Origin Academy Castle, third floor.

Inside the hundred-person round table conference room, the funding defense meeting wasn't held solely for Locke. After all, everyone was a wizard with limited time and busy schedules.

Today gathered four researchers including Locke to conduct Tier 3 Origin Academy funding closing reports together.

At this moment, Locke waited outside the door. Among the wizards giving closing reports today, he ranked third.

Just then, Witch Freya pushed the door open and walked out, gently exhaling. "I'm finished. Unfortunately, I still couldn't get the review panel to agree to expand my current Tier 3 funding project into a Tier 2 Origin Academy funding project."

"Locke, it's your turn. I hope you have good luck."

Locke said, "Thank you, Freya."

Locke entered the conference room. Inside sat thirteen wizards, but the main reviewers were actually a Second Circle wizard from Golden Crown Mountain's Origin Academy, a Second Circle wizard from Bonifacius University's Origin Academy, and a Third Circle wizard from Quinn Jol Prophecy Secret Arts University.

Locke was momentarily stunned when he saw the Quinn Jol University emblem on this Third Circle wizard, since just a few days ago due to Albert's matter, he had read large quantities of articles from Quinn Jol University's Constructor Academy.

This Third Circle wizard from Quinn Jol University, Hao Brooks, was an old man with white long hair and a white beard. He wore flat-lens glasses and a white wizard robe.

At the same time, from the badge he wore, Locke judged that he should only be a Third Circle wizard, not a Throne wizard.

He should be a diviner.

A Third Circle level Divination School wizard!

And also a breeder.

Third Circle Wizard Hao appeared very easygoing and greeted Locke. "Young wizard, please begin this closing report."

Wizard Hao glanced at the article Locke needed to defend this time and said, "The content looks quite rich."

Origin Academy funding project defenses required at least two external wizards with wizard mentor positions, and at least one must have a senior wizard mentor position.

Therefore, Third Circle and Second Circle wizards from various Origin Academies with sufficient teaching positions might all be invited to participate in closing defenses for other schools' Origin Academy projects.

Locke briefly introduced himself and thanked all the wizards who came to participate in the defense, including three reviewers and other wizards who came to participate, observe, or learn.

Locke glanced at the empty seat beside Wizard Hao. That chair was extremely luxurious, using advanced magical creature fur as the seat cushion, with the seat itself made from advanced tree-type magical plant wood material.

That was Witch Yekaterina's seat.

Collaborative mentors had the right to participate in funding project closing defenses, so although Witch Yekaterina hadn't come, a seat was still arranged for her.

And Group Six's small leader, Kelt, represented Yekaterina's will and participated in this closing report.

After simple pleasantries, Locke got straight to the point. "I continued Golden Crown Mountain's Throne Yekaterina's Group Six research methods and completed the coexistence relationships of reproductive abilities between four bromeliad magical plants and magical creatures, as well as the related mechanism pathways."

The two Second Circle wizards on the review panel whispered to each other, seemingly surprised that while others only analyzed one bromeliad magical plant's reproductive ability mechanism pathway with magical creatures at a time, Locke had actually analyzed four types at once.

The Second Circle wizard from Bonifacius University quickly looked at Locke's article. "The data is very detailed. If there are no data fabrication issues, then this young First Circle wizard's research speed... is very fast."

This Second Circle wizard seemed to think of something. "I remember now. This young wizard almost entered our Bonifacius's senior Origin Academy."

"Later we gave him to you, Witch Esther."

Witch Esther was Golden Crown Mountain's young Second Circle wizard. She showed a sarcastic smile. "It's that your Bonifacius wasn't chosen by the talent."

The Second Circle wizard from Bonifacius laughed awkwardly a few times.

Next, Third Circle Wizard Hao asked Locke several questions, which Locke answered fluently.

Wizard Hao inquired, "You believe the Big Yellow Duck Bromeliad has a first-level symbiotic relationship with lightning bees and a second-level symbiotic relationship with thunder birds. How did you determine that lightning bees only enhanced their reproductive ability because they liked nesting inside Big Yellow Duck Bromeliads, rather than because of any natural magic structure components?"

Locke quickly replied, "It's like this. I simulated the internal geometric structure of the Big Yellow Duck Bromeliad and asked colleagues in the Origin Academy who mastered lightning magic to help me create a static electric field similar to the Big Yellow Duck Bromeliad. This also attracted lightning bee nesting and helped them reproduce."

"Moreover, I thoroughly completed natural magic component structure analysis inside the Big Yellow Duck Bromeliad, confirming from multiple aspects that the symbiotic relationship between the Big Yellow Duck Bromeliad and lightning bees was not accomplished through natural magic component structures."

"The experimental data related to this is written in the article's..."

The three wizards on the review panel flipped through the article, and after viewing the data, they couldn't help but nod.

Wizard Hao smiled and said, "Indeed very comprehensive. I heard you just entered the Origin Academy. It seems you've adapted very well to Cloud Marsh Wetland."

In the seats, several Second Circle wizards from the Shop Alliance also looked toward Locke.

Their eyes flickered, evaluating whether Locke's research could help the industries behind their Shop Alliance, whether it had economic development potential.

Next, the three wizards on the review panel asked Locke over a dozen more questions. Locke answered them all fluently and explained his experimental thinking clearly to demonstrate the consistency and coherence of his experimental data, showing he hadn't fabricated data.

The three wizards on the review panel all nodded, indicating that from the article and Locke's answers, he indeed very likely completed pathway analysis of four magical plants' reproductive ability effects on magical creatures within two months using funding expenses.

This efficiency earned unanimous appreciation from the review panel.

The Second Circle wizard from Bonifacius University blinked. No matter what, this talent had flowed out from their Bonifacius University, which pained him somewhat.

Witch Esther beside him smiled lightly. "Thank you so much."

"Thanks to our Bonifacius colleagues for letting Golden Crown Mountain have this talent. I heard you didn't even negotiate contract terms with him. Even when Morrison, the Cloud Marsh Cup Competition Committee director from your own school, negotiated with your Origin Academy's Dean Valentinian, Valentinian didn't give him any face, angering Morrison so much he caused a big scene."

The Second Circle wizard reviewer from Bonifacius University's expression wasn't very pleasant. He stubbornly stated, "Capable First Circle wizards are like mining treasure. Before this, who could have imagined this wizard's research efficiency would be so high? Moreover, perhaps he's only suited for doing this type of work."

"Our Dean Valentinian comes from the Alchemy School's textile studies sub-direction. He wants our Origin Academy to increase resource investment in textile studies direction, so this young First Circle wizard simply isn't the talent our Origin Academy urgently needs right now."

The Second Circle wizard reviewer turned to look at Kelt. "However, Kelt, this young First Circle wizard is from your group, right? You've found a treasure. You've cultivated him well."

Kelt looked at Locke's article report, stunned in place. He found it somewhat unbelievable that this was the closing report Locke had written.

The detailed and reliable data astonished him.

He hadn't expected that Locke, without cooperating with their Group Six and with almost no help, using only their equipment and research methods, could write such a comprehensive closing report in such a short time.

And not analyzing one magical plant's mechanism at a time, but analyzing four magical plants' mechanisms at once.

Kelt had originally prepared to appropriately encourage Locke to join Group Six's cooperation if he didn't pass the defense.

If he passed, then convince him that cooperating with Group Six would make projects more efficient.

But at this moment, Kelt was stunned, because he discovered all those prepared tactics were useless.

Locke had used just two months to analyze the mechanism pathways of four bromeliad magical plants. He was a genius at doing this, with efficiency frighteningly high.

Then nothing he said would work. Locke alone could nearly match half of Group Six's workload.

Only now did Kelt understand why Witch Yekaterina would rather have Locke than accept that First Circle crystallization stage wizard from their own Golden Crown Mountain academy.

Kelt endured the awkwardness and laughed to the Second Circle wizard from Bonifacius University. "It's alright. I know Locke Augustine has always been a very capable wizard."

Kelt tried not to let this external school wizard see that there was a gap between him and Locke, otherwise it would be too embarrassing for him.

"Augustine has always been a very independent wizard, even in my team, not communicating much with others. But precisely this point makes me very appreciative of him, because... because sheep always gather together, while wolves always walk alone."

Kelt said, "Normally I also gave him the maximum degree of freedom, precisely because I have complete confidence in his ability..."

The more Kelt spoke, the more coherent he became. He himself probably believed this explanation.

Wizard Hao from Quinn Jol University said, "Everyone, the results are all in, so we announce..."

On the podium, Locke's conversation took a turn. "While analyzing the mechanism of four bromeliad magical plants, I discovered a natural magic component structure similar-type, and confirmed this is a completely new type of natural magic component structure that the wizard world should not have recorded before."

At the review seats, the discussion among several wizards suddenly paused.

Wizard Hao looked at Locke warmly, nodded, then flipped through Locke's article. "Is this discovery written at the end of the article? Most wizards would write it at the front."

"I didn't see it before."

At the review seats, the other two Second Circle wizards quickly flipped the article to the last part. Kelt's breathing became rapid as he flipped the article to the end.

The end of the article recorded how Locke used the Cold Ice Mirror, Sunlight Mirror, and Electromagnetic Mirror to map the three-dimensional structures on three levels, functions, and action pathways within living organisms for that natural magic structure similar-type.

Locke quickly explained it once.

Third Circle Wizard Hao from Quinn Jol University smiled slightly. "I didn't expect that just participating in an ordinary Tier 3 funding project defense would make me somewhat serious."

"I've looked at it. This is indeed a very rare natural magic component structure. But I'm not a lightning studies wizard, so it's difficult to confirm whether the wizard world has discovered this structure before."

"Are there any generalist scholars or lightning studies wizards here?"

From the audience seats, two Second Circle wizards stood up. They were respectively a generalist scholar and a lightning studies wizard.

The two surrounded Wizard Hao, while the two Second Circle wizards and Kelt at the review seats all very seriously read word by word through the last part of Locke's article—the part about discovering a completely new natural magic structure component.

Ten minutes later, the Second Circle wizard from the Generalist School removed the Focus Art monocle from his left eye and said, "That's right. This is indeed a completely new natural magic component structure. At least in the Three Marsh Lands' database, there are completely no related records."

The other lightning studies wizard looked at this natural magic component structure's three microscopic-level three-dimensional structure diagrams, three magic-level functional effect diagrams, and one action pathway diagram within living organisms as if he had discovered treasure, greedily wishing he could immediately memorize all these complex patterns.

"Yes, yes, yes. This is indeed a completely new lightning studies natural magic structure component. My goodness, even if someone discovers a new natural magic component structure, they generally won't make the data this detailed or explore the properties so comprehensively. This First Circle wizard has already recorded most of the data for this natural magic component structure."

Kelt snatched the article copy from his hands. "Wait. This is Golden Crown Mountain University's property. You're not an expert invited to this defense review, just asked to briefly verify."

"If you want to read it, remember to go to the library and purchase it with contribution points."

This Second Circle lightning studies wizard raised his head, looking helplessly at Kelt. "Kelt, five years ago you weren't this stingy."

At this time, Third Circle Wizard Hao from Quinn Jol University smiled at Locke and said, "I listened to two boring defenses earlier. I was somewhat drowsy, just sitting here out of politeness."

"Honestly, listening to simple experimental defense reports done by First Circle wizards is torture for me."

"Just out of politeness, and because your school's Third Circle wizards inevitably have to go to our school to endure this pain, so I sat here. But listening to your defense has indeed made me somewhat more serious."

Old Wizard Hao smiled and said, "Young First Circle wizard, your article would qualify even if submitted to the tier-one journal Green Grass Cloud Marsh."

Locke bowed to him. "Respected Mentor Hao, I have indeed already submitted it, and this morning I just received notification that my manuscript passed review."

Old Wizard Hao nodded. "That's natural. Completely new natural magic structure components have always been favorites of Green Grass Cloud Marsh."

"It's easy to get published there. Congratulations, young First Circle wizard. At my age, being able to see a young First Circle wizard like you shine brilliantly is truly an enjoyment."

Old Wizard Hao smiled and said, "For us, being able to see outstanding younger generation brings a kind of joy. But could you tell us how you discovered this natural magic component structure?"

"You seem to have some kind of extraordinary intuition for this subject that makes you particularly prone to producing results. Can you share your little trick with us?"

Locke thought to himself: Here it comes.

He had previously anticipated that someone would ask him this question during the defense.

Questioning why he could so quickly find the mechanism pathways of numerous magical plants and discover a completely new natural magic structure component.

After long consideration, Locke decided to attribute this ability to his breeder talent.

Locke paused, attracting everyone's attention.

Now, even those Shop Alliance representative wizards in the round table conference room stood up and ran beside the review seats, leaning in to see Locke's article.

Locke said, "Perhaps it's because of my special talent in the breeding studies field."

"I joined Golden Crown Mountain's Origin Academy by winning the Cloud Marsh Cup championship."

"I have a particularly strong interest in breeding studies, so I directly cultivated a Big Yellow Duck Bromeliad variant—thereby discovering a new natural magic structure component."