Chapter 918
- Three chapters in one go! The ultimate explosion!
Chapter 918, three chapters released in quick succession in Zone 1! The ultimate explosion!
Locke calculated his contribution points. He had already used them all up, and the best way to enter the Supernatural Purgatory now was to publish two articles in the second-ring, first-zone journal.
This is not something that is impossible for me.
'The three-tiered Verdant Nursery Grotto-heaven within the Spirit Breath Cultivation Method, the special imaginary root of the Great Roaring Dragon Sparrow, and the special imaginary root of the Golden Dragon Claw Air Pineapple—all three can produce articles for the Second Ring, First District if studied in depth. The Grotto-Heaven Garden is new to me, so I'll start by studying the Golden Dragon Claw and the Great Roaring Dragon Sparrow, both related to golden magic.'
'I had already had Douglas prepare the preliminary data for both of them.'
'If I can publish two more articles on Yunze in a short period of time, I can enter the Supernatural Purgatory.' Locke felt that there was a lot of work to be done ahead, but this was the moment to strengthen his resolve.
Locke looked at Warwick and said, "I just got access to the Supernatural Purgatory."
Warwick's eyes lit up slightly. "I knew you'd have a way. I'll stay at your Golden Crown Mountain for another week, and I can create a [Historical Atlas] for you. Using this temporary magical artifact, the Historical Atlas, can enhance the recreation of history. As long as we can find someone who met with Maxwell, we'll definitely be able to glean all the connections between them."
Locke nodded slightly.
Old Warwick was a veteran archaeological wizard, so he must have a lot of knowledge. He had never even heard of this so-called historical atlas, but since that was the case, he would just leave it to him.
The two walked out of the private room, and after taking only a few steps, the Moon Ring Witch of the Rose Council, who was sitting in the main hall of the Witch's Kitchen, suddenly stood up from her seat. She looked at Locke and said, "Witch Augustine, please wait."
The Moon Witch looked at Locke and said, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop or steal your information. It's just that when you and this werewolf wizard were discussing something, I vaguely heard some of your rather long-term plans."
Locke and Warwick remained unmoved.
After all, the two of them had only said some trivial things after leaving the private room, things that could be overheard. The witch in front of her only knew that they seemed to have a long research project.
But we don't know exactly what it is, or even which direction it's coming from.
The Moon Witch looked at Locke and smiled, "It's about the special funding project, isn't it? Actually, there is a way that doesn't require such trouble."
"Wizard Locke, I admire your talent in breeding and congratulate you on winning the Golden Cup Flying Magic Plant Championship and collaborating with the Windbringer Sanctuary in Dragonfall Lands. That's a great wizarding academy; many of the flying machines in the Eastern Frontier were made by them."
Warwick looked at Locke in surprise and said, "Locke, you didn't tell me about this."
Locke rubbed his nose and said, "What's there to say?"
I only participated in the Gold Grail event to farm Tourmaline King Peach.
Who knew that they would inexplicably become involved with the Windbringer Academy and obtain key experimental data on the Golden Curse from the Russell Throne.
Warwick shook his head. "Locke, don't you know? That's the Windwalker Academy? One of the wizarding academies that can build the best flying machines."
"They have considerable influence in Dragonfall. They even procure some of the most advanced single-item flying machines from the front lines of the wizarding civilization. You actually say there's nothing to talk about? You've managed to cooperate with them; that's impressive. That wizarding university has very high standards; they won't even bother with anything that isn't truly outstanding."
Locke said, "I was just lucky. The Boundary Between Darkness and Light and the Land of Dragonfall just happened to want to cooperate, so I used the title of a competition champion."
The Moon Ring Witch said, “That’s why I admire you, Augustine. I have a project proposal that you could immediately write to secure a top-tier grant. I’m currently selecting a wizard for the Sun Ring Witch behind me to receive this honor.”
“Wizard Augustine, you can have it now if you wish.”
Locke paused for a moment, then asked, "Why me? I saw you meeting with the wizard Droma earlier, so I assume you were meeting with other wizards as well. You were indeed selecting a suitable breeder. But why me?"
The Moon Ring Witch looked at Locke and said, "Although your fame is not well-known because of the sudden emergence of the research route of magical plant crystallization, in fact, under normal circumstances, after winning the Small Rest Cup and the Golden Cup in succession, and publishing two papers in the second ring first district journal in a short period of time, you should have become famous and gained the attention of everyone."
"Your outstanding resume still catches my eye."
Locke said, "They're all issued in Zone 1, what's the difference? Zhuoma and Brandy have been issued in Zone 1 now, haven't they?"
The Moon Witch laughed and said, "Witch Augustine is joking. There are absolutely different things."
She held a document in her hand. "As long as Wizard Augustine nods, this document is yours."
The werewolf wizard Warwick standing next to Locke looked extremely grim.
Because if Locke accepts this information, would he still risk going to find the Black and White Codex?
He could see that there seemed to be some connection between the search for the Black and White Codex and his top-tier funding.
Warwick hesitated, but then he thought about it and put himself in Warwick's shoes. If there were information about a project that could immediately secure him top-tier funding, would he refuse it?
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
If he could obtain this information so easily, he would never refuse it.
Locke asked, "Could I ask what kind of project it is?"
The Moon Witch handed the documents directly to Locke. "Wizard Augustine can see them for himself."
She remained calm, knowing that the amount of information was so vast that Locke couldn't possibly memorize it all after reading it.
Locke glanced at her, took the documents, and began to read them.
“The special imaginary root of the crystallized magic plant, the crystallized imaginary root.” Locke’s expression changed slightly. He quickly checked several key data points and the key experiments mentioned in the literature, and found that they were all done well.
In other words, this is a project that can already be expected to be achieved.
The only difficulty lies in the pace of progress.
'The crystallization of magical plants initiated by the Rose Council has actually reached this stage; even the crystallization of the imaginary root, which is crucial for second-ring magical plants, is already underway.'
'However, this last step is also quite troublesome.'
Locke discovered that although the most difficult part of the project had been overcome, there were still several steps that required collecting a lot of data and planting a large number of suspected imaginary roots—the Guangxu Sea Vine from Guteng Township.
This is a long process.
The document estimates that it would take a genius breeder about fifteen years to complete, and even if Locke had the synthetic cube, it would take him about three years or more to complete.
No wonder the Rose Council is giving this kind of project to other people everywhere.
Locke realized that experiments of this caliber required true geniuses to advance and expedite their completion.
It's clear that the Rose Council can't wait for the crystallization of the Imaginary Root of the Magic Plant, which requires fifteen years to complete.
Locke understood the key point the other party was looking for in him.
It means that the speed at which one's experimental results are produced is particularly fast.
Clearly, the Rose Council needs to find breeding geniuses to help them accelerate this project, and also apply for several top-tier grants to further develop their magical plant crystallization technology.
Locke frowned. He had some thoughts before reading it, but after reading it, he completely gave up.
the reason is simple.
Time conflict.
The projects I have on hand all require a lot of time to complete.
By accepting this project, one might think that top-tier funding is within easy reach, but in reality, it completely narrows one's future path.
This seemingly advantageous approach, which actually results in a loss of benefits, is undesirable.
Locke returned the documents to the Moon Ring Witch and then shook his head slightly.
"I'm sorry, I can't do that. I have other research projects, and I simply don't have the energy to do it."
The Moon Ring Witch immediately raised her eyebrows.
"Is there anything better to research than the magic plant crystallization technology? Augustine, you... missing this opportunity might be the greatest opportunity of your life. Do you know what completing this plan means? It means you will be remembered in history."
"If the magic plant crystallization technology is fully successful, this project can at least guarantee that you become a Sun Ring Wizard!"
Locke nodded slightly.
The wizard Warwick beside him, fearing Locke might be swayed again, immediately said to the Moon Witch in a perfunctory tone, "I know, I know. My friend is just stubborn. Alright, we archaeology wizards have our own ideas. Goodbye."
Warwick the wizard quickly left with Locke, fearing that the Moon Witch might speak to Locke again and influence his resolve.
If Locke's attention is diverted, will he still be able to find his Black and White Magic Book?
The Moon Witch glared angrily at Warwick, "You... just a lowly grey wizard..."
The Moon Ring Witch of the Rose Council frowned as she watched them leave.
“These wizards from Golden Crown Mountain are all…”
"Inconsiderate."
“It’s one thing for Augustine to reject me, but why does Zeno have to reject me too? Of all the candidates I can choose from, only Droma and Brandy are somewhat decent. Although the project data has been distributed to many wizards, it won’t just be given to one second-circle wizard…”
By finding different focuses, such projects can apply for different top-tier funding programs.
This is also why it is easier to apply for the Special Funding Project than the Second Ring Fund.
It's difficult for a regular second-tier grant to pull this kind of trick, but because the review process for special-tier grants is more lenient, even if you're doing the same research, you can find slight differences and then apply for it.
The Moon Witch whispered, "Does that mean we only have to choose between these two?"
At this moment, there are people like her in various universities in Yunze Wetland, trying to persuade the second-ring researchers of the seven top wizarding universities to change their research direction and pursue the research route of magical plant crystallization.
They might even be encouraged to discourage these geniuses, causing them to abandon their research paths and feel despair or disappointment about the future of their chosen fields.
After all, the traditional research route is definitely more difficult than the magical plant crystallization route.
The Moon Ring Witch frowned, lost in thought.
At the same time, Locke quickly sent his main body and clone to the laboratory, and arranged for his student Gregor to take Douglas's body and a stalk of golden wheat to an area with thunderstorms.
I need to write two articles in a Q1 journal in the shortest amount of time, submit them to Yunze, and then, through Trajan's connections with my teacher, immediately receive the contribution points reward. Normally, I would have to wait a month for my articles to be published before Jinmianshan would award me the contribution points.
Three days later, in the midst of a thunderstorm, Douglas found his wizard robes soaked with water. He got up from the ground, looking somewhat dazed. Wasn't he fighting the Dark Lord?
How did I end up here?
"This is..." Douglas's pupils suddenly contracted.
Isn't this the Wizarding World?
Looking at the dark clouds looming overhead and the thunder rumbling in the summer valley, he suddenly realized that this was no longer the Dark World, but the Wizarding World.
Douglas wiped his face. "The little boss actually saved me."
He tried to call upon King Lagmamon in his mind, but to his surprise, King Lagmamon did not respond.
"The teacher... has indeed fallen into a deep sleep."
Douglas sighed. Without his teacher, he suddenly felt a little uneasy, and even in the midst of the thunderstorm, he thought of Locke Augustine.
At least he still has his little boss.
Standing atop the valley, Gregor called out to Douglas, "Lord Douglas, my teacher instructed me to place you under the thunderstorm. Because of the Demon Winter, I searched for a long time in the mortal realm before finding this valley. My teacher said that after you wake up, you should immediately return to Mount Golden Crown and enter Group 2's research institute to help him with his experiments."
Douglas suddenly laughed.
Only Locke could come up with something like this.
They actually had to send him, a patient, to work in the lab as soon as he woke up. It really does seem like something that senior student would do.
Douglas smiled, and at the same time, he felt at ease.
If Locke is acting this way, it means that everything is still under his control.
Although the teacher had fallen into a deep sleep, he had told himself that as long as he could become a second-circle wizard, the soul energy boost that would result from his breakthrough to become a second-circle wizard should awaken him.
Of course, normally it should take about twenty years for it to awaken again.
Douglas clenched his fists. He was determined to find a way to break through to become a second-circle wizard and awaken his teacher as soon as possible.
Douglas thought of the ruins within the Golden Crown Mountain.
But to break through, he must obtain that treasure. How can he do that?
Douglas was enveloped in magic, his wizard robes quickly dried, and then he transformed into a bolt of lightning, flying from the bottom of the valley to the top, before landing beside Gregor.
He stepped out of the lightning and said to Gregor, "Gregor, Williams has been a full-fledged wizard for a while now. Aren't you worried?"
Gregor gave a wry smile. "Lord Douglas, there's nothing I can do about this, no matter how anxious I am. By the way, Lord Douglas, my teacher said he's been very busy lately and needs your full help."
Douglas paused for a moment, then became quite pleased with himself.
'The teacher is already fast asleep, but the little boss still needs me so much? Does he really think I'm capable? It seems he truly needs my help.'
'Then I have to go back right away.'
……
In the Rose Council, the true form of Rose the Witch discovered that her application for special funding submitted to the academy had never been sent to the internal review committee for cross-review.
She immediately glared angrily at the staff.
"How is this going?"
The staff member coughed. "Witch Rose, your research is indeed excellent. But the problem is that recently we've been promoting... the magic plant crystallization technology. Your work isn't in that area, so the hospital thinks you should wait a bit longer this year."
Rose the Witch was both angry and amused. Behind her was a star ring, a symbol that could terrify countless civilizations in the endless void.
At this moment, the two forces within her were constantly impacting her immense magic, indicating that she was infinitely close to becoming a Star Ring Wizard.
Rose the Witch frowned.
"Are you kidding me? Are you excluding dissidents?"
"If we do it this way, won't only breeders have a chance to receive top-tier funding from our Rose Council this year?"
Rose the witch never expected that the magical plant crystallization technology would even injure her.
She frowned.
“But I remember that Star Ring Wizards can’t get top-tier funding, and I’m about to advance to the Star Ring.”
The staff member spread his hands guiltily and said, "But rules are rules, and there's nothing we can do about it. How about you take advantage of the time you have now and temporarily switch to researching the magical plant crystallization technology?"
Rose the Witch gritted her teeth; how could she possibly change her research direction for a grant?
Damn the magic plant crystallization route.
After thinking it over, Rose the Witch could only give up. After all, it was the other branches of the Rose Council that were exerting their efforts, so what could she do?
……
Three days later, with Douglas's help and the assistance of the two groups' abundant research equipment resources, Locke quickly produced two articles, which he then immediately submitted to Yunze.
Of course, the reason why the research can be so fast is because Locke's currently excessively powerful golden magic talent has helped him find the right research path.
Furthermore, these two articles in Zone 1 only summarized the mechanism of action of the special imaginary root of the Great Roaring Dragon Sparrow, how it works, and how to cultivate it. The other article analyzes how the special imaginary root, the nail-shaped imaginary root, of the Golden Dragon Claw Air Plant is cultivated, its mechanism of action, and so on.
The key is that you can actually cultivate these two special imaginary roots.
For the average wizard, this level of research is sufficient to explain what these two imaginary roots are, after all, it can explain how to cultivate them, what they can do, and what kind of effects they will have.
But Locke felt that further research was needed to find out why these two imaginary roots mutated and what the nature of the mutated imaginary roots was.
However, this level of research can be conducted at a later time.
In addition, during these three days, Locke unexpectedly wrote a third article, namely the essence of the special dragon fire of the Great Roaring Dragon Sparrow. He used the Queen's Chessboard to analyze the special dragon fire and found that by igniting a special spiritual breath called "Golden Spirit Breath", the special dragon fire could be generated.
This is why Locke felt he didn't really understand the two imaginary roots. First, he only knew how to cultivate the two imaginary roots, but he didn't know how they were formed.
Secondly, he only knew that the imaginary dragon horns of the Great Roaring Dragon Sparrow could be used to fish out golden spiritual energy, and the basic fishing mechanism, but he did not know why golden spiritual energy was produced.
Moreover, he had just analyzed the basic characteristics of the Golden Spirit using the Queen's Chessboard.
This is equivalent to having just written an article on the imaginary roots of dragon horns, nail-shaped imaginary roots, and golden dragon breath, but research on these three can continue to be deepened and consolidated.
At this point, Locke urgently instructed Gregor and the Mason Witch to submit three articles.
Next, Locke tried to contact the editors and other staff at Yunze Journal through Trajan and the Celtic group leader to inquire about the review progress there, and asked Trajan to ask his friend to speed up the review process at Yunze.
A day later, in the office of the editor in charge of Yunze, an editor in charge of reviewing manuscripts saw the two articles that had been sent to him. He immediately realized that the other party had already published an article in a Q1 journal in Yunze, and that this was an article that had been requested by the higher-ups to be reviewed more quickly.
"Dragon horns have imaginary roots and nail-shaped imaginary roots."
After reading the two articles, the editor immediately understood why the editorial board had been pushing them. Although the articles were written in a bit of a rush, the authors had excellent resumes, were listed as corresponding authors of Throne Wizards, and had already published a first-division paper in Yunze.
Moreover, research on special imaginary roots has always been a regular feature in the journals published by Yunze Wetland.
"I remember his first paper published in a first-tier journal in Yunze was about a special imaginary root that could be used to fish out special spiritual energy."
"Now we're studying two special types of imaginary roots. No wonder the editorial board is so interested."
"I'll ask three colleagues to give their opinions."
"If there are no problems, both of these articles should be approved."
The editor in charge said, "It just so happens that the editor-in-chief is currently having a headache because the next issue of the journal will likely be full of research on magical plant crystallization."
"These two articles will be just what the editor-in-chief is looking for."
"This wizard is quite clever; he knows that these two articles are actually easier to pass at this time."
……
At the juncture of all things, the wizard Salonirus selected Locke's article from among the submissions, and after reading it, he immediately smiled.
"Locke is trying to use a surprise attack on me again."
"I won't fall for it this time."
“Golden Spirit Breath…that’s a good name. Perhaps the wizards above will like it. I’ll find three students from the Russell Throne as his judges. Anyway, he seems to have gotten in touch with the Russell Throne recently.”
In less than a week, Locke, through various connections, found out that the two major journals, Yunze and Wanxiang, had both accepted his three articles!
In other words, by quickly converting his previous accumulated knowledge and working hard, he managed to put together three papers in first-tier journals in a short period of time, which earned him all the contribution points required to enter the Supernatural Purgatory, and even exceeded 1500 contribution points.
Locke breathed a sigh of relief in his dormitory after hearing the news.
I had just had a big outburst, which cost me all my money, drained my social connections, and temporarily depleted my entire reserve of writing material.
But I did publish three articles in Zone 1.
Next, as long as I can find a way to get contribution points in advance, I can enter the Supernatural Purgatory.
Once inside the supernatural purgatory, one might find the wizard Maxwell...
(End of this chapter)