew his mentor’s character all too well. Clark was a man of very few words, possessing an eternally impassive demeanor. He always communicated with utmost brevity. Typically, unless Jie Ming proactively sought his guidance, Clark rarely initiated contact. On the infrequent occasions he did, it was invariably to convey something of significance. Receiving three consecutive calls like this undoubtedly signaled that something major had occurred. Observing that his mentor had left no message, Jie Ming immediately dialed Clark’s number without a second thought.

On the crystal shard, intricate runes flickered rhythmically, indicating the establishment of a cross-plane connection. The communication request icon spun for a few moments… After a pause, there was no response. As the terminal automatically transitioned to voicemail mode, Jie Ming took a deep breath and stated in a resonant voice, “Mentor, this is Jie Ming. I have just concluded a research endeavor and noted your missed calls. My sincerest apologies for the delayed response. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require anything. I remain at your service.” He concluded the call. Without any hesitation, he proceeded to dial Viola’s number next. This time, the connection was established swiftly. A luminous screen projected above the crystal shard, revealing Viola’s visage. She appeared to be seated within a study adorned with exquisite furnishings. Behind her stood dark wooden bookshelves, and a crystal vase held delicate, pale purple flowers. After three centuries, her appearance remained utterly unchanged. This was unsurprising. The lifeform of a sixth-ring wizard had long since stabilized; time left virtually no imprint on their outward appearance. She was still clad in that impeccably tailored, dark blue robe, with the emblem of a Master of Potionology affixed to her collar. Her silver-gray hair was loosely gathered at the back of her head, with a few strands gracefully framing her fair neck. Her features were refined and dignified, and the corners of her lips still curved into that familiar, enigmatic, elegant smile. “My, my,” Viola’s voice emanated from the light screen, tinged with a hint of undetectable delight. “Is that our little junior? Three hundred years. Had Felix not sent word that you were still alive, I might have assumed you’d met an unfortunate end in some forgotten corner of a plane.”

Jie Ming offered a light cough. “Senior Sister, my apologies. I was engaged in seclusion, delving into certain research matters. I hadn't anticipated how swiftly time would pass.” “Seclusion, delving into research matters?” Viola’s eyebrows lifted slightly. A playful spark flickered within her pale green eyes. “Three entire centuries, and you couldn’t spare a moment to answer a single call?” “Something like that,” Jie Ming replied vaguely, quickly redirecting the conversation. “Senior Sister, I noticed Mentor called me thrice, but I am unable to reach him now. Do you have any knowledge of the reason?” Viola’s expression grew distinctly more serious. The playful smile receded, replaced by a rare display of earnestness. “The old man is preparing for a breakthrough,” she stated. Jie Ming was momentarily stunned. “A breakthrough?” “Indeed,” Viola replied, leaning back in her chair and crossing her long legs. “After his return with that activated plane wizard from Starfall, he completed his data compilation. He remarked that the time was ripe and is now preparing to advance.” Jie Ming drew a sharp breath. What manner of individual was his mentor?

Renowned as the unparalleled prodigy of Noren Workshop's entire history, Jie Ming still held the conviction that this title was rightfully his. Possessing monstrous talent, he could grasp a new law after merely two brief glances, harboring the grand ambition to comprehend all laws before attempting any advancement. Even at the sixth-ring, he could already subdue numerous seventh-ring wizards, and Jie Ming even harbored a suspicion that activated plane wizards of equivalent rank might prove no match for his own mentor!

However, it was precisely due to his mentor's monumental aspirations that his advancement was fraught with extreme difficulty. Jie Ming had never envisioned his mentor achieving advancement in a short span.

But now…

“Has Mentor… thoroughly researched every known law?” Jie Ming's inquiry was tinged with a palpable sense of disbelief.

“Far more than that,” Viola's response carried a peculiar inflection, as if she were simultaneously stating an irrefutable fact and recounting an epic legend. “The elder seems to have pushed the boundaries even further… He is, quite simply, a veritable monster!”

Jie Ming fell into a brief period of silence.

Upon reflection, his mentor Clark's impending advancement wasn't entirely beyond comprehension.

After all, when he himself had initially attempted to study the activated plane back then, he had already divulged crucial information: his research into the various laws had likely neared its culmination!

Suddenly, another question surfaced in Jie Ming's mind. “Speaking of which, does the transition from a sixth-ring to a seventh-ring wizard typically require an extensive duration?”

“If one accounts for all the preparatory work preceding the actual advancement, then yes, it demands considerable time. However, if you refer solely to the breakthrough itself once all preparations are finalized, it doesn't actually take an inordinately long time,” Viola stated, idly swinging her leg.

“Then, considering that three centuries have already elapsed, is Mentor… doing alright?” Jie Ming inquired, his tone laced with a degree of hesitation.

Viola responded with an eye-roll. “When I mentioned it was swift, I was referring to the process for ordinary wizards. That old man has attained mastery over an astonishing number of laws. Completing the advancement for each individual law is undeniably not a task that can be accomplished rapidly!”

Jie Ming pondered her words and found himself in agreement. Indeed, the sheer quantity of law types that Mentor Clark had mastered was likely beyond even his own capacity to accurately count.

The process of accumulating and deriving all those laws to a state ripe for advancement would inevitably necessitate an exceedingly lengthy period.

“Nevertheless… it did not consume as much time as you might anticipate,” Viola remarked, reaching for the teacup beside her and taking a deliberate sip. “He indicated that the data was sufficient. You are aware of the old man's disposition—he does not make pronouncements without unwavering confidence.”

Jie Ming was, without question, intimately familiar with that characteristic.

Clark never uttered a word unless absolute certainty was at hand.

When he expressed a sentiment like “about time,” for others, it translated to “a nine-out-of-ten probability of success.”

“Even so, I likely won't have the opportunity to see Mentor for quite some time,” Jie Ming confided, unable to entirely suppress the astonishment coloring his voice. “It's no wonder I couldn’t reach him earlier.”

“Mhm,” Viola affirmed, setting her teacup down. “He has retreated to his personal plane. It will probably be another few centuries before he emerges. It is perfectly normal that you cannot establish contact. He should be occupied with the establishment of various protective and supportive facilities crucial for the advancement process. After all, despite the elder's formidable strength, the more potent a wizard becomes, the more significant the disruption during their advancement, and consequently, the higher the likelihood of attracting unwanted attention.”

Jie Ming slowly released a breath.

The transition from the sixth-ring to the seventh-ring represented a pivotal shift from the stage of “law solidification” to that of “law expansion or deepening.”

Strictly speaking, seventh-ring wizards bore a certain resemblance to the Void Refinement Realm within the cultivation system. There was, in fact, no drastic qualitative transformation; it served entirely as a preparatory phase for advancing to the eighth-ring.

Of course, this did not imply that seventh-ring wizards were weak.

After all, the law expansion or deepening undertaken by a seventh-ring wizard signified their mastery over a substantial volume of new knowledge.

And in the realm of wizards, knowledge was unequivocally power!

Once Clark achieved a successful advancement…

Jie Ming dared not even contemplate the implications.

A being capable of vanquishing a contingent of seventh-ring wizards while still at the sixth-ring—what unfathomable level of strength would he attain after advancing to the seventh-ring?

Even ordinary eighth-ring wizards would likely find themselves compelled to yield before him.

“I understand,” Jie Ming's voice regained its composure, though internal turmoil continued to churn. “Thank you for conveying this information, Senior Sister.”

“There is no need for gratitude.” Viola graced him with that signature smile, a blend of elegance and a hint of wicked amusement. “Oh, right, now that you have emerged from your seclusion, do make an effort to visit me when your schedule permits. Once the old man successfully advances, we, his students, ought to demonstrate some measure of appreciation. And furthermore…”

She drew out her words melodramatically. “I have recently perfected a new batch of my Pain Potions, boasting quite exceptional quality. I am in urgent need of a suitable test subject.”

The corner of Jie Ming's mouth gave an involuntary twitch.

“I shall endeavor to find the time.”

“That signifies your acceptance.” Viola's smile broadened perceptibly. “I eagerly anticipate our session, Junior.”

The link of communication severed.

Jie Ming gazed at the dimming light screen for several moments before exhaling a protracted sigh.

His mentor was on the cusp of a major advancement.

Yet, the very first thought that occupied Jie Ming's mind was focused squarely on his own future trajectory.

Since reaching the Dao Integration stage, a realization dawned upon him: he had, in fact, underestimated the Dao Integration Realm’s profound control over the laws.

While he had hesitated to even consider it before, now…

Observing his mentor’s example, could he perhaps attempt a similar feat, even while still in the sixth-ring?

Hiss!!!

After all, Mentor Clark’s combat prowess was utterly astonishing!

However, these were thoughts for another time. Numerous tasks still awaited his immediate attention.

Jie Ming placed the magic network terminal aside and addressed the Black Giant priest, who had been patiently waiting nearby.

“Proceed. Given the burgeoning population on this plane, a recalibration of the corresponding population management framework is essential…”