The distance between Galon Wizard Academy and Richard's Wizard Tower wasn't too far. Richard flew at a leisurely pace and arrived in half a day.
Upon reaching the academy, Richard headed straight for the mission board.
The mission board was located next to the grand library, a simple large bulletin board.
Tasks posted by the academy and wizards were either pasted or pinned as slips.
Tasks posted by wizards were pinned, and whoever took the task would tear it off. Academy tasks were pasted, allowing multiple wizards to work on them simultaneously.
Standing in front of the mission board, Richard began selecting tasks suitable for him.
[Seeking Purple Heart Griffin Heart, 30 contribution points... Cultivating Mutated Cells, requiring Adamantine cell skeleton, 100 contribution points... Liver Cultivation, liver level must be at least Level 3, size not exceeding that of a normal human liver, must be able to neutralize most neurotoxins...]
Looking at the tasks on the board, Richard couldn't help but marvel at the significant overlap between physical evolution and the Flesh Faction of the alchemy school.
More than two-thirds of the tasks on the board were related to the Flesh Faction.
If Grand Wizard Galon were to achieve the Truth in the future, it would likely attract many alchemy school wizards to join.
After browsing through the mission board, Richard selected two tasks—one was to cultivate an arm, requiring it to resemble a human arm with a normal output of at least 1,000 energy units, burst output of at least 3,000 energy units, and maximum output of at least 5,000 energy units.
The reward for this task was 80 contribution points, with a time limit of one hundred years and no compensation for failure, placing it at a medium-high level among the tasks.
The other task was to cultivate a new species.
This was an academy task, requiring the cultivation of an algae species capable of growing in magma.
The reward for this task was 50 contribution points, with no time limit and no compensation for failure.
However, once a wizard successfully cultivated the required algae, the task would be considered complete, and other wizards would no longer be able to claim the reward.
Leaving the mission board, Richard took a detour to visit the contribution store.
The contribution store was located right next to the mission board, its exterior looking quite ordinary.
Upon entering, Richard saw black stone platforms similar to those in the Black Tower Great Wizard's warehouse.
These platforms also had levitation fields, with various peculiar objects floating quietly in the air.
"Master, what would you like to exchange?"
A sweet voice came from Richard's left.
He turned to see a robust woman, resembling the Ten Cold Nezha, standing behind a counter, smiling at him.
"Can I exchange for entry into a Secret Realm here?"
The woman nodded, "Of course, which Secret Realm would you like to visit?"
As she spoke, she took out a Crystal Ball.
Richard stepped forward to receive the information from the Crystal Ball and was surprised to find that the Mountainous Secret Realm he wanted to visit only required 20 contribution points for ten years.
"So cheap?" Richard looked at the price, feeling somewhat incredulous.
But then, he saw something even more dazzling.
[Galon Physique Sealing Art, price: 100 contribution points]
The Garon Physique Sealing Art was the very sealing technique Richard had learned about when he first arrived at the academy. He never expected such valuable knowledge to cost only a hundred contribution points! Moreover, behind this sealing art, Richard noticed numerous other precious pieces of knowledge.
Unity of Heaven and Man, Magic Rune Battle Body, Great Mountain Collapse Fist Technique… all these valuable pieces of knowledge could be exchanged for contribution points.
"The dean is truly generous," Richard couldn't help but marvel.
Although he knew that this knowledge was of little use to Grand Wizard Galon and would just gather dust in his hands, in a society where most Wizards would rather let knowledge collect dust than share it with others, Grand Wizard Galon's actions were enough to earn the admiration of any young Wizard.
After checking the prices, Richard left the exchange shop, ready to return to the Wizard Tower to complete the two tasks he had on hand.
But the aroma in the air made him stop in his tracks.
"What a delightful smell!"
Richard looked towards the cafeteria opposite the grand library with pleasant surprise. If he wasn't mistaken, this scent was from a third-grade Mountain Moving Barbarian Bull stewed with various magical plants, creating a beef soup aroma.
He had only tasted this soup once before the Wizard Tower was built, during his time at the academy.
But just that one time was enough for him to never forget the exquisite flavor.
"Ah, well, completing the tasks can wait a bit. I'll go in and get a bowl of soup first," Richard muttered to himself.
With that, he strode towards the cafeteria.
Inside the cafeteria, the noise was deafening, with thousands of Wizards gathered together, holding bowls as large as basins, waiting for the meal to be served.
Although the academy offered a meal delivery service, these Wizards were connoisseurs. When time wasn't pressing, they preferred to spend a little extra time to enjoy a bowl of freshly cooked delicacy.
Richard had to push his way through the crowd of Wizards to reach the beef soup counter.
Also at the counter was Stio, who had brought him to taste the soup before.
"Richard, long time no see," Stio greeted warmly. "It seems your Wizard Tower is doing well. You haven't returned to the academy all these years."
"Long time no see, Stio," Richard replied with a smile. "You can see for yourself how my Wizard Tower is doing. But I've been waiting all these years and still haven't received any news from you."
Stio scratched his head, showing a somewhat embarrassed smile.
"Haha, I forgot about that. Give it some time, I'll definitely come over soon."
Not long after, the beef soup was finally ready. A pot so large it could almost be called a pool was carried out by a four-armed giant Wizard.
He bellowed at the Wizards, "Mountain Moving Barbarian Bull soup, one bowl per person only!"
With that, a huge wooden spoon appeared in his hand, and he gave the pot a firm knock.
"Now, let's eat!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the spoon plunged into the soup pot, and his other three arms each grabbed a wooden spoon as well.
With all four arms working simultaneously, his movements were so fast they seemed like illusions. The Wizards at the counter hadn't even seen his actions clearly before their large bowls were filled with a fragrant, meaty soup.
"The Master Chef's skills have improved again," Richard remarked, looking at the giant with admiration.
The giant whom Richard referred to as the Master Chef was the head chef of the cafeteria at the Garon Wizard Academy. Most of the high-level creature dishes that appeared in the cafeteria on a daily basis were crafted by his hands.
This Master Chef's strength was at the peak of the Third Circle Wizards. Even in the Garon Academy, where strong individuals were as numerous as clouds, this level of power placed him among the top-tier wizards.
But what was legendary was that before reaching the Third Circle, this Master Chef was not a cook.
He only became a chef after ascending to the rank of a Third Circle Wizard, and since then, he had never participated in any Plane Wars.
Yet, his strength had been slowly increasing all along.
Not a single mistake, not a single word, not a single detail was out of place in the content found in the 69 Book Bar!
Legend has it that this Master Chef once made a deal with illusory beings from other dimensions, exchanging for a treasure that allowed him to increase his strength simply by consuming delicious food.
Holding the meat soup, Richard and Stio immediately began to drink it in large gulps.
The most delicious moment for the Mountain Moving Barbarian Bull soup was right after it was served.
Within a few minutes, the two had finished their bowls of beef soup.
"Delicious! Truly delicious!"
Richard couldn't stop praising it after finishing. Since leaving the academy, he had never eaten anything so flavorful.
"Let's have some more," suggested Stio from the side. "Looking at you, it seems you haven't been eating well these years.
Since we're back at the academy, let's eat more before we leave."
Richard nodded: "Naturally."
With that, the two began to pick out appealing dishes in the vast dining hall.
Soon, they carried a mountain of food to a private room.
"Stio, has there been anything new at the academy these years?"
Richard casually inquired about the academy's situation while eating.
"New things? What aspect are you referring to?" Stio asked, somewhat bewildered, holding a massive lamb leg.
"Any aspect will do."
"Well then," Stio thought for a moment and casually replied, "I heard from Silvia that the dean's scouts seem to have discovered a small world, and this small world apparently contains the legacy of The Lost Ones.
If nothing goes wrong, in a hundred or two hundred years, our academy should launch a Plane Expedition."
"Oh?" Richard was slightly surprised. "Doesn't the dean need to obtain world coordinates from the Council of Truth?"
"The Council of Truth?" Stio chuckled. "The Council of Truth hasn't been giving the dean coordinates for a long time, and this matter was actually applied for by the dean himself."
"Ah? Applied for by himself?" Richard was astonished. "Why would the dean apply for something with no benefit?"
Stio shook his head: "Who knows? The private rumor is that the Council of Truth, in order to limit the dean's power, has secretly decided not to give him world coordinates.
And the dean, having gotten wind of this in advance, was so upset that he directly applied to not receive coordinates."
"And what's the dean's own explanation?"
"The dean's own explanation is that he doesn't want to compete with the younger generation for resources. He has the ability to explore world coordinates himself and doesn't need to vie for resources from the Council of Truth."
Richard nodded: "I feel the latter is more credible. The former explanation seems too petty."
Stio nodded in deep agreement, chewing and swallowing the bone of the lamb leg he had just finished eating.
"That's what I think too."
"But how does the dean manage to explore world coordinates on his own?" Richard asked curiously.
"It's quite simple."
Stio swallowed the last piece of lamb leg, comfortably patting his belly.
"The easiest way to explore world coordinates is to search hard. All you need is a sufficiently fast Magic Equipment and enough Magic Essence, then fly straight along a route.
As long as you fly far enough, you're bound to find a world."
Richard's mouth twitched: "This method relies too much on luck. If you're unlucky, wouldn't you spend a lifetime searching?"
"That's why there are other methods."
Stio wiped his mouth, speared a piece of steak with his fork, and put it in his mouth.
"Like the Astral Pact, summoning creatures from other worlds, divination... these are all good ways to obtain world coordinates."
As he spoke, Stio suddenly looked at Richard and asked teasingly:
"What, you've just become a Third Circle Wizard and you're already thinking about becoming a Great Wizard?"
Richard laughed and cursed: "Go to hell, I'm just curious."
But although he said so, deep in Richard's heart, there was a slight stir.
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