Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 166 Andashir

After saying goodbye to Evan and Elena, Kate visited her mentor Glenn and Liria to explain her decision and thank them for their guidance and care.

Mentor Glenn patted Kate on the shoulder, his eyes filled with relief and emotion: "Go, Kate. Your stage is destined not to be this corner of the Southern Region. The Central Continent is where the true powerhouses gather. Remember, wherever you go, the Evergreen Barrier will always be one of your support systems."

Liria carefully gave Kate many instructions about things to be aware of in the Central Continent, and presented her with a crystal containing some of her observations and experiences from her early travels in the Central Continent.

After finishing all the chores, Kate returned to the treehouse to do the final tidying up.

He carefully collected all the important supplies, research results, and precious materials given to him by the Light Fairy and the Hand of Life, categorizing them meticulously.

Ashe once again merged into his spiritual sea, calming down along with the Heart of Reincarnation, preparing for the upcoming journey.

The intercontinental teleportation array to the Central Continent is not located in Evergreen Fortress, nor in any of the major wizarding cities in the Southern Region.

It is located at the northernmost tip of the Southern Region, on a desolate plateau known as the "Boundary Scar".

That place is the point where the energy of the Southern Region and the outside world converges most intensely, and where the space is relatively weakest, which is why it can support such a long-distance teleportation.

Instead of using the public teleportation array to travel north, Kate chose a more independent approach, relying on her own powerful strength and Ashe's control over space to perform long-distance continuous spatial teleportation and flight.

This will save a lot of magic stones and allow you to further familiarize yourself with and consolidate the power of the second ring on the way.

He transformed into a streak of light too fast for the naked eye to see, leaving the Evergreen Barrier and speeding northward.

The further north you go, the more desolate the landscape becomes, and the fewer people there are.

The lush forests were replaced by hardy tundra and bare rocks, and the sky appeared even higher and more vast, with a thin, wild energy emanating from beyond the boundaries of the realm.

Several days later, a vast, dark red plateau, seemingly cleaved by a giant axe of a god, stretched to the horizon and appeared before us.

This is the "Boundary Mark".

Above the plateau, turbulent energy flows twist and dance like visible colorful ribbons, with tiny spatial cracks appearing and disappearing from time to time, creating an extremely harsh environment.

In the center of the plateau, a massive, ancient fortress built of black boulders stands majestically, like a silent giant guarding the gateway to the distance.

That is the location of the intercontinental teleportation array—"Boundary Fortress".

Kate lowered her altitude and landed in front of the fortress's enormous metal gate.

Several powerful wizards were already queuing up to enter, all looking travel-worn and their expressions a mixture of anticipation and caution.

Guarding the fortress was a team of wizards dressed in standard dark gray armor, exuding a cold and aloof aura. The leader was clearly a mid-stage second-ring wizard, meticulously checking everyone's credentials and identity.

When it was Kate's turn, he presented the high-level credentials issued by the Hand of Life and Evergreen Barrier, as well as the token given to him by his mentor Elune.

After a careful inspection, the captain of the guards' eyes flashed with surprise, and his attitude became noticeably more respectful: "So you are a distinguished guest from the Ring of Life. Please come in. The teleportation hall is located at the deepest part of the fortress."

Once inside the fortress, the space is far more expansive than it appears from the outside, clearly demonstrating the use of advanced spatial expansion technology.

The passageway was wide and bustling with people. Wizards in all sorts of strange costumes, as well as some obviously non-human races, moved about among them. The air was filled with various energy auras and indistinguishable languages, making it seem busy and full of vitality.

Following the instructions, Kate arrived at the teleportation hall.

This is an incredibly magnificent circular hall with a soaring dome depicting a star map.

In the center of the hall, instead of a single teleportation array, dozens of teleportation platforms of varying sizes and complexities were lighting up in turn, transporting groups of people or supplies away or bringing them in.

The cacophony of noise, the hum of energy, and the loud commands of the administrators blended together, creating the atmosphere unique to a busy cross-domain transportation hub.

Kate needs to use a dedicated platform to travel to the Central Continent—Eastern Teleportation Zone—Seventh Reception Point.

He paid a hefty fee, received a teleportation token, and waited in the designated rest area for the next batch of teleportations.

The rest area was already quite crowded, with most people sitting quietly, each taking a deep breath.

Kate found a corner to sit down, closed her eyes to rest, and quietly sensed her surroundings.

Those who can use this kind of intercontinental teleportation array are at least the best of the first ring, and there are quite a few second ring experts as well.

Just then, a slightly aged but robust voice rang out from the side: "Hey, young man, looks like this is your first time visiting the Central Continent too?"

Kate opened her eyes and saw an elderly man in a faded gray-blue wizard's robe, with white hair and beard but a ruddy complexion and bright eyes, smiling at her from the seat next to her.

The old man's robe was embroidered with a complex emblem of intertwined gears and flames. Beside him was a metal cane that looked like some kind of measuring instrument. His aura was around the peak of the first ring, close to the second ring.

"The old gentleman has a good eye."

Kate nodded, maintaining a polite distance.

"Haha, what's so hard to guess? I've been running around this realm fortress for over a hundred years, and I've seen plenty of people."

First-time visitors usually have a mixture of curiosity and caution in their eyes; it's rare to see someone as composed as you.

The old man was very talkative. He stroked his beard and said, "My name is Copperbeard Fire Pliers. I come from the Forge City in the Southern Region. I am an alchemist who went to the Central Continent to do some material trading and to see some old friends."

What's your name, sir? Are you going to the Central Continent for travel or...?

"Kate, go to the Ring of Life for further studies," Kate said succinctly.

"The Ring of Life? Incredible!" Bronzebeard's eyes lit up. "That's a fantastic place. While its size isn't top-tier in the Central Continent, it's definitely among the best in the life-related realm!"

He gave a thumbs up, "And the atmosphere is relatively mild, suitable for focused research. Unlike some places, where the fighting is like raising poisonous insects."

Kate's heart skipped a beat, and she asked, "Mr. Bronzebeard seems quite familiar with the Middle Continent?"

"I wouldn't say I'm very familiar with it, but the more places I go, the more I hear about it."

Copperbeard seemed quite willing to share his experiences, lowering his voice slightly, "Brother, the Central Continent is truly—larger than you can imagine!"

Let me put it this way: the entire wizarding world of the Southern Region, if you look at it closely, is probably only about the size of a lower-middle-class kingdom in the Central Continent.

Although Kate was mentally prepared, she was still slightly shocked when she heard such a stark comparison.

Copperbeard continued, "The forces there are deeply intertwined, strong and weak, ancient and emerging, all sorts of things."

There are those that specialize to the extreme, such as the Crimson Tower, which only studies the essence of fire. It is said that their tower master can create the temperature of the core of the sun with his bare hands.

There is a "Temple of Storms" that worships and studies the power of primordial storms; its members are all humanoid natural disasters.

There's also the "Deathspeaker's Lair," a place specifically for dealing with the undead, which is eerily sinister—"

He listed them off with great familiarity: "Of course, there are more powerful forces that study the properties of plurals and pursue integration and balance."

Like your Ring of Life, it primarily studies life, nature, and healing, but also incorporates some elements and the spiritual;

"It has the Myriad Star Palace," which is skilled in celestial magic and prophecy, and is very mysterious;

"There is Dragon Roar Peak." Those guys are said to have dragon blood, strong bodies, and incredibly powerful dragon language magic.

There is also the "Code of Truth," which claims to encompass the principles of all things, has the most rules, and is also the most rigid—

Kate listened intently; this was all extremely valuable information.

Copperbeard took a sip of water and concluded, "In short, in the Central Continent, there is no strongest, only the strangest, the most specialized, and the largest!"

It is said that the core territories of truly top-tier powers are often measured in millions of square kilometers.

"I estimate that your Ring of Life, with its directly controlled territories and protected kingdoms and city-states, must have this many."

He held up six fingers.

"Six million square kilometers?" Kate tried to guess.

"That's right! At least six million!" Bronzebeard affirmed. "This is only the area of ​​direct control that is visible on the surface; its influence and reach are much greater."

So there, traveling from one friendly faction to another often takes several days by teleportation arrays, which is incredibly troublesome.

"Now that you've reached the Ring of Life, don't rush off. Get familiar with the area first."

Just then, the lobby loudspeaker announced: "Passengers bound for the seventh receiving point in the eastern part of the Central Continent, please proceed to platform seven to prepare for teleportation!"

"My turn!" Bronzebeard picked up his cane, stood up, and smiled at Kate, "Kate, it seems we'll meet again in the Central Continent! Best wishes for a bright future!"

"Thank you, Mr. Bronzebeard. Until we meet again," Kate said sincerely.

The old alchemist's words gave him a more comprehensive and clearer understanding of the world he was about to enter.

After waiting a short while, Kate's group began to take the stage.

He stood on the enormous platform engraved with countless complex spatial runes, surrounded by a dozen or so fellow wizards.

The administrator double-checked the number of people and coordinates, then shouted, "Initiate teleportation! Have a safe journey!"

Buzz—! ! !

With the infusion of massive energy, the runes on the entire platform instantly lit up with a blinding silver-white light.

Space distorted violently, and Kate felt a powerful tearing force acting on her body, far more intense than any teleportation she had ever experienced before.

If he weren't already a second-level cultivator, he would probably be in great pain.

The scene before my eyes shattered completely, stretched out, and transformed into a chaotic, shimmering expanse of light.

It felt like traveling at high speed through a tunnel made of pure energy and spatial fragments.

I don't know how much time passed; it could have been a moment, or it could have been an extremely long time.

Suddenly, the pressure all over my body eased.

My feet touched solid ground again.

A surge of energy from heaven and earth, a hundred times more concentrated, a hundred times more pure, and a hundred times more active, instantly rushed towards him, flooding his limbs and bones, causing his Samsara Heart to spontaneously accelerate for a moment, as if a dried sponge had met water!

The air was filled with even louder, more boisterous voices, roars of beasts, and the sounds of various strange mechanical or magical devices operating.

The light in front of me gradually stabilized.

He found himself in a gigantic hall that was several times more magnificent than the Boundary Fortress.

The dome is incredibly high, seemingly connected directly to the starry sky.

Hundreds of teleportation platforms are arranged like a honeycomb, consuming and processing people from all over the world.

In the distance, one can see all sorts of races: towering hill giants, elegant elves, short and stocky dwarves, and even some elemental creatures and constructs moving about in an orderly fashion.

The energy concentration in the air was outrageously high; one could feel their cultivation level subtly increasing with every breath.

The stability of the space here far exceeds that of the Southern Region, and Kate feels that it will be much more difficult for her to perform spatial teleportation.

This is the Central Continent!

The weather at just one teleportation receiving point in the east completely overshadowed that of the most prosperous area in the south.

Kate took a deep breath, suppressing her shock, and followed the signs and previous directions to the passage leading to the exclusive teleportation area of ​​the "Ring of Life".

After several internal short-to-medium distance teleportations, these teleportation arrays became more stable and faster, clearly indicating a more advanced technology that traversed an unknown distance.

When Kate stepped out of the teleportation array for the last time, the scene before him opened up, and even with his current state of mind, he couldn't help but marvel at it.

He stood on a pristine white terrace, seemingly carved from a single massive piece of jade. Before him lay a magnificent sight beyond words.

In the distance, a colossal tree, larger than anyone could imagine, seemingly connecting heaven and earth, came into view.

Its trunk is like a pillar supporting the sky, its crown is so large that it seems to be able to support a continent, and its branches and leaves flow with a life-giving radiance like jade, exuding a vast, ancient, and benevolent will.

That is the symbol and core of the Ring of Life—an important branch of the World Tree Yggdrasil, but its size far exceeds that of the one in the Evergreen Barrier.

Centered on this branch of the World Tree, countless elegantly designed cities, towers, research stations, gardens, and floating islands, perfectly integrated with nature, adorn the vast and vibrant land.

Verdant vines and bridges connect the giant trees to the various buildings, while glowing birds and mythical beasts soar through the air. Further in the distance, rolling, meticulously maintained mountains, forests, and lakes stretch to the horizon.

The life energy here is so concentrated that it has turned into a thin mist; even a single breath here feels like it can prolong one's life. Countless powerful life energies are faintly visible within it.

This is the ring of life!

A mid-level wizarding power established on the World Tree, ruling over a fertile land spanning six million square kilometers!

In a beautiful pavilion formed entirely from living trees that have grown naturally, an elf man dressed in emerald green robes, with pointed ears and a gentle smile, was already waiting. He wore the emblem of the Ring of Life on his chest—a ring of branches and leaves that surrounded the world.

Sensing the pure and unique aura of life and reincarnation emanating from Kate, he bowed gracefully: "Welcome to Andalusia, Lady Kate. I have been waiting for you here for a long time on the orders of the Sage Elune."

I am your guide, Ella Lion. Please follow me; the Sage awaits you in the Chamber of the Heart.

Kate looked away, her heart filled with anticipation and awe.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Ella Lyon." Kate nodded in acknowledgment and followed the elven guide toward the great tree that connected heaven and earth, toward the place where his mentor was.