Chapter 130: The Venue of the Alchemy Tournament

At this moment, the group of wizards from Porter Academy gathered around began to murmur among themselves. Initially, some had shown sympathy for Karina, but now they fell silent. From Maler's confident assertions and the expression on Karina's face upon hearing them, it was clear that the matter was likely true.

They had not expected that during Karina's relationship with Rowland, she would also have interactions with Tricia. While they upheld the freedom to love, once an engagement was made between two parties, Karina's behavior was unacceptable; it seriously violated the spirit of the contract they revered.

At the same time, they were deeply dissatisfied with the pragmatic actions taken by Karina and her father. When Rowland was at his peak, they rushed to secure the engagement, but now that he had fallen silent, they cast him aside so harshly—such treatment was intolerable!

“Maler, you—you’re lying!” Karina finally snapped back to herself and pointed at Maler, shouting, “I know! This must be Rowland instructing you to do this. He resents me for leaving him, so he’s fabricating these lies to hurt and take revenge on me!”

Her words caused Rowland, not far away, to turn pale, as if aged ten years in an instant. The last flicker of hope he had for Karina vanished completely. Exhausted, he quietly said, “Teacher Monroe, I’d like to ask you for a favor.”

Seeing the boy whose eyes had lost their sparkle, Teacher Monroe felt a sudden pang in her heart. “Rowland, I know you want me to persuade them to leave, right?”

Rowland nodded.

Noting Rowland's despondency, Teacher Monroe furrowed her brow and thought, “It seems Rowland has been deeply hurt by this matter. This won’t do.”

With that, she gently patted Rowland’s shoulder and asked, “Rowland, do you remember why you train so hard every day?”

Rowland was momentarily stunned, staring blankly at her.

Teacher Monroe continued, “When I was in the kitchen earlier, Aunt Isa told me about your situation. She said you train so diligently because of your little brother Hawk’s leg condition and your family’s hardships. Without you, Hawk might not have survived these past few years. If that had happened, your uncle and aunt would have been devastated.”

“It is your hard work that has brought hope to your family. Auntie told me that her greatest pride in life is having you as her son. Because of you, the family’s circumstances have improved; because of you, Hawk’s life continues. You are the greatest hope of your family. Now, if you let this matter bring you down, what will happen to your family, your parents, and your brother?”

Her words sent a chill through Rowland. She was right—his greatest motivation had always been to heal Hawk’s leg. Yet, after hearing Karina’s slanderous accusations, a wave of loneliness had crept into his heart. Teacher Monroe’s words struck at the core, awakening his resolve.

For centuries, countless cultivators have been stymied on their path due to emotional setbacks and inner turmoil. No matter how gifted one’s talent, succumbing to such blows and developing inner demons is fatal for a prodigy.

“Thank you, Teacher Monroe!” Rowland bowed deeply upon his donkey, sincerity shining in his voice. Without her timely reminder, his soul might have been scarred, causing great harm to his future.

Seeing her student regain vigor, Teacher Monroe smiled warmly. “Alright, go train. I’m here for you.”

“Thank you, Teacher!” With that, Rowland spurred his donkey and headed toward the back mountain.

Shortly after, with Teacher Monroe’s mediation, the three students from Dorm 2015 and Tricia and Karina were persuaded to disperse, and the crowd around them gradually thinned.

“Rowland was just nearby…” Karina watched Rowland’s retreating figure, her heart awash with complex emotions.

Tricia also stared after Rowland, her hand gripping Karina’s tightly. Inwardly, she thought, “Hmph. All these years, Karina’s mouth was full of ‘Brother Rowland this’ and ‘Brother Rowland that.’ For years she was with you, and in the end became your girlfriend. I was nearly driven mad with jealousy!”

“Ha! But in the end, Karina chose me. The one who’s leaving is you, and the one holding her hand is me—Tricia!”

“Tricia, what’s wrong with you?” Karina asked, noticing the storm of emotions flickering across Tricia’s face—anger, sadness, joy, bitterness—and the sweat forming on her tightly clasped hand.

Startled by the question, Tricia quickly recovered, “Oh, nothing.”

“You don’t actually believe what Maler said earlier, do you?” Karina’s expression changed.

“Of course not. What that fat man said is nonsense. Someone as gentle and sweet as you wouldn’t do such things. Even if you did, there must be a reason!” Tricia hurriedly reassured her.

Relieved by Tricia’s words, Karina glanced once more toward the direction where Rowland had vanished, then left together with Tricia.

Although Tricia felt a vengeful satisfaction holding the hand of Karina—once Rowland’s girlfriend—what troubled her was that after all this time, Karina only allowed the closest act of holding hands. Any intimacy beyond that had been explicitly forbidden since they started dating, which left Tricia deeply frustrated.

Soon after, rumors spread throughout the academy—some accused Karina of being mercenary; others said Tricia had stolen Karina’s lover; still others claimed Rowland was resorting to unscrupulous tactics to slander Karina. The gossip was endless. As the saying goes, bad news travels fast, and people were eager to share every new version that emerged.

Rowland paid no mind to the rumors. Since Teacher Monroe had unlocked his heart, he was unaffected and trained all the harder.

After years of effort, the trace of spatial energy within his designated meridian had been compressed into a cluster, growing ever more potent. According to the notes in the Misius Space Journal, this indicated the imminent condensation of a spatial seed. In a few months to a year or two, the spatial seed would form successfully, a prospect that filled Rowland with joy.

Additionally, another surprise was Rowland’s martial artist cultivation. He had not neglected this path over the years and was now a Level 5 Martial Artist! He kept this identity discreet, so aside from Victoria, no one at Porter Academy knew. Victoria, indifferent by nature, never mentioned it to anyone.

Since joining the Alchemy Guild, Rowland obtained six-star alchemical materials and began studying alchemy. Yet, when attempting to craft six-star low-tier potions, he realized his mage level was holding him back.

Theoretically, alchemy below seven stars required no specific mage level, but Rowland was only a Level 3 Mage. The leap to crafting six-star potions was substantial. Even handling the alchemy array during production taxed his mental strength severely. Thus, he eagerly awaited the spatial seed’s condensation, hoping it would elevate his mage rank.

Another source of frustration was the scarcity of six-star alchemical materials. The guild imposed strict limits, so despite membership, his supplies were limited, slowing his progress.

As the Alchemy Conference drew near, Rowland went to collect materials and was informed of the exact date and venue. Upon hearing the location—Porter Academy—a strange expression crossed his face. The conference was to be held at Porter Academy itself!