Even in the face of the mightiest restraints, the power that truly belongs to you can never be taken away."
"Combining the research results of the ’Throne Seed’ might create an unprecedented Soul Armament."
Expectation flashed in Uther’s eyes:
"Imagine, a Magic Sword fused with the Apostle’s authority and all your own abilities... what kind of existence would that be?"
The meaning of these words was already quite clear.
Uther was providing Ron a possible escape route.
By joining the Abyssal Observation Station to gain relatively independent status and perfecting the ’Melting Furnace Concept’ with his covert help, preparing for possible future confrontations.
"I will seriously consider this suggestion, Professor."
Ron responded cautiously, not immediately making a commitment:
"Your suggestion is extremely valuable to me, but I need time to weigh its advantages and disadvantages carefully."
"Time is running out, young man."
Uther’s phantom began to turn transparent, clearly this prolonged projection consumed much of his energy:
"Cassandra’s return will completely change the power balance within the Crystal Tower. I hope by then, you are fully prepared."
His voice turned exceptionally faint, almost like a whisper:
"And remember, in this world, some choices, once made, are irreversible.
But sometimes, not making a choice is the most dangerous choice of all."
The old professor’s phantom became even more ethereal:
"I have lived long enough and witnessed too many rises and falls.
But you are different, you still have infinite possibilities. Whatever path you choose, remember—power is merely a means, never let means become an end."
With this meaningful sentence, Uther’s Void Remains projection was completely dissipated.
Silver light spread like water waves, eventually merging into the air, leaving only a subtle energy fluctuation.
Ron stood alone in the containment room, his mind echoing with all the information he had just heard.
From the Hall of Oblivion to Otherworld Conquest, from internal power struggles within the school to life-and-death choices of personal destiny, every piece of information hammered at his spirit like a heavy blow.
But at the same time, he also felt an unprecedented sense of clarity.
Like a person walking in the mist suddenly seeing a distant lighthouse, although the road is still rough, the direction is clear.
"Selena’s Void Remains structure, Throne Seed, Chaotic Blood World..."
Ron began constructing complex simulation models in his mind, analyzing various potential development paths.
If he accepts Uther’s legacy, he will gain tremendous power and independent status, but also bear a heavy responsibility.
If he refuses, he might keep a low profile temporarily, but sooner or later he will have to face pressure from the Conquest Faction.
"But this choice does not need to be made right now."
He rationally analyzed the situation:
"Uther’s condition is to adhere to the path and not be alienated by the Meditation Technique.
This is what I should be doing anyway, whether or not there is this commitment, I have at least several decades of buffer time."
Ron took a deep breath and began to organize his thoughts.
As a rational researcher, he knew that emotional decisions often lead to disastrous consequences.
No matter how timely Uther’s reminders are, no matter how perilous the road ahead is, he must remain calm and logical.
"Firstly, it’s necessary to confirm that there do exist traces of erased memories."
He formulated an investigation plan in his mind:
"Try using the newly acquired ’Sensing Power’ to see if any clues can be found.
If someone has truly been devoured by the Hall of Oblivion, there will undoubtedly be traces left on certain objects or places."
.........
As the sun set, the core area of the Jade Forest was bathed in a warm golden glow.
Ancient towering trees embraced each other, their sturdy trunks growing various peculiar vine plants, emitting a faint magic glow.
In these natural barriers’ protection, the Jade Tower stood quietly in the center of an open clearing in the forest.
This main building of the Wizard School was not a traditional stone tower but a specially cultivated gigantic ancient tree.
Its main trunk exceeded fifty meters in diameter, and its height reached an astounding three hundred meters, its canopy resembling a massive emerald umbrella, providing shelter from wind and rain for the entire settlement.
Most awe-inspiringly, the interior of this ancient tree had been completely hollowed out and redesigned to form a multi-layered building system with complete functions.
A spiral staircase wound its way up along the inner wall of the trunk, each floor serving different functions—laboratories, libraries, conference rooms, living areas, all available.
Natural textures on the tree’s surface embedded countless glowing magic crystals, providing illumination and energy supply within.
Even more miraculous was that this ancient tree still maintained its vitality, with new leaves automatically adjusting shape according to the residents’ needs, providing them with the most comfortable living environment.
The clearing around the ancient tree was dotted with several dozen distinctively styled small buildings.
Some were exquisite cottages woven from living vines, some were cave dwellings directly carved inside gigantic mushrooms, and others were tree houses suspended in mid-air, interconnected by flexible vine bridges.
In the entire settlement, various strange creatures coexisted harmoniously with humans.
Massive beetles loyally carried out the task of transporting heavy items, their carapaces often loaded with various experimental equipment or daily necessities;
Colorful birds freely flew through the air, delivering messages for the residents;
Even seemingly ordinary flowers and plants possessed magical abilities.
Some could forecast weather changes, while others could purify harmful substances in the air.
In this vibrant environment, an important assembly was taking place in the main conference hall within the ancient tree.
The conference hall situated in the tree’s middle layer was a spacious circular room.
No artificial lighting was used within, relying instead on those naturally glowing mosses on the inner wall of the trunk to provide gentle green illumination.
Dozens of young apprentices sat on living chairs arranged according to their rank.
These chairs were actually small plants specially cultivated that could automatically adjust their shape and firmness based on the sitter’s body and preferences.
The brightness of the light emitted by the chairs directly corresponded to the sitter’s status and potential rating within the school.
The front seats near the podium, shining like stars, were reserved for the true geniuses.
"Everyone, today we are announcing this quarter’s update of the Candidate Wizard sequence."
Standing on the podium was a tall half-elf woman, she possessed the typical Jade Tower lineage.
Her long green hair cascaded like a waterfall to her waist, her fair skin tinged with subtle green, and her amber eyes glistened with the wisdom of an ancient forest.
As the Academic Director of the Jade Tower, every word from Vera carried immense weight.
Her voice was as clear and mellifluous as a mountain stream, overflowing with the healing effect characteristic of Natural Magic, enabling listeners to involuntarily relax.
"After rigorous evaluation and assessment, we have decided to promote Lilia Devente to the twentieth position in the candidate sequence."
As soon as Vera’s words fell, a subtle rustling sounded in the conference hall.
This wasn’t public discussion, but private exchange via Spiritual Power among the apprentices.
In a place like the Jade Tower, which emphasized etiquette, directly speaking out was extremely impolite.
Sitting in the twenty-first position, the blond-haired male apprentice Cedric showed no changes in expression, but a trace of unnoticed gloom flickered in his blue eyes.
As the heir of the ancient nobles in the Jade Forest, Cadmus family, he was regarded as the pride and future hope of the family since childhood.
Now, however, a girl from a fragmented faction has surpassed him, a blow more unbearable than any verbal humiliation.
But as a noble, he was well-educated and knew losing composure in such a setting was unacceptable.