Round 2 of the House Stars Championship is half a month apart from the first round and will not start until mid-October.

A few days after clearing Round 1, Russell, Subway, and Clara walked around the Superior Courtyard and received congratulations from time to time.

One student who had just entered the fourth year and two students who had just entered the third year had managed to pass the first level of the House Star Tournament was quite an amazing achievement.

When receiving compliments and congratulations from others, Subway folded his hands on his hips and nodded happily in acceptance, thinking that he would be able to show off to the elders of the family again.

Subway is now in the early third year, even among the elders of the family, there are only a handful of people who can compare with him, and now he has participated in the academy's 10-year Super Tournament and passed the first round of the competition, which is definitely a great achievement to show off.

……

The morning of October 4th.

Russell turned on his computer in his villa to check the detailed event information that had just been released.

"The second round of the competition will be held in the depths of the dense forest, which is usually difficult for teachers and students to reach, and each team will need to collect all the materials specified by the school within the stipulated time.

"In Round 1, the team that clears the game earlier will enter the jungle first, and the end time of the match is fixed. Therefore, the team that enters the dense forest early will have more time to find materials. ”

Outside the two courtyards of the academy, there is a dense forest where countless supernatural creatures live, and many students with a certain strength have set foot in the dense forest, but it is limited to the outer area of the dense forest around the academy.

In the depths of the dense forest, there is a terrifying danger, even if the third-year powerhouse is not careful, he may fall into it.

If it weren't for the fact that the participating teams were all led by a fourth-grade powerhouse and two third-year powerhouses, the configuration would be extremely luxurious, otherwise they would not dare to use the depths of the dense forest as the venue for the competition.

"How do you feel that the academy is using the contestants as coolies to help collect extraordinary materials in the dense forest?"

Russell keenly spotted the peculiarity of Round 2, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

While the deep jungle contains terrifying dangers, it also gives birth to many valuable and even valuable supernatural materials. All kinds of treacherous and mysterious magical herbs, deep crypts where danger and opportunity coexist, and supernatural creatures worshipped as gods by many peoples can only be found in the depths of the dense forest.

At this moment, Russell's extrasensory perception was touched, and he turned his head to look to his side, only to see Duncan's figure outlined in front of him.

"Duncan? What's the matter? ”

Russell asked busily.

"Russell Russell. You should already know the rough outline of Round 2, and now we are facing a serious problem. "Duncan looked pretty serious today.

"Mr. Chancellor is worried...... The Joker's team is ahead? Russell guessed.

"Exactly." Duncan seemed very excited, "You must not let someone from the Supreme Council become the champion of the competition, become the vice president of the college, and be qualified to entrust me with work!" ”

Russell can understand Duncan's mentality.

After what happened, the relationship between the Academy and the Supreme Council has dropped to a freezing point.

If the clown "004" is really made the vice president of the academy, then there is no guarantee that the Supreme Council will not take the opportunity to do something.

"The identity of the clown is special. Is it possible that other teachers will cooperate with you in the dark, using cheating, improvising rules, etc., to prevent the Joker from winning the championship? Russell asked a question he had always wanted to ask.

In his opinion, since the House Star Tournament is hosted by the academy, it should not be too difficult to determine a champion, or at least not let a certain team win the championship.

Duncan looked regretful and shook his head:

"That's what I thought at first, but my extrasensory perception told me that if the school cooperated with me in a big cheating, it would cause some backlash and bad consequences. I performed a few more divination and confirmed the correctness of my intuition. ”

And this consequence? Duncan's answer surprised Russell.

Duncan then explained:

"You know, the transcendent system at the disposal of the High Council has to do with the power of the rules of order. The Joker's participation in the House Star Contest must have been instructed and followed by the Supreme Council.

"If the school violates the rules it has set in advance for such an important event, I am afraid that there will be some kind of loophole that the Supreme Council can exploit."

Russell nodded slightly, feeling more and more that the Joker's participation in the competition was probably not simple, and it was estimated that it contained some of the schemes of the Supreme Council.

"I suspect that the clown is deliberately inducing the school to operate in the dark to prevent him from winning the championship. If the Academy's side did this, they would have fallen into the trap of the High Council! ”

Russell analyzed, and his back was a little chill as he spoke.

What a hidden trap! If it weren't for Mr. Chancellor, who is the world's number one prophet, he might have fallen into it.

Duncan nodded, agreeing with Russell's guess:

"I think so too. But we also can't sit idly by and watch the Joker win! This matter is related to the fate and future of the college. ”

Once a member of the Supreme Council becomes the Vice President of the Academy, then with the power of the Supreme Council, it is not far from truly mastering the Academy!

As he spoke, Duncan's eyes as he looked at Russell were a little more inspiring as if the elders were looking at their outstanding juniors:

"Russell, under the premise that I must hide my identity and dare not reveal all my strength, I hope that Ling, Clara, and Subway will strive to become the champion of this competition!"

Russell nodded:

"I'll do my best. But the team that shines brightly seems to be stronger than us in terms of overall strength. ”

As far as he knew, Radiance should be the peak power of the middle or even middle of the fourth grade, and it was undoubtedly much stronger than Clara, who was not yet proficient in the supernatural abilities of the fourth and third and fourth grades.

Although the new moon on the same team is only the beginning of the third grade, the other teammate, Xinghuo, reached the late third grade two or three months ago, which is a good help.

A smile immediately broke out on Duncan's face:

"I've heard that your spiritual realm has reached the peak of the late third year, right? There is only a thin line away from the half-step fourth grade. ”

"Mr. Headmaster, what do you mean......" Russell guessed.

"I can personally preside over the 'Bright Starlight' ceremony for you to ascend spiritually, so that you can be directly promoted to the half-step fourth grade, and then you can apply for a student loan to skip the fourth grade and become a fourth-year powerhouse!" Duncan excitedly announced.

Russell rejoiced in his heart and knew what a precious gift it was!

Before the final battle with the Chaos Red Order last year, Subway had used the family's rituals to improve his spiritual level and enter the peak of the middle of the second year, much to Russell's surprise.

This ritual of forcibly lifting the spirit itself carries a certain degree of danger, and if it is used in this way many times in a lifetime, it will cause great irreversible damage to the spirit and spirit. The effect of the second acceptance ritual will also be greatly reduced.

Luckily, Russell had never undergone a similar ritual before, so he could have come to such a ceremony!

"According to the regulations, you need to pay 50 academy gold coins as the cost of the acceptance ceremony." Duncan continued.

Russell nodded with a smile:

"No problem!"

He still has about 150 House Gold in reserve!

He knew that this cost was only the cost price of the materials consumed in the ceremony, and other students might not be able to buy this quality ceremony even if they had the money.

The Bright Starlight Ceremony, as a major reward for the Academy, was of far higher quality than the one Subway had previously received in the family, and was usually only given to faculty members or students who had made significant contributions to the Academy.

"If you don't have anything else to do, you can go to the ceremony room of the Higher Academy this afternoon, and I and the other teachers will personally preside over the ceremony for you!" Duncan confessed again, and the oil on his body flashed, and the figure disappeared.

……

In the afternoon of the same day.

Inside the ceremonial room of the High Court.

Russell sat in the center of the mysterious magic array with a radius of more than ten meters, and entered a state of deep meditation.

Hundreds of gemstones dot the surroundings like stars around the moon. Each gemstone radiates a spiritual radiance, from azure to emerald green, bright red or snow-white.

Duncan, who had transformed into an old man and was dressed in classical mage robes, stood at one end of the magic circle with his staff in his hand, facing Russell, and at the other end of the magic circle stood 13 teachers.

This includes 3 professors with fourth-grade strength, Black Amber, Cangxing Stone, and Opal, and 10 third-grade teachers.

With such a luxurious lineup, in the entire transcendent world, only the Academy and the Supreme Council can make it up!

Fourteen officiants began chanting incantations at the same time, and the gems shone brightly, illuminating the entire ritual room.

Colors of light shone across the faces of each of the celebrants.

Russell, on the other hand, felt that his spirituality was gradually improving.

Finally, the overflowing spirituality burst out, and Russell's eyes opened.

He broke through the bottleneck and reached the half-step fourth-grade level!

But the power of the ritual has not yet ended.

The spirituality that has reached the half-step fourth grade is still improving, as if Russell has spent a month or two practicing spirituality and transcendence, making himself more stable spiritually at the half-step fourth-grade level, and laying the foundation for stepping into the door of the fourth-grade realm.

After an hour, all the gems turned into worthless black and white powder.

Russell stood up in the center of the magic circle and felt his state inwardly.

His current spiritual state is roughly equivalent to a transcendent who is stable at the half-step fourth grade, and he can absorb the fourth grade "blood magic" scroll at any time and become a true fourth-grade power.

"Thank you, teachers, and thank you, Mr. Principal."

Russell bowed to the crowd presiding over the ceremony.

"Son, when we first met two years ago, I really didn't expect you to grow to the point where you are now."

Professor Black Amber, a little tired, smiled.

When they first met more than two years ago, Russell was a child who had not officially embarked on the transcendent path and had just completed his spiritual awakening.

But in the foreseeable future, this student will be on par with himself on the path of the Department of Necromancy and Life.

Russell walked slowly, squatted down, and stroked the shiny fur of the black amber:

"Thank you for teaching along the way, Professor."

……

The next morning, in the low building where the president's office was located.

A blood-red light rose from the low building and soared into the sky, blowing away the stratus clouds on the horizon, and dyeing the entire daytime sky blood-red.

The entire High Court was trembling slightly. In the dense forest, hundreds of birds were startled, flapping their wings away from the direction of the academy.

"What is this, Master 004?"

Inside the Joker's mansion, the Greenbeard and Bluebeard brothers, who saw this spectacle through the window, ask the clown next to them.

"Another fourth-grader was born." The clown took a sip of hot black tea.

When a transcendent absorbs the fourth-grade knowledge scroll and is promoted to a fourth-grade powerhouse, it will cause different anomalies depending on the major.

When Clara was promoted before, the anomaly was only manifested in the spiritual world and dreams, not as exaggerated as it is now.

The clown's face, which was wearing a half-black and white clown mask, turned out the window, looked at the blood-red pillar of light, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth:

"Is that you, Russell?"

……

It is not too far from the Junior High School.

Many elementary school students in different positions, such as Black Feather, Old Man, Tarantula, Emerald Cat, Osprey, Light Wave, and Star Pupil, as well as the three giant beasts of Dragon, Sphinx, and Hydra walking by the lake, all turned their heads to look in the direction of the Higher Academy.

I saw that the blood-red pillar of light soared into the sky, like a fountain formed by the convergence of blood, dyeing the sky blood-red.

in the cafeteria.

"Oh my God, is this how a fourth-grader behaves when he gets promoted? Seeing the birth of a fourth-grader with my own eyes, I don't necessarily have such an opportunity before graduation, but I just entered the school, and I actually saw it! ”

The freshman girl who was shy in front of Black Feather on the playground before, after learning what this vision represented, the whole person stuck to the window of the cafeteria, her face was dyed red by the scarlet light, and her eyes widened, so envious.

Behind the girl, Hei Yu slowly stood up, and he looked out the window after getting the news in advance, and said meaningfully:

"It was Russell who was promoted."

……

The blood-red pillar of light lasted for nearly an hour before gradually weakening and slowly dissipating.

In the office of the dean of higher education.

Russell sat on the couch, his eyes closed, feeling the increased knowledge of "blood magic" and the state of spirituality in his brain.

Now he is a great power in the early fourth grade.

At the same time as Russell's promotion, the contract spirit also gained a small amount of benefits with the help of the contract connection.

The Dream Demon, who was already extremely close to the third-year realm, finally broke through the last shackles and entered the early stage of the third-year. Wind Chimes, who continue to draw fear from the ghosts and horrors of their enemies, have now made a breakthrough and are floating beside Russell by the middle of their third year. The skull sculptor also has a small amount of lifting, but Russell has a hard time judging its status.

The increased occult knowledge in his mind told Russell that blood magic was a dark and primitive form of sorcery.

Blood has always played a special role in the occult, as a source and symbol of the life force, as well as a symbol of sacredness, sacrifice, pain and sacrifice.

It is obviously impossible for the Scroll of Knowledge to contain all the blood magic in the world, only the most special ones. Of course, after Russell mastered this knowledge, he could also draw inferences and learn other blood magic more easily.

Russell took a quick look at the flesh-related supernatural abilities contained in the scroll of knowledge.

The first supernatural ability is "regeneration".

This ability did not require Russell to spend time practicing and mastering, and the Scroll of Knowledge had already completed the transformation of his physical body just now.

Now Russell can still maintain life even after receiving extremely fatal injuries, and at the same time, he also has a strong regenerative ability, ordinary wounds will heal in a blink of an eye, even if his hands and feet are cut off, he can grow back in a few minutes. If the severed limb is attached directly to the severed limb, it can be attached in a matter of seconds.

It's just that this regenerative ability is not as exaggerated as that of a troll, and if it is cut to pieces, Russell will still die. Moreover, the regeneration capacity is limited and will be depleted after multiple uses. It is only through many days of rest that the regenerative capacity can be gradually restored.

"Oh no, I have the ability to regenerate." Russell shrugged his shoulders and chuckled twice, as if he had met a tragic fate ahead.

The second extraordinary ability is "Rebirth", which allows Russell to be killed and immediately resurrected in another place, which is one of the reasons why the Chaos Red Order did not dare to kill Professor Black Amber directly after she captured her.

Contrary to Russell's imagination, returning from death requires complex preparations—through elaborate rituals, storing a part of one's soul, life force, and flesh in a specific object, such as storing one's heart in a clay pot or attaching one's soul to a gemstone.

This artifact, which is connected to blood magic and life, is known as the "Source of Life". Once destroyed, the caster will suffer heavy physical and spiritual damage wherever they are, and temporarily lose the ability to regenerate.

Russell is no stranger to similar manifestations of supernatural powers, which are typical of villain wizards in Aryan mythology, Germanic mythology, Hindu mythology, Arabic mythology, and even Harry Potter and Dungeons & Dragons.

According to the routine of the story, no matter how deep the villain wizard hides, the protagonist can always find the object or place where he or she stores his or her life force, and thwart the villain's plot in one fell swoop!

The third extraordinary ability is "Blood Manipulation", which is able to manipulate the blood in oneself or other living beings, stimulate the life energy contained in it, and cast the blood into various forms for use in combat or attack.

In addition to this, there are some miscellaneous flesh magic.

As for whether these abilities will be changed due to Russell's talent, it is not yet known.

"Where do you hide the resurrection point?"

Russell was most interested in the ability to be reborn, and after thinking for a while, he looked at Professor Black Amber on the president's desk:

"Professor, where is the source of your life?"

"A hidden location in the High Court." In front of Russell, Professor Black Amber did not deliberately reserve it, and replied briefly.

Russell leaned back on the sofa and said in a deep voice while thinking:

"Theoretically, respawn points are best placed in a place where the enemy can't find or reach them. If it could be placed on a space probe like Voyager 1, the risk of destruction would be much smaller. ”

(End of chapter)