"But doing so now would drain our internal strength!"
Leilin weighed his words carefully.
The academic factions, united, could certainly crush these scattered acts of resistance — but a portion of their forces would inevitably be tied down, especially with the Northern Domain fallen and the Central Domain under attack. The cost seemed to outweigh the benefit.
"So what brilliant idea do you have?" Logan caught the meaning behind Leilin's words.
"For the resistance faction led by Longbatun, we naturally must eliminate them and crush them ruthlessly. But for the other wandering wizards and such, I think we could implement a policy of conciliation..."
Leilin stroked his chin.
"Conciliate how? The Dark Polar Domain's resources are limited — are you suggesting the
"No! Of course not!"
Leilin smiled and shook his head. "What do you think about holding a competition for young wizards?"
"A competition?" Logan looked bewildered.
"Yes! A Young
Leilin laid out his plan.
"Through this, not only can we unite more wandering wizards and show goodwill to the forces behind them, but we can also redirect the conflict — shift it from grievances about the factions' unfairness to competition for ranking positions, and let them drain each other through internal friction!"
"This... let me think about it..."
Logan stroked his beard.
Leilin smiled casually, because he knew the other man would be won over by his proposal.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, Logan slammed his palm on the table. "Brilliant! That's it! Why didn't I think of that before?"
He stood and began pacing rapidly around the room.
"For those wizards who are already old, no amount of persuasion will work — they've lost any room for growth and pose no real threat!"
"But for those young wizards, the tournament represents not only honor, but also generous rewards and the chance to join an academic faction!"
"We just need to dangle a little bait, and they'll naturally start turning on each other. We might even pick up some good talent... Not bad! Not bad!"
Logan nodded repeatedly.
He knew, too, that for the lower ranks, brute force alone wouldn't suffice — especially in wartime.
But co-opting some while crushing others would yield far better results.
"I'll report your proposal to the Committee right away — they'll definitely approve it!"
Logan called out excitedly.
Meanwhile, a deep smile spread across Leilin's face.
There was something else he hadn't said, but he was certain Logan understood it too.
Holding a competition, selecting wizards, recruiting them into factions — this was, in effect, a form of reform. And even this small improvement was inching closer to the model of the Wizard
In doing so, Longbatun's claim to moral authority would be challenged, and he would surely come to obstruct it by every means.
And when that happened, it would be the perfect opportunity to capture or even kill him!
At the same time, in several locations, wizards who had cultivated the Sacred Light Candleflame were plunged simultaneously into a state of premonition.
"So many stars shall converge there! All things shall begin there, and all things shall end there!"
Ailin suddenly snapped back from a state where his eyes showed only whites, his hand pressed to his chest with lingering fear.
"It was a voluntarily triggered prophecy — it seems the Power of Fate this time is more intense than ever before..."
"Of course! The Wizard Genius Tournament! Not just wandering wizards — even geniuses from the academic factions will participate. And the judges will be several Domain Guardians, all at least Second-rank Wizards. The legendary Realm Guardian himself might even appear!"
Across from him, Weinasi rolled her eyes and didn't hold back her sarcasm.
"You—" Ailin's face flushed red with anger, and he nearly shot to his feet.
"Alright! Alright! Can you two stop fighting?!"
Weilin wore his Augmentation Armor, and his aura had grown even more profound and vast — a result of the Power of Fate constantly condensing within him. Though he himself felt little difference, for Ailin and Weinasi, who had both cultivated the Sacred Light Candleflame, the change was as conspicuous as a torch in the darkness.
"So what exactly did you see?" Weilin asked with some curiosity.
Under his guarantee and supervision, these two wizards with prophetic abilities had temporarily agreed to maintain peace, planning to settle their contest after first thwarting the Dark Elves' conspiracy. But occasional friction still flared up, giving him a headache.
"I saw that in the near future, the Central Domain will hold a tournament — a Young Wizard Genius Tournament! Any wizard under fifty can participate, with no other restrictions..."
"And the champion might even receive an audience with the Realm Guardian himself, who would impart advanced wizard knowledge and possibly even forcefully assist in their advancement..."
Ailin couldn't help swallowing hard. Even he was tempted by such an offer.
"And in this tournament, the vast majority of the Dark Polar Domain's genius wizards will converge. Even Longbatun, who has defected to the Dark Elves, will be there, looking for opportunities to sabotage it!"
The young witch known as Weinasi picked up: "And because they have wizards like us assisting them too, a veil of fate shrouds their actions — so I cannot determine their exact plans or whether they'll ultimately succeed..."
"Longbatun..." Weilin murmured the name, a somber light in his eyes.
He already knew that this boy he had once thought so highly of had rapidly grown into a full-fledged Wizard and defected to the Dark Elves, bearing undeniable responsibility for the fall of the Northern Domain.
"I remember him being such a well-mannered, warm-hearted boy... And his sister..."
Weilin's expression was deeply conflicted. If Leilin had chosen to study under Professor Longbatun back then, everything might have turned out differently.
"Weilin, sir! The current Longbatun is a traitor to humanity, a saboteur plotting rebellion. You must draw a clear line between yourself and him — even personally arrest him!"
Ailin saw the reluctance on Weilin's face and immediately urged him.
"Exactly! I can sense it — the enormous conspiracy shrouding the entire Central Domain, the dark hand reaching through multiple Second-rank Wizards, will erupt at the Genius Tournament! You must defeat Longbatun there! Thwart their schemes! Protect humanity!"
Weinasi's voice was unwavering. At this moment, she believed she was walking the path of ancient heroes, striving to safeguard humanity's peace and stability. A sacred aura radiated from her.
"I understand..."
Weilin gave a bitter smile.
Meanwhile, Longbatun also received news from Aosini.
"Young Wizard Genius Tournament? A grand event of the Wizard world? Multiple Second-rank Wizards and Guardians serving as judges?"
After hearing the report, a green light flashed in Longbatun's eyes. "What a perfect opportunity to catch them all in one net!"
Aosini remained silent. He could sense that the two hostile forces he knew as enemies had now converged — and they would certainly cross paths at the Genius Tournament.
"It's finally here. The ultimate victor will be me! Only I can cultivate the Sacred Light Candleflame to its peak and become the ruler of the Dark Polar Domain!!!"
Aosini roared internally, but his face remained perfectly calm.
"Pass down the order — all our branches are to cease operations and enter hiding, preparing for the coming tournament! And notify the Matron — I need reinforcements! Stronger reinforcements!"
Longbatun commanded, and Aosini bowed respectfully before departing.
From Longbatun, he sensed an aura that had grown even more unfathomable. Ever since fully absorbing the essence of a Second-rank Wizard, Longbatun had improved day by day, reaching a level where even Aosini could no longer gauge his true strength.
"Leilin... Weilin... Everything shall be settled there!"
Longbatun murmured, the enormous phantom of a spider behind him growing ever more solid, as though it were real.
...
The barrier for entry was remarkably low — any young-generation wizard under fifty could participate, and the rewards were extraordinarily generous. Beyond a wealth of rare resources and academic knowledge, the top thirty would earn the right to freely choose an academic faction to join. All the major factions of the Central Domain had contributed numerous spots. Moreover, whispered rumors suggested that the Realm Guardian himself would meet with the champion after the tournament and possibly even take them as a personal apprentice!
The entire Dark Polar Domain erupted in excitement. Countless young wandering wizards — and even the geniuses of established factions — abandoned their posts and headquarters, making their way toward the Central Domain.
Some among them might not care about resources or the right to join a faction, but the legacy of a Third-rank Wizard was a temptation none could refuse.
This was something Leilin had not entirely anticipated.
After Logan submitted the proposal, it was approved immediately. Wizards were a clever lot — they could see the plan's merits at a glance. They even planned to hold the tournament on a fixed schedule going forward, to eliminate all future trouble in one stroke.
But at this point, the Realm Guardian's announcement caught Leilin off guard.
Then he began to speculate.
"It seems the Realm Guardian truly doesn't have much time left. I just wonder whether this legacy is genuine or simply bait to lure the snakes from their holes..."
Leilin stroked his chin.
But he welcomed all of it regardless.
Why? The more popular the tournament, the better it served his plans.
Those so-called "genius wizards" — regardless of how you looked at it — certainly carried far more Power of Fate. Though individually they couldn't compare to Weilin and Longbatun, together they represented a non-negligible sum.