Chapter 324

A few days later, Plane Nuolun Academy No. 13.

A few days ago, Jie Ming received a communication from Mentor Lei Si. The content was concise and to the point, instructing him to head to a designated location in the academy district at a specified time.

So today, after handling his own experiments, he crossed the teleportation array and returned to this academy after a long absence.

On the way, a familiar figure caught his eye.

"Jie Ming!" Senior Sister Wei Aola was still as elegant as ever.

However, upon seeing Jie Ming, she immediately broke her composure, hurried over in a few steps, and raised her eyebrows slightly: "Did you also receive the old man's communication?"

Jie Ming's eyelids twitched: "You're so bold now, daring to call the mentor that?"

"Ha! I am now a qualified Tier 6 Wizard; even if it's the old man, he can't lecture me as he pleases!" Wei Aola elegantly flicked her long silver-grey hair, but the words coming out of her mouth were completely at odds with her elegance.

"The mentor just looks a bit bald; he's not that old yet..." Jie Ming couldn't help but retort.

"Is your focus actually on this? It seems you have a rebellious heart just like me! How about it? Do you want to form an alliance with me and establish an 'Anti-Old Man Alliance'?"

"Ah, no! Allow me to refuse!"

Jie Ming silently dodged the hand Wei Aola reached out to drape over his shoulder.

Wei Aola immediately put on a heartbroken look: "Are you planning to betray me too?"

"..."

Jie Ming silently shuffled two more steps to the side, fearing blood might splatter onto him.

After bantering for a while, the two finally turned their attention to the matter at hand.

Jie Ming answered Wei Aola's initial question: "Mentor Lei Si did indeed ask me to come here, but he didn't elaborate in the message."

Mentor Lei Si sent a text communication, not a video.

Moreover, the requested location was not his usual office, but a conference room with an unfamiliar number, which in itself hinted at something unusual.

"Strange." Wei Aola rubbed her chin, looking inquisitive, "When did the old man learn to be so mysterious? He wouldn't say a single extra word in the communication; this isn't his style."

Jie Ming was just about to nod in agreement when a flash of inspiration struck his mind.

He thought of the Nuolun Wizard who descended like a god when he encountered a crisis in the Giant Spirit Realm not long ago.

According to the information he possessed, as a powerful Tier 8 existence, the Nuolun Wizard should have been following that Tier 9 Wizard, fighting the enemy's main force on the front lines.

Even if they had sent a distress signal, the conventional reinforcements would be the Tier 8 Wizards on rotation.

Conversely, the Nuolun Wizard coming to support meant he had already left the battlefield.

If it were a rotation, it seemed a bit early in terms of timing.

A Tier 8 Wizard would never leave the core battlefield without a reason.

The Nuolun Wizard's personal return in itself meant that the front-line war situation might have undergone some kind of change.

Or... there was a new mission of extremely high priority that required a powerhouse of his level to return and handle it personally.

"Hmm?" Wei Aola keenly captured Jie Ming's momentary pause and thoughtful gaze, immediately becoming interested, and gently bumped him with her elbow, "Little Junior Brother, looking at you like this... do you know some inside information? Quick, share it with your Senior Sister!"

Jie Ming pondered for a moment, feeling there was no need to keep this confidential, so he briefly explained the process of his chance encounter with the Nuolun Wizard in the Giant Spirit Realm.

"Nuolun Wizard? That legendary lord has returned?" Wei Aola's eyes lit up instantly, as if her curiosity had ignited two flames.

Without waiting for Jie Ming to finish, she grabbed his collar and dragged him forward, "Then what are we dawdling for! Let's go, let's go! Maybe we can see the real person up close!"

"The Nuolun Workshop has over 140 academies; how could we possibly see the real person..."

Jie Ming was dragged along like a kite fluttering in the wind, sighed helplessly, and could only let her be.

This Senior Sister's drive was always so "extraordinary."

Following the communication's guidance, they arrived at the designated conference room.

Pushing open the heavy door, Jie Ming scanned the room, his heart stirring slightly.

The interior of the conference room had clearly been subjected to advanced space expansion technology; the interior space was astonishingly vast, enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people without appearing crowded.

Moreover, quite a few wizards were already seated here.

Looking around, although some people were relatively familiar, Jie Ming was unfamiliar with most of the faces.

Most of those who came to attend the meeting were low-level Tier 2 or Tier 3 wizards, their faces filled with a hint of confusion and expectation.

There were also some higher-level wizards, but judging from the fluctuations of their spiritual power, they were unstable, likely having just advanced not long ago.

As for those sitting in the front row, Jie Ming was all too familiar with them—they were the very mentors who had taught them at the Nuolun Academy back then.

Mentor Lei Si, still slightly bald and with a serious expression, was among them, whispering to another mentor beside him.

"It seems a major meeting is about to be held." Jie Ming understood in his heart.

Jie Ming and Wei Aola first walked to the front row and bowed respectfully to Mentor Lei Si.

Lei Si raised his eyelids, glanced at them, just nodded slightly, his voice calm and waveless: "Hmm, you're here. Find a place to sit."

Although he said that, the wizards in the venue all consciously sat down according to an invisible rule—from front to back, roughly arranged according to the level of the wizard.

Jie Ming was long accustomed to this; this hierarchical awe of knowledge and power was deeply rooted in the marrow of the Wizarding World.

He walked quietly to the area where Tier 2 wizards gathered and found an inconspicuous spot to sit down.

After they left, sitting next to Lei Si, the former Soul-system mentor, Oswaldo, leaned over.

Watching Jie Ming and Wei Aola leave, his tone carried undisguised envy: "Lei Si, these two students of yours are truly not simple. It's only been how many years, and Wei Aola has actually reached Tier 6. And that Jie Ming is even more exaggerated; clearly a Tier 2 wizard, yet I can actually feel a threat from him... Tsk, you've been a mentor, you have glory on your face."

Mentor Lei Si glanced at him, his face still expressionless, just gave a light "hmm" from his nose as a response.

But the slightly relaxed corners of his mouth seemed to reveal a hint of imperceptible satisfaction.

Wei Aola followed Jie Ming to the seat he chose but didn't sit down immediately.

She bent down with a grin, winked triumphantly at Jie Ming: "Little Junior Brother, you just stay here obediently~ Senior Sister is going to the front!"

Jie Ming had long been aware of his Senior Sister's eccentricities, his heart was calm, and he just nodded calmly: "Senior Sister, please go ahead."

Seeing Jie Ming's reaction so dull, Wei Aola felt bored and "sighed" like a punctured balloon.

Drooping her shoulders, she walked to the front row area belonging to high-level wizards and casually found an empty seat to sit down.

Soon, the door of the conference room closed slowly, and no new wizards entered.

The whispers in the venue gradually subsided, and all eyes were cast toward the stage at the very front.

Hum...

Amidst a slight humming sound, a clear holographic projection lit up above the stage.

A figure turned from virtual to solid; it was the Nuolun Wizard, with a gentle face and eyes as deep as a sea of stars.

"I am Nuolun." He spoke, his voice not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every wizard present, carrying an unquestionable authority.

A subtle, irrepressible commotion immediately erupted in the venue, especially among those low-level wizards, their faces filled with excitement and awe.

Many of them had grown up listening to the name of this Nuolun Wizard, and now, this legendary Tier 8 Wizard had actually appeared before them in the flesh (albeit a projection).

And the high-level wizards in the front row also wore expressions of awe; after all, the higher the level, the more they could understand the huge gap between different levels.

That was not just a gap in strength, but an abyss in wisdom and research capability!

The Nuolun Wizard didn't care about the reaction below, cutting straight to the point, his tone decisive: "My return this time is to execute the highest resolution of the Star Ring Alliance."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room, as if it could pierce through everyone's soul: "To cope with the increasingly complex situation in the Chaotic Void, the Federation has decided to officially launch the 'Elite Cultivation Plan'. Starting from today, with the core of each wizard force as the main members, the first batch of elite combat units will be formed."

Jie Ming's heart stirred, as expected!

"For many years, the many academies of the Nuolun Workshop have accumulated a large number of high-quality talents through elite trials, and now it is time for them to truly be put to use." The Nuolun Wizard's voice carried no emotion.

"Before you are fully grown, you will be deployed to the second-line battlefield. The enemies there may not be as formidable as those encountered by the front-line main legions, but they are often more bizarre and tricky, making them the best touchstone to hone you."

He then briefly mentioned some changes regarding the deployment of high-level wizards and resource allocation, but these were clearly not very relevant to the level Jie Ming was currently at.

Jie Ming's attention was already fully focused on the keywords "Elite Team" and "Second-line Battlefield."

His brain spun rapidly, beginning to analyze calmly.

The second-line battlefield, without a doubt, had controllable risks compared to the first line.

But "more tricky" meant high uncertainty, and conventional means might be difficult to cope with.

"However, in terms of safety alone, it should be guaranteed, perhaps even safer than the safety of the rear battlefield?"

After all, on the rear battlefield, although it was said to be cleaning up the remnants, the level of the commanding wizards would not be too high.

And on the second-line battlefield, there would definitely be Tier 8 Wizards sitting in command.

Based on the wizards' mode of operation, wizards would handle all obvious Tier 9 enemies on the first-line battlefield.

So, with the premise that there is a cap on the enemy's level, the safety of having a Tier 8 Wizard sitting in command on the second-line battlefield can actually be greatly improved.

"What's more, the colleagues at that time will all be elite, so the strength should be stronger..."

The Nuolun Wizard's projection was expounding on the specific selection criteria, resource allocation, and preliminary arrangements above, and Jie Ming had already begun to calculate his own research arrangements for the next step.

(End of chapter)