Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit

"Dean."

Chen Jichuan held a magic book, looked at the two who had returned from their travels, and stood up with a smile, saying, "You two have worked hard on your journey."

"Sit."

He gestured for the two to sit down and signaled the secretary beside him to prepare two cups of coffee for them.

"Thank you, Dean."

The two, slightly reserved, quickly expressed their gratitude.

Ten years ago.

Once Chen Jichuan had initially stabilized his injuries, he began traversing the Valgrion Continent, searching for a location to build the Mage Tower.

During this period, considering future recruitment and teaching matters for the Mage Tower, he took the opportunity to gather a number of Independent Mages and appointed them as mentors for the Mage Tower he named "Summoning Cottage."

Morris and Grant were among the first two Second-level Mages to follow Chen Jichuan; each mastered two or three spells of Second-level Magic, making them relatively strong at the Lord Level.

Nonetheless, they remained respectful before Chen Jichuan.

"Tell me about the recruitment situation."

After Morris and Grant took a sip of coffee, Chen Jichuan finally spoke.

"Yes."

Morris was the first to report, "Following the Dean's instructions, we traveled along the East Coast heading north, starting from 'Helz Duchy' and eventually reaching the 'Silver Moon Kingdom,' passing through a total of forty-two cities along the way."

At this point, Morris's face showed some discomfort, and Grant's expression turned grim as well: "The recruitment results this time were less than ideal. Firstly, our visit was abrupt, leaving many commoners no time to attend the tests. Secondly, most of these kingdoms and duchies have always hosted mages within their borders, and those with mage aptitude are first chosen by the local Great Mages, then filtered by nobles, royals, and trade collectives, followed by scrutiny from low-level mages. Ultimately, only a very small number of individuals with mage aptitude are left, and most of them possess the lowest tier of Magic Power affinity."

Grant held back an additional point.

"Summoning Cottage," being newly established, lacked recognition among the various nations. Even those determined to possess mage aptitude hesitated, leaning instead toward Mage Towers with greater renown or institutions closer to home.

For instance, when they reached their last stop in the Silver Moon Kingdom, they identified two commoners with medium-level aptitude, but they were promptly poached by the Royal Magic Academy upon hearing the news.

Due to these disadvantages, after being away for over half a year, Morris and Grant ultimately returned with only twelve young recruits.

"Twelve."

Chen Jichuan nodded thoughtfully.

He had anticipated this turnout; the other recruitment teams had been returning over the past few days with similarly disappointing results. Across the small quadrant of eastern nations, eight Second-level Mages had brought back only thirty-seven recruits in total, which was far too few.

Yet Chen Jichuan remained optimistic: "A fine wine needs no bush." He had confidence that this initial batch of students could be trained exceptionally. Once the first generation succeeds, future recruitment would no longer be a concern.

...

As Morris and Grant returned, "Summoning Cottage" began to establish its foothold on the Divine Throne Continent, growing in obscurity but steadily progressing.

On the continent, the major Mage Towers and Magic Academies generally trained students on a four-year cycle. During these years, the performance and magical advancement of students were assessed to determine their potential. The elite few would be absorbed into the institution, while most mediocre students would be given graduation certificates and referred to various nations and organizations affiliated with the Mage Tower or Magic Academy.

Ultimately, Mage Towers and Magic Academies amassed ever-increasing numbers of powerful practitioners, fostering a broad network of alumni and influence.

Thus, the foundations of every prestigious Magic Academy were deeply entrenched—so much so that not even Legendary Mages or Immortals would dare provoke them easily, let alone challenge their authority.

In comparison, "Summoning Cottage" was still in its infancy in this regard.

Everything unfolded quietly, without fanfare.

...

Time flew, and four years passed.

On this day.

The ninth layer of "Summoning Cottage" hosted its first batch of fourth-year students within the "Advanced Meditation Room." Four years ago, thirty-seven youths became the inaugural students of "Summoning Cottage." Four years later, they had reached the graduation stage.

They had spent four years studying at "Summoning Cottage." Even the most sluggish ones had learned several Basic Magic spells, becoming Professionals capable of securing respectable employment in their respective nations. Among them, the brightest individuals, through diligence and intellect, had become High-level Professionals, only a single step away from a Level 1 Mage.

"The magic power here is so intense!"

"I haven't even started meditating, yet I can feel the lively and abundant magic power!"

"The 'Advanced Meditation Room'! This is the room even Director Morris can only enter for meditation once a year; I've heard Mentor Lillian broke through to become a Second-level Mage here."

"Why did the mentor bring us here?"

...

Thirty-seven students looked around, their faces filled with excitement, their hearts buzzing with anticipation and vague guesses.

At the front of the group.

Fourth-year Director "Morris" coughed twice to signal silence, then addressed the students: "You're correct. When you first entered 'Summoning Cottage,' the Dean promised that every graduating student would have the privilege of meditating overnight in this 'Advanced Meditation Room' as a graduation gift."

"Is that true?"

"That's fantastic! Meditating one night in the 'Advanced Meditation Room' might allow me to breakthrough into a Level 1 Mage before graduation! Then I could apply to stay at 'Summoning Cottage' as an assistant mentor."

"Hail the Dean!"

"Hail the Dean!"

...

Upon hearing Morris's confirmation of their hopes, the students erupted into cheers. Among them, the high-level Professionals at the forefront were especially euphoric, eager for the chance to achieve a breakthrough.