Chapter 493: New Events for the Snow Melting Competition, the Zhigaochengcheng

Not long after Lord Duolaisen left the Elf Embassy, in another secret location, the Great Arcanists of the Seven Towers gathered to discuss some arrangements regarding the Snow Melting Competition.

The Snow Melting Competition was originally just an instructional Arcane Competition that appeared for the Elven Mages of Yierlan to instruct Netherese Mages; later, the Netherese discovered the 【Nether Scroll】, and subsequently abandoned Elven Magic.

Whether out of spite or some other reason, the subsequent Snow Melting Competitions gradually lost their original flavor, eventually developing into a gaming arena for the two countries to resolve various disputes.

The biggest conflict between Netheril and Yierwen was not the rise and suppression of some new power, but a trade dispute; as Netheril's largest trade export country, for hundreds of years, Yierwen had obtained countless amounts of raw metal ore and raw gemstone from Netheril.

Afterward, these were turned into finished products and sold back to Netheril, which also included high-value-added products such as Magic Items, artworks, and even spices and liquor.

The unit price of the goods did not matter; what the Snow Melting Competition competed for was trade share and the amount of trade tax.

Yierlan hoped to increase imports and exports while simultaneously lowering tax rates, whereas Netheril not only wanted to reduce the import and export of certain specific goods but also to additionally increase tax rates.

The Netherese were more inclined to shift some trade to the Dwarfs rather than the Elves; after all, the Dwarfs lived in the mountains and underground, and had no natural territorial competition with humans.

On the other hand, the Dwarfs also needed human grain, while the Elves did not.

In recent years, the Netherese have won more than they have lost in the Snow Melting Competition, and have already shifted a considerable amount of import and export share to the Dwarfs in the northwest; in fact, the Dwarfs have now become Netheril's largest source of High-Grade Mithril.

The continuously increasing trade tax on Elven goods also made the interior of Yierlan very dissatisfied, but based on the historical origins between the two countries, in the end, they only increased their participation in the Snow Melting Competition and did not launch any substantive threats.

It is just that now that Keman is involved, no one can predict to what extent the development of the situation will go.

After the New Year's regular meeting of the Seventon Council, the Great Arcanists of the Seven Towers met frequently; in a sense, they represented the entire Netheril, and although there might be ideological disputes among them, when facing the Elves, they would still set aside their disagreements.

Today's meeting was mainly to discuss the format of the competition; no one expected that with less than two months left until the Snow Melting Competition, the format of the competition had still not been discussed.

The previous Arcane Competition with Yierlan was extended from instructional exercises from hundreds of years ago, but it is now more intense than in the past; except for the limited venue and the limited use of external objects, it can almost be treated as a one-on-one real combat.

And with the addition of Keman, are they supposed to have a three-way melee?

Or perhaps repeated battles, but Keman has already clearly refused repeated battles, and Yierlan is also tired of the past competition format; if they continue to use such a format, they will still lose more than they win, and will be unable to change the status quo.

Therefore, the Elven side strongly requested to change the competition system; three to two, the Netherese could not refuse; in addition to the traditional Spell Duel, two new competitions would be added, proposed separately by Netheril and Keman.

The Elves' proposal has not yet come out, but the Great Arcanists of the Seven Towers are almost certain that it must be biased toward Elven Mages.

Although the other side seemingly fairly let the Netherese also propose a new competition, since it is an Arcane Competition involving Magic, the Netherese Mages do not have an absolute advantage.

Except for the old event that has been honed for hundreds of years—the Spell Duel—if other events are changed, it is not certain that they will be able to compete against Elven Mages.

Therefore, the Great Arcanists' discussion was no longer about designing how to conduct magical confrontation more cleverly, but about designing a competition that is more advantageous to humans.

But after discussing it back and forth, the Great Arcanists discovered with some disappointment that even in the traditional event of the Spell Duel, the Netherese might still have a certain advantage against Yierlan, whom they have been fighting for hundreds of years, but it is not certain against Keman, not to mention the new events.

Then, what form of competition is more favorable to human Mages?

Just as everyone was lost in thought, Princess Xiya suddenly said: "Regarding the Spell Duel with Keman, you do not need to worry too much; I have an Elven Mage from Keman there, and I will have him provide guidance and practice for the participating Arcanists to familiarize them with the Spellcasting habits of Keman Mages."

The Elven Mage Princess Xiya spoke of is actually Feinuoweita, who was brought back from the Tower of Time.

After the Star Dew Family experienced a disaster and fled to Seventon, they quickly threw themselves under the Princess's command; the Patriarch Aolando only wanted the family to continue, and did not care at all about serving humans.

In order to show loyalty, he even married a human wife.

As for Feinuoweita, although he is not used to human life, under the Suppression of his older brother the Patriarch, he can be considered obedient.

For the Princess, the defection of the Star Dew Family does not lie in gaining a few Elven Mages, but in the judgment of the situation within Keman, and a set of Elven Magic inheritance sufficient to advance to a high-level Mage.

This is something that the Yierlan of the past could not provide; the fact that the Elves are unwilling to open the Zhigaochengcheng is also an important reason why the Netherese abandoned Elven Magic, though the main reason is still the discovery of the 【Nether Scroll】.

The Princess's sudden statement also reminded the other representatives of the Seven Towers that an Elven family fled to Seventon last year, but they only now know that the Elven family came from Keman.

When the Princess said the name of the Star Dew Family, the other representatives of the Seven Towers showed expressions of sudden realization, but immediately frowned: "The Star Dew Family of Keman was destroyed overnight, and the survivors even defected to Netheril? Could there be some conspiracy in this?"

"I have already understood the details of this; regardless of whether there is a conspiracy behind this, the Star Dew Family itself has no problems; besides, a set of Zhigaochengcheng cannot be fake!"

"Zhigaochengcheng?!"

The group of Great Arcanists immediately forgot about the new event for the Arcane Competition they were supposed to discuss and turned the topic to the Zhigaochengcheng; one Great Arcanist immediately said:

"That bunch of long-ears has always kept the Zhigaochengcheng hidden; Your Highness, are you sure that is the Zhigaochengcheng? I traveled through the Elven Nations when I was young and know a thing or two about Elven Magic; should I take a look at it?"

"You?" Another Great Arcanist immediately retorted, "Who among those present has not studied Elven Magic, but if we are talking about who knows it best, it should be my Morien Tower; Your Highness, please let me see the Zhigaochengcheng, and I will make the most professional judgment!"

Soon, the other Great Arcanists also spoke up one after another, demanding to see the Zhigaochengcheng; Princess Xiya did not refuse: "I have already left the Zhigaochengcheng at Giles Tower; if you want to see it, go see it yourselves!"

Although there is competition between the Seven Towers, there is also cooperation; they are collectively known as the "Seven Towers Group" to the outside world, and personnel visiting each other, or even transferring between them, is a common occurrence.

For example, the Great Arcanist Bailun of Giles Tower now originally came from Gustav Tower.

As for why the Zhigaochengcheng was not placed in the Arcane Union, that is naturally because the composition of the Arcane Union is more complex, and besides, not wanting to touch the sensitive nerves of the Elves, it is better to study it privately and not make it public.