Chapter 245

252. Chapter 252: Advance! Advance!

"Do Whatever Is Free" has shown a mature side.

After news of Lin Ke's accident spread, Ba Ke and Lynn took the handwritten letter Lin Ke had prepared in advance and gathered all members of "Do Whatever Is Free."

Whether in the inner circle or the outskirts, everyone assembled.

The handwritten letter was read aloud by Ba Ke, then circulated among all members for verification of authenticity.

At this point, the members of "Do Whatever Is Free" learned that the boss had anticipated his possible recent mishap and had made preparations in advance.

Ba Ke and Lynn were arranged as interim agents, especially Lynn.

Until the elder sister Mo Li emerged from the Cultivation Secret Realm.

Combined with the numerous potion formulas and preparation methods the boss had recently made public on the internal forum,

the potion research and development plan for the coming period,

and the advance preparations for the next-generation "Fairy" potion and "Empowerment" potion...

All these matters indicate that the boss had already sensed he would encounter an accident.

Regarding the boss's premonition's spiritual efficacy, the members of "Do Whatever Is Free" have not the slightest doubt.

It's just that this accident came so suddenly.

As a result, all members were mentally unprepared.

Afterwards, Ba Ke and Lynn, following the established procedure, had all members who had read the handwritten letter sign an extremely high-level, stringent secrecy contract.

To prepare against the leakage of the handwritten letter's contents.

After unifying their thoughts, "Do Whatever Is Free" erupted with astonishing unity and considerable capability.

Steadily advancing all affairs, they not only managed the Grande Potion Shop well, repelled several probing attempts from other potion shops, but also successfully took over part of the Lucia Family's industry compensated by the academy to Lin Ke.

This performance by "Do Whatever Is Free" has made many people and organizations continuously following Lin Ke Grande's attack increasingly convinced that this is a genuine accident.

Such an outstanding junior talent, capable of personal excellence and also developing influence,

which family would willingly sacrifice as a "pawn"?

Judging by this, the core layer of the Lucia Family is likely eighty or ninety percent truly rebellious.

Even though the cause of the rebellion has not yet been found, the fact of rebellion is already established.

Now, it remains to see how Riverside Academy will hold Mesopotamia University accountable.

And how the relationship between the two former staunch allies will proceed.

Fairy World.

Lin Ke's injury healed quickly.

The wound penetrating from front chest to back has completely healed.

The damaged lungs are restored to their original state, allowing him to breathe Fairy World's air without a mask.

Upon hearing the news, the Medical Department head, Celine Wushi's first potionology student, Level 3 Wizard, Bolo Salosar, rushed over anxiously.

"All good?"

"Pretty much."

"Can I move freely now?"

"I suppose so."

"Come on, let's go to the Medical Department."

After brief pleasantries, Salosar Wizard began conscripting laborers, his iron grip firmly binding Lin Ke's arm, pulling and dragging him to the Medical Department.

"Yo, kid, you've got a tough life—survived three Annihilation Cannon blasts and didn't die!"

Murphy the Old Man was there too; upon seeing him, he immediately began sneering sarcastically, "You've grown some skills, not bad, not bad—next time try surviving six Annihilation Cannon blasts, see if you can live."

"Thank you."

Lin Ke knows this is Murphy the Old Man's way of reminding him to be cautious in the future and not be too reckless.

Otherwise, like this time, not knowing why, he would just get "schemed against."

So Lin Ke's response is a sincere thank-you.

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Salosar Wizard shoved Murphy the Old Man aside, led Lin Ke forward toward the Medical Department's quarters, and said at the same time, "You are now my Medical Department's external consultant, no longer a staff member of the Potion Department. When Murphy the Old Man speaks, just treat it as farting."

"Hey, how are you talking like that?"

Murphy the Old Man instantly flared up, belittling him to his face—can he still do that?

Do you really think his sword isn't sharp?

Salosar Wizard couldn't be bothered with Murphy the Old Man, led Lin Ke all the way to the largest tent, pulled up a series of documents from the Office Smart Brain, and said, "All the data on the Medical Department's recent 'Sublimation' potion project are here—take your time to look."

"Hmm."

Lin Ke immediately focused his attention on these documents.

Calculating the time, the Paro Sage Legion's implementation of the "Sublimation" potion project in the Fairy World has indeed passed the small-scale verification stage.

If there are no mistakes, it can be rolled out on a large scale.

The Paro Sage has several times considered summoning him to assist or preside over the "Sublimation" potion project.

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Indicating that the project's progress is not as smooth as expected.

There must be some problem somewhere, but the Medical Department hasn't found it yet.

As a result, the "Sublimation" potion project hangs in limbo—unable to advance, unwilling to retreat—becoming a useless burden like chicken ribs.

As head of the Medical Department and overall responsible for the "Sublimation" potion project, Bolo Salosar cannot shirk his responsibility.

He even feels that Celine Wushi's criticism of him—"can't even copy homework properly"—is spot-on.

The Medical Department is indeed full of craftsmen; being able to make a good potion refiner is already not bad, but wanting to become an excellent potion R&D specialist truly lacks that talent.

Now it's good — the developer of the "Sublimation" potion has come to the door himself; we must seize the opportunity.

While Lin Ke was reviewing the materials, a major incident occurred in Riverside City.

The Academy's Enforcement Department, after approval from the Dean's Office, publicly executed some members of the Lucia Family.

By this point, even without an official announcement from the Academy, it had already been established that the Lucia Family had defected and that Solon Lucia had ambushed Linke Grande.

The public execution at Riverside Academy is not hanging or beheading.

The scene is not particularly bloody, but for wizards, the outcome is far harder to accept than death.

First, the Sea of Consciousness is abolished, and the mental and magical power of the punished is converted via special means into special energy, which is charged into the Academy's General Tower.

Then, the wizard qualification is abolished, completely blocking the path of re-cultivation for the punished.

Next, the knowledge in the mind is stripped away, deleting all memories related to witchcraft from the punished.

Finally, the Thought Seal is engraved, firmly establishing in the punished the cognition that they must not self-destruct.

From then on, the punished will live in suffering.

Knowing they were once a wizard but unable to recall even a trace of such memories, and unable to regain their former identity and status through effort, they can only live in a daze, numb and alive.

Unable even to end their own lives, they must endure a lifetime of regret, pain, and numbness.

Like walking corpses, life is worse than death!

This batch, a total of 36 Lucia members, underwent public punishment.

Those who came to the scene to watch the execution also filmed the process, not only posting it on the Riverside Forum but also deliberately spreading it to many forums in Mesopotada.

Some other wizard organizations, such as Shadow City, the Flame and Metal Trading Company, and the White Tower Alliance, also shared this video.

Wizards who watched the execution video all felt that the methods of Riverside Academy were sufficiently harsh and sinister.

"They got off lightly."

Celine Wushi observed the entire execution process and gave such a comment.

Afterwards, Celine Wushi no longer paid attention to the Lucia Family, nor did she care much about rescuing the Paro Sage Legion.

She focused entirely on her own cultivation, striving to enter the Transformation Period as soon as possible. Mesopotada University.

In a villa under strict surveillance, the core members of the Lucia Family — the patriarch, the council of elders, and the backbone forces — totaling 42 people, gathered together.

After the execution video ended, the patriarch, who is currently the only Sage of the Lucia Family, surveyed the many elders and backbone forces, finally fixing his gaze on Solon Lucia, remaining silent for a long time.

After a while, the patriarch asked faintly: "Are you satisfied?"

Solon Lucia raised his head in confusion: "Why do you ask this, Patriarch?"

A trace of resentment appeared in the patriarch's eyes: "If you are dissatisfied with the fact that the family, without informing you, signed a reconciliation agreement with the Paro Sage lineage — especially with Linke Grande — and offered apologies, you can raise it directly to me, or even propose to the elders to remove me from my position as patriarch."

Pausing, the patriarch raised his voice: "Why did you, behind the family's back, first leak the fairy world coordinates obtained from somewhere unknown, forcing the family to use the ancestors' connections and hastily defect, not even having time to attend to other clan members, the two legions, and the industries?"

Solon Lucia asked in puzzlement: "Everything I did has been reported to the patriarch — how did it become acting behind the family's back?"

"I did not agree!"

The patriarch grew increasingly angry, yet his voice turned low.

"But you also did not object."

Solon said indifferently: "Not objecting means one can proceed. Isn't that what you once taught me?"

"Hmph!"

The patriarch's eyes turned red, as if he were about to spit fire at any moment.

The many elders and backbone forces, listening to a Level 5 Sage and a quasi-Sage converse, dared not casually interject.

Even the highly respected and venerable Grande Elder did the same.

After a moment, seeing that the patriarch and Solon still maintained restraint, the Grande Elder finally spoke: "The matter has come to this; investigating the past is useless. Let's think about the future instead."

The patriarch snorted: "What else can we do in the future? With that secret in our hands, we can exchange it with Mesopotada University for protection, then try to use them to recover some clan members and industries."

Solon directly countered: "Recovering some promising juniors is enough; those idle, good-for-nothing hedonists — why bring them back? To continue hollowing out the family?"

The atmosphere in the meeting hall suddenly became awkward.

The "hedonists" Solon referred to were precisely those raised by the people present.

The degree to which the family is being hollowed out is not far off.

Solon, eager to advance, has repeatedly proposed reforms to renew the family's atmosphere, but all were rejected by the elders.

Even when Solon once persuaded the patriarch, the elders opposed him from multiple sides, openly obstructing and secretly undermining, thus thwarting his efforts.

Only now did the elders of the elders' council realize that Solon's dissatisfaction with the family had reached such a point.

They wished for a fiery rebirth.

As long as the spark of hope remains, even if the current Lucia Family is destroyed, they would not care.

The common traits of the 36 punished Lucia members surfaced in the minds of the elders.

These people are exactly the "worms" Solon spoke of!

Yet the patriarch seems not as angry as he appears on the surface; his dialogue with Solon is more like a double act, performed for certain people to see.

Only the acting is too lifelike; unless one is familiar with them — such as the various elders — one cannot see through it.

Thinking this, the elders all pressed down on their thoughts, daring not to think deeper.

Thinking further would get someone killed!

They haven't lived enough yet!

The patriarch and Solon unintentionally exchanged a glance and immediately understood each other's intentions.

Spare their lives for now!

Monitoring Room.

The headmaster of Mesopotada University personally inquired of the wizard responsible for monitoring the Lucia Family's core: "How are they behaving?"

"Besides attending meetings more frequently, there's nothing else unusual."

"What do they say during the meetings?"

"They blame each other, shift responsibility, discuss how to reclaim their people and assets, and complain that Solon acts without informing the family beforehand."

The wizard in charge of monitoring replied, "They might have used coded language; we're urgently investigating, looking for patterns, to confirm whether coded language was used."

"Hmm. You're doing well."

The headmaster gave encouragement, then ordered, "Keep monitoring, relax restrictions on them, let them do whatever they want—do you understand what I mean?"

"Understood!"

"Understanding is good."

The Mesopotamia University headmaster further encouraged the two wizards monitoring the Lucia Family, then leisurely left the monitoring room and returned to his own office.

"You're not leaving yet?"

Seeing Forrest Dean loitering here, the university headmaster snapped irritably, "I said it already—no instructions given, means no instructions given! Hurry up and get lost back to your Riverside Academy!"

Forrest Dean came today as the representative of Riverside Academy to demand accountability and ordered Mesopotamia University to hand over the core members of the Lucia Family.

Commonly known as causing a scene.

Naturally, the more arrogant and shameless, the better the effect.

Therefore, after Forrest drove the university headmaster out of his office, he moved in and sat comfortably on the headmaster's throne, leisurely spinning around.

Hearing the university headmaster's rebuke, Forrest Dean smirked and showed no concern at all.

He looked utterly like a hooligan, not a Level 6 Sage, the dean of the Primary and Advanced Academies of Riverside Academy.

The university headmaster glared fiercely back, "Enough already—don't go too far!"

Forrest Dean returned the glance, "This is just the beginning—I haven't even torn down your office yet; sparing you is already me showing mercy."

The university headmaster rolled his eyes, "You still want to tear down my office? Why not just seize my position outright—wouldn't that suit you better?"

Forrest Dean's eyes lit up, "Hey hey, that's not a bad idea—I declare, your position belongs to me now!"

The university headmaster resigned, unable to deal with this scoundrel who almost became his brother-in-law and is still stringing along his own sister; he could only leave his office again.

Meanwhile, Forrest Dean settled comfortably into the throne with a grin, notifying Mesopotamia University's management to come one by one to report work.

The next day.

A shocking piece of news spread.

Riverside Academy Dean Forrest Diomand stormed Mesopotamia University, drove out the university headmaster.

Then seized the headmaster's position, exercised the headmaster's authority, and solemnly handled Mesopotamia University's affairs.

Due to Forrest Dean's identity, rank, strength, and the university headmaster's retreat, Mesopotamia University's management had no choice but to comply.

Forrest Dean also didn't act recklessly—every task was handled orderly, following instructions precisely, with absolutely no issues.

Moreover, he uncovered four embezzlement cases in just half a day!

Even more excessive, Forrest Dean declared upon leaving Mesopotamia University that he'd return tomorrow, and if still no explanation was given, he'd uncover eight corruption cases.

Anyway, these people's corruption methods are extremely crude—investigate one, catch one.

Mesopotamia University headmaster fumed:

"Can't I investigate?"

"It's inconvenient for me to investigate."

"Every single one is a connection—my ancestors are still around!"

"You're making me look so clueless!"

"Hehehe... delighted."

The person who leaked this news also posted several photos of the university headmaster inspecting Mesopotamia University everywhere.

Gossiping wizards exclaimed, "This melon is sweet and fresh!" and eagerly awaited further developments.

Wanting to see how long Mesopotamia University will hold out for the Lucia Family, whether they'll retaliate.

Wanting to see how the relationship between the two will evolve.

As a result, Mesopotamia University officially announced selective closure, covering the local campus and the main world.

Everyone can exit but none can enter!