Sorcerer: I want to be an Academic Prodigy

If this is accepted, the others would surely follow the example, and the atmosphere of the Black Star Legion would be ruined.

Seeing the lord's displeased expression, Sai Lang and Ban Bu dared not slack off. They dashed out of the room in an instant, remembering to close the door behind them.

"It's all your idea! I already said the lord never falls for such tricks." After distancing themselves, Sai Lang glared sideways at the other person.

"You agreed to it too," Ban Bu muttered.

"I regret it now! I'm going to toss those two straight to Yun Fen to be chewed up."

"Stop, stop! The lord hasn't even met those two yet. Wait until the lord sees them before deciding anything. Tossing them to Yun Fen is such a waste. Besides, the lord didn't command us to deal with them. Don't act so bloodthirsty."

The two found themselves at odds, but ultimately Sai Lang was convinced by Ban Bu and agreed to leave the matter alone.

Sai Lang had to admit that those two were rare talents. After the lord met them, perhaps the lord would change his mind. This way, the lord might understand his painstaking efforts, instead of reprimanding him now.

Meanwhile, Ivan was completely unaware of all of this.

After taking a thorough rest, he began to examine the two items Qingmu Yuanmu had gifted him. These were sent by a figure suspected to be of ancestor-level; they couldn't be ordinary things.

He first read through the records engraved in the iron scroll.

Just as Yuanmu had described, it contained techniques using the power of wisdom, including Secret Techniques that achieved special effects, methods for refining extraordinary artifacts, and ways to enhance one's own power using wisdom.

"As expected, the so-called 'small tricks' mentioned by Yuanmu are actually high-level Secret Techniques that others can only dream of."

Upon finishing the readings, he had no doubt that these techniques originated from the Wisdom Elder and were later refined by Yuanmu. The methods were unique and perfectly suited for him.

Instead, he began to worry about another problem: he only had a limited amount of Light of Wisdom, forcing him to choose just one of them to use.

This was a fortunate dilemma.

Ivan smiled wryly at his predicament and began seriously pondering the issue. He immediately ruled out the Secret Techniques with special effects, as he didn't need them for now and wouldn't necessarily require them in the future.

"I'd better refine a precious artifact."

Before long, he made up his mind to use the Light of Wisdom and the Light of Great Wisdom as materials to forge an extraordinary artifact.

The Prophet's Treasure Tome was also born of the power of wisdom, and its capabilities were immensely practical, repeatedly helping him escape danger and seize opportunities.

How could he not want to possess another such remarkable artifact?

However, he didn't act immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze to the other gift: a seed from the World Tree lineage, which intrigued him even more than the wisdom-laden iron scroll.

Of course, he couldn't quite figure out Qingmu Yuanmu's intentions, so he had to handle it more cautiously.

There was no way Yuanmu intended him to deal with it as casually as his instructions might suggest.

"This is—the path of energy transformation and fusion. Its movements are subtle, yet instinctive and divine. Could it be a technique used by the World Tree to shape worlds?"

"Yuanmu is exactly Yuanmu—he immediately recognized what this sorcerer currently lacks the most."

Upon careful probing, Ivan made an astonishing discovery. The sprouting seed indeed suited him perfectly, addressing the very needs of his chosen path toward the throne.

He couldn't help but admire Yuanmu. As an unparalleled powerhouse, Yuanmu's insight was beyond imagination.

Further investigation revealed a major issue with the seed: while it possessed vitality, it lacked intelligence. It could instinctively carry out energy transformation, but it couldn't store any energy. After transformation, the energy simply leaked away and dissipated completely.

"This condition seems to be caused by an immensely malicious curse or extremely high-level power suppression. It's truly bizarre—perhaps it could never become an intelligent creature."

He believed that whatever solutions existed, Yuanmu had already attempted them.

If even Yuanmu couldn't resolve them, someone of his stature as a "small fry" certainly shouldn't bother trying. There was no need to trouble himself unnecessarily.

"I'll treat it as a unique treasure for now. Once I've gleaned all the insights it contains, I'll find an opportunity to return it to Lord Yuanmu."

Even as an inquisitive sorcerer, Ivan couldn't possibly exploit Yuanmu's kin. One mustn't act too tactlessly.

With the World Tree seed as a reference, the path of multi-force fusion leading towards the throne suddenly became much smoother—a clear blessing.

At this point, his interest was completely roused.

Over the following days, he became wholly absorbed in exploring Yuanmu's two gifts, feeling an uncontrollable fascination that led him to rarely step outside his room.

"The lord truly trains so diligently."

"Indeed, it puts us all to shame."

Seeing their lord so focused on cultivation without being distracted, Sai Lang and Ban Bu felt deep remorse. Yet, they knew they truly couldn't emulate him.

"Sai Lang, tell me, who's the one trying to seize your position as Great Commander?"

"Isn't it you?"

"Be serious."

"I haven't been back, so how would I know what's happening over there? Ah, such oversight over the years."

Soon, the two began discussing another topic, though they could not guess the identity of the person the lord had mentioned.

Little did they know that underneath the Black Star, hiding in the ship's underbelly, was a creature that appeared unimposing and not particularly skilled in combat but actually possessed an exceptionally high tier of power—Yun Fen.

Before joining the Black Star Legion, Yun Fen often starved—not because it lacked resources but due to its rapid growth, which required more energy consumption than ordinary creatures.

By the time Yun Fen was subdued by Ivan, it was already a high-ranking lord close to the limit of its realm.

Over the years, with the support from the Black Star Legion's power enhancements as well as an abundant supply of food and energy, Yun Fen's growth accelerated even further.

Yet, because Yun Fen spent its days hauling warships around and couldn't shake off its voracious appetite, it lacked the demeanor befitting a true powerhouse—looking more like a laborer. This deceptive appearance made it easy for others to overlook.

This was why Sai Lang and Ban Bu instinctively neglected it.

...

Within the boundless Star Realm River, the Black Star sped forward relentlessly.

Unbeknownst to all, over four years had elapsed since the warship set sail again. More than half of the long journey back was complete, though a significant distance still remained to be traversed.

"Lord."

"Lord."

"Enough. We've all been spending days on the same ship; there's no need for such formalities. Go back to your tasks."

One day, Ivan suddenly appeared on the ship's foredeck, positioned at its very front. He stood there motionless, his cold gaze locked farther forward, seeming to have noticed something.

It wasn't anything tangible but rather a sudden sense of intuition.

As the Black Star continued onward, he carefully discerned the feeling. It was faint yet unmistakably emanating from that vast area ahead—its distance was indeterminable.

"Yun Fen, change course. Head this way."

After a while, he extended his hand to indicate the new direction, slightly to their left.

He was drawn to the area by a sensation—a deeply uncomfortable feeling akin to restless anxiety, as if he wouldn't find peace until he investigated. It was the first time he had ever experienced such a reaction. After reflecting momentarily, he decided to explore.

Ever since Yun Fen swore allegiance to Ivan, becoming his subordinate, hunger had become a thing of the past—no longer was there a need to worry about going mad from starvation.

Yun Fen, sated and never famished, felt profoundly grateful to its lord and obeyed his orders without hesitation.

"Lord, is there an enemy ahead?" Sai Lang couldn't help but ask.

"Probably." Ivan didn't answer directly because, even now, he wasn't certain. All he knew was that ahead lay something particularly unpleasant—a presence that seemed more foe than friend.

Upon hearing this, Sai Lang, Ban Bu, and the others became tense, preparing for battle.

Meanwhile, the Black Star Legion felt a subtle sense of exhilaration. Having lingered near the Elf Plane for years, they hadn't engaged in a truly intense fight for far too long.

As creatures of the beastly sort, living in the disorderly zones of the Star Realm River, such prolonged inactivity naturally left them restless. They needed to stretch their claws and teeth with some action.