**Chapter 94: Reunion**
“How’s it going on your end?” Jie Ming asked.
“No issues here. I got lucky and landed near Victor. We’ve already teamed up and can come find you soon!” Amy’s voice came through the communication artifact, followed by Victor’s in the background.
“But be careful, Jie Ming. When we met up earlier, there was an explosion nearby. If we hadn’t kept our protective sorcery active, it could’ve been bad,” Amy said, her voice tinged with lingering fear.
“I didn’t expect this plane to be so dangerous. We need to stay cautious.”
Jie Ming opened the communication artifact’s screen, checking the distance between them and tracing the trajectory of his earlier energy bolt. His eyelids twitched.
Glancing at the collapsing beast corpse nearby, Jie Ming coughed awkwardly, pretending nothing had happened: “I’ll come to you. I move faster. Is it safe where you are? If it’s secure, stay put. I’ll be there soon!”
“Should be fine. The explosion seems to have scared off the nearby beasts…”
“Great! I’m on my way!”
Without waiting for Amy’s reply, Jie Ming cut the connection, activated a mobility runic artifact, and dashed toward their coordinates.
The eastern primeval forest of the Elosia continent was steeped in a wild, chaotic aura.
Today, the jungle was livelier than usual, with distant screams and explosive booms echoing intermittently.
Jie Ming wasted no time, using the Glimmering Eye to lock onto two familiar signals—Amy and Victor.
They weren’t far, leaning against a massive tree, vigilantly scanning their surroundings, clearly waiting.
His familiar voice rang through the chaotic forest, prompting Amy to whip around.
Seeing Jie Ming emerge from the shadow of a towering ancient tree, their taut nerves finally eased.
“Jie Ming, you’re okay! Thank goodness!” Amy rushed forward, eyes brimming with relief.
Victor stumbled over, pale-faced, likely affected by the earlier explosion’s shockwave. “You’re finally here!”
After reuniting, Jie Ming’s gaze swept over them. Amy’s clothes were disheveled, evidence of a recent fight.
Victor looked worse, his wizard robe torn at the back and covered in dirt, though he bore no visible injuries, likely having fallen in the chaos.
“We can’t stay here. It’s too exposed,” Jie Ming said, nodding to them. “Let’s find a safer spot.”
Neither objected, nodding in agreement.
Using the real-time map from the Glimmering Eye, Jie Ming guided them through the dense forest, avoiding most hazardous areas.
Along the way, they occasionally heard the distant booms of sorcery and the wails of magical beasts, signaling the chaos other apprentices were facing.
After a short trek, they found a secluded cave for a temporary respite.
After easily dispatching the cave’s original occupant and camouflaging the entrance, they lit a fire.
The faint firelight illuminated their faces, easing the tension.
“What’s our next move?” Victor asked first.
Both Amy and Victor were adept at teamwork, so they took the initiative to discuss.
“This plane is far more dangerous than we imagined,” Amy said, head lowered in thought. “It’s not fully under our control, and high-tier creatures could appear anytime. As Third-Rank apprentices, we’re too vulnerable here.”
Jie Ming leaned against the cave wall, nodding in agreement. “Exactly. We have two urgent priorities.”
He held up two fingers. “First, find the main wizard force. You saw the situation earlier—this plane’s external passages are likely controlled by those gods. In an emergency, our only way out is through the stable teleportation arrays set up by the main force.”
“I agree. Venturing deeper blindly cuts off our escape route—pure folly,” Victor chimed in. “With our current strength, one misstep could be fatal. Joining the main force offers protection and supplies.”
“Second…” Jie Ming’s tone grew serious. “Advance to First-Rank formal wizard.”
Due to the contract they signed upon joining the academy, most apprentices remained at Third-Rank to maximize their foundation, only advancing after the ten-year term.
Thus, every apprentice in this trial was a Third-Rank wizard apprentice, seasoned from years at this level.
Amy paused, then nodded. “Advancement? Makes sense…”
Victor showed little surprise, clearly having considered it: “Indeed, the contract held us back before, but in a full-scale planar war, those restrictions can be flexible.”
Jie Ming nodded. “The workshop’s year-long trial clearly anticipated this. We’re all Third-Rank now—advancing to First-Rank will massively boost our combat power.”
Even without new knowledge, the gap between a First-Rank formal wizard and a Third-Rank apprentice was vast.
Spiritual force reserves, control precision, elemental activity thresholds, and the natural purification of sorcery models…
These were advantages apprentices couldn’t match.
Even for Jie Ming, becoming a First-Rank wizard would significantly enhance his combat ability.
In a brutal planar war, personal strength was paramount.
“So, our path is clear,” Jie Ming concluded. “One, find the wizard stronghold or main force. Two, advance to First-Rank formal wizard… Have you prepared advancement potions?”
“I’ve prepared, but didn’t bring them,” Amy said, her face troubled.
Without spatial rings, apprentices had limited supplies for a new plane.
Most, expecting a planar war, wouldn’t have brought advancement potions.
The year-long trial duration caught many unprepared.