**Chapter 29: Cleared**

Mentor Clark keenly noticed the change in Jie Ming’s mood.

Seeing the relief of surviving a crisis on Jie Ming’s face, a rare glint of mischief flashed in Clark’s eyes—something Jie Ming had never seen before.

“What?” Mentor Clark leaned forward slightly, making a rare joke. “You didn’t think we went through all this trouble, mobilizing so many resources and personnel, just for that bit of knowledge about your new material, did you?”

Jie Ming awkwardly scratched his head, masking the flicker of relief in his eyes. “Uh… I was a bit worried at first… that I’d be questioned.”

Mentor Clark didn’t comment on his “worries” and instead began speaking in his usual steady narrative tone.

“You may not realize it, but to confirm your ‘purity’ and potential, the academy expended resources far beyond your imagination. The examination of your soul, relationships, and karmic threads involved at least five wizards above the fourth level, including experts in rare disciplines.”

“The inspection of the plane’s origin data required the dean’s authority. The mana and manpower consumed, even for Noren Academy, is no small matter.”

“We did this not because your material is so valuable. A fifth-grade material is decent but not irreplaceable for us. The real priority was eliminating any potential threats to the academy’s safety and determining whether your potential justifies investment.”

Mentor Clark paused, his gaze seeming to pierce through the chamber’s walls, as if looking into the distant void.

“And, to be honest, we weren’t entirely without some unrealistic expectations.”

His tone grew complex, tinged with a hint of disappointment and a seeker’s regret.

“Truth be told, many of us hoped you might have some connection to an external, unknown entity—perhaps something that, in certain planes, could be called a deity.”

“Uh…”

Jie Ming felt a bit awkward, unsure how to respond, but fortunately, Mentor Clark wasn’t expecting him to.

“Wizards pursue knowledge. But our knowledge isn’t rigid dogma—it’s like a living thing, constantly absorbing, digesting, and transforming into our own power and understanding,” Clark continued. “Even knowledge deemed ‘corrupted’ in many fates can be swiftly utilized and transformed by wizards.”

“Long ago, when the wizarding civilization had just ventured beyond the *origin* plane, we encountered a peculiar plane cluster inhabited by a group of deities with the trait of ‘indescribability.’ They had no fixed form, no clear hierarchy, and delighted in forcibly pulling mortals into their understanding of ‘truth’ or ‘knowledge,’ causing mortals to go mad or die from the overwhelming influx of information and concepts.”

Jie Ming swallowed hard, feeling… these deities sounded oddly familiar.

“They were dangerous but brimming with knowledge,” Mentor Clark said, his tone revealing a trace of inexplicable fervor. “Later, the wizards of that time destroyed that plane cluster and ‘devoured’ those deities.”

“Using the wizard’s methods, we analyzed their forms of existence, absorbed their power and knowledge, and fully integrated them into the wizarding civilization’s system.”

“And through the legacy of those deities, the wizarding civilization gave birth to a new ninth-level wizard.”

A ninth-level wizard!

Even in this moment, Jie Ming couldn’t help but feel a surge of longing.

“So, if you truly had some connection to an external entity capable of bringing unknown knowledge and concepts…” Mentor Clark’s tone carried a touch of regret.

“Even just reporting such a matter would secure our academy’s resources for a long time. If the entity was powerful enough, it might even lead to the birth of a new ninth-level wizard, potentially expanding the boundaries of the entire wizarding civilization.”

He looked at Jie Ming, concluding calmly: “So, when we confirmed you were just a highly talented, lucky native apprentice with a clean record… honestly, many of us, including myself, were quite disappointed.”

Hearing Mentor Clark’s “disappointment,” Jie Ming felt his clothes soaked with cold sweat!

He resolved, no matter what, to keep the Great Dao Book Pavilion in his mind hidden at all costs!

No one could ever be allowed to detect its existence!

After all, even Jie Ming himself wasn’t sure whether, if exposed, the wizards would classify it as his own knowledge or a hidden hand of some unknown divine entity.

But after the initial shock, Jie Ming calmed down.

From what his mentor said, it seemed he had already been thoroughly vetted without his knowledge, which was why he received the second-tier cultivation protocol.

And this protocol was initiated by the Star Ring Federation.

If Noren Workshop was the superior entity to Noren Academy, then the Star Ring Federation was the superior entity to Noren Workshop.

The Star Ring Federation was a coalition of powerful wizard factions united by shared beliefs, one of the four major camps in the wizarding civilization.

The greatest benefit of this protocol for Jie Ming wasn’t the permissions but the fact that it completely cleared his identity!

With the Star Orbit Tribunal’s covenant in place, as long as he was neither a spy nor a traitor, no wizard could forcibly seize his knowledge.

This meant that, as long as he was cautious enough not to reveal the Great Dao Book Pavilion—his greatest secret—he could gradually showcase more under the guise of a “genius” in the future.

By strategically disguising the knowledge of the cultivation world as wizarding knowledge and materials, he could secure greater benefits and resources!

This was an extraordinary opportunity!

Jie Ming took a deep breath, calming his racing heart.

“Thank you, Mentor!” he said sincerely, bowing to Mentor Clark. “I won’t let down the Federation’s cultivation!”

“It has nothing to do with me. This is your own ability,” Mentor Clark said with a nod, reverting to his usual expressionless demeanor.

“The second-tier cultivation protocol will take effect within a week, and the relevant permissions will be granted to your personal account. Remember, the opportunity is provided—how far you go depends on your own skill.”

With that, Mentor Clark stood, said no more, and turned to leave the chamber.

The heavy metal door slowly closed again, and the room returned to silence.

Jie Ming sat in the chair, feeling an unprecedented sense of relief.