The entire process lasted for about three minutes. Dark Stream opened his eyes and clenched his right hand.
All the arrays collapsed on their own at the same instant, dissolving into tiny motes of light that scattered into the air.
“It wasn't self-detonation,” Dark Stream said, withdrawing his hand, his tone as flat as ever. “It was some kind of life-saving method. Judging by the residual energy fluctuations, it should be one of the trump cards of the Sea Dragon tribe. His body was directly decomposed into basic energy particles and then teleported away through a pre-established Spatial Anchor. Because of the disturbance of the energy particles, his destination can no longer be determined.”
Blood Fury’s expression darkened. “Tsk, this is going to be a bit troublesome. If that little sea dragon tries to make trouble, with the might of the Sea Race, our academy won't find it easy to block.”
Blood Fury was speaking the truth.
The Sea Dragon tribe was the royal family of the Sea Race, and their patriarch was an Eighth-Tier lifeform. Although the overall influence of the Sea Race in the Wizard World was inferior to the Wizard Council, they were definitely not an opponent that a Three Rings Academy like Blood Bone Tower could directly contend with.
Boulder was the Three-Thousandth Prince of the Sea Dragon tribe. Though his ranking was low, he still possessed royal blood.
He had nearly been captured on Blood Bone Tower's territory. Once he returned, whether he twisted the facts or complained directly, Blood Bone Tower would have to bear immense diplomatic pressure.
Dark Stream glanced sideways at Blood Fury and calmly spat out three words. “No big deal.”
Blood Fury raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Dark Stream. “Hmm? Dark Stream, what do you mean?”
Dark Stream didn't answer, merely nodding his chin toward Ethan.
“Ask him.”
The gazes of both Second-Tier Wizards fell upon Ethan simultaneously.
Ethan meeting the gazes of the two wizards, his lips curled up slightly. “Cough, I think the Sea Race should be feeling worse than us.”
Blood Fury’s brow furrowed even tighter. “Oh? What's the logic behind that?”
Ethan pulled open his belt.
Embedded densely inside were seven or eight recording crystals.
Blood Fury’s eyebrows twitched.
Then Ethan flipped open his bracers and his robes.
One after another.
“I humbly used eighteen recording crystals to document everything. From when Boulder first recruited me, to him personally admitting the layout of the Spirit-Deceiving Array, to him pulling out the Second-Tier wizardry models and the array knowledge crystal, and finally to all his reactions before he 'self-detonated.' It's all here.”
Blood Fury stared at the row of recording crystals on the ground and fell silent for a long moment.
Wizard Dark Stream raised his hand, his fingers hooking gently.
A recording crystal floated up from Ethan's body and fell into his palm.
He swept his mental power inside. After a brief moment, he lowered the crystal, and a subtle ripple of emotion finally appeared on his otherwise expressionless face.
“A complete recording,” Dark Stream said, placing the crystal back. “The Three-Thousandth Prince of the Sea Dragon tribe admitting all the details of the land invasion in his own words. This evidence is enough to give the Sea Race a massive headache.”
Blood Fury took a look as well.
A few seconds later, he lowered the crystal, a suppressed excitement swirling in his eyes.
“Good kid. You were recording from the very beginning?”
“From the moment that sea dragon said he was the Three-Thousandth Prince of the Sea Dragon tribe,” Ethan said. “I thought that if things went south, I would at least have some evidence to prove I was forced. But as we kept talking, I realized he was spilling more and more, so I just kept it running.”
“Went south?” Blood Fury sneered, the thick eyebrows on his square face shooting up high. “You call that going south? That sea dragon prince put his arm around your shoulder, called you his soulmate, and gave you seven Second-Tier wizardry models and the Spirit-Deceiving Array diagram. You call that going south?”
“Dean, you can't put it like that,” Ethan said, his serious expression completely unwavering. “What he gave me is his business, and what I recorded is mine. They are two entirely separate matters.”
Wizard Dark Stream’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
Blood Fury looked at Ethan. “Once we hand this over to the Wizard Council...”
Before he could finish, Dark Stream completed the sentence for him. “The Sea Race is going to bleed heavily.”
Blood Fury turned his head and stared at Dark Stream. “Dark Stream, how much do you think we can squeeze out of them this time?”
“Hard to say.” Dark Stream shook his head. “The matter of the Spirit-Deceiving Array involves the Thorn Empire and directly concerns Blood Bone Tower's direct territory. This alone is enough to make the Sea Race pay a heavy price. Furthermore, there's Boulder's admission of their subsequent expansion plans and their intention to infiltrate the other academies in District 77. If these things are brought before the Wizard Council's Arbitration Court, the Sea Race will have to compensate us with at least the development rights of three mid-tier worlds, plus a massive batch of resources.”
Blood Fury grinned.
The cruelty and smugness in that smile almost overflowed from his eyes.
Ethan took a step forward. “Dean, do I get a cut?”
“No big deal,” Blood Fury said. “But the specifics will depend on how much we can squeeze out of them.”
Ethan nodded. “No problem, any amount is fine.”
Blood Fury glanced at him again, the satisfaction in his eyes growing even more pronounced.
In a place like Blood Bone Tower, there were plenty of capable people, but there weren't many who were capable and also dared to bargain with the academy.
And those who dared to bargain while keeping their words so flawless that no one could find fault with them were even rarer.
Dark Stream’s voice remained as flat as ever. “Let's head back to the academy first. This evidence must be sealed immediately to prevent any unexpected complications.”
Blood Fury nodded.
He glanced sideways at Ethan, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his crimson eyes.
“Kid, you did a great job this time. Once the academy finishes negotiating the compensation with the Sea Race, your share won't be missed.”
Ethan bowed slightly. “It's all thanks to the backing of you two Deans.”
Blood Fury patted his chest. “Haha, of course, of course. So, are you coming back with us?”
Ethan shook his head. “No, I've been away from home for ten years. I should spend more time with my family.”
Blood Fury and Dark Stream exchanged a glance.
Something was being exchanged in that look, something very subtle, as if these two old fellows who had lived for countless years had simultaneously thought of the exact same thing.
Blood Fury withdrew his gaze, the smile on his face fading slightly.
He raised his hand to rub the newly grown stubble on his chin, seemingly weighing his words.
“Ethan,” Blood Fury spoke, his voice lower than usual. “You are not a qualified wizard yet, you know that?”
Ethan raised his eyebrows slightly. “What do you mean?”
Dark Stream took over. “Wizards have long lifespans. It is perfectly normal for a First-Tier Wizard to live for two or three thousand years. Your family members are mortals. Mortals live for a hundred years at most. By the time you emerge from a single closed-door cultivation session, your father might already be walking with a cane. After another session, your mother might no longer be around.”
He paused.
“Among the more than five hundred First-Tier Wizards in Blood Bone Tower, at least thirty are stuck at their current realm and can never advance. It's not a lack of talent, but their inner demons. When the last member of their family died, they were in the middle of experiments and missed it. By the time they snapped out of it, the grass on the graves had grown and withered a dozen times. This kind of regret will follow you for a lifetime. Because some wizards cannot bear it, they remain stuck at the First-Tier for the rest of their lives.”
Blood Fury crossed his arms, the expression on his square face turning unusually serious. “Also, if your family finds out you are already an Official Wizard, their mindsets will change. Some will fear you, some will use you, and some will treat you as a backer and stir up trouble you have absolutely no interest in dealing with. We've seen these things all too often.”
Dark Stream added, “Your mother might start nagging you to have children because you live so long, and she wants to hold her grandchildren before she dies. Your father might start talking to you about family inheritance, territorial expansion, and things that seem utterly meaningless to you now. You will get annoyed, you will get tired, and you will feel further and further apart from them. By the time you realize it, they will already be gone.”
Having finished their pieces, the two Second-Tier Wizards looked at Ethan in unison.
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