**Chapter 35: News**

Time slipped through fingers like sand, and in the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

The attempt to combine wizard runes with immortal cultivation talisman techniques proved far more challenging than Jie Ming had initially imagined.

It required a deep understanding of how two different civilization systems perceived and utilized “runes,” “energy,” and “concepts,” while finding common ground in their underlying logic to construct an entirely new theoretical and practical framework.

With Jie Ming’s current knowledge, achieving this was impossible, so he could only mimic patterns, tirelessly experimenting with combinations of talisman seals and runes to uncover their underlying principles.

For these three years, Jie Ming spent most of his time immersed in his laboratory, like the most devout ascetic monk, arduously navigating the ocean of knowledge.

A year ago, Jie Ming’s wizard meditation technique had already reached the peak of a third-level wizard apprentice.

His mental sea was vast and stable, housing nine core truth runes—three from alchemy: “Transformation,” “Fusion,” and “Refinement”; three from potioncraft: “Stability,” “Catalysis,” and “Creation”; and three from runecraft: “Resonance,” “Cycle,” and “Link.” These formed a complete and powerful rune array in his mental sea, radiating a profound glow.

However, after reaching the peak of a third-level apprentice, he halted further advancement in his meditation technique, refraining from attempting to break through to a first-level formal wizard.

In truth, it wasn’t just Jie Ming. Many of his exceptionally talented peers, who had also reached the third-level apprentice stage, tacitly chose to press the “pause button.”

The reason was simple—a contract.

The contract signed upon entering the academy clearly stipulated that once someone advanced to a first-level formal wizard, they would be required to serve on the frontlines of the planar battlefield under Noren Workshop’s rule.

Having spent so much time at the academy and gained access to more information, everyone understood the dangers of the planar battlefield.

Even for newcomers like them, assigned to relatively peripheral tasks, the mortality rate was alarmingly high.

The best choice was to relentlessly improve their strength within the ten-year apprentice term limit imposed by the contract, learning all the knowledge they could and building as much foundation as possible.

Then, when the ten-year deadline arrived, they could make a breakthrough, advancing to a first-level wizard with enough strength to survive the frontlines.

For this reason, Jie Ming redirected all the elemental energy he absorbed into spiritual power to fuel his Qi Refinement cultivation.

Thanks to the rich elemental environment of the wizard world, this conversion was highly efficient. In just one year, his Qi Refinement cultivation soared through several levels, steadily reaching the sixth layer of Qi Refinement, just one step away from the seventh layer, which marked the late stage of Qi Refinement.

At the sixth layer of Qi Refinement, his true essence surged like an ocean, boundless and unceasing!

The soul enhancement brought by his cultivation also expanded the scope of his mental sea, and even his physical Genix physical strength had reached a level capable of withstanding some low-level wizardry attacks.

That afternoon, Jie Ming had just finished attending an elective runecraft lecture taught by a master-level professor and was about to return to his intermediate laboratory to continue his research on combining talismans and runes, as usual.

Amy, who had also taken the elective, caught up with him, her face tinged with a trace of solemnity, clearly having heard some unusual news.

“Jie Ming!” Amy approached quickly, lowering her voice. “Have you heard? The academy is holding a major exam!”

“A major exam?” Jie Ming was puzzled.

The academy held annual assessments, but those were generally inconsequential, and Amy’s serious tone clearly indicated this wasn’t a routine test.

“Not that kind of exam!” Amy shook her head. “A real trial!”

She glanced around, ensuring no one was listening, before continuing, “I heard this trial will thoroughly test our learning achievements. And… rumor has it, they’re allowing a certain degree of mortality!”

Mortality?!

Jie Ming’s heart skipped a beat.

Though the academy’s assessments were strict, they typically prioritized apprentice safety, rarely involving lethal risks.

“Do we know the specifics?” Jie Ming pressed.

“Not clear,” Amy shook her head. “The news is vague, only that it’s happening in about half a year. Ugh, what a sudden bombshell.”

She sighed, her eyes filled with worry.

Jie Ming thanked Amy for the information, his mind racing with calculations.

Back at the laboratory, he logged into the magic network to search for details but found nothing.

It seemed the news hadn’t been officially announced.

After some thought, Jie Ming decided to consult Mentor Clark.

As one of the overseers of the second-level training agreement, Mentor Clark likely knew more.

He sent a communication request through the magic network terminal, and soon, a “video” connected, revealing Mentor Clark’s signature bald head and the pristine, austere laboratory behind him.

When Jie Ming raised the issue, a rare, barely perceptible seriousness flickered across Clark’s usually expressionless face.

“The news is true,” Clark said bluntly. “Strictly speaking, it’s not an exam but a trial. It will take place in a newly acquired savage minor plane under Noren Academy’s control. The environment is complex, with a high level of danger, and there seem to be natives attempting resistance.”

A trial?

“Why hold such a trial?” Jie Ming asked.

Clark paused, choosing his words carefully. “This trial is preparation for a comprehensive evaluation five years from now.”

“Comprehensive evaluation?”

“Yes. Five years from now, Noren Workshop will conduct a collective assessment of learning outcomes and talent reserves across all its over one hundred Noren Academies. All academy apprentices will participate. This trial within Noren Academy can be seen as a rehearsal and selection for that large-scale evaluation.”

Five years from now, over a hundred academies tested simultaneously?!

It wasn’t just the scale; the timing was odd.

“Five years from now… isn’t that just one year before we’re sent to the frontlines? A test right before that? Is the Workshop going mad?” Jie Ming couldn’t help but voice his confusion.

Such an evaluation would consume astronomical resources and energy, significantly impacting the apprentices’ condition and even affecting Noren Workshop’s frontline war efforts.

Mentor Clark shook his head slightly. “I don’t know the full details. After all, I’ve been away from the frontlines for over a century.”

His gaze seemed to pierce through the walls, looking toward the distant frontlines, a fleeting complexity in his eyes.

“Rumor has it… the Star Ring Federation requested it.”

The Star Ring Federation?

One of the main factions of the wizard civilization, under which Noren Workshop was but a minor force. Jie Ming’s second-level training agreement also came from this federation.

Jie Ming’s heart trembled.

This implied that the large-scale evaluation and trial might conceal deeper motives, possibly tied to a strategic shift in the entire wizard civilization!

Clark’s gaze returned to Jie Ming. “So, strive to excel. Performing well in that comprehensive evaluation will only benefit you.”

As the screen went dark, Jie Ming blinked.

The sudden news carried an unusual weight, leaving him slightly dazed.

Though the future was uncertain, deep down, Jie Ming felt no great fear.

Because his research, his fusion of talisman and rune techniques, was on the verge of success after three years of relentless effort!

“A trial… huh? A perfect chance to test my research!”