Payu shook his head: "You don't understand. The Kingdom of Lunke is different from other places. The requirements for wizards are very strict, and after pledging allegiance, they must show their faces."

King Lenko said he believed in the character of the wizards under his command, and that wizards from other places could also be influenced to become friendly wizards who, like him, loved peace and would not engage in despicable acts of underhanded tactics.

King Renko is playing with a very new kind of trust!

Fortunately, visiting wizards rarely encounter the reclusive wizarding corps of the Kingdom of Lenko, otherwise curses would surely fly everywhere.

"It's okay, don't be so self-conscious. Go, go, wizard, I believe you can do it!" Yu Ling's survival body was inside the egg, which was very safe in this world of average level, so she could go wherever she wanted to go.

"But......."

Pai Liu was still hesitant, but under Yu Ling's repeated encouragement, she embarked on the journey to the palace.

The streets of the Kingdom of Lenko have been equipped with magical lighting, and magical brooms that automatically clean the surrounding area are also at work. It has become a semi-magical country, which explains its wealth and prosperity.

This is probably also related to the king's large-scale recruitment of wizards, which made it impossible for other countries to even imitate him!

After passing through wide and clean roads, with meticulously repaired buildings on both sides inlaid with many crystals and treasures, the scenery is exceptionally beautiful. Soon, a towering castle standing in the very center of prosperity comes into view.

“I am a high priest, here to see the king.” Pailu stopped and showed the palace guards his pass.

"Please wait inside for a moment. A guard will inform His Majesty the King of your arrival, Your Excellency the High Priest." The guard respectfully allowed him to pass.

Not being stopped outside gave Payiu a bit of confidence, and soon a young guard came to guide her.

However, after following the guards to the depths of the palace, he did not see the king himself, but instead met an elderly man in the palace garden who looked serious, unapproachable, and dignified.

The staff in his hand proved his identity; he was also a wizard.

"It's been a long time since we've seen a young great wizard come, but we didn't expect to see two of them today."

The old wizard spoke in a flat tone, seemingly not taking the high-ranking wizard Pailiu, who was scrambling to get him outside, seriously at all.

“Young man, judging from your surprised expression, you probably don’t know the rules yet. Before you can meet the king, you need to pass the test of the wizarding order.”

A test?!

"What kind of test? I've never heard of such a thing!"

Payu couldn't help but complain, feeling somewhat resistant to the old wizard in front of her.

"Don't lie to me, King Lenko doesn't like competition, he would never set up any tests or obstacles for those who come to him!"

If he had known about this thing beforehand, he would never have had the courage to step inside, absolutely not!

“You’re right, this was indeed not His Majesty’s order.”

The old wizard's staff flashed, and a spatial ripple appeared around him. Wizards dressed in robes but without concealing their faces instantly appeared beside him. This was a spatial magic that only top-tier wizards possessed.

The old wizard continued, "The king doesn't have a concept of testing, but it's a rule of our wizarding community, a rule for all visiting wizards."

Yu Ling: Wow~ That was amazing! I knew I made the right choice coming here!

I have to say, it actually feels a bit like being the system and watching the host overcome obstacles. So this is what it's like to have the system's perspective? Looks like I need to squeeze more out of my system!

(The system fish, which work diligently on the seabed, are innocently caught in the crossfire.)

"No way? This is the other great wizard you mentioned who came to surrender? And this is all?"

Upon seeing this new face, among the group of wizards who had just arrived next to the old wizard, a hot-tempered wizard with brown hair, brown eyes, and deep-set features stepped forward and began pointing and gesturing at Payu.

"Alright, stop wasting our time. Quickly decide whether you want to accept the test or not."

"Yes, why not? We're already here!" Of course, it was Yu Ling who said such a tough word. Always eager to stir up trouble, he taunted the brown-haired wizard on Pai Liu's shoulder.

If he can fight on par with his demonized merman version, how could Pai Liu be any worse? This guy is so arrogant, of course we have to take him down!

"Okay, I like your straightforwardness!"

Miniature Jade Diamond was completely ignored because of its small size. The brown-haired wizard clearly mistook the person who spoke for Pai Liu and pulled him toward an open space to the side.

A large group of wizards surrounded them. Only the old wizard remained motionless, seemingly acting as the central referee.

Pailu: It was quite sudden.

I feel like I'm the scapegoat for the Mermaid King.

Is it because I've been having bad luck with the word 'king' lately? One king died, another one came along, and now I'm pledging allegiance to a new king, and I'm encountering this unreasonable situation. How embarrassing would it be if I didn't pass the test!

How am I supposed to survive in the wizarding world from now on?!

The wizard, forced to undergo the test, was unable to effectively organize his thoughts to explain that what he had just said was actually spoken by a mermaid king who had been transformed into a cursed doll.

"By the way, you guys said another great wizard came to surrender today. Did he pass the test?" Payu used his best trick to change the subject.

Humans are inherently prone to rambling during conversations, and the brown-haired wizard, as expected, fell for it. He pointed to a low-key, aloof man with long, curly hair parted in the middle in the wizard group and said:

"This is him. He passed with ease, but he hasn't had a chance to meet the king yet. If you pass as well, the two of you can go together."

"Oh, I also wanted to ask, how many tests are there in total?"

"Three wizards to fight, two magical artifacts to fight. By the way, are you stalling for time? If you want to quit, do it now, but after you've seen our faces, you'll have to sign a magical contract and swear an oath at your own expense before you can leave."

Self-funded? Signing a contract? If you're going to say that, I'm not leaving! Spending money is out of the question!

Pailu had barely uttered "I won't quit" when the opponent started swinging their staff at her.

There's something I forgot to mention: this brown-haired wizard is a combat wizard who adheres to the fighting philosophy of "actions speak louder than words." As the first test, he successfully "dissuaded" a large number of foreign wizards who came to surrender.

Before he could even react, he was hit by a stick. Not to be outdone, Payu swung his staff back. This guy actually launched a sneak attack?! Coincidentally, his specialty is "using magic to defeat magic," and he can even swing a staff like a club!

A group of wizards around: Good grief, two conspicuous bags have bumped into each other!