If these words hadn't come from Pierce, Sophia and Payne wouldn't have believed a single syllable.

  Recovering their senses, the two couldn't help swallowing hard.

  According to him, the value of this breathing technique definitely far exceeded any High-Rank Breathing Technique!

  No, even the rumored Supreme-Rank Breathing Techniques couldn't compare to this!

  The two were instantly filled with ecstatic joy.

  Pierce then instilled the breathing technique from the crystal ball directly into their minds. After they had digested the information and opened their eyes, he instructed, "Go back and cultivate diligently. In at most two months, I will head to the Turin Plane, and you both will come with me."

  "Yes, my Lord!"

  Sophia and Payne responded in unison.

  They had anticipated this day from the moment they learned Pierce had advanced to Wizard and had long been mentally prepared.

  Pierce nodded with satisfaction.

  "In addition, keep this breathing technique to yourselves. Let it rot in your bellies before you speak of it. It must absolutely not be leaked."

  The two nodded hurriedly in agreement.

  They weren't stupid; of course they knew how rare and precious this technique was.

  Once leaked, even if Lord Pierce was a formal Wizard, he would face a barrage of unnecessary trouble.

  Coming out of the Black Cat Tavern, Pierce headed straight for the Ring of Truth, preparing to return to the Inner City.

  Now that he had graduated, he could no longer exchange resources from the Academy's Logistics Department as a student. If he wanted to buy things, he had to go to trading firms that specialized in Wizard resources.

  Fortunately, the Inner City was commercially prosperous, and such trading firms were ubiquitous.

  Moreover, the variety of items was far richer than in similar shops in the Outer City, and not inferior to the Academy's supplies.

  Of course, precious resources like Resonance Potions were definitely not sold on open shelves. They were resources with a price but no market supply, costing far more than ordinary Tier 2 Potions.

  To obtain them, one either had to brew them oneself, buy them privately from other Potioneers, or enter the Planar Battlefield to exchange battle merits for them.

  It was precisely because they were so difficult to obtain that Resonance Potions were so precious.

  Once Wizards obtained them, most would hoard them for personal use, reluctant to trade them, let alone give them away.

  Among the Wizards who came to congratulate him yesterday, apart from House Gu and House Innis, no one else had gifted Resonance Potions.

  To be honest, it was only because Pierce had a Potioneer teacher and was highly valued by the two major families that he could acquire as many as fifty bottles just after advancing.

  For other Wizards, this was completely unimaginable.

  If word got out, countless Wizards would be green with envy.

  The carriage entered the Inner City and finally stopped in front of a wooden building with retro, elegant decor.

  Pierce alighted, tossed a gold coin to the coachman, and looked up at the signboard above the entrance.

  Tallinn Pavilion.

  The largest trading firm in Aurora City.

  Whether in terms of reputation or the richness of its inventory, it was second to none in the city.

  After a moment's pause, Pierce stepped inside.

  As soon as he passed through the doors, a beautiful young attendant greeted him. Her gaze swept over Pierce's white robe, and her expression instantly became deeply respectful. She bowed slightly. "Welcome, my Lord. How may I serve you?"

  "I want to purchase Second Circle Spell Models," Pierce said, going straight to the point.

  "Certainly. Please follow me."

  Under the attendant's guidance, Pierce walked slowly through the first-floor hall.

  The bright, expansive hall was divided into multiple zones: rare plants, precious metals, magical creature materials, enchanted items, and grimoires.

  Various goods were categorized and placed on shelves so dense they resembled a lush forest.

  Numerous Wizard Apprentices navigated through this forest, selecting items with intense concentration.

  Occasionally, one or two white-robed Wizards could be seen gliding through the aisles.

  Not long after, the attendant led Pierce to a stop in front of a large section. "My Lord, these two shelves contain all our Second Circle Spell Models. You may choose at will. I will wait nearby; please summon me if you need anything."

  "Thank you." Pierce nodded slightly.

  After the attendant stepped back to a respectful distance, Pierce's gaze slowly swept over the titles on the shelf.

  Arcane Lock, Acid Arrow, Resist Energy, Summon Monster II, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Flaming Sphere, Shatter, Mirror Image, Ghoul Touch, Mass Scare...

  The dazzling array of spells was almost blinding.

  With a quick mental scan, Pierce arrived at a number.

  "A total of two hundred and twenty-three Second Circle spells."

  Pierce nodded inwardly.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  The actual number of existing Second Circle spells was definitely higher than this. However, rare or exclusive spells would certainly not be sold in a public trading firm.

  To be honest, having over two hundred models available was already a testament to Tallinn Pavilion's capabilities.

  Pierce quickly made a decision. He beckoned the attendant over, pointed at the shelves, and ordered, "I want one copy of every spell model here."

  Every one?

  The attendant froze, looking astonished.

  That was over two hundred spell models.

  It was the first time she had encountered a Wizard buying so many models in a single transaction.

  "Is there a problem?" Pierce frowned slightly.

  "N-no!" The attendant snapped out of her daze and shook her head hurriedly. "I will have someone process that for you immediately."

  She quickly summoned a gnome worker and ordered him to start moving the books.

  Pierce watched calmly.

  A Second Circle Spell Model cost only one Magic Stone.

  Two hundred models would cost, at most, a few hundred Magic Stones.

  With his current wealth, this amount was negligible.

  It was better to buy them all, record them with the Omniscient Eye, learn the ones he needed now, and store the rest in his database. It would be convenient to analyze and master them later whenever he had free time.

  Pierce then bought a batch of First Circle Spell Models, including the Identify spell he planned to master.

  The blood-colored vine he had obtained from Gareth was still in his Bag of Holding, waiting to be identified.

  "Do you acquire materials here?" Pierce asked.

  "We do, my Lord," the attendant replied quickly. "We have professional appraisers to ensure fair prices."

  Pierce nodded and handed a Bag of Holding to her.

  "Exchange everything inside for Magic Stones. Additionally, I need twenty portions of these materials."

  Pierce handed over a list.

  It contained the ingredients needed to brew the Spirit-Guard Potion.

  The attendant responded respectfully and quickly arranged for the transaction.

  The efficiency of the large trading firm was impressive. In less than half an hour, everything was processed.

  After deducting the cost of the spell models and materials, the remaining thirteen thousand Magic Stones and the purchased items were handed over to Pierce.

  When he walked out of Tallinn Pavilion, Pierce's wealth had skyrocketed to over twenty thousand Magic Stones.

  "No wonder they say Wizards generate wealth at an astonishing speed."

  Pierce couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

  However, he knew this windfall was largely due to the congratulatory gifts. Such opportunities were rare.

  Moreover, while twenty thousand Magic Stones sounded like a lot, spending it was just as easy.

  The metal combination needed for Silver Star's next evolution alone would cost a fortune. Not to mention that once his current stock of Resonance Potions ran out, buying materials to brew more would be a massive expense.

  "Money is never enough."

  Pierce shrugged, hailed a carriage, and returned to his mansion.

  Astral Calendar Year 14523, July 14th.

  The third day in the Inner City.

  The number of visiting Wizards finally dwindled, and Pierce could finally sit down and breathe.

  "Bearing the title of a 'genius' is exhausting work."

  Pierce exhaled a long breath.

  Most visitors were Wizards from the East District, though there were quite a few representatives from Wizard families.

  The latter mainly wanted to recruit him, offering generous conditions.

  However, Pierce politely refused them all.

  He didn't even plan to join House Gu or House Innis, let alone lesser families.

  As for the Silver Legion, Morven had likely intervened, so no one came to bother him from the military.

  "Even Wizards cannot avoid social politics."

  With a sigh, Pierce sat down in his spell laboratory and summoned the Omniscient Eye.

  Enlarge Spell and Extend Spell had been analyzed.

  So far, he had mastered six Metamagic techniques:

  Silent Spell, Quicken Spell, Compound Casting, Enlarge Spell, Empower Spell, and Extend Spell.

  Pierce felt a sense of accomplishment.

  Based on his understanding, a Rank 1 Wizard generally only mastered one additional Metamagic technique besides Silent and Quicken Spell, totaling two or three.

  After all, each technique required massive amounts of time and energy to master.

  Usually, only Rank 2 Wizards could master all six.

  In other words, his progress in Metamagic far exceeded the vast majority of Rank 1 Wizards.

  "Only a Wizard who has mastered all Metamagic techniques can be called a qualified artillery platform."

  Pierce smiled faintly and turned his attention to new spells.

  Yesterday, he had recorded all the purchased models into the Omniscient Eye. As long as he selected a spell, he could start analyzing it immediately.

  Without thinking for too long, Pierce decided on the first spell to learn.

  "Omniscient Eye, analyze the Shatter spell model."

  Shatter was an area-of-effect damage spell that emitted a high-frequency vibration wave, causing damage to all living or non-living entities within the propagation range.

  The closer to the caster, the greater the damage.

  This spell was somewhat similar to Wail of the Banshee.

  Of course, the damage was incomparable. Wail of the Banshee could inflict damage on the soul level, while Shatter was only effective on the physical level.

  However, among Second Circle spells, Shatter was considered one of the more potent offensive options.

  [Task Created. Beginning analysis of Shatter spell model. Estimated cost: 0.2 Energy Levels.]

  As Pierce expected, the cost of learning a new spell was pitifully low.

  Without hesitation, he willed it, and the analysis was completed instantly.

  "Next is improvement."

  "Omniscient Eye, improve Shatter."

  [Task Created. Beginning improvement of Shatter. Estimated cost: 2.2 Energy Levels.]

  Pierce's lips curled up slightly.

  Not bad; the consumption wasn't too high.

  He accelerated the task with his mental power, completing the improvement instantly.

  "Next is the Spell Imprint."

  Pierce calmed his mind, closed his eyes, and began his first Spell Imprint since advancing.

  A Wizard's Spirit Crystal was a strange object.

  Although it had the appearance of a polyhedron, it wasn't a physical entity.

  Each of its crystal faces wasn't a simple surface, but a small consciousness space.

  The so-called "Spell Imprint" was actually the process of engraving a spell model into this consciousness space, resonating it with the spirit. This drastically reduced consumption and enhanced power when casting.

  It was worth mentioning that after a successful imprint, if one wanted to change the spell, it was possible. However, the process was laborious and time-consuming; changing an imprinted spell during combat was impossible.

  To some extent, Spell Imprinting was similar to the rumored Spell Slots.

  It was said that in certain Divine Planes, there were deities like the Goddess of Magic.

  They used the Weave to grant believers spellcasting abilities but imposed a daily limit called "Spell Slots." Believers had to prepare spells in advance every morning to cast them in battle.

  Of course, the Wizard's Spell Imprint was far more practical and powerful than Spell Slots.

  There was no need to prepare spells daily. Even without imprinting, a Wizard could still cast any spell they knew—it just cost more energy and hit with less force.

  No wonder Wizards looked down on the believers of the Goddess of Magic. When mentioning those so-called "Mages," they made no secret of their contempt.

  With his mind completely immersed, Pierce integrated the constructed spell model into a crystal face, successfully completing his first imprint.

  Opening his eyes, he looked at the clock. Nearly fourteen hours had passed.

  "Even longer than the time spent absorbing the Resonance Potion."

  Pierce sensed the depths of his mind, pondering.

  The thirty-two crystal faces didn't necessarily all have to be filled right now.

  There weren't that many spells worthy of imprinting yet.

  The main function of imprinting was to optimize combat performance.

  Functional spells used daily didn't need to be imprinted; it would be a waste of a slot.

  "I'll imprint some commonly used combat spells first and save the rest for suitable spells I encounter later."

  "Or I can wait until I break through to the Crystalline Phase to imprint Third Circle spells."

  Pierce quickly formed a plan.

  Stretching his stiff limbs, he stood up and walked out of the laboratory to the back garden.

  A petite green figure was darting around the flowers, having the time of her life.

  Since moving into this mansion and seeing the castle-like luxury, Eve acted as if she had discovered a new world, exploring every corner of the estate non-stop.

  Pierce was happy to let the little sprite play, saving him from her constant pestering.

  "Ee-ee!"

  Noticing Pierce, Eve circled in the air and waved at him excitedly.

  Pierce waved back with a smile, but a thought crossed his mind.

  "After I finish the imprinting, maybe I can designate a section of the garden specifically for cultivating rare plants."

  The more Pierce thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

  Through the Omniscient Eye, he had already mastered a vast amount of botanical knowledge. He fully met the requirements.

  As long as the initial planting was done, he wouldn't need to worry about maintenance. He could simply buy a few elf or sprite servants to tend the garden.

  "It's decided. Once I have free time, I'll arrange it immediately."