**Chapter 39: Departure**

A high-tier wizard in ornate robes, with white hair and beard, floated above the teleportation array.

His voice, amplified by runes, silenced every apprentice.

“The trial is about to begin!” the wizard declared with authority. “The location is a minor plane recently acquired by the Thirteenth Noren Academy—codenamed ‘Limestone Realm’!”

“The trial’s objective is simple: collect the point tokens distributed by the academy within the Limestone Realm. Tokens vary in value based on the danger level of their location. Your final ranking will be determined by the total points you hold upon return.”

“The Limestone Realm has not been fully developed or cleared. It harbors numerous native beasts and complex environmental hazards. This is a comprehensive test of your learning outcomes, as well as your survival skills, judgment, and teamwork.”

“In addition to collecting point tokens, you may gather unique resources in the plane. Upon return, you can keep them or sell them to the academy, which will purchase them based on their value.”

“For this trial, apprentices may bring any apprentice-grade equipment and potions without quantity limits. Any formal wizard-grade equipment must be personally crafted or concocted by the apprentice! Cheating will result in immediate disqualification and severe penalties!”

Unlimited apprentice-grade equipment might seem unfair to poorer apprentices, but it wasn’t surprising.

To wizards, resources were part of one’s strength.

As for apprentices crafting formal wizard-grade equipment… it sounded absurd, but top-tier geniuses, like Jie Ming with his Talisman-Rune Artifacts, might pull it off.

“This trial is voluntary,” the high-tier wizard continued. “All participants must be at least third-level wizard apprentices.”

This rule filtered out less talented or less diligent apprentices.

After nearly five years of study and meditation at Noren Academy, most apprentices had solid foundations, with the majority reaching third-level status, save for a few unable to break through.

Jie Ming noticed many older-looking apprentices in the queue for the teleportation array.

“Those people…” he murmured.

Amy followed his gaze. “Them? They’re probably from the previous cohort.”

Noren Academy admitted students every five years, with apprentices typically staying for ten, so two cohorts usually coexisted.

“For some reason, the academy’s allowing these senior apprentices to participate,” Victor said, quietly joining them.

He sized up Jie Ming and Amy, shook his head, and said, “These seniors face the pressure of the upcoming battlefield. They’ve hoarded countless trump cards. If you run into them, surrendering’s the smart move.”

Jie Ming and Amy exchanged a glance, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Theoretically, there was no limit to the number of wizardry models a wizard could construct.

Even apprentices, ignoring casting requirements and mental power limits, could use “unorthodox” methods—like buying wizardry models—to endlessly build them in their mental sea.

However, each model permanently consumed a portion of mental power, and a collapsing model could cause significant mental shock.

In short, each wizardry model reduced one’s mental power cap.

Building too many slowed cultivation progress.

Senior apprentices, having reached third-level status long ago, could amass enough mental power to advance to first-level wizard and use excess mental power to construct additional models.

Even if they used unorthodox methods, their spells, though less flexible, were no less destructive.

With five more years of accumulation—points, equipment, knowledge, and wizardry models—seniors vastly outclassed newer apprentices.

Victor’s words, though blunt, were true for many new apprentices.

As they spoke, the high-tier wizard waved, and countless specks of light rained down.

The lights precisely found each apprentice. Jie Ming touched the speck before him, and it transformed into a ring coiling around his finger.

Looking up, every speck had found its owner, turning into rings upon contact.

“Such exquisite alchemy!” Jie Ming couldn’t help but exclaim.

Amy and Victor, fellow alchemy apprentices, also looked astonished.

Those specks weren’t raw materials but pure energy, a feat of energy-to-matter conversion that far surpassed their skills.

Jie Ming sensed an array of runes within the ring, with the remaining energy from the conversion perfectly activating them.

With so many people in the plaza…

To outsiders, it was novel; to experts, it was sheer showmanship.

“This is an emergency escape device,” the wizard said. “Activate it with mental power to exit the plane in danger, but your score will be voided.”

Some apprentices’ eyes flickered, clearly scheming.

“…Those are the trial’s rules. Good luck.”

The high-tier wizard concluded, and the teleportation array began to glow.

“All registered and qualified apprentices, prepare to enter the teleportation array!”

The apprentices moved toward the array in an orderly fashion, the atmosphere growing tense again.

Jie Ming nodded to Amy. “Let’s go. Be careful.”

“You too! Don’t be reckless!” Amy said solemnly before joining the crowd.

Jie Ming stood in the queue, his heart calm.

Stepping into the center of the massive teleportation array, blue light engulfed him.

Intense spatial fluctuations hit, his body feeling torn and kneaded by an invisible giant hand.

Overwhelming weightlessness and dizziness surged, his vision filled with dazzling light and warped scenery.