"Wait!"
Just as the Executive Committee member was about to announce the start of the battle, Leilin suddenly spoke up, interrupting his words.
"What? Are you looking to surrender now, Xiling?"
Stragley naturally wouldn't dare openly direct his anger at Leilin. In truth, he couldn't afford to offend either Leilin or Xis, so he could only mock Xiling instead.
"Nonsense!" Xiling shot back angrily, though she also looked at Leilin with worried eyes.
"Leilin... he... he wouldn't just give up because he can't gauge the opponent's strength, would he?"
Xiling's palms were clenched tight, and she was actually breaking into a cold sweat.
Honestly, with her natural physical talent combined with the boost from her Meditation Method, she was quite confident she could handle any Wizard she had previously encountered.
But that confidence had been completely shattered the moment she met Leilin.
Only now did Xiling realize she didn't understand him at all.
"Wizard Leilin! Did you have something to say?"
The Executive Committee member holding a book asked.
"Remind me—in the evaluation process, besides this form of combat, there are other methods available, aren't there?"
Leilin swept his gaze across the crowd, taking in Stragley's bluster, Xiling's anxiety, and Xis's killing intent, then smiled faintly and posed the question.
The moment these words left his mouth, the Wizards in the arena were stunned.
"There is such a rule! You can also gain exemption by contributing research materials!" The Executive Committee members quickly reacted, answering expressionlessly.
"However, your research must be publicly disclosed and verified by us! Since the Alliance of Nature is a small school, the materials you provide must meet five-star standards or above…"
Five-star standards, in the underground, were equivalent to the very pinnacle of peak first-level Wizard research—no small feat.
In truth, Xiling had considered this option before, but unfortunately, the Executive Committee's evaluations were extremely strict. The nine major schools were already the top research institutions in the entire Eastern Region, and very little could catch their eye.
Furthermore, the time and effort required to obtain such research materials were no less than what it took to invite a semi-elementalized Wizard to serve as an honorary professor. After searching for a while, Xiling had given up on the idea.
"If your research materials fall short of five-star standards, you'll have simply given away your proprietary research for nothing. I hope you'll think carefully!"
"Rest assured! I have confidence in my research! Moreover, Wizards are sages who pursue truth—on this path, I don't mind sharing some of my findings with those I meet along the way…"
Leilin's words immediately resonated with many of the Wizards present.
In the underground, the customs of ancient Wizards were still preserved to a remarkable degree. When senior Wizards with close friendships gathered, they would often exchange experiences to advance together.
"In you, we seem to see the glory of the ancients!"
The nine Executive Committee members nodded. "Please submit the materials you wish to present!"
"I protest!" Stragley immediately shouted, pointing at Leilin with agitation, even the eight spider legs on his lower body trembling. "We issued the challenge first! Even if he wants to contribute materials, it should wait until after the challenge!"
"Protest denied! Wizard Leilin's actions are entirely in accordance with ancient regulations!"
Several Executive Committee members immediately quashed Stragley's objection, while Wizard Xis simply watched coldly, his thoughts unknown.
Seeing this, Leilin sneered inwardly.
Fighting to the death under the watchful eyes of so many Wizards, essentially performing like trained monkeys for their approval—was that supposed to be enjoyable?
While many Wizards might be willing to do such a thing under the lure of benefits, Leilin was not among them!
Moreover, with nine peak first-level Wizards present plus the Magical Arrays set up around the arena, he couldn't go for the kill either. Before his injuries had healed, he couldn't withstand a siege from nine peak Wizards, and he had no desire to make enemies of the nine major Wizard schools behind them.
After all, the major Wizard schools inevitably had second-level or even higher Wizards presiding over them. Leilin had no interest in courting unnecessary trouble.
So—unable to kill, and forced to perform like a trained monkey for everyone's amusement—what was the point?
Leilin naturally chose the easier path.
He smiled calmly, his every movement refined as if trained by ancient nobility, exuding an elegant composure. Combined with his unique Warlock charm, he won the admiration of many Wizards present.
The Madam Sache he had encountered earlier particularly lit up, her eyes bright as twin flames.
Then Leilin submitted the academic materials he had prepared in advance.
They were fragments he had encountered within the Alliance of Nature's school, already extrapolated to the final step—unfortunately, they were missing that one most crucial piece, and so had long been unable to form a coherent system.
But Leilin was different. He was already a second-level Warlock, backed by the entire South Coast's reserves of knowledge. This gave him a commanding perspective, and combined with the Chip's terrifying computational power, a few minor refinements yielded a wealth of high-end data.
These things were trivial for him and hardly worth anything, but out in the world they represented cutting-edge disciplines and top-tier technology—at minimum, five-star material at the level of a peak Wizard! More than enough to spark fierce competition among Wizards!
Sure enough, after receiving the crystal sphere filled with research formulae and visual data, the expressions of the Executive Committee members turned grave.
With utmost solemnity, they passed the crystal sphere among themselves, continuously drawing out symbols to conduct calculations.