Wizard Bloodline

The two who appeared were a man and a woman. The man was tall, muscular, and handsome, dressed as a swordsman.

The woman, on the other hand, was relatively plain in appearance, looking to be in her thirties. However, she wore a deliberately beautiful sky-blue robe paired with a Wizard hat that was nearly half the size of her body, trying to squeeze out a bit of cuteness.

The stronger of the two was the woman, nearly at the late second-level. But the moment they emerged from the bushes and noticed Ronan, the handsome swordsman immediately became alert and shielded the Wizard woman behind him, suggesting they were likely a couple.

Ronan glanced at them indifferently and continued walking.

Not long after, the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind. The woman in the blue Wizard Robe, panting slightly, stopped Ronan and bowed apologetically, "I'm sorry, sir. Lawrence isn't really part of our circle, and he doesn't know many of the rules. We mean no disrespect to you."

Ronan shook his head, indicating it was nothing.

The woman repeatedly apologized to Ronan. The neckline of her Wizard Robe was quite low, and with each bow, she "accidentally" revealed a generous amount of her fair cleavage.

Ronan frowned slightly, ignored her, and walked past her.

A few breaths later, faint sounds of an argument seemed to come from behind. There was the man's loud questioning and the woman's exasperated shouts—"You insisted on following me!" "Damn it! If you want to die, don't drag me with you..."

After turning through a few more bushes, it finally became quiet.

Many Wizards had come here seeking qualification, and Ronan encountered several more. Apart from one third-level Wizard, the rest were around mid to late second-level in strength.

Everyone was on edge, disappearing immediately upon spotting Ronan. Perhaps the path to the Spirit Lake Gatekeeper wasn't limited to the one he was currently taking.

After walking for about the time it takes for two hourglasses to empty, Ronan's dispersed spiritual senses detected a gathering of Wizards in a valley ahead. Without a doubt, the destination was likely there.

Entering the secluded valley, Ronan followed a moss-covered stone path for a short distance until he reached a small clearing.

At one end of the clearing stood a massive banyan tree, half-bent and collapsed, its dense layers of branches allowing only faint light to filter through.

Over a dozen Wizards were scattered beneath the giant banyan tree, and the sound of thunderous snoring continuously emanated from beneath it.

Ronan's appearance caused some of them to turn and look at him. The crowd quickly parted, making a small space for him. Ronan walked over calmly and finally saw the source of the snoring—the trunk of the banyan tree. There, clusters of black bark had formed an incredibly ancient face, its mouth opening and closing as if in deep sleep.

No one in the clearing spoke, including the few third-level Wizards. Everyone was staring at the snoring banyan tree face, seemingly waiting for something.

Several more groups arrived one after another, including the Wizard woman and swordsman couple Ronan had encountered earlier. They seemed to have reconciled, with the blue-robed Wizard woman clinging tightly to the handsome swordsman.

Noticing Ronan's gaze sweeping over, the young swordsman instinctively tightened his hold on the female wizard in his arms. However, she made a motion to break free and turned to Ronan with a smile.

"The number is sufficient."

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the crowd, coming from a thin, gray-robed third-level wizard. "Now we can wake the Gatekeeper."

A few light hums of acknowledgment followed. The gray-robed wizard turned his gaze to Ronan. When Ronan remained silent, the wizard took the initiative to step forward, approaching the ancient face on the banyan tree trunk. He spoke respectfully, "Lord Tataka, Lord Tataka..."

His calls were drowned out by the sound of snoring. This went on for several minutes, and Ronan suspected the gray-robed wizard's mouth was getting dry. Finally, the deafening snores gradually ceased.

Accompanied by the rustling of leaves, the banyan tree's face mumbled as it woke from its deep slumber.

"How long have I been asleep? Have you gathered twenty people so quickly?"

"Yes, Lord Tataka, there are already twenty people here," the gray-robed wizard replied respectfully.

The Gatekeeper, named Tataka, lowered a branch and vigorously rubbed away the resin that had formed at the corner of its eye. It squinted, scrutinizing each person in the clearing.

Finally, its gaze settled on one individual, and it spoke coldly, "You, you don't count! A little one with almost no wizardly talent, you'll only waste Tataka's precious time..."

The eyes of everyone present turned to the young swordsman who had arrived with the blue-robed female wizard. Almost instantly, the blue-robed wizard distanced herself from him.

The young swordsman, now the target of dozens of cold stares, flushed crimson. Even his companion, the blue-robed wizard, refused to acknowledge him. In the end, he could only retreat in frustration.

After driving away the young swordsman, the Gatekeeper Tataka recounted the number of people present and then nodded slowly. "Now you can each demonstrate your sincerity, and I will judge whether you are worthy to enter the Spirit Lake."

Ronan was still pondering the meaning of the Gatekeeper's words when the gray-robed wizard who had awakened the tree stepped forward first. He respectfully presented a ring that emitted a faint spatial fluctuation.

Unexpectedly, the Gatekeeper merely glanced at it before shifting its gaze and speaking indifferently, "Next."

The gray-robed wizard's expression changed instantly. He was about to say something when several branches descended from above, blocking him and pushing him aside.

At that moment, someone stepped forward with a cold laugh. He was one of the few third-level wizards present. This person took out a basket of fruits that emitted a strange, enticing fragrance.

Upon smelling the aroma, the Gatekeeper's eyes lit up. It eagerly grabbed the basket with its branch-like arm and poured the fruits into its mouth, chewing noisily.

"Good, good, these are the delicacies Tataka loves. You pass. Stand aside for now, and I'll arrange for you to enter later."

The third-level wizard who had offered the exotic fruits smiled as he stepped aside, unable to hide the pride in his expression. It was clear he had done his homework and knew how to gain the Gatekeeper's so-called approval.

Following him, the third wizard stepped forward... Ronan watched the scene unfold, his brow furrowing.

"What is this? To enter the selection, do we first have to find a way to please the Gatekeeper?"

"Many schools of thought had similar rules in the past, so it's not surprising. The original intention was simply to make later wizards understand the preciousness of inherited knowledge."

Alazan replied in his mind.

"I'm completely unprepared, but I still want to go in. Do you have any good suggestions?"

Ronan saw that most of the carefully prepared "gifts" from the wizards were met with disdain by the gatekeeper tree. A second-level wizard told a very cold joke and was granted entry instead. The rules for passing this level seemed completely unpredictable. "You could try using a magic stone. Most magical creatures have a need for that."

Ronan nodded and said nothing more.

Out of the twenty or so wizards, five were eventually granted entry. Two offered gifts that pleased the gatekeeper tree, one told a joke, another cleaned the tree's old bark, and the female wizard who came with the young swordsman used a rather unexpected method—she removed her Wizard Robe in front of everyone, revealing her well-endowed figure to the gatekeeper tree.

Since Ronan hadn't stepped forward yet, it was finally his turn after everyone else had tried.

"Well, how will you show your sincerity?"

The gatekeeper tree, having gone through a round of "offerings," now spoke in a tone vastly different from before, filled with arrogance and impatience. It looked at Ronan while using a few twisted branches to pick at its tree-hole-like ear.

"Let me make this clear, Lord Tataka has no interest in men."

The blue-robed female wizard, standing among the group of those who had passed, proudly puffed out her ample chest upon hearing this.

"Thud—"

A low-grade magic stone accurately hit the gatekeeper tree's protruding nose, then bounced off and rolled a few times on the ground.

"Open the door."

Ronan lowered his hand, calmly looking at the tree as he spoke.

"Huh?"

The gatekeeper tree stopped picking its ear, staring at Ronan in shock. The other wizards on the scene were also stunned.

At this moment, the area under the banyan tree was eerily quiet.

"What did you say?"

"Rustle, rustle—"

The ancient banyan tree stirred, and the tree-like creature seemed to rise from the ground, its aged face leaning closer to Ronan. "What did you just say? Repeat it."

"I said, open the door."

Ronan casually pointed at the magic stone on the ground and added seriously, "Please hurry up."

"Swish, swish—"

In the next breath, the dense, cloud-like branches above and the ground beneath everyone's feet began to tremble.

An overwhelming fury erupted from the massive banyan tree before them.

"You insolent brat! You've successfully angered me. On behalf of the Spirit Lake, I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget..."

"Roar—"

The enraged tree let out a terrifying roar, shaking the void. The entire old banyan tree on the platform uprooted itself, and countless branches and vines grew wildly like a witch's hair, surging toward Ronan from all directions.

All the wizards on the platform turned pale and quickly retreated.

Only Ronan remained unmoved, his expression still calm and composed.

"It seems your method isn't working too well, Alazan."

"..."

Alazan remained silent.

"Then I can only try my method."

After speaking, Ronan took a gentle step forward, facing the countless banyan branches, leaves, and vines that surged toward him like giant pythons and spears.

Within his consciousness space, a Mental Power Crystal lit up, followed by a second, then a third... until eleven Mental Power Crystals simultaneously ignited. A dense, amber-like golden radiance burst forth from his body.

"Boom!"

An invisible yet terrifying pressure field expanded, distorting the void in an instant. His silvery-white long hair broke free from its restraints and silently floated upward.

Ronan walked forward step by step, like a sudden golden sun piercing through dark clouds. The countless branches and vines were effortlessly shredded by the mental force field he naturally emitted. "What kind of thing are you, to dare claim to represent Spirit Lake?"

"If I must grovel and beg for the way in, then I would rather not enter this Spirit Lake at all."

His calm yet icy voice echoed in the small space, leaving the group of accompanying wizards utterly horrified. Some even trembled as they muttered the word, "Dawn?"

The gatekeeper tree creature, Tataka, roared in fury. But in an instant, all the wildly thrashing branches and vines suddenly stilled. A towering banyan giant knelt on one knee, forcefully tearing open its chest to reveal a blue vortex-like entrance.

The tree creature turned to Ronan and spoke in a deep yet respectful voice.

"Congratulations, the sole qualifier.

The gates of Spirit Lake are now open to you."

(End of Chapter)