I Arrived At Wizard World While Cultivating Immortality

Chapter 593: Mentor and Departure

Jie Ming pondered for a moment, but another issue came to mind.

Given the scale of wizard civilization, even a relatively “backward” wizard civilization would be far beyond what a mere Noren Workshop could handle alone. Even without a ninth-ring wizard overseeing it, the overall strength of that civilization could not be underestimated.

“Even a backward wizard civilization shouldn’t be something we can deal with on our own, right?” Jie Ming frowned as he looked at Avery Knight. “This matter probably needs to be reported to the Star Ring Federation.”

A trace of approving smile appeared at the corner of Dean Avery Knight’s mouth.

“It seems you weren’t blinded by the word ‘backward.’”

He paused. “Correct. I reported it to Wizard Noren long ago, and he promptly reported it to the Star Ring Federation. Therefore…”

He raised his hand and pointed toward the deeply profound figures in the depths of the square.

“We are only gathering here for now. Later, we will head to another location. There, representatives from all four major powers of wizard civilization will be present.”

Jie Ming’s heart trembled.

The four major powers of wizard civilization… Star Ring Federation, Crimson Court, Void Architecture Academy, and Anti-Entropy Alliance. The entire strength of wizard civilization would converge.

This could no longer be considered a private matter of any single faction; it was a grand event for the entire civilization.

“Then what are we going there to do?” David’s voice carried a hint of nervousness. “War?”

Avery Knight shook his head, his expression turning somewhat subtle. “Didn’t I already tell you earlier? We are going to a gathering.”

“A gathering?” Jie Ming and David spoke in unison, their faces filled with confusion.

Viola let out a soft laugh upon seeing their bewildered expressions. “Of course there will also be a fight. After all, even in a parallel world, if one lacks sufficient strength, they have no right to engage in exchange.”

“But those are matters for the higher-ranking wizards to concern themselves with.” She pointed at herself. “We are only going there to attend the gathering.”

Jie Ming still could not understand the term.

Wizard civilization was mobilizing its full force, crossing into a parallel world, just for a gathering?

Viola noticed his confusion and asked in return, “What do you think is the greatest value in discovering a parallel wizard plane?”

“Knowledge and resources?” David answered instinctively.

Jie Ming also nodded.

Wasn’t that exactly why wizard civilization waged war on other civilizations?

Avery Knight shook his head. “If a single faction could handle a parallel wizard plane on its own, then knowledge and resources would indeed be very important.”

“But this is the entire wizard civilization acting together. Those resources, along with knowledge from a more backward system, are no longer particularly significant to the four major powers.”

A thoughtful glint flashed in Jie Ming’s eyes.

Indeed, when the participants were the entire wizard civilization, the spoils would be divided among the four major powers. Those backward pieces of knowledge and limited resources truly did not amount to much.

Viola’s voice grew serious. “For the entire wizard civilization, the greatest value of a parallel wizard civilization lies in the counterparts of every wizard.”

A spark of insight flashed in Jie Ming’s mind.

Avery Knight nodded. “Correct. If one can find their own counterpart and sign a contract with them, that counterpart would be the most suitable research assistant. If one is willing to nurture them, it’s entirely possible to have them walk the exact same path, using the counterpart as a reference to identify and remedy the flaws in one’s own combat system…”

Jie Ming inwardly marveled.

Indeed.

Even in the world of immortal cultivation, there was the saying of “wealth, companion, method, and land.”

The so-called “companion” referred to those who could advance together on the path.

And what person could be more suitable as a Dao companion than “another version of oneself”?

Same origin, same talent, same way of thinking, same pursuit of power…

If one could truly find such a counterpart and form an alliance, it would be a qualitative leap for both sides.

Yet even as excitement rose in Jie Ming’s heart, a trace of vigilance also emerged.

If there really was another version of himself, would that counterpart also possess the Great Dao Book Pavilion?

Of course, he also understood that the Great Dao Book Pavilion had been an unexpected gain from his transmigration; such a thing most likely had no duplicate.

But Jie Ming did not dare to conclude that with absolute certainty.

After sensing the excitement in the two of them, Viola quickly poured cold water on them with her usual mischievous streak:

“Although it sounds wonderful, based on the situation from the last time a parallel world was discovered, in the vast majority of cases, you should not expect to find your own counterpart.”

Jie Ming was stunned, then immediately understood.

In addition to migrating populations from original planes, the most important method wizard civilization used to expand its population was transforming local “human” natives. Wizards would use various potions to modify natives with human-like appearances, altering their biological characteristics to match the human race of wizard civilization. Although this method was no longer commonly used, it had been employed extensively in the early days of wizard civilization’s expansion.

Even if the other wizard civilization used the same developmental methods, if the planes they encountered differed, the resulting descendants would certainly differ as well. Therefore, only a small number of wizards would truly be able to find their counterparts.

“If that’s the case, then the number of counterparts would be very few, right?” Jie Ming frowned.

Avery Knight pondered for a moment. “That’s actually uncertain. After all, how many wizard counterparts can be found depends on the scope of this parallel world.”

Jie Ming blinked, instantly understanding.

It was just like the parallel world theories from his previous life: if the particle composition of an entire planet was identical, it would be a parallel Earth; if the particle composition of an entire star system was identical, it would be a parallel solar system; and if the particle composition of an entire observable universe was identical, it would be a parallel universe.

The scope determined the number of counterparts one could find, and the difference would be vast.

“However, generally speaking, the higher the rank of a wizard, the higher the chance of finding a counterpart,” Viola added. “After all, most high-ranking wizards are quite old.”

Jie Ming understood.

Wizards could extend their lifespans indefinitely, so many high-ranking wizards were likely old monsters who had survived since the early days of the Great Wizard Expedition. Their bloodlines could be traced back to the purest origins of wizard civilization, making it far more likely for them to find counterparts in a parallel world.

He looked at the high-ranking wizards gathered in the square and suddenly understood the true meaning behind the word “gathering.”

These wizards had assembled not only to demonstrate their power to the other wizard civilization and ensure the dialogue took place on equal footing, but more importantly, to test their luck and see if they could find their own counterparts.

The high-ranking wizards who had not come were most likely those who did not believe they had counterparts or had no interest in this kind of “luck-based” gathering.

“Then why were the two of us called here…” Jie Ming looked toward Avery Knight.

Dean Avery Knight smiled. “Besides letting you broaden your horizons, of course it’s to give you rewards after the gathering ends. After all, you two also contributed to the discovery of this parallel wizard civilization.”

Both Jie Ming’s and David’s eyes lit up at the same time.

Contribution… rewards… and rewards distributed during an event of this scale for the entire wizard civilization.

What level of items would those be?

Avery Knight chatted with them for a few more sentences before being called away by a seventh-ring wizard in the distance.

Before leaving, he patted Jie Ming on the shoulder and said, “When we get there, take a good look around,” then hurried off.

Jie Ming and David exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise and delight in each other’s eyes.

Before they could exchange words, David’s magic network terminal vibrated.

He glanced down at it, and a look of regret appeared on his face.

“My mentor is calling me.” David looked at Jie Ming. “I’ll head over first.”

“Alright, we’ll talk later if anything comes up.” Jie Ming waved at him in farewell.

David nodded and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Jie Ming watched his back vanish among the figures of the high-ranking wizards, then suddenly realized something and turned to look at Viola.

“By the way… where’s Mentor?”

Viola shook her head blankly. “I don’t know.”

Jie Ming frowned. “Could it be that Mentor doesn’t plan to attend this gathering?”

Given Mentor Clark’s personality, it would be normal for him not to come to an event of this level.

After all, compared to other high-ranking wizards, their mentor was still relatively young. It was entirely possible that he had no interest in the “counterparts” that required relying on luck.

“No, Mentor said he would come,” Viola shook her head. “Actually, it was Mentor who first asked me to contact you.”

Jie Ming was stunned.

Mentor Clark was taking the initiative to come?

That person who spent all day holed up in the laboratory studying various laws and considered even eating a waste of time was actually taking the initiative to attend this kind of gathering? That seemed even more shocking!!

The two of them stared at each other, both eyes filled with confusion.

“I’ve arrived.”

Fortunately, before they could continue guessing, a voice came from behind them.

The voice was calm, carrying a faint sense of detachment—Clark’s distinctive tone.

Upon hearing it, smiles appeared on Jie Ming’s and Viola’s faces as they turned around at the same time.

“Mentor, you… Holy shit, who is this handsome guy?!”

Jie Ming had only turned halfway when his gaze landed on the person behind them and froze. The words slipped out involuntarily.

He subconsciously took a step back, his eyes widening.

Standing before them was a young wizard who appeared to be in his early twenties.

His features were exceptionally handsome, even delicate, with fair skin and thick black hair neatly combed back.

He wore a well-tailored deep gray robe, its edges embroidered with silver rune patterns.

Though it was a wizard robe, on this person it looked like a custom-made formal suit.

In Jie Ming’s memory, however, Mentor Clark was a slightly balding middle-aged man who always seemed lacking in energy, with bloodshot eyes, wearing a wizard robe that often had a few stains, exuding an overall aura of decadence.

The person before them did not match that image at all!

Viola’s expression was no better.

This senior sister, who usually wore a lazy expression, now had her mouth open wide enough to fit an egg.

Clark remained as calm as ever, his gaze sweeping across their faces without any change in expression.

Viola was the first to react.

She suddenly took a step back, pointed at Clark, and her voice cracked. “Who are you? How dare you impersonate our mentor!”

Clark’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

The next second, his hand had already precisely grabbed Viola’s head. He lifted her up like a kitten and shook her left and right.

“You actually have the leisure to tease me.” His voice remained calm, but his actions showed no mercy. “It seems the tasks I assigned you are still too easy.”

Viola’s head was shaken back and forth, her hair scattering.

“I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong! Mentor, I was wrong!” The familiar force made Viola react immediately. Her voice broke intermittently from the shaking. “You are the mentor! The genuine mentor! More real than truth itself!”

Jie Ming watched the scene from the side, his mouth twitching.

That action, that strength, that style of hiding killing intent beneath an expressionless face—it was undoubtedly Mentor Clark.

Clark released his hand. Viola staggered back two steps, clutching her head as she retreated to Jie Ming’s side with a look of having survived a disaster.

Clark ignored her, raised his head to glance at the sky, and said indifferently, “It’s about time. Let’s go. We’ll head to the assembly point first.” With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and walked unhurriedly toward the center of the square.

Jie Ming and Viola exchanged a glance and cautiously followed behind him.

The wizards around them seemed to have received some signal as well. They began converging toward the center from all directions of the square.

Those who had been chatting in small groups now started moving.

Countless auras of varying strength intertwined in the air, and the atmosphere of the entire square shifted from relaxed to solemn.

Jie Ming and Viola followed behind Clark. Their gazes met frantically as spiritual power rapidly transmitted information over the short distance.

Jie Ming: “Is this really Mentor??”

Viola: “How would I know? I’ve never seen him like this before!”

Jie Ming: “What kind of stimulation did Mentor receive? Or did his strength increase dramatically, putting him in a good mood?”

Viola was silent for a moment. Her spiritual power fluctuation carried a hint of strangeness. “I actually think the reason is simpler than you imagine.”

Jie Ming looked at her in confusion.

Viola did not continue replying with spiritual power. Instead, she subtly directed her gaze toward Clark’s wrist.

Jie Ming followed her line of sight.

Clark walked ahead with his hands behind his back. The sleeves of his robe swayed gently with his steps.

On his right wrist was an inconspicuous bracelet. (Chapter 72)

The bracelet’s craftsmanship was extremely crude. It looked as if it had been manually twisted together from several different colored metal wires, with almost no artistry to speak of.

Jie Ming carefully sensed it—there were no energy fluctuations, no rune imprints, and no special abilities.

It was just an ordinary ornament.

Such a crudely made bracelet worn on Clark’s wrist clashed sharply with the clearly high-grade robe on his body, the rings on his fingers that emitted intense elemental fluctuations, and the rune-covered belt at his waist.

But Jie Ming suddenly recalled something.

He had seen this bracelet before.

Or rather, he had always been able to see it.

It had been there from the very first time he met Mentor Clark.

Even during the wizard war when everyone was fully armed and Clark had changed his equipment several times, this bracelet had remained on his wrist.

It was just that Jie Ming had never paid attention to it before.

Jie Ming and Viola exchanged another glance. At the same time, a knowing expression appeared on both their faces.

There’s something going on!

That was the only consensus the two of them had at this moment.

Jie Ming continued transmitting with spiritual power, his tone filled with the excitement of watching a show. “Who do you think the person Mentor wants to see is?”

Viola’s spiritual power fluctuation carried a trace of helplessness. “I don’t know. From the time I’ve known Mentor, I’ve never seen him have any ambiguous relationship with any female. In his eyes, there are only laws and experiments.”

“Then why this time suddenly…”

“How would I know.” Viola paused, and her spiritual power fluctuation became somewhat subtle. “But since it’s a gathering of the four major powers, we should be able to see…”

Jie Ming’s spirits lifted. “So that’s the real reason Mentor is attending this gathering?”

“Definitely! I’m so looking forward to it!” Viola chimed in.

“What’s there to look forward to?”

Viola’s reaction was extremely quick. Almost instinctively, she replied, “Oh ho ho ho ho… Of course it’s to see if I can use this to hold something over Mentor in the future.”

Only after she finished speaking did she realize something was wrong.

Jie Ming’s voice rang in her mind, carrying a hint of despair. “…I didn’t send any message just now.”

Viola’s expression froze.

Both of them simultaneously looked forward.

At some point, Clark had stopped walking and was now turning back to look at them with an expressionless face.

His gaze swept across their faces, calm as a pool of still water.

Jie Ming felt half his blood run cold. Viola’s face visibly turned green at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“Um… Mentor…” Viola forced a dry laugh. “We were just…”

Clark did not speak. He simply looked at them.

Fortunately, at that moment, two vast auras suddenly descended, enveloping the entire square and rescuing the two from their predicament.

Everyone subconsciously looked up.

In the center of the square, two figures slowly materialized.

They were the two current eighth-ring wizards of Noren Workshop: the founder of Noren Workshop, Wizard Noren.

And Jie Ming’s master’s master, Wizard Anton Buchanan.

Wizard Noren still looked like a kindly old man, while Master Anton Buchanan looked like a child today.

Regardless of their appearances, the moment the two appeared, they instantly drew everyone’s attention.

Jie Ming and Viola simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief and turned their gazes toward the center of the square, wishing they could write the words “We are just admiring the scenery” on their faces.

Clark also withdrew his gaze and looked toward the two figures.

Wizard Noren stood at the center of the square, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached every person’s ears.

“It seems nearly everyone has arrived.”

He raised his right hand.

“Then let us depart.”

A massive teleportation array unfolded beneath his feet. Silvery-white light spread outward like a tide, instantly enveloping the entire square.

Jie Ming felt his feet lighten as spatial energy wrapped around his entire body.

He instinctively wanted to resist, but immediately reacted and controlled himself, allowing his body to follow the sensation.

Then, the teleportation light swallowed everything.