Wizard Tower, Cultivation Room.
Sunan ended his meditation and slowly opened his eyes.
[Talent Crystal Model Completion: 81.52%]
"Less than 20% to go," Sunan thought, nodding in satisfaction.
At this rate, the model would be fully completed in 14 to 15 years, allowing him to advance to a Level 2 Wizard.
"Thanks to the large elemental pool, it's taken much less time than I originally expected."
Exhaling deeply, Sunan summoned a 3D projection of the wizard tower.
The Starlight Wizard Tower was complete, but Sunan wasn't content to stop there.
Expanding the tower into a medium-sized wizard tower was impossible for now. The Starlight Continent simply lacked the resources and infrastructure.
A medium-sized wizard tower required an astronomical amount of resources. Even if the continent continued developing its sub-magical energy technology for another 400 to 500 years, it still wouldn't be able to sustain the upgrade.
Sunan estimated that only after the planar barriers were fully restored and trade channels with other planes established could this issue be addressed.
Without the burden of tower construction, Sunan had been able to focus on cultivation and gathering elemental crystal dust in recent years.
Aware that advancing to Level 2 would require refining his mental energy, Sunan had prioritized collecting crystal dust, even issuing Star Alliance-wide tasks for wizards to contribute to the effort.
As of now, he had amassed over a thousand standard units of divine energy. Once he broke through, he could absorb it all in one go, significantly enhancing his mental energy refinement.
"By the time the planar barriers are fully restored, even if I haven't reached Level 3, I should be close," Sunan thought with a faint smile.
[Lize requests an audience.]
Tower Spirit No. 1's notification interrupted his thoughts.
In a flash, Sunan vanished from the cultivation room and reappeared in his study, where Lize was waiting on the sofa.
"What's the matter? Why the urgency?" Sunan asked directly.
Lize wasted no time on pleasantries. "I've reviewed data from the Star Eye and found that the energy particle density of the Starlight Continent has increased by about 10% over the past thirty years. I suspect the planar barriers have entered a rapid restoration phase."
"That's it?" Sunan raised an eyebrow.
Lize blinked, caught off guard. She had expected him to be surprised, not this calm.
"You seem like you already knew about this?"
"More or less," Sunan replied carefully. He couldn't exactly tell her that he knew when the planar barriers would fully restore, or the exact year the first foreign wizard would set foot on the Starlight Continent.
"The full restoration of the planar barriers will likely occur after Starlight Era 1900.
"During this period, the energy density will gradually increase, but resource growth will lag behind. It will probably take another 100 to 200 years after the barriers are restored to return to the levels of a millennium ago."
Lize gave Sunan a long, thoughtful look but didn't press him for details.
"If that's the case, we have about 500 years to prepare," she mused.
Sunan smiled. "In fact, haven't we already been preparing?
"The construction of the wizard tower and the expansion of the Star Alliance are all efforts to strengthen our position and brace for the impact of the Starlight Continent's unsealing."
Lize's eyes flickered. She couldn't deny the Star Alliance's rapid development over the years.
The completion of the wizard tower and the advancement of figures like Warden and Rose into full-fledged wizards had propelled the alliance's strength significantly.
Today, the Star Alliance had the makings of a wizard faction.
In the multiverse, a qualified wizard faction was generally recognized by four criteria:
1. At least one Level 2 Wizard.
2. A functional wizard academy.
3. A standard wizard tower.
4. Over twenty official wizards.
The Star Alliance already met two of these requirements, with the remaining two being just a matter of time.
Before the planar barriers were fully restored, the alliance was certain to achieve them.
Of course, meeting these minimum requirements would make the Star Alliance a low-tier faction, incomparable to medium or large factions like the Throne of Shadows or the Withered Council.
Even the Xingyun Society, which was once considered third-tier, had a Level 3 Wizard as its chairman.
Still, with a leader as enigmatic as Sunan, the Star Alliance had the potential to grow into a major faction.
Recognizing this, Lize had begun considering fully joining the Star Alliance after reconstructing her body. For now, she devoted herself to its development.
However, the alliance's growth hinged on surviving the challenges of the planar unsealing.
---
"When the Starlight Continent's seal is lifted, the wizards who left might set their sights on this plane again. If they try to reclaim control, conflict with us will be inevitable. Even after 500 years of development, I doubt the Star Alliance will be able to match those factions."
Lize's expression turned grave.
Sunan nodded in agreement. "True. The alliance's growth has been too short-lived. In 500 years, it might be able to contend with third-tier factions, but against the established powers, it would fall short."
"But it's not as bad as you think," he added.
Sunan waved his hand, and names appeared in midair, woven from light and shadow:
[Deep Blue Alliance], [Codex of Wisdom], [Starbell Tower], [Bloodline Grove], [Primal Spirits], [Throne of Shadows], [Withered Council].
"The rules of the wizarding world are clear: once a plane is unified, ownership is recognized. Other factions cannot interfere.
"This is an unwritten rule among most wizard factions, rarely broken.
"The Starlight Continent is already mine. Anyone attempting to challenge that will face opposition from the lawful factions."
Sunan's voice was firm, his confidence evident.
He understood the behavior of the lawful wizard factions. They wouldn't risk breaking the rules for a plane with relatively modest resources.
As he swept his hand over the names of factions like the Deep Blue Alliance and Starbell Tower, they dissolved into nothingness.
Then, he pointed to the remaining names.
"The real threats are the rogue factions, like these."
Lize followed his gaze to see names like Bloodline Grove, Primal Spirits, Throne of Shadows, and Withered Council.
These were all factions known for their unscrupulous and malevolent methods.
In the wizarding world, such groups were collectively referred to as Black Wizard Factions.
"Bloodline Grove and Primal Spirits aren't much of a concern. They have little interest in the Starlight Continent.
"The real threats are the Throne of Shadows and the Withered Council. The other factions are weaker and unlikely to get involved."
In Sunan's memory, the Throne of Shadows was the first to return to the Starlight Continent, plunging it into over a decade of darkness.
Around the year Starlight Era 2000, the Withered Council followed, clashing with the Throne of Shadows in a bitter struggle.
Fortunately, after that, lawful wizard factions like the Deep Blue Alliance and the Codex of Wisdom stepped in, alleviating the continent's dire situation.
However, the Starlight Continent's future had already been altered dramatically by the butterfly effect caused by Sunan's presence.
When the planar seal was lifted, lawful factions were unlikely to interfere, and weaker factions wouldn't dare.
Thus, the Star Alliance's primary adversaries would be the Throne of Shadows and the Withered Council—especially the Throne of Shadows, as they were expected to arrive first.
As one of the two factions with hidden influences in the Starlight Continent, the Withered Council's return was delayed by over a decade due to the Darkwood Tree being occupied by the Spider Queen.
In short, the Throne of Shadows represented the first wave of enemies for the Star Alliance.
---
"Even if it's just the Throne of Shadows and the Withered Council, it's already a huge challenge," Lize said, her brow furrowed.
The Throne of Shadows was one of the most powerful large-scale wizard factions in the multiverse, easily ranking in the top ten.
The Withered Council was weaker but still a formidable second-tier faction.
Even facing the Withered Council alone would overwhelm the Star Alliance, let alone the Throne of Shadows.
---
"We don't need to fight them head-on," Sunan said, waving off her concerns.
"As long as we can withstand their initial assault, once the planar seal is fully lifted, we can trade with lawful wizard factions for their protection."
Before the planar barriers fully restored, the Throne of Shadows and Withered Council couldn't deploy high-level wizards.
From his memories, the Throne of Shadows had only sent Level 1 and Level 2 wizards during their first return—not even a single Level 3 wizard.
Given this, Sunan was confident they could hold out until Starlight Era 2000.
---
Seeing his confidence, Lize's worries eased, though her curiosity deepened.
How does he know so much?
Sunan, a native of the Starlight Continent, hadn't experienced events from a thousand years ago. How did he possess such detailed knowledge about wizard factions?
It was as if he knew more than even she, a seasoned wizard.
Whenever she dealt with Sunan, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was a novice wizard in comparison.
---
"For now, don't worry too much about the Throne of Shadows," Sunan said. "Our focus should be on developing the Star Alliance."
He shifted the topic. "With the energy particle density increasing, the growth rate of sub-grade magic stone veins should accelerate."
Sunan looked at Lize, smiling. "By the way, isn't the first small sub-grade magic stone vein nearing completion?"
Lize nodded. "It's progressing faster than expected. In another three to five years, it should be ready for mining. I've already started preparing clay golems for the extraction process. As soon as the vein is ready, we'll begin operations immediately."
"Good," Sunan said, pleased. "Once that's underway, we can begin rolling out sub-magical energy technology. Do you have a plan for where to start?"
"We'll start in the Golden Rock Province since the vein is located there," Lize suggested.
Sunan nodded in agreement.
Golden Rock Province was the heart of the Starshine Empire, its most prosperous and populous region. Introducing sub-magical energy technology there would ensure rapid adoption across the empire.
"Leave the specifics to you," Sunan said. "I'll be entering seclusion to focus on my advancement."
Lize gave a slight nod, feeling a mix of admiration and complexity.
Sunan's progress was astonishing. He was already on the verge of advancing to a Level 2 wizard.
At this pace, it wasn't impossible for him to reach Level 3 before the planar barriers were fully restored.
If that happened, the Star Alliance's chances of surviving the future upheaval would increase dramatically.
Starlight Era 1412 – Dawn of Spring (March)
The Star Alliance's first small sub-grade magic stone vein was completed and officially put into operation.
Large quantities of sub-grade magic stones were extracted and quickly refined before flooding the market.
The previously exorbitant prices of sub-grade magic stones plummeted to normal levels, fueling the widespread adoption of magical energy technology across various industries.
In tandem, innovations powered by sub-grade magic stones—such as magical lamps, energy-driven carriages, airships, and weapons—proliferated across both civilian and military sectors.
Under the Star Alliance's deliberate efforts, sub-magical energy technology spread rapidly, transforming the Starlight Continent.
Starlight Era 1422 – Harvest Moon (September)
In this month, when commoners celebrated the harvest, Sunan achieved a milestone of his own after nearly a century of effort.
As the last wisp of mental energy entered his talent crystal model, f
illing the final gap, a dazzling light burst forth from its surface.
The entire crystal glowed with unparalleled beauty, more radiant than the rarest gemstones in the world.
Sunan's second talent crystal was successfully constructed.
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