Chapter Eight: The Selection Tournament Concludes

Under the moonlight, Feng, a little anxious and excited, pulled at Qi Xiao’s arm and exclaimed, “That gentleman just now, I think that was Lord Hulk, the ‘Flame Fist’ of Dominator Fist Gym. I can’t believe we ran into him here, this is…”

Feng gradually calmed down from his excitement, vaguely guessing why Hulk would be here. With a sigh, he said, “You really are as adored as a gold coin, aren’t you? Not even an apprentice yet, and already a formal wizard is willing to lower himself to protect you.”

Qi Xiao gently patted Feng’s hand as it grasped his arm and replied evenly, “It’s not necessarily for my sake. Perhaps he’s just come in early to prepare to escort us back since the time draws near. Come on, let’s return to the car.”

Feng nodded, but in his heart, he still believed that “Flame Fist” Hulk was there mostly because of Qi Xiao—after all, the man was famous for his fondness for talent.

On the way back, Qi Xiao gazed up at the moon and asked, “You know him? Hulk, the ‘Flame Fist’?”

Feng responded with a hum. “A formal wizard is a rare being wherever you are. Even in a great power like the Allspirits Vault, there are only about twenty formal wizards active at any given time. Lord Hulk is a veteran bloodline wizard within the Allspirits Vault and is said to be not far from advancing to a Level 2 wizard. He’s well known not only in the Kingdom of Terry but throughout the entire Northern Wizarding Realm.”

Qi Xiao nodded in understanding. Just because he hadn’t heard of a wizard in the movies didn’t mean they lacked reputation. After all, the protagonist had met fewer than thirty formal wizards in total, many of whom were merely background and barely introduced.

Lola sat by the door, keeping watch. Upon seeing the two return, she called for Little White to take out the ingredients, asking casually, “What took you so long?”

Feng, unmoved, began building the campfire’s base and replied, “It was cooler over there. We enjoyed the breeze a bit longer.”

Lola smiled, gathering her hair, but just as she was about to say something, a distant clamor interrupted her.

Everyone fell silent. Little White’s eyes glowed as he observed for a while, then said with some delight, “They’ve started fighting.”

No one was particularly surprised; it was clear those outsiders couldn’t break in, so mutual slaughter was the only option left.

As the curses and sounds of battle faded, a witch in a silver gown with pale blue hair appeared in the air.

They all bowed their heads respectfully. Franca nodded slightly and said, “Come with me. Do not resist.”

Qi Xiao felt a moist breeze sweep him up; he couldn’t muster any resistance at all. The witch was probably just being courteous.

In the blink of an eye, he was brought to an unfamiliar place. After gaining his footing, Qi Xiao looked around.

Standing beside him were Little White, Feng, Lola, and a vaguely familiar youth—after a moment’s thought, Qi Xiao recalled meeting him on the way back earlier.

Ahead, besides the “Flame Fist” Hulk and the blue-haired witch from before, there was also a flamboyantly dressed witch with heavy makeup and pink hair, who was now batting her eyelashes at him.

Qi Xiao quickly lowered his head and stood respectfully.

“These three must all be formal wizards…”

Before Qi Xiao could think further, the pale blue-haired witch spoke, her voice gentle and warm, naturally inspiring goodwill:

“The three of us are the supervising mentors for this rookie selection. Congratulations to all five of you for passing the test and formally joining the Allspirits Vault. Someone will soon distribute your rewards and escort you to the rookie dormitory. I wish you ever greater strides on your pursuit of truth, and that you may soon become true wizards.”

Having explained matters to the newcomers, Franca stepped forward and placed her hand on Qi Xiao’s shoulder.

“I have high hopes for your talent. If you have time, do visit Moonrest Pavilion. Lady Janet, a member of the Alchemical Research Society, is quite fond of gifted newcomers like you.”

“Certainly,” Qi Xiao bowed deeply and complied.

As Franca departed, Yarra was unwilling to be outdone. She sashayed over in high heels, wrapped a soft arm around Qi Xiao’s neck, and traced circles on his chest with a purple-polished finger.

“Our Blossom Isle is famed for its herbs; many alchemists work with us. How about it, interested? All materials are yours for the picking~”

She blew softly at Qi Xiao’s ear and whispered, “When it comes to beautiful witches, we have the greatest number on Blossom Isle. Do give it some thought.”

She stroked Qi Xiao’s fair cheek, tucked a rose into his collar, then vanished with a peal of bell-like laughter, leaving a carpet of petals behind.

With the departure of the three formal wizards, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Before they could speak, a man with a mushroom-shaped headband and an ordinary face approached.

He swept his gaze over the five and began, “Congratulations on passing the selection and joining the Allspirits Vault. My name is Rocco. I joined a few years before you—call me by name or just ‘senior’.”

Another person entered, carrying five boxes.

Rocco signaled for the boxes to be distributed according to their labels, then continued, “These are your competition rewards. I’ll show you to your quarters shortly so you can rest. Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll take you to Lady Mirrorling’s Mirror Domain for talent testing and to swear your oath of entry. After that, you’ll likely each receive at least one invitation from a formal wizard. Consider carefully which faction you want to join.”

Qi Xiao listened as he opened his box, counting roughly—inside were 300 magic crystals and a fair amount of alchemical materials.

As Rocco finished and prepared to lead them away, Lola spoke up, “Senior Rocco, could we have a moment to talk among ourselves?”

Rocco glanced at Qi Xiao, hesitated a moment, then nodded. “Ten minutes. Say what you need to say quickly.”

Lola thanked him, came to Qi Xiao, set sixty magic crystals before him, and said softly, “Thank you for looking after me during the competition. Here’s what I owed you.”

Qi Xiao didn’t stand on ceremony. He tore up the IOU and accepted the crystals, just as a mechanical female voice sounded in his ear—the first time in days:

[Congratulations on successfully completing an alchemical transaction. Reward: Meditation Method ‘Cosmic Singularity’ (Part I).]

Qi Xiao was surprised; this time, it wasn’t a trick but a genuine meditation method—a necessity for every wizard.

Unfortunately, with so many people around, it wasn’t the time to check it.

Following suit, Little White and Feng settled their debts. Considering that more friends meant more outlets for his wares, Qi Xiao looked toward the youth in the corner. This contestant, whom he’d only met once, hadn’t raised his head since arriving.

“Hi, I’m Qi Xiao. We met once before, remember? We’re colleagues now, so I hope we can get along.”

The youth in the corner hadn’t expected anyone to greet him. After a moment’s hesitation, he replied in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s, “Yes, you can call me Enoch.”