Chapter 251 A truly powerful person will never be constrained by the environment

After confirming that his opponent's lifeforce had completely dissipated, Su Nan withdrew his palm, nodding silently to himself.

The reason he chose to act personally was twofold: first, to minimize damage to the wizard's tower, as he intended to study it later and use its materials to upgrade the Starlight Wizard Tower. Since the tower couldn't be recklessly destroyed, the most efficient solution was to eliminate its operator.

Second, encountering a second-tier wizard was rare, and Su Nan saw this as a perfect opportunity to test the power of his [Talent Specialization].

With the talent system having undergone two successive upgrades—from Tier 2 Liquefaction to Tier 2 Crystallization—the enhancement effects had doubled.

This doubled power of "Liquid Metal" and "Absolute Forbidden Zone" did not disappoint, effortlessly crushing a second-tier liquefied wizard.

The only regret Su Nan felt was that his opponent was too weak. They perished before he had a chance to unleash his third talent, "Falling Star Rain." Otherwise, he could have tested its might as well.

Refocusing, Su Nan extracted the three wizard souls and refined them into soul crystals on the spot, then stored them in his spatial ring. Only afterward did he begin his investigation of the wizard's tower.

Even though the three wizards from the Obsidian Throne were dead, the tower's spirit remained operational, dutifully executing its programmed directive to eliminate intruders. Puppets from within the tower were being continuously mobilized.

Su Nan promptly destroyed the crystal orb housing the tower spirit, rendering the wizard's tower entirely dormant. It began its slow descent to the ground.

Su Nan thoroughly searched the wizard's tower, inside and out.

This battle-oriented wizard tower had few stored resources—mainly common potions and metals. The collection of books was sparse, which left Su Nan somewhat disappointed. However, he quickly discarded this feeling.

The wizard's tower itself was the most significant reward! After conducting research, he planned to dismantle it for materials. Combined with the resources from disassembling Falling Star City, he would have most of what he needed to upgrade the Starlight Wizard Tower to an intermediate level.

With no living entities left within the Obsidian Wizard Tower, including its spirit, Su Nan stored the entire structure in his cube before returning to the Starlight Wizard Tower.

Lize watched the magical projections displayed by Tower Spirit No. 3. The screens showed the golem army annihilating the chaotic remnants of winged bone claws.

Without the guidance of the destroyed tower spirit, these puppets had become disorganized, like headless flies, and were swiftly dispatched.

The battle soon concluded.

Having observed the entire engagement, Lize couldn't help but reflect on what she had witnessed. Although she had always known the Obsidian Throne's vanguard was no match for Su Nan, seeing him achieve such an effortless victory filled her with awe.

The Starlight Continent was once considered a barren wasteland of elements. To craft such miraculous results from such a poor hand was nothing short of extraordinary.

Shortly after, Su Nan returned to the Starlight Wizard Tower.

Lize collected her thoughts and asked with a smile, "Any noteworthy gains?"

Su Nan shook his head. "Aside from the wizard's tower and a first-tier wizard artifact of minor value, the rest is barely passable."

Lize chuckled softly. "Considering it's the Obsidian Throne, their heavy exploitation of lower-tier wizards makes their lack of wealth unsurprising."

Her expression turned serious as she continued, "What's the next step?"

Su Nan pondered briefly. "Our actions were swift. We eradicated their vanguard before they could report back to the Obsidian Throne. For now, it's unlikely they'll send reinforcements. However, if they receive no updates for an extended period, they may dispatch another team to investigate. We'll monitor the Star Eye, and if anyone infiltrates, we'll eliminate them immediately."

Lize nodded in agreement. With the Star Alliance's current strength, unless the Obsidian Throne sent a medium-sized wizard tower or a third-tier wizard, they posed little threat.

"Let's head back," Su Nan said. "There's still much to be done."

With the Obsidian Throne incident resolved, Su Nan could delegate most external defense responsibilities to Lize. Unless a particularly formidable enemy required his intervention, he could now devote himself entirely to cultivation and upgrading the Starlight Wizard Tower.

Tanner stood by a window, gazing at the purple phantom flames flickering on the stalactites above, his expression contemplative.

Having lived on this continent for over two centuries, he had grown accustomed to its rhythms.

Though he regretted the lack of new planes to explore, witnessing the Starlight Continent's flourishing progress year by year had proven rewarding.

The Star Alliance treated him well, granting him a personal laboratory, meditation chamber, and spell training facility at Base No. 2. They even allowed him to trade knowledge for cultivation resources.

However, recently, he began noticing signs of unease. The Star Alliance appeared to be facing an issue, frequently mobilizing troops and wizards. While the signs weren't overt, Tanner, residing at the heart of the alliance, keenly sensed the undercurrent of preparation, as though they were bracing for an impending enemy.

Then, earlier today, he felt an extraordinarily strong burst of energy particles emanating from the surface. The intensity was palpable even through the thick layers of earth and stone. The sheer magnitude of the energy was startling.

"Not Tier 2... no, the strength exceeds that. Could it be a Tier 3 wizard? Or perhaps a wizard's tower?"

While Tanner couldn't gauge Su Nan's exact power level, he doubted the man had reached Tier 3. As for wizard towers, Tanner had never seen one on the Starlight Continent. Given the constraints of its environment, it seemed improbable that one could even be constructed there.

Thus, the energy fluctuation likely wasn't something caused by the Star Alliance. But if not them, then who?

Curious, Tanner considered investigating the site of the energy burst. However, a recent decree from Youhu City—and the entire underground world—had restricted movement. Wizards and military units were prohibited from leaving their designated locations without authorization. As someone not officially part of the Star Alliance, Tanner found himself even more heavily restricted by the edict.

Fortunately, just over an hour later, the ban was lifted, and a messenger arrived to inform him that he was now free to move.

"Wait a moment," Tanner called out as the messenger turned to leave. After some thought, he recalled the man's name. He was one of the Star Alliance's wizards. "Fleming, may I ask what happened earlier?"

Fleming smiled slightly. "Did Tanner sense the energy particle burst just now?"

Seeing Tanner nod, Fleming thought for a moment and said, "There's no harm in telling you. You'll hear about it soon enough anyway."

"There was an enemy incursion on the Starlight Continent. Lord Su Nan personally dealt with it."

"An external invasion?" Tanner was taken aback. "The planar seal hasn't been lifted yet, has it? How could beings from outside make their way in?"

The use of the term "invasion" indicated this wasn't a coincidental breach like Tanner's entry into the Starlight Continent. It was a premeditated act of crossing the planar barrier.

"That's correct," Fleming replied, shrugging. "Ordinary beings would be unable to breach the seal. However, this was the work of the Obsidian Throne. They left anchor points on this continent. As long as they're willing to pay the price, they can penetrate the planar barrier at certain nodes while it nears restoration."

"The Obsidian Throne?" Tanner's expression shifted dramatically, his astonishment only growing.

The Obsidian Throne was infamous throughout the multiverse as one of the most fearsome large-scale wizard factions. That they would be the ones targeting the Starlight Continent left Tanner deeply unsettled.

Still, Su Nan's earlier recounting of events from two millennia ago gave him some context. It appeared the Obsidian Throne had set its sights on the Starlight Continent, aiming to claim it before the planar seal was fully restored. Their audacious methods were unsurprising, given their reputation.

After hesitating briefly, Tanner asked, "So, what was that energy particle burst?"

Fleming answered without reservation. "The Obsidian Throne deployed a wizard's tower."

"A wizard's tower!" Tanner exclaimed.

It wasn't the fact that the Obsidian Throne used a wizard's tower that shocked him, but rather the implication that the Star Alliance had seemingly emerged victorious against it. How was that even possible?

A wizard's tower wasn't something that could be overcome through sheer numbers. Even if the Star Alliance had hundreds of wizard-level puppets, it shouldn't have been enough to defeat a wizard's tower. Unless... the Star Alliance had one of their own.

But could the Starlight Continent's environment support the construction of a wizard's tower? Then again, Tanner reasoned, Su Nan had already accomplished the extraordinary by founding the Star Alliance. Building a wizard's tower might not be beyond his capabilities.

The man had achieved countless miracles before. Was this merely another one of them?

Tanner hesitated before finally voicing his thoughts. "Does the Star Alliance also have a wizard's tower?"

Fleming smiled but didn't answer directly. Instead, he said, "In a little over ten years, the planar seal will be lifted, and you'll be free to leave. Don't worry, the Obsidian Throne's matters won't involve you."

"I have other matters to attend to. Farewell."

With that, Fleming turned and left.

Although Tanner didn't receive a direct answer, Fleming's attitude spoke volumes. Tanner stood frozen, deep in thought.

After a long silence, he finally sighed.

"As expected, true strength is never shackled by its environment."

With the Obsidian Throne situation resolved, Su Nan returned to constructing his talent crystal model. Thanks to an ample supply of construction potions, the process proceeded smoothly.

In just over a year, Su Nan successfully completed the "Falling Star Rain" talent crystal model. In the depths of his consciousness, another exquisite, hollow crystal form emerged.

"Now comes the task of filling it with mental energy," Su Nan murmured.

Sitting cross-legged by the elemental pool, Su Nan focused and began channeling his mental energy into the model.

A month passed.

[Talent Crystal Model Filling Progress: 0.01%]

"Only 0.01% after an entire month," Su Nan sighed, shaking his head.

At this rate, it would take over 800 years to fully fill the talent crystal model. And that was under optimal conditions, with the Starlight Continent's energy particle density nearing its peak and the large elemental pool's buffs in effect. The sheer amount of mental energy required for the third talent crystal model was staggering.

"This efficiency is far too low. I need to find a way to accelerate the process," Su Nan mused.

Once the planar seal was lifted, he could trade with other wizard factions for resources like Spiritual Orbs, which could speed up mental energy recovery. However, he wasn't too optimistic about this approach.

Such resources were scarce and in high demand. Few factions would be willing to sell them to outsiders. Even if he managed to purchase a small amount, it would be a drop in the ocean compared to what he needed—unless he joined a faction and gained access to their exclusive resources.

Alternatively, he could further upgrade the elemental pool.

While large elemental pools were already considered top-tier, the next step would be an elemental furnace, typically found in floating cities. However, Su Nan neither had the means to construct one nor the necessary resources.

Still, while others might be unable to refine a large elemental pool, Su Nan was different. By continuously integrating smaller elemental pools, he could incrementally enhance its capabilities.

"With the Star Alliance's current revenue growth, allocating a portion of resources to upgrade the elemental pool shouldn't be an issue," Su Nan concluded.

Upgrading the elemental pool would also bolster the Starlight Wizard Tower's long-range firepower. The battle with the Obsidian Wizard Tower had already proven the power of the Spell Cannon II and Dissociation Cannon II. If Su Nan wished, he wouldn't even need to deploy the golem army—firepower alone could obliterate an Obsidian Wizard Tower.

The only drawback was the immense energy consumption. Despite improvements that reduced energy costs, the expenditure was still significant. A combined volley of 300 Spell Cannons II and a single shot from the Dissociation Cannon II would drain nearly half of the tower's energy reserves. 

Against smaller wizard towers, this wasn't a problem. But facing a medium-sized wizard tower would expose the Starlight Wizard Tower's lack of sustained firepower.

Upgrading the el

emental pool would solve this issue.

"Since the wizard tower is set to undergo upgrades, I'll address the elemental pool at the same time," Su Nan resolved.